I’m a Santa Barbara California based portrait and lifestyle photographer, I love capturing those moments that define our lives. From candid laughter and grins, to the tender looks exchanged within a family, my goal is to freeze a moment in time that you will treasure forever. I love traditional portraits but if capturing real moments, connections and emotions is your main focus then I’m your photographer!
I was born and raised in Texas, go Longhorns! In my previous life I worked in clinical research and received a masters in nursing at Yale University. I met my husband in Connecticut and we feel very fortunate to have settled in beautiful Santa Barbara. I’ve always loved photography and have invested in my skills for years. In 2020 I decided to take a step back from nursing and dive into photography full-time.
If I’m not behind my camera, you can find me at the beach learning to surf, cycling in the valley, or simply being with friends and family. I love to being outside and active and I will travel any chance I can get, not always easy with three kids and a dog!
TESTIMONIALS
“Jennifer Yau photography has not only captured our family in photos, she's captured our hearts. She is so easy to work with, and is a wizard working with kids.
I also hired Jennifer Yau for a professional project - to shoot my abstract paintings for my website. She took amazing photos of my art work as well as action shots with me. I'm not normally comfortable in front of the camera, but she was able to put me at ease and direct me well. Not only does she take great photos, but she does excellent photo editing with no extra fees. I loved the way her photos turned out and I plan on hiring her again in the near future!
I highly recommend Jennifer Yau Photography.”
Josephine Tournier Ingram
Artist | Abstract Painting
www.josephinetournieringram.co
“Jen has a knack for slipping into a setting like a fly on the wall. As our family enjoyed an evening in the park, she captured the personalities and expressions of our boys so effortlessly. She is easy to work with and really listens to what you want while infusing her expertise into the session. I could not recommend her more highly!” -Holly Doden
"Time and time again, Jen’s patience, creativity and eye for beauty have resulted in our most cherished family photos. Thank you, Jen, for capturing our crazy life!” —Lesley Miller
“Our photos taken by Jen are a treasure. Countless times she has beautifully captured the personality of our family with the most stunning lighting! She is brilliant in her skill and a natural with kids in any setting. Thank you, Jen!” -Carolyn Murphy
“Jen is one of the most talented, versatile, and creative photographers I've ever worked with. She manages to capture not only a stunning photograph, but also the essence of the moment. She has taken our family photos for a number of years and each time, I marvel that she was able to get THAT beauty from three wild and curious boys. She uses her knowledge of light, her calm and gentle presence, and her passion for what she does to coax frame-worthy shots out of every situation. Jen's photography has also been instrumental in helping me build my business. She's captured the energy and feeling of my workshop events, taken beautiful stills to help me showcase my brand, and is really gifted in editing shots to get "just the right" mix. Jen is ultimately just a dream to work with.” - Jill Ellis
“Our family session with Jen included our two young daughters and our 3 week old son - I would have been thrilled to receive just a few usable pictures. Instead, I got dozens of gorgeous, frame-worthy images. They were far and away the best professional photographs we have ever had. I can't recommend her highly enough.” - Megan Burwell