About Us
Real people, real moments, images you'll keep forever.
At Chris Puttere Photography, portraiture is approached as both an experience and a craft. Each session is designed to feel seamless, considered, and deeply personal. Based in Berkeley and working throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, the studio offers family and individual portraits, professional headshots, cinematic aerial sessions, and black-and-white film photography.
Working as a collaborative duo, we bring care and presence to every shoot. Our approach is guided yet unobtrusive, creating an environment where you can feel at ease.
The result is work that feels cohesive and refined, with an emphasis on atmosphere and authenticity. We create images that not only reflect who you are but preserve the feeling of the moment; photographs intended to become a joyful testament to a moment or interaction, a memory that you will cherish over time.
Our Story
Our work is rooted in a shared foundation in photography and the arts. We met while studying photography in art school, where our approach to image-making first took shape. With over fifteen years of experience, our practice has evolved into a collaborative studio shaped by complementary perspectives.
Yessica Porras, with a PhD in art history, focuses on black-and-white medium format photography using a Hasselblad 500C, bringing a sense of depth and timelessness to our film sessions. Chris Puttere’s work in architectural and portrait photography forms our digital practice; shaping family portraits, headshots, and aerial sessions with a refined, cinematic approach.
Together, we move fluidly between film and digital processes, creating portraits that feel cohesive, intentional, and enduring.
Chris Puttere
A Northern California native and Academy of Art University graduate, Chris picked up his first camera in 2001, inspired by the lighthouses of the Pacific Northwest. His travels across continents have sharpened his eye for light, human connection, and the stories that make each person unique. With over 20 years of experience in landscape, portraiture, and architectural photography, he now brings that technical expertise and worldly perspective to what matters most; creating portraits that become family heirlooms.
Yessica Porras
Yessica Porras brings a distinctive perspective to photography, shaped by her background in art history and a deep engagement with the visual world. After completing her PhD in Art History, she returned to photography as a more immediate and intuitive form of expression, translating critical understanding into a personal, visual practice.
She specializes in black-and-white film portraiture, working with a Hasselblad 500C to create images with extraordinary depth, soul, and timeless quality. Each session is approached as an opportunity to reveal something true and lasting; creating portraits that hold both emotional depth and enduring significance.
