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ELLE G Photography Calling all water waders, sunset seekers and sand lovers. This is the place for the beach enthusiast, the palm tree addict OR any girl (or boy!) that wishes to channel their inner mermaid. I'm glad you're here. Get in touch and say hello. My kids had so much fun running up and down the dunes and playing on the beach and our pictures really reflect the special time we had. It didn't feel like a photo shoot at all, just a great time with family. Not only did Lisa make me, my fiance and my dog look amazing, she made us FEEL amazing as well.
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I surf, I snorkel, I paddleboard, I kayak, and only travel to tropical places if I can help it. I've been a dolphin trainer and a competitive swimmer. I'm addicted to palm trees and always have been. My greatest joy (other than taking a plunge in the Maldives) is in handing you a photo of yourself that makes you say, "Damn, I look good!".
I photograph you in a natural, fun and relaxed way by truly capturing the spirit and heart of you and your relationships! Expect to have fun, laugh, and play. I take the kind of candid-but-stunning photos you could never snap with a selfie stick and your friend could never take, even with a pro camera.
The entire Marcelo family was visiting San Diego, from Hawaii, and gathered together on the beach in La Jolla for some fun and candid photography. There are a few that let loose and a few that were on the more serious side and that's okay. However, it IS my goal to get you out of. Have fun with it.
Reviews (24)
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Veronica Dabrowski
Jan 23, 2022
We had the BEST experience working with Lisa! She captured the engagement and then had our engagement shoot! Best idea ever, total surprise to me! She was so sweet, fun, and professional. We got sneak peak photos super quick and we were SO IMPRESSED with how they turned out! My favorite pictures ever were taken by her!
Kelly B.
Jul 13, 2021
My family was visiting La Jolla from Pennsylvania, and I always dreamed of family photos on the beach. We have an amazing photographer back home, and I was nervous we would not find a photographer with a similar natural style. I searched and searched for what I was looking for, and all I can say is how thrilled I am to have found Elle G Photography and Lisa. SHE IS AMAZING!

We give her our highest recommendation and are THRILLED with our photos. Lisa was responsive to my inquiry, scheduled a phone consultation and answered all of my questions. She knew exactly what I was looking for and recommended Windansea Beach in La Jolla which was perfect for pictures. She helped with outfit recommendations and tips and tricks to ensure photos went smoothly with 2 small children.

It was the most one hour of photo fun. There was no stress or worry- just the 4 of us (and Lisa) playing on the beach and enjoying each other. She is true magic in her art and captures moments and memories like none other. These photos will forever be so special to us, and we are so grateful to Lisa for helping us to freeze this small moment in time.

My 3 recommendations for future clients: 1. Book Lisa- you will not have any regrets. 2. Have fun and do not stress. Get sandy, get wet and just enjoy the moment. 3. Print your photos and enjoy them around your home. They aren't meant to sit on a computer. I promise it will be hard to narrow down which ones you want to print, because you will want to print them all, that is how talented she is. Lisa is so sweet, easy going and immediately made a connection with us and our 2 small boys.

Thank you so much Lisa for making my dream come true of photos on the beach. We will return to La Jolla in the next few years and know you will again capture lovely memories. Continue to share your gift!
Heidi Corbett
Jun 30, 2021
From start to finish, my husband and I had an absolutely wonderful experience with Lisa! We were visiting San Diego from out of town and right away she was so responsive and helpful in providing recommendations and ideas based on what we were looking for with our photo session. She recommended Windasnea beach which was beautiful, and she made the session SO much fun! Lisa went to great lengths to get beautiful shots of us and the scenery, and we had so much fun following her direction and input. The photos are amazing and we are so happy with our experience! We will definitely use her again if we return to San Diego in the future.
Andy R.
Mar 01, 2021
Lisa is amazing! She did a fabulous job capturing my proposal, and doing an impromptu engagement shoot. She was very collaborative, kind, and made the whole experience really special! And (most importantly) the pictures turned out AMAZINGLY! We are super happy with the whole experience, and would recommend Lisa and Elle G photography to anyone!
Daniel R.
Mar 26, 2020
After looking into a number of photographers in SD, I went ahead and reached out to Lisa. I was immediately impressed with her professionalism, knowledge and passion of photography and her knowledge of the area. I mentioned to her that I wanted to propose to my gf on the beach and I knew I had made the right choice when she started to pinpoint the most optimal time to take great photos based on sunlight and low tide hours.

My fiancee was late to her own (surprise) proposal! Lisa was incredibly patient with us and made the best of the situation. I had high expectations for Lisa when it came to receiving the edited photos and she completely blew me away! Her work was so incredible and we had our photos in such a short amount of time. Her positive energy made our session so much fun. Don't hesitate to give Lisa a call! She listens to your wants/needs and has the know-how to make it happen. -Daniel
Allyson Samfilippo
Dec 20, 2019
It was an absolute pleasure working with Lisa-she is communicative, warm, and most importantly an expert at what she does. Our engagement photos blew us away! We were AMAZED by the high quality shots and it truly was a magical shoot at Coronado beach. Lisa put us at ease, worked quickly and without hesitation, and was extremely fast with editing. Look no further for your engagement photographer.
Cindy L.
Sep 27, 2019
My pup and I had a blast taking pictures with Elle G Photography and the photos turned out beautifully! Lisa (the photographer) has an eye for beauty and unmatchable skill for capturing it on camera. This is evident if you follow her Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/ellegphoto/ I had never done a professional photoshoot before so really had no idea what to expect. Lisa, my pup, and I drove around to a few different sites in La Jolla for "on location" shots to take advantage of the stunning scenery La Jolla has to offer. Lisa is so creative and took the lead in suggesting all sorts of different backdrops for artistically crafted and dynamic shots.

We took photos in front of the setting sun over the ocean, posing in front of the fancy homes in La Jolla, and driving through the town in my convertible. My pup and I felt like real models for the day and had so much fun! Lisa was a pleasure to work with and I enjoyed the pictures and experience so much that I went back a second time and took photos with her again! I highly recommend Elle G Photography if you are looking for breathtaking, creative, original photos to be able to treasure forever.
Anni H.
Aug 18, 2019
Lisa will be our photographer from now on as long as water is involved. We had her do a family portrait session on the seaside to document kid's first birthday, and had the best experience. The session was relaxing and easy with zero formulaic posing involved. Instead Lisa paid a lot attention to the quirkiness and unique moments of the baby, and we are so happy to see all those special traits and perfect imperfections captured in the final product. I am normally super awkward with taking pictures but I absolutely love the kind of candid yet high-spirited photos Lisa take.
Jenny F.
Jun 14, 2019
We have used Lisa for our engagement photos, my daughter's senior photos and our family photos. Lisa does amazing work! She is such a ray of sunshine! She makes the session so easy and fun with her positivity and direction. My kids were so nervous beforehand but ended up laughing and having fun the entire time. They even asked if we could go back and get more photos with Lisa! I HIGHLY recommend her. You won't be disappointed! We fly all the way from Ohio to use her as our photographer!
Anam J.
May 13, 2019
Lisa was an absolute pleasure to work with! We are from Maryland and decided to do our engagement shoot while vacationing in San Diego and were so happy we found her. She made us feel very comfortable, made the whole experience very light, fun and easy. Since we are not from the area, she found a beautiful spot for us to photograph in! We initially got sneak peek of the pictures only 4 days after the shoot and we were very impressed!

She shot us beautifully and the pictures came out very naturally and the background was beautiful. We received all of our images shortly after that and were blown away. We were very happy with her services and would definitely recommend her to any friends that "happen" to be having their photo shoot in San Diego.
S.
Jul 12, 2018
Lisa was so amazing for our family pictures in San Diego. She was incredibly energetic, patient and kind. She also doesn't have a bunch of different packages but offers all of the pictures for a flat fee, which is simple and easy. Our pictures turned out BEAUTIFUL. I picked Lisa from Google Maps, she was actually the first person I called and I immediately knew she was the photographer for us.

Her energetic and sweet personality was just so obvious! Great experience, absolutely would recommend. Update: *** we used her again in 2018, once again we were terrifically impressed.
Michelle R.
Jun 28, 2018
Lisa is a outstanding professional photographer! She did a beach photo session with myself, my best friend and her son, my god son. The pictures were epic, cute and very sweet. Nothing was staged, just out there on the beach, in the sun, having fun! The pictures turned out amazing! We had so many options to choose from. Her energy, passion and fun attitude lead the way and the results were perfect! Call Lisa, book a session and you won't ever be disappointed. I cannot express how much she was able to give our vacation a little extra to make it memorable :
Michelle Rubenstein
May 19, 2018
Lisa is spot on when it comes to professional photography. She knows how to capture the best images, candid or not. I booked her during my vacation for a photo session with myself, friend and her son, my godson. The pictures were epic, beautiful and fun! We spent an hour or so on the beach just having the best time! I highly recommend anyone needing a top notch, energetic and friendly professional photographer for any occasion.call her. You won't be disappointed! Best time ever!
Brittany De Achaval
Apr 30, 2018
We are so happy we connected with Elle G Photography - Lisa is absolutely amazing! We had a family vacation planned with everyone meeting from all over - NYC, Buenos Aires, Houston and Denver! We really wanted to capture some family photos at the beach and Lisa exceeded our expectations! She was so kind and patient with us (we had three little ones ages 3, 2 and 1)!

She was so natural in the way she captured our family and the interactions between everyone. Highly recommend Lisa and Elle G Photography - you will not be disappointed! Thank you for documenting this beautiful trip for us!
Michelle Matias
Dec 25, 2017
We just saw the slideshow and we're absolutely floored! You did an unbelievable job! I honestly could not have asked for more and from start to finish you've delivered well beyond expectation. Not to mention that the first time I contacted you was the morning of! We can not thank you enough for being such an invaluable part of our unforgettable experience!
Erin Shields
Jun 21, 2016
We were so, so happy with our wedding pictures. Lisa is incredibly talented, and the results were way beyond our expectations. Everyone loves the pictures, several friends who saw the album told us we chose a fantastic photographer! She was wonderful to work with, throughout the process. She asked a lot of questions beforehand to get to know us, and what we were looking for in our wedding and especially in the pictures, which I absolutely appreciated.

And at the event, she was amazing, she somehow managed to keep it fun and grounded at the same time. I was very happy to have her there, I had complete confidence in her -- and then the pictures turned out sensational!
Maria Granlund
Feb 04, 2016
Lisa is so talented! We are so lucky that we found her! We did our engagement photos on the beach at La Jolla Shores/Scripps and also a underwater shoot. We are so happy with our photos, we love how they turned out. Lisa is such a nice person and she makes you feel so comfortable and she is so easy to work with. The underwater photo session was extra fun, we laugh so much the whole time. We are looking forward to our wedding day and to once again create great memories on film that we can keep forever. I hope Lisa can continue to be our family photographer.
Thieny T.
Jul 17, 2015
Lisa did our engagement photos on the beach, our wedding photos at Scripps Seaside Forum, and we did a post-wedding underwater shoot with her in our wedding clothes. I literally cannot express in words how much fun that underwater shoot was! If you have an inner mermaid you have to give Lisa a call! If you're already comfortable in the water, Lisa will make you feel comfortable in front of the camera.

She has lots of creative ideas on how to capture shots that are full of life and excitement. I don't know how she did it since our underwater photos were taken in the winter, (BRRRR!) but they look incredible! My husband and I are avid SCUBA divers, surfers and former competitive swimmers, so this was a unique way for us to incorporate something that we both love into photos we will cherish forever. And yes, those 'above the water' photos for our wedding are just stunning as well. Many thanks Lisa, for capturing us in a way that no one else could have :D
Becky M.
Jul 01, 2015
Working with Lisa for our underwater photo shoot was SO MUCH FUN! We've had our photos taken a handful of times, but this was unlike anything I've ever experienced. I literally felt like Ariel from The Little Mermaid, which was totally rad, since it's my favorite Disney movie;-) Lisa is so easy to work with. We laughed a ton and she gave us such great direction (even while under the water)!

We love the swimming, surfing, diving and snorkeling, so it was sort of just like a super fun date day for us! Definitely one of the coolest things we've done in a while and now we have beautiful photos unlike anyone else's photos!
Brooke R.
Sep 06, 2013
We had a great experience working with Lisa. She is a joy to be around and instantly makes you feel comfortable and at ease. Lisa did our engagement and wedding photos. The engagement photos were done on the beach in La Jolla. They turned out great. Lisa had a lot of creative ideas and captured some really beautiful moments. Then a few months later she did our wedding photos at Scripps Seaside Forum.

They turned out gorgeous and have been featured in 2 magazines and one website. The colors are beautiful and bright. Both the candid shots and posed shots look awesome. We couldn't be happier with our photos and we recommend Lisa to all of our friends and family! Lisa has a wonderful personality, she's easy going, funny, and makes you smile. I would highly recommend her.
Anthony G.
Aug 20, 2013
I have known Lisa for years. She's genuine, honest, fun, truly a joy to work with. She has taken pictures for my friends and I on several occasions and she's easily one of the best photographers in the region. Lisa has a style that focuses on event guests enjoying themselves, catching the beautiful moments when they are smiling and laughing and she knows how to bring that out and capture it. It's a fantastic skill. I highly recommend Elle G Photography!
Pete F.
Aug 18, 2013
Here's the thing that won us over before we'd even called Elle G - the digital images are part of the deal. I have no idea why every other photographer in the city still wants money for prints and lots of money for the digital images like it's 1985. If you're like us, you want the digitals way more than you want a couple prints. Elle G did maternity and baby photos for our little one.

The pictures turned out great. We had fun with the maternity shoot (which I expected to be a chore) in La Jolla. When it came to the newborn photos, Lisa was great with our daughter. I hadn't thought much about it beforehand, but having someone with patience for working with children and their schedules is a big plus. I seriously wish we'd found her for our wedding. but that's a whole different review.
Gillian M.
Jun 01, 2012
Lisa did my engagement and wedding photos and was simply amazing. We did our engagement pictures at the beach with our dogs and got so many compliments on how fun and beautiful our pictures were. Not the standard awkward pose pictures like so many other engagement shoots. Our wedding pictures turned out the same. She really has an eye for detail and not only took great candids of us and our family and friends having a great time (and actually looking good with REAL smiles), but she perfectly captured the scenery and feeling of the entire the day.

She even stayed until the very end of the wedding to make sure she got all the big moments. I couldn't be happier with her work. Lisa is so easy going, talented, and a overall a wonderful person to work with. My husband and I can't wait to use her again for the other special events in our lives.
Nam L.
May 22, 2012
We were looking for a good photographer for our wedding and found Elle G via google. Our initial communication with her went well. She met up with us and gave us alot of information and her packages seemed reasonable. Then we asked if she could take a picture of us (the bride & groom) with each table, she politely turned us down with "I don't think I'm the right photographer for you".

We respectfully accepted her sudden change of heart. So can't really rate her skills as we've never experienced it. Just baffled by her refusal to take photos at each table. We also didn't want her "first look" shoots (you can look up her website for info on this "technique") as we didn't want to see each other before the walk down the aisle.

Maybe this was the issue for Lisa. So if you're anything like us, you probably will be turned down too. We finally found another photographer who takes excellent photos and very accomodating at a fraction of the cost.