Livermore Photographer - Amber Rivas Photography Blog

The Blog

Amber Rivas Photography blog - this is where I feature all of your sessions, write about my personal life so you can get to know me a little better, and answer questions you may have about photography, your wedding day, or your photo session!

view by category

Bay Area Photographer specializing in weddings and portraits.

I'm a Bay Area photographer specializing in portraits and weddings. I desire to showcase God's designs and use the creative skills that I've been given to bless others. When I have good pictures of myself with those that I love, I can look back and remember what we looked like and where we were, but also the emotions that we felt. The memories that come back with a good photo are irreplaceable, and I love being able to preserve them.

booking
need more info?
HELLO!

Meet Amber

Latest Posts

On the blog

Livermore Library Couples Session

January 15, 2020

This Livermore library couples session is probably one of my favorites to date. Couple of reasons: 1. I LOVE the library! 2. Did you know the library has some really pretty wisteria blooms behind it, and a bunch of landscaped pathways? Kevin and Rachel had their second date at the library where they played Azul […]

Del Valle Engagement Photos in Livermore, CA

January 7, 2020

When Jonathan and Amber contacted me a little over a week ago about shooting their wedding in May and said they wanted winter morning engagement photos done as soon as possible (as in THAT weekend!), I suggested Del Valle in Livermore as the perfect spot to meet up for their session. Del Valle engagement photos […]

On Christmas Trees and Traditions

December 20, 2019

I love Christmas trees and traditions at Christmas time. I’m all for creating new family traditions, doing them year after year, and I look forward to the day after Thanksgiving every November. On Black Friday we opted outside (like an REI ad!) and went to Four Winds Christmas Tree Farm in Los Gatos to get […]

New mom and dad holding baby in the hospital

Newborn Hospital Session

December 11, 2019

Let me start off by saying that this isn’t my normal kind of photography session…I don’t usually do newborn hospital shoots! But Katie is one of my favorite people in the world, and I was not going to miss the opportunity to meet my new favorite baby (as of last August) when he was a […]

Mt. Diablo Engagement Photos at Sunset

December 3, 2019

I love ALL of the photos from this beautiful Mt Diablo engagement photo shoot. We had such a fun time during this engagement session, and it really shows in these photos. Brian and Cheryl love the Mt Diablo area and chose it as the location for their engagement session…I had never been, so it was […]

Arroyo Mocho Couples Photos in Livermore, CA

November 18, 2019

Another session on the Arroyo Mocho! I love it there! Eric and Veronica are two of our favorite people to hang out with here in Livermore. Our friendship started at a 9pm post-worship-practice round of video games. Eric invited Alex over by saying, “Hey, you want to come over and play a game?” Alex said […]

Bride and groom kissing in apple orchard

Fall Wedding at The Orchard in Watsonville

October 11, 2019

Let me be the first to admit that I may have overdone it (just a little!) with the photos in this post. I just couldn’t choose…there are so many good ones! Especially the second set of portraits in the apple orchard – beautiful sunset lighting, beautiful apples, beautiful people. This fall wedding at The Orchard […]

Laid-Back Church Wedding in the Central Valley

October 2, 2019

Jesse and Nicole had a simple laid-back church wedding celebration, and it actually felt a lot like my own wedding day. For example: lawn ceremony, simple reception, and even a Hispanic buffet for dinner! I loved being able to reminisce because of all the similarities. They had their ceremony in the back courtyard of the […]

Indian bride and groom embrace during golden hour

Indian Wedding in Napa Valley at the Silverado Resort

September 23, 2019

I had the opportunity on September 7 to photograph an Indian wedding at the Napa Silverado Resort in Napa Valley, CA. This was my first experience with an Indian wedding, shooting with Claire Barrett of Claire Barrett Photo. Her photography is amazing, and she puts a lot of thought and detail into her photos. It […]

East Bay Parks #3: Brushy Peak

September 9, 2019

Finally putting the parks pass to use again! This time I went to Brushy Peak in Livermore with Rachel. We left a little after dinner so that we’d have plenty of time for hiking around, but we got a little lost on the drive there, ended up in some rush hour traffic on a divided […]

Husband and wife newly married at Palm Event Center, standing under the junipers

Summer Wedding at Palm Event Center

June 29, 2019

Back at the Palm Event Center in Pleasanton! I have to say, aside from its beautiful location and the fact that it’s five minutes away from home, I love shooting here because the staff is SO helpful. I walked into the “vendor area” to find it stocked with water bottles, Cliff bars, printed timelines of […]

Ravenswood Summer Wedding Day in Livermore, CA

May 22, 2019

Monica and Kevin’s Ravenswood summer wedding day in May reminded me a lot of my own wedding day. It was a laid back, relaxed park setting, and just a fun time of being with your favorite people. My favorite part of weddings like this is that the celebration doesn’t have to be super fancy to […]

Rummikub to Rivas, Part Three | Amber Rivas Photography

May 11, 2019

In case you missed it:Rummikub to Rivas Part OneRummikub to Rivas Part Two Finally at Part Three! After our first date, Alex didn’t waste any time. Probably partially because we didn’t HAVE much time. As I mentioned at the end of Part Two, we had approximately eight weeks until graduation, at which point neither of […]

Family photo session on the Arroyo Mocho Trail in Livermore, CA

Arroyo Mocho Trail Family Photos

April 30, 2019

As a Livermore photographer, I love doing sessions that are right here in town. I love finding new beautiful places even just 10 minutes away from home. The Arroyo Mocho Trail has become one of my favorite spots to take photos. Alex and I used to walk this trail when we were dating, and we […]

Couple at Vallejo Mills Historical Park near Niles Canyon, standing in the wildflowers

Niles Canyon Couples Session at Sunset

April 23, 2019

All week long leading up to this session I was hoping for some wildflowers down at Niles Canyon. If you have never heard of Niles, it’s a little historic suburb near Fremont, CA. I highly recommend taking the Niles Canyon Railway train through! Anyway, back to the photo session – we started off the evening […]

Rummikub to Rivas, Part Two | Amber Rivas Photography

April 19, 2019

Last we left off (Part One here!), Alex and I had just hung out for the first time together with just the two of us. We played three rounds of Rummikub. I won twice and let him win once. He maintains that he won without me letting him. Between April 4th and April 19th, we […]

Bride looks over her shoulder at Elliston Vineyards

Creative Collaboration at Elliston Vineyards

April 12, 2019

As a creative small business owner, there are a lot of ways to connect with other local entrepreneurs in your town and get to know some other creative people. Rising Tide is a nationally known organization that promotes community over competition, because “a rising tide lifts all boats.” Meaning we are better off learning together […]

Rummikub to Rivas, Part One | Amber Rivas Photography

April 4, 2019

The very first time I met Alex…I don’t remember it. Apparently I was wearing yellow flip flops, talking about how I couldn’t decide what to major in, and declaring that I would not be an engineer because I didn’t want to have to take chemistry. Our mutual friend was telling me I shouldn’t base my […]

Woman in cap and gown poses at Ruby Hill for graduation photos

Ruby Hill Graduation Photos

March 18, 2019

Last week I met up with Rachel and we went for a drive in Pleasanton, CA to take some Ruby Hill graduation photos in her graduation gown! We drove around the loop of the neighborhood as we waited for the skies to clear (let’s be real, they never really did…) and scoped out some spots […]

Tilden Park, Berkeley, CA – East Bay Parks #2

March 11, 2019

Installment #2 of our East Bay Regional Parks adventures! This one was less of a hike, more of a stroll…there aren’t really any hills at the section of Tilden Park that we visited. Alex’s love for the Berkeley Botanical Gardens is no secret, so we stopped over there first. We have annual passes for the […]

Groom holds bride who laughs and waves in the vineyard at Palm Event Center

Winter Wedding at the Palm Event Center

March 2, 2019

On February 24, Stephanie and Romeo finally married each other after years of dating long distance. They held their beautiful winter ceremony at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Pleasanton, CA. I have had the pleasure of photographing many Catholic weddings, and I love the significance of each element of the service. This wedding was no […]

Overcast Baker Beach Engagement Photos

February 22, 2019

When Monica and Kevin said that they wanted a beach engagement shoot, I suggested that we meet up in San Francisco. More specifically Baker Beach near the presidio. I was hoping for some fun views of the bridge and photos with the waves. Baker Beach is one of my favorite places to view the Golden […]

Bride and groom on the golfing greens at Poppy Ridge Golf Course in Livermore, CA

Winter Poppy Ridge Golf Course Wedding

February 13, 2019

My last photographed wedding of 2018… Sarah and Eric chose a winter wedding in December at Poppy Ridge Golf Course in Livermore. As a Livermore wedding photographer, I especially love shooting wedding days in town close to home. Sarah and Eric married on the patio of the reception plaza overlooking the golf course during sunset. […]

Sunset over the valley of Little Yosemite in Sunol, CA

Little Yosemite, Sunol Wilderness – East Bay Parks #1

February 8, 2019

In January, we bought an East Bay park pass. The hope is to get outside more this year. Alex and I are fairly active people. I run sometimes, we bike together other times, and we enjoy a good walk around what we’ve affectionately titled “The Livermore Arboretum” (hint: it’s the Arroyo Mocho trail). Hiking is […]

Why photography? My reason for the business

January 1, 2019

Why do I spend my weekends taking pictures of strangers and hours of my limited time during weeknights editing those photos?

AirBnB Wedding in the Los Gatos Hills

September 30, 2018

I thought I’d get this blog going with a throw-back post on the anniversary of Joseph and Nicole’s beautiful wedding in the hills of Los Gatos!

Bride and Groom kiss in a rose garden outside the Lodi Women's Club

Navy and Pink Lodi Woman’s Club Wedding

May 13, 2018

Carlos and Krystal chose the Woman’s Club in Lodi for their wedding ceremony and reception. The coolest thing about this place is that the setup is the same for both! The guests sit at round tables as they come in, and the ceremony takes place on the stage at the front of the room. I […]

Husband and wife walking on the foggy beach in formal clothes

Baker Beach Anniversary Photos

May 29, 2017

I’ve known Faith since we were in elementary school, but we didn’t become friends until we were sophomores in high school. We grew up going to the same church, and finally became fast friends when we had to plan out a lesson for the children’s program. I highly recommend having a friend like Faith…accidental sleepovers, […]

Protected: What To Wear Guide – Couples

January 14, 2015

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.