Danielle Motif Photography

Danielle Motif Photography Danielle Motif Photography specializes in candid lifestyle photography for individuals, brands, and

My mission is simple: brighten up the world & spread joy by telling our stories, documenting special moments and celebrating the every day.

We got our wedding photos from our amazing photographer and woweee have been feeling swoony ever since. We eloped on th...
23/01/2022

We got our wedding photos from our amazing photographer and woweee have been feeling swoony ever since. We eloped on the island of Milos in the Cyclades at the end of September last year. It was a place neither of us had been before and I had become fascinated with since discovering this moon-like beach on the island. Sarakiniko appeared otherworldly in photos and for me, the perfect place to explore together and make such a special commitment.

When we met up with Dinos in Athens earlier in the week he asked us not to go before the wedding so we’d take it all in for the first time when we went for our wedding. Best. Call. Ever. This place is as magical as I dreamed it would be. Energetically it felt as though the earth was in harmony in the universe. We were touched by the warm rays of the sun and dappled with gentle sea breezes as we said our vows. I’m forever grateful to have found and I can’t believe that we were able to have this beautiful moment together. ✨❤️🇬🇷🌊Link in profile to see some more images of the day from Dinos’ wonderful eye.

That’s a wrap! As I reflect on the year, I still can’t really believe I’ve had the chance to bring my creative energy ou...
22/12/2021

That’s a wrap! As I reflect on the year, I still can’t really believe I’ve had the chance to bring my creative energy out as much as I have given what we’re all going through. Lucky duck. I’ve been keeping busy with photography, content marketing and brand consulting this year and it has been fun and challenging to bounce around from project to project.

I’ve long wrestled with the full-time/part-time/side-hustle aspect of my career and these past few years have made that even more of a roller coaster. To that end, I’m taking a break from my photo biz. I’m not sure for how long or if it will be indefinitely, but I’ve decided to reconnect to my creative interests more personally for now. Maybe I’ll finally edit and print the thousands of photos I’ve taken for myself that are just sitting on hard drives. Ha. Whatever happens ahead, I’m full of gratitude for what has happened. Many of you here have supported me as clients over the years and so many more of you have been there when I needed emotional support, gear recommends, or Photoshop support (you know who you are) - and I can’t leave out 2 of the best second photogs a gal could ask for .a.s and ! I am so grateful for you all!

Enjoy this little roundup of photo projects from this year. XO ❤️📷

This glorious wedding was a mood. I can’t even believe how lucky I am to have met this incredible lady years back at Sub...
07/11/2021

This glorious wedding was a mood. I can’t even believe how lucky I am to have met this incredible lady years back at Substantial while doing a photo shoot. .adams is just a beautiful soul. There’s no other way to put it. When she reached out about her wedding with Daniel I was so thrilled to have the opportunity to capture such a special moment in their lives. We did an engagement session last year and when I first saw them together it was like photographing electricity. Here are a few of the earlier moments from their beautiful wedding day. More to come.

Venue
2nd photog .a.s
Planning
Hair & Makeup
Florals
Rings

Last month I was lucky enough to spend an afternoon at the beach with some of my favorite peeps. Our goal was "simple", ...
16/09/2021

Last month I was lucky enough to spend an afternoon at the beach with some of my favorite peeps. Our goal was "simple", get the two kiddos in a photo together, looking at camera-ish. I think it's fair to say the idea was a little like chasing squirrels, one rather large squirrel in this case, but somehow we made it happen. I miss you guys. Here's a bunch of emojis to say how much. 🦕🦖🐍🦎🐟🐙🐨🐻🍷🍻🥓🥩🎇🖥️📹📷

Last week I had the total honor of checking out and with for and oh my goodness, eye candy everywhere. 🌸🌿🌺🌻The bees ...
20/07/2021

Last week I had the total honor of checking out and with for and oh my goodness, eye candy everywhere. 🌸🌿🌺🌻The bees were buzzing, there were tiny quails running around and making cute noises, and learning Mark's story about leaving the restaurant world in LA and diving into farming was incredible.

It’s July in SB and I can’t think of a better time to snag some family portraits! Warm breezes, sunny skies, and water j...
14/07/2021

It’s July in SB and I can’t think of a better time to snag some family portraits! Warm breezes, sunny skies, and water just ready and waiting to be splashed around in. 😎🌴🌊🌺☀️

I recently had a super fun session with the Peterson crew over at East Beach while they were in town visiting. I’ve been photographing their parenting journey since we did a maternity session and it’s lovely to see little Elliott become, well, not so little anymore.

I have to say it has been so nice to start picking photo sessions back up again! This summer promises to be full of good times behind the lens and I’m incredibly grateful to be able to return to this line of work safely and with more freedom to direct (it was more challenging than I could have imagined behind a mask, especially with kiddos). Looking forward to sharing more from this one soon.

Photographing flowers and making little arrangements at home is one of my favorite things to do. I'll be honest, it's no...
14/07/2021

Photographing flowers and making little arrangements at home is one of my favorite things to do. I'll be honest, it's not easy with very curious cats that are highly interested in chomping down on anything plant-related. Thankfully, I get to spend time with flowers at work now, HELLO! Freaking dream. These lovelies are strawflowers, floral gems I've always loved but never knew what they were called. I can't wait to start sharing more images from my time over at - lots of delicious and pretty things. 🍷🌿🌸🌺

Islands 🌴🍔, Il Fornaio 🥖, McCormick & Schmicks 🐟, California Pizza Kitchen 🍕, and Houstons 🍷...all restaurants I once wo...
08/07/2021

Islands 🌴🍔, Il Fornaio 🥖, McCormick & Schmicks 🐟, California Pizza Kitchen 🍕, and Houstons 🍷...all restaurants I once worked at. Early jobs along my journey that I never expected would bring about so much in my life.

I hosted, waited tables, and bartended for many years. Beyond invaluable life lessons, my restaurant experience helped me through college and grad school and introduced me to so many things about food that I still reference today (the seafood knowledge at McCormick & Schmicks I had to learn was like a class in and of itself). I think the thing that really stuck the most was an appreciation for wine and cocktails.

Looking back, I remember the work being hard, the hours long, and on some days it was peppered with rude customers or a bad night of tips. I won’t ever forget the guy who once told me that the spoon was the “round one”. Ugh. 🙄 Mostly though, those days remind me of post-shift drinks with co-workers, and led to many short term and long term friendships (I see you ) , and also led to a couple of serious romantic relationships, and the beginning of a beautiful love affair with the intersection of design, food, music, and of course gathering around the table over stories. Funny how something seemingly so utilitarian like a restaurant job can be the spark of special bonds and something magical. 🍸✨

Shot for .usa

When I’m taking portraits I have one main goal, allow the person’s energy to come across genuinely. I recently received ...
08/07/2021

When I’m taking portraits I have one main goal, allow the person’s energy to come across genuinely. I recently received a lovely compliment from artist when she shared images from our session together. She said “𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘮 𝘐 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘹 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧.” I am so glad Wendy! When we met I couldn’t help but be inspired by the good vibrations that filled your studio space and the excited smile that crept across your face as you walked me through your process. 💗

Feeling super lucky to be connecting with the community here in SB and learning more about their stories. Wendy started and ran a pet sitting company for over two decades and now she is diving into painting full force following that creative pull.

More of this one up on the blog!

New doorway, who dis? I am starting a new chapter and hellllloooo there are flowers!💐 If I’ve learned anything over the ...
01/07/2021

New doorway, who dis? I am starting a new chapter and hellllloooo there are flowers!💐 If I’ve learned anything over the course of my career it’s that a creative’s path is never straightforward and it doesn’t fit into boxes. For a while I really fought against this idea and tried desperately to push for structure and boundaries and find something that felt “organized”, “stable” and “good for my career” but my journey had other ideas. Maybe you can relate?

My work life has been like a bouncy house, never really on solid ground and at times a bit all over the place. I have work to thank for some incredible friendships and I’ve been lucky enough to spend time on some projects and brands that I am truly proud of. But I’ve also had the misfortune of being laid off (a lot), and been in situations that weren’t great for my health and amplified my stress & anxiety. Along the way, I learned how to be a manager, how to become a better photographer & business owner, how to use my voice, and how to take care of myself with tools like meditation and yoga (thanks ) As with everything, a career is a work in progress, but that’s kind of the fun part. Nothing is static. In every instance of change, there’s evolution into the next version of myself in the next part of the story. That’s where I’ve landed today, starting a new chapter in a new town with my energy open to new possibilities.

So what is actually new? Lately, I’ve been doing some brand consulting work and ramping photography sessions back up. I’ve also joined the team at where I’ll be doing content marketing part time (and no doubt learning a thing or two from their florist 🌺 and sommelier🍷). I also have a couple of ideas swimming around in my head that I’m trying to find the courage to go after. At the end of the day I’m looking to use my creativity alongside people, businesses and brands that are putting some positivity out into the world. I have no idea what form it’s all going to take in this evolution, but I’m going to do my best to roll with it and embrace the discomfort of the unknown. So here’s to fresh starts! It’s a journey not a destination, and I am here for it.

What’s more important than this spectacularly Leo-forward hairstyle? Helping more people discover their creative spark a...
01/07/2021

What’s more important than this spectacularly Leo-forward hairstyle? Helping more people discover their creative spark and supporting our local communities. ⚡

As most of you probably know by now, I’m passionate about the arts. From the moment I arrived in this world, I have been surrounded by creatives of all stripes. My grandfathers were both avid photographers, my parents both professional musicians (and if my childhood pics are evidence, they were also awesome photogs in their own right), my mom also double-majored in art and music. I have memories of seeing her art all over the house as a kid. She was interested in being a fashion designer!

Needless to say, it was inevitable that I would end up on a creative path myself and to that end, I know how important it is to have creativity be a part of your life. That’s why I’ve started to donate 5% of all my photo sessions to an organization that is helping others through the arts. This year, I’ve chosen LA non-profit - they support underserved youth by creating opportunities for them to find their voices through creative arts, mentoring, and education. If you haven’t heard of them, I hope you’ll give them a follow, check out the work they’re doing, and consider a donation or other option from the “support” dropdown on their site. 💫

📷 Me creating a kite at a music camp on Marrowstone Island in WA State circa...1984 ish?

Happy Friday friends! In a cheery mood over here since I shipped my first SB shoot off. I was so lucky to have Elizabeth...
07/05/2021

Happy Friday friends! In a cheery mood over here since I shipped my first SB shoot off. I was so lucky to have Elizabeth and Justin as my first Santa Barbara clients. What an incredible time we had. Looking forward to sharing more of this one. It’s full of joy, love, and gorgeous SB spots. ☀️

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