Asah Films

documentary-style photography for modern lovers

09/02/2026

My name is Tessa, the creator of Asah Films. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, I photograph weddings and elopements with a playfully candid yet elevated, fine-art feel.

My work is for the spirited and the sentimental. For those who hope to cultivate memories and moments that, decades from now, still feel alive and inspired. Full of celebration. Full of the seconds worth reliving again and again.

This has been beautifully embodied in my new brand design. The monogram by a n d r e a is a little cheeky, a little chic. And the new website by carries an artful nostalgia that hearkens after the very feeling I hope my photographs evoke.

So go on, have a wander at asahfilms.com and tell me what you think 🥰

09/01/2026

More and more, when chatting with couples, they mention a sense of story in the photographs I share. They use words like textured, history, an awareness of light, a candid feel.

Much of that is influenced by my journey into weddings as a videographer. I love following a day’s movement, catching the spirit of a moment. There are always photographs I know I’ll get, but I am also looking out for the unexpected in-between ones that connect into the narrative of the day. The way it is remembered.

Here are a few digital and film photographs from L&A’s day that carry this, developed by Photoworks SF.

Venue: Camp Trinity on the Bar 717 Ranch | Est. 1930
Photographer: Tessa - Bay Area Wedding & Elopement Photographer
Florals: FiftyFlowers | Wholesale DIY Flowers Shipped To You
Rentals: A Planned Affair Redding

08/28/2026

This time last year, I was still getting to know San Francisco. Chinatown was where I kept ending up, my happy place in a city that was new to me after moving here from Hong Kong. It was also where I first started bringing film into my engagement sessions, a roll or two at a time, seeing what it would do.

Now it’s part of how I create. I’ve become more deliberate about how I shoot, looking for the moments that feel like a little lived-in treasure. Part of the everyday, yet revealing their beauty by the frame that holds it in time.

Photos are a mix of digital and film.

08/25/2026

At The Sea Ranch Lodge, your whole day can happen in one magnificent setting.

Stay at one of the rooms on site. Walk out to the bluff for the ceremony. Sit down to dinner with the Pacific going in front of you. Wake up to coffee by the ocean and a walk along the Bluff Top Trail.

I wrote up a little guide to planning a Sea Ranch elopement on the blog. I take on a limited number of elopements a year, and this stretch of coast is always a yes for me. Link in my profile if you’re dreaming about it.

Photographs shot on film.

Venue: The Sea Ranch Lodge
Photographer: Tessa - Bay Area Wedding & Elopement Photographer
Concept & Design: & Morgan Cullimore┋ Florist
Florals: Morgan Cullimore┋ Florist
Workshop: Boundless the Workshop ✨

08/18/2026

The thing I remember most about S&K’s wedding day is the way everyone spoke about how in love they are.

Even when we met up to go over the timeline, paired with wine flight (the best kind of meeting), I could sense the depth and rootedness of the joy surrounding this wedding.

It’s not surprising that the ceremony was so entirely sacred, and that it was followed by an infectious celebration. When I find myself laughing and tearing up along with everyone, I know the day has been full of the truest love.

Mostly film from S&K’s church ceremony and reception at Eagle Ridge.

08/13/2026

How do you go from demurely holding bouquets to dancing in a forest in under two minutes?

Nothing that the right song can’t do!

A&J are a whole dose of fun, and I wanted that to show up in their wedding party photos. Swipe to see how chanting “to the window, to the wall” turned out 😆

08/12/2026

Between their ceremony at Golden Gate Park and reception at Wayfare Tavern, J&C were excited to roam the streets of San Francisco for their couple shoot. So, we headed to North Beach.

I mostly followed and let the neighborhood swarm around then. We knew we wanted the iconic crosswalk shot at Cafe Zoetrope, and the rooftop views from a parking garage in the heart of North Beach. Those two spots created the route, and everything else was a wonderfully unexpected moment in between. I especially love how these turned out on film.

08/06/2026

Most couples want their photos to be candid and authentic, but they worry about feeling camera shy. I get it! Being in front of a camera does not necessarily feel natural. Here is how I help my clients: I give you a little guidance when you need it, a place to put your hands, a direction to walk, a corner I scouted ahead of time, and then I step back and let you be in the moment.

K&T put it this way: “Tessa gave us such clear and thoughtful directions, which really helped us feel comfortable and natural in front of the camera. The photos turned out even better than we imagined. She’s so easy to work with, super creative, and made the whole experience fun and effortless.”

Most of the session, they were just talking and laughing with each other while I followed along on film through Chinatown. Fun and effortless is exactly what I am after.

Thank you, K&T 🥰

08/03/2026

A few weeks out from every wedding, I sit down with my couples for a check-in call to go through the timeline. Together, we walk through how the day will flow, so that we are aligned on prioritizing what matters most to them about their day.

For J&A’s wedding at Camp Noyo, one of those things was this spot by the water. They shared that they would love to take their couple photos there, and I am so glad they did. The light pouring through the trees was just magical.

Address

Santa Cruz, CA
95033

Website

http://asahfilms.com/

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