San Francisco Bay Area
Documentary Family Photographer

A man with a beard, wearing a backward cap and a jacket, smiling while standing on a hillside with a large body of water and a bridge in the background.

Hi, I’m Anthony Thornton, a documentary photographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. I help families celebrate and remember what makes them who they are.

My approach is simple: no scripts, no stress — just real, meaningful photographs that reflect a family’s unique story.

Featured Stories

  • “He’s a brilliant photographer and one of our most treasured possessions is the life rhythms he captured of our family.”

    Peta, Mom

  • “His artistic and professional eye captured the beauty of the moment without planning a single pose. He delivered a curated album of photographs that documented a special moment in our lives and we are incredibly grateful that we have something to to remember this time by."

    Greg, Dad

  • “...These aren’t just photos; they are a vivid story of who we are as a family...”

    Ellie, Mom

  • “...If you are looking for a talented photographer with a keen eye for how to capture beautiful candid photos, capable of capturing magic in very small authentic moments — you need not look further.”

    Sarah, Mom

  • “...it was life documented as art...capturing the decisive moments of peak emotion! Our family is forever grateful for your time spent with us documenting our small gathering...”

    Jason, Dad

  • “Anthony so joyfully captured those everyday moments that combine to make a life.”

    Tommie Jean, Mom

Check Out the Blog

Living room with a gray sofa, a dog lying on a red patterned rug, a wall with collage of framed photographs, a standing floor lamp and a side table with a flower vase, set by glass sliding doors leading outside.

Living with life’s moments

I help families reframe how they see their own lives. Not by highlighting perfection, but by discovering the magic in what’s already there. It’s easy to overlook the shape of a day, the subtle moments, or the feeling of being together—until you’re given a new way to see it.

This work isn’t about staging or curating. It’s about seeing and celebrating what’s been there all along.

Reframing the family ‘portrait’

Group of six people in a kitchen, preparing and serving food, laughing and enjoying each other's company.

“When I saw what Anthony could do catching our family in action, it has forever changed the way I look at a family portrait. The photo of us around our kitchen island where we as a family spend so much of our time, gives me a level of joy and a snapshot of time that a traditional static portrait will never quite accomplish. Anthony is a gifted storyteller with his photography and an extraordinary visionary artist.”

— Michelle, Mom