I hired Kate for a family photo shoot in Hilton Head, SC. She was communicative, timely in…read moreproviding high resolution and social media downloads of our photos, and the pictures are high quality and lovely. I recommend her to anyone in the area for a family photo shoot!

We ventured out to Hilton Head Island from the west coast with my husband's family (our first time)…read moreand decided to gift the grandparents a family photoshoot (10 of us in total - 2 grandparents, 4 parents, 4 children between ages 3-8). After culling through several reviews of photographers in the area, we e-mailed Kate - she was so responsive right from the start even before we decided to commit, and it was no different after. She's so kind and easy to work with, and so knowledgeable about the HH area. We met Kate at the beach at dusk on photoshoot day and everyone took to her right away - she was so efficient, and knew exactly what kind of shots she wanted to capture, and at the end was happy to accommodate requests. We are so happy with the results and highly recommend Kate's work!

Island Life Photography was simple and efficient to book. They kept us apprised of weather-related…read moredelays and was able to re-book us when wind delayed our sunset beach photo shoot. Our photographer, Annie, was delightful and accommodating. Our family really enjoyed working with Annie and can't wait to see the outcome. We highly recommend Island Life Photography if you'd like a family photo shoot in Hilton Head, SC.

Unfortunately, our experience with Island Life HH Photography was very disappointing from start to…read morefinish. We hired the company for a large family beach photo session while vacationing in Hilton Head and made a significant investment expecting professional guidance and high-quality images. While the photographer was friendly, it became clear during the session that she had very limited experience. There was little direction for posing, arranging a large family group, or creating natural interactions, leaving us feeling unsure of what to do throughout the session. When we received the gallery, many of the images lacked the quality and composition we would expect from a professional photography service. What was most disappointing, however, was the complete lack of customer service afterward. I sent a detailed, respectful email outlining our concerns and requesting a discussion about our experience, but I never received any response from anyone on the team. We regularly invest in professional family photography both at home and while traveling, and this was one of the most disappointing experiences we've had. Based on the quality of the photos and the lack of follow-up, I would not recommend this company.

We had an absolutely awesome 5-star experience working with professional photographer Maureen…read moreSnyder while taking family photographs on the beach at Hilton Head Island, SC. Maureen has lived in the Lowcountry of South Carolina for more than 20 years and specializes in family portrait photography on the beaches and sand dunes of this popular vacation spot. She has a relaxed and welcoming personality that is the perfect fit for a professional photographer. Our entire family enjoyed working with this gregarious professional. Armed with a Digital Single Lens Reflex camera, Maureen is a pro at harnessing the most attractive natural lighting just after sunrise and just before sunset to produce beautiful family portraits near the ocean's surf. Our session was shot on a Tuesday evening in the golden hour just before sunset. We were thrilled with our photos, conveniently provided to us on a USB flash drive, at a very reasonable and competitive price. We're excited to now have the perfect family shot for our next Christmas card. I'd recommend that you book your session with Maureen Snyder as far in advance as possible as her time slots can fill quickly as vacationing continues to accelerate on the Island. Five big stars for a true professional and a very enjoyable experience. Say "Cheese"...Highly recommended.

Maureen worked with our large family to pull off a beautiful portrait as the sun was trying to set…read more She knew exactly where to put us to take advantage of the light as it disappeared and the pictures are beautiful..

Alicia is amazingly talented and the kindest person you ever want to work with. She is responsive…read moreto questions and her pictures were stunning! She captured my son's surprise engagement with 25 of his friends and family watching from afar! She is excellent!!

Alicia is very prompt and is an excellent photographer. She goes out of her way to accommodate your…read moreneeds. I highly recommend her and will 100% contact her again!

Can't say enough nice things about the photographer we had during our family photo shoot in Tybee…read moreIsland he was amazing! Thank you so much for helping commemorate this major milestone birthday with our family! We can't wait To see the photos as the previews he showed us during were amazing! And on top of all that Josael I throughly appreciate the recommendations for things to check out locally in addition to being so responsive and helpful with all my questions such amazing help and professionalism! Highly recommend this business to help capture your memories with amazing photos as the kindness and help they show only helps make your trip and experience more special

I had minimal experience hiring a photographer for a photo session and was nervous about hiring one…read morefor our vacation from out of state. No need to worry however- Josael was great! He was very friendly, professional and patient with our three grandchildren (6 years old and 15 month old twins). Our beach photo shoot was very fun with lots of different poses and groupings. We can't wait to see the pictures! Thanks Josael!

Incredible talent! So grateful Susan shared her gift with us...we have family beach photos to…read morecherish forever!

Susan took fabulous pictures and was easy to work with. We have no hesitation in recommending her.read more

Nate went above and beyond in capturing our engagement proposal! The photos and videos were…read moreabsolutely stunning, but his role went far beyond just taking pictures. I was on a family beach vacation in Hilton Head for the first time, and Nate was essential to the planning--helping me choose the perfect location, coordinating with my family to get everyone in place, and even assisting with some of the setup. He truly did it all, and his effort helped make the moment absolutely perfect for me and my now-fiancée.

From the owner: Licensed and insured photgrapher in beaufort county, beaufort city, bluffton and hilton head sc. I…read morespecialize in working with people, I value communication, organization and desire to create the look/ feel clients want. Also my belief is photography is an Art and is expressed through my eye. A photo is a story and its how to tell it, so many elements come into play from the setting in the camera, to lighting, added effects and post production....my desire is to make you stop and absorb all facets to a image

I'm your typical man. There's no joy for me in having my picture taken. Plus I don't need…read moredocumentary evidence of my greying, double chinned self. But my wife wanted one of those that are taken on the beach and it's been way too long since we've had an 'official' family portrait taken so we thought why not. Surprisingly to me, it was fun. David and his assistant made things comfortable and took control of the situation while keeping things relaxed. The smiles and situations in the photos were staged, of course, but the photos were natural and true to our family. There wasn't the gritted teeth and pinch grins in front of a book case backdrop that I remember from my youth. It was also a spur of the moment thing. When we decided to do it, I called several photographers and either didn't get a call back from the others or were treated rather contemptuously because of our limited time. David had to rearrange somethings but we managed to get in during our week on Hilton Head. One word of warning: because of my lack of experience in dealing with professional photographers I unaware of the cost of the final photos. A bit of a shock so get a ball park idea when you call in what the final costs will be.

I decided to read some other reviews on Hilton Head Island Portraits (HHI Portraits) before posting…read morethis. I have to say that anyone complaining about the costs are probably perfectly content letting Walmart print their point-and-shoot snapshots, completely unaware that professionally printed items are considered heirloom quality and tend to cost more. To me, my investment in professional quality was worth the price. That being said, I found David and his assistant to be charming and helpful. To the best of my knowledge, neither of them are God, so the weather was not up to them. However, we had no problems whatsoever. I've been noticing a trend in other professional photographers that have basically given up trying to sell prints and instead have opted for selling a disc full of images, then leaving it up to the buyer to try and get professional prints done. To me, any photographer, like David Gerwels, who has not abandoned that fundamental principle, has shown more dedication to the art. I received a wall grouping (stretched canvas) and they were beautiful, and ready to hang. David even gave me tips on how to hang them to achieve the professional look they deserved. All in all, my experience with HHI Portraits was a great one, and I would recommend them to anyone who is looking for quality instead of their sister-in-law who bought a Nikon at Staples and prints on her all-in-one HP.

Alexandria was such an angel!! Literally a blessing from the Lord. She has the most intentional and…read morewarm personality and knows how to be silly and have fun. Working with her was a dream come true! 11/10 stars!

Alexandria was amazing to work with. We got pictures with our two month old and she was so patient…read morewith us and the baby. We were also up against some pretty nasty weather rolling through that day and she was great at working with us on the time. I would rebook pictures again with her time and time again and recommend her for anyone traveling to Savannah. We will talk about getting caught in the rain during pictures for years to come & Alexandria made it so special for us. Best money we spent on the trip.

I just love Megan and her pictures!!! Her vision and ease to work with!! I was so impressed with…read morehow prepared she was!! She has a beautiful peak of our wedding in my email the next day!!! !! We had planned a destination wedding and I chose Megan on Yelp!! I was once a professional photographer too and I loved her pictures... called her and talked with her and as you can see ... WOW... stunning pictures!!! I would without any reservations recommend Megan!! She is so easy to work with... she even helped the best man and groom put on their boutonnières... she is fun and know her camera and how to use it!! Thank you so much Megan!!! So very much for capturing the memories of our special day!!!

Megan is amazing! This is just a review for her engagement session, but I've hired her for my…read morewedding as well and I'll post an update to talk about that. She scouted the location and brought a second shooter to handle lighting (who was also awesome). She really understands light and how to work with a frame. If you're a little camera shy, like me, she'll give you a hand with posing ideas and lots of encouragement. Our shoot started out normal enough, but I had wanted to have a paint fight with some brightly colored paints, and she was totally into it! I had so much fun and I don't think I would have been able to without their openness and professionalism. She sent me a preview of the pictures the next day, and they were absolutely fantastic! And her rate is very affordable for any budget. Highly recommended!