Mario's vision for photography is visually eloquent and creatively stunning. I'm always nervous…read morewhen looking to choose a photographer. Mario was very pleasant to talk to and to work with. He is excellent with creating a easygoing mood with everyone. If I need another photographer I would be very happy and comfortable working with Mario again. Thank you again Mario.

From the owner: Photography is not just a hobby for me. It's more than that. What I see is an image that's going to…read morelast a lifetime! An image that you can see over and over without it blurring away. Memories are being made one click at a time. Me being the person that I am, will always put you first. I want my clients to laugh, and to be emotional, and also show that joy when they look back at that special day when we captured that special moment! I pour my heart out to this. This is what it's made of. This is who I am.

Wow Wow Wow. Heather is truly a master at her craft and such a warm and kindhearted person. It was…read moretruly such an honor to work with her from our engagement photoshoot to the day of our wedding. Background: On August 10, 2019 at Mount Shasta Resort, Heather and her team captured every essence of the best day of our lives. We had a lot of moving parts from the bipolar weather shifting from rainy to clear blue skies to densely packed program of our reception to managing photos with 230 guests. Yet, through it all, she managed to maintain her composure and had fun with us through it all. Style: Heather did a phenomenal job of capturing us and our goofiness as well as our gushy love and affection for each other. In addition, she was able to capture the traditional photos with family members and such. Process: She's great at communicating throughout the entire process. I never once felt like I wasn't in the loop. I HIGHLY recommend having Heather serve as the photographer for any event. She's got an impeccable eye for capturing all the right shots! We're absolutely ecstatic about our photos!

I have never in my life been so pleased with any service as I was with Heather Armstrong's…read morephotography at my wedding. Heather is the best sort of artist--the artist who creates for love of both the act of creating and the subject. Though I dabble in photography myself, I am admittedly not photogenic. Heather took the best photographs I have ever seen of myself, and made me feel profoundly comfortable all the while. Though Heather is based out of Redding, California, she was willing to travel to our wedding in Southern California. I have many friends who have spent far more on wedding photography than my wife and I did and in my opinion, our photographs are the best I have seen. You will not regret choosing Heather for your wedding, or for family or senior portraits. Check out her website, and particularly her constantly updated blog to get a taste of what an excellent photographer she is.

Vanessa from Essence Photography covered our corporate ribbon-cutting event and the photos were…read morephenomenal! She went above and beyond to capture our business grand opening. We will absolutely use her services again! Thank you, Vanessa!

We couldn't have been happier to have Betsy and Justin capture our engagement and wedding photos…read more I had really high standards (thanks to Pinterest), and Essence Photography far exceeded them. After experiencing engagement/wedding photography, I would actually have to say that the pictures are NOT the most important part. The most important part is how well the photographers and the subjects (us as a couple) work together. We totally dug Betsy and Justin. They are both so low key and relaxed, but at the same time, they get stuff done. They pose you and also take your suggestions for what you'd like to see. They are open to suggestions, but are also professionals, so they know what works and what doesn't work. They have such great personalities and are so good at what they do that my whole family was so appreciative of them on our wedding day. Having photographers with a good personality and disposition is so important, because they help you feel at ease, and therefore, take more beautiful pictures! I also have to say that Betsy is so kind for working with me. I have a pretty direct personality, and sometimes that doesn't always go over well. She was very patient in working with me and always listened to what I was looking for and did her best to accommodate me. I was very appreciative of that! The pictures they took for us will last us a lifetime. They are so beautiful and are also backed by good memories of working with Betsy and Justin. Thank you, Essence Photography!!

I purchased a Groupon deal for the portrait studio in Redding, CA on 3/26/25 which expires on…read more7/25/25. I tried to make an appointment and found I couldn't, so I called the store number and found that all JCPenney Portrait Studios anywhere near where I live are permanently closed. Groupon doesn't want to refund my money because I waited more than three days. I obviously didn't know they were closed since my Groupon stated "Redding CA" in the search bar. Now, after dealing with customer service through Groupon, they are going to get back to my in 4-6 days. Don't buy any coupon services for JCPenney's.

Went in to get baby portraits of my 7 month old. Pictures were OK, not super-awesome but decent…read more One of the shots I otherwise liked had a motion blur. But, DO NOT buy the "high res" digital pics! They are NOT high res! They decrease the resolution to 2400x3000 pixels, which is barely printable at 8x10 size and that means you can't crop or enlarge much of anything. We were not informed of this when we bought the (very expensive) digital package, even though we specifically asked about the resolution of the images we were getting- the lady working there was "not really good at all that technical stuff" (per her own words). When we called to try to resolve the issue, not only were they unable to get us any higher resolution, they also only refunded half in spite of us being given incorrect info for the purchase. The lady who took our pictures was nice enough, but did not have any idea how the software worked or proper knowledge about the products she was selling us. She claimed the motion blur was the way the monitor displayed (it was subtle), and that the pic should be sharp when we got the final version. It was not. Find someone else- these guys are not the kind of business that should get your money.

Our photos turned out amazing!!!!! Diana made the whole process so easy. She scouted out locations…read moreahead of time and told us where to meet her and at what time. She had everything needed for the shoot, had a plan, and executed it to perfection while simultaneously implemented all the things we had told her we wanted before the shoot as well. Diana is such a genuine person and made the experience so much fun. She was great with my 4 year old daughter and made her feel extra special during our session. When we received the photos we were blown away by how fantastic they turned out, but not surprised as we had seen her work before and know how talented she truly is. Diana, thank you once again for the overall 10 out of 10 experience, and providing our family photographs that we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

Diana is such a talented photographer!! We are always so amazed and utterly awestruck by the images…read moreshe captures. She offers mini sessions which are a quick 20 minutes and in such a short time she truly makes magic happen. Her shoots a breeze and just the right amount of time! Diana makes you feel at ease and comfortable, and she's so good at keeping the mood lighthearted and fun. This has really paid off because we've seen her work wonders with a fussy, camera shy toddler and our impatient dog. Without fail, Diana has somehow managed to capture such beautiful moments of our family time and again. Our family photos will be treasured for years to come.

Jamie is a fantastic photographer!! I had the greatest experience with her for a boudoir photo…read moreshoot. Before the shoot, I was super nervous - I'd never met Jamie & I was going to be wearing lingerie in front of a camera... what did I get myself into?! However, once I arrived at her studio & talked with her, I felt so comfortable. It wasn't awkward & I am kind of awkward lol. She helped me understand certain poses and was encouraging throughout it. She also helped me pick out what to wear, that would look the best with her different studio sets. I felt so relaxed because of how she talked me thru everything. She followed up after sharing the photos with me & was very helpful during that process as well. Even thou I got them as an anniversary gift for my husband, I feel like it was also for me as it boosted my self-esteem. I usually don't like the way I look in photos, but she was able to capture my beauty in a way that made me feel confident & sexy, just the way I am. The quality of her work is stunning. She knows how to work with angles, light & shadow to flatter you. She is so creative. Now my husband & I have a cherished gift & we couldn't be more happy with the photos.

Jamie's talents know no boundaries! She took SO many…read morebeautiful pictures of my daughter for her Senior Portrait Session. She captured images that show my daughters personality and soul. By the time I was done reviewing the photos, I ended up with happy tears in my eyes. They were so moving and full of feeling! Not only are her photos and talent amazing, she gives the best advice and direction! She made sure Bailey was comfortable and always having fun! Jamie Solorio has a gift that Redding, CA is lucky to have! I will never go elsewhere for my photography needs!

Matt is fun, easy-going, and makes the photoshoot an experience! He was innovative and constantly…read morethinking of great arrangements/poses for the photos. We loved Matt and his photos are STUNNING. I would highly recommend!

From the owner: $250 off the Lassen Winter Wonderland Package. Book your free, no-pressure consultation today! read more

There aren't enough ways to convey how amazing Jack and his entire team were. They captured the…read moremost special day of my life in the most beautiful way imaginable. When my husband and I had our first meeting with Jack it was so apparent that he is interested in his couples- he wanted to understand how we met, what we enjoyed together, why we love each other and it was obvious that he took that information into capturing our wedding day. Jack and his team were not only punctual and organized, but genuinely good people. We will have these incredible photos and video to look back on for the rest of our lives and for that- thank you SO much Jack!

Jack and Christopher were fantastic to work with for our wedding at the Point Reyes Seashore! They…read moredid such a great job of putting us at ease and trying poses that did not come naturally to us. They captured some great candid shots during the ceremony and managed to also be so stealth that I actually don't even remember them being there! They were patient and great with our difficult dogs. Jack turned around the photo gallery so quickly; it felt like we came back from our honeymoon and the photos were ready! Thank you Jack for all your amazing work!!