Jon J. and I tied the proverbial knot in May, and hiring Allana was by far the best choice we made in our entire wedding planning process. Early in the game we decided that our two main priorities were throwing a fun party, and having beautiful photos by which to remember the entire affair. So we put our money where it counted, and we couldn't be happier with the decision. Obviously, the first thing that drew us to Ars Magna Studio was the exceptional quality of Allana's portfolio. She manages to candidly capture emotion and humor in her photographs that few others can. After interviewing a handful of other potential photographers, we finally had a chance to meet with her and were sold on the spot. She's laid-back and absolutely hilarious, which are priceless qualities to have when trying to put people at ease in front of the camera lens, especially at such emotionally charged events as weddings. We had a great time shooting our engagement and wedding photos with her, and absolutely love the results. We even received numerous compliments from guests about her level of professionalism and sense of humor. Overall, by far one of the best wedding investments we could have made - I can't recommend her enough! read more

Over the last year I have had the joy of working with Allana Taranto during various portrait sessions hosted at Little Fish Boutique and most recently for my finance and I's engagement photos. She has an amazing ability to be casual and easy going while capturing precious moments in ideal framing with all the tools and talents of the master photographer that she is. Check out the website and blog to see the depth of experience, variety of styles and endless stunning photos! read more

During a conversation about the boudoir piece of Allana's photography business, she excitedly told me that she'd love to shoot a couples boudoir shoot. I'd gotten boudoir photos done solo with other photographers in the past and had never even heard of couples boudoir, but upon seeing some of the couples photos that inspired Allana to want to shoot- I got excited too and said I was game. The only problem: how to get my boyfriend on board. The solution: shoot at a hotel and ply him with Manhattans. Ha! Allana had great ideas from where we should shoot (The Liberty Hotel!) to what we should wear (via a shared Pinterest Board) and was a master at putting both of us at ease during the awkward moments. The experience was amazing! Allana has such an eye for what will translate really well into the photos and didn't hesitate to position us, make suggestions for scenery changes, and make suggestions on outfit changes. Our photos came out beautifully- we both loved EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. which made it so hard to choose the ones we wanted as she scrolled through them in our living room on our TV. The photos were gorgeous and all of our friends who've seen our pictures have been raving about them and debating when to book their own. You're probably wondering how we could have shown any of our pictures to friends given that boudoir is usually synonymous with risqué half naked pictures. Some of ours were, but in more than half we were clothed or expertly positioned, which was even more amazing because they are romantic amazing pictures that we will relish, can post and share, and are so proud of. If you're thinking of booking Allana for either a couples or traditional boudoir shoot- do it. It's worth every penny. read more

Allana did a wonderful job documenting our wedding in June. I chose Allana after going through her portfolio...I loved how she has the rare skill of capturing someone both at their best but also naturally (I never felt self conscious or awkward). Her portraits are particularly great - my husband and I were thrilled with our engagement photos and the pictures she captured of the two of us during the wedding. Choosing a photographer is of course, a very personal decision...but if you're looking for someone who will document your wedding as it unfolds and who is very professional, but with a great sense of humor, then I can't recommend Allana enough. read more

Allana was the photographer for our wedding this past weekend and was she fantastic! The advice I'd gotten from friends was to pick a great wedding photographer and Allana more than lived up to my expectations. Allana has all the 'basics' covered - she's very professional and reliable (on-time, responds quickly to email / calls, etc) and she of course shoots great photos (I don't consider myself photogenic at all, but she got some great shots!) Of course, many photographers take beautiful pictures and are professional...what really attracted me to Allana was her personality. She has a generally laid back demeanor (while of course getting everything done) and has a good sense of humor (both in person and the whimsy in her photos) ... attributes essential to any wedding. I would definitely have chosen Allana all over again...indeed, I'm trying to figure out an excuse for another photo session already! read more

Allana is just plain great! My wife and I live in the Bay Area, but got married in La Jolla. As everyone knows there are tons of photographers and finding one can be a really big pain in the ars. We met up with Allana at a pretty cool coffee shop and she showed us her stuff, pretty stunning, great style, great quality. The overall package was a better value than the other photographers we had met with, and she was pretty cool to boot. We were sold. Luckily she did our engagement shoot in the East Bay, since she relocated up there right after booking us; that was totally great. Of all the vendors for our wedding, she was the easiest and most fun to work with, I'd buy her a beer any day. Our pictures were ready online in short order. Allana's "team" worked fast even at the wedding cranking out a very impressive slide-show during the reception - Lot's of good feedback from the guests, it was a nice surprise. Ars Magna puts out a great quality product, at the right price, with the right attitude; our DJ on the other hand, that's another story. read more

I had the opportunity to work with Allana for my head shots for my new tutoring website. I'm not sure what I expected, but Allana exceeded my expectations. She took a series of portraits designed to capture my love of learning and expertise. The person I look at when I see Allana's portraits is closer to the way I see myself than I had imagined possible. She kept me comfortable and really took the time to understand what I was looking for - she wasn't afraid to push back when her ideas for the shoot were strong. In short Allana is a gifted photographer who applies her skill to capturing your best self. I couldn't be happier and look forward to working with her again. read more

While I'm still eagerly awaiting my wedding album, I can already give Allana and Ars Magna Studio five stars for doing such a wonderful job as our wedding photographer. I found Allana because she photographed a good friend's wedding in Vermont. Her wedding was almost the complete opposite of my wedding (hers was small and rural, mine was big and urban), but Allana was able to produce the right kind of photos to capture to tone and feel of each wedding. Allana was really helpful in the planning process. She was thorough in her interview with me about the kind of photos I wanted and she captured them. The guests at my wedding were thrilled to find a slideshow of photos from Allana playing on her laptop during the reception, and they loved that she gave out cards with a link to where the photos would be post. I loved that the card was customized to our wedding and actually included a photo of us from our engagement session with her! I just sent my approval for the wedding album proof to her yesterday, and I'll write again when we get the album! read more

I cry nearly every time I see our wedding photos, and sometimes even when I see other people's photos (because they're what I wish I had). Hiring Allana is a huge regret and I beg you to not make the same mistake as me. She assured me she could handle shooting our large, gorgeous (and EXPENSIVE) venue on her own, but fell considerably more than short of competent. Our best photos came from my teenage cousin's phone. Among the things she failed to capture: anyone walking down the aisle except for me (fuzzy and from the back), several of the people I specifically requested she photograph in her multi-page pre-event survey (her excuse: sometimes people blink!), MY BROTHER, any full length shot of my gown except in the posed group shots, which where so terribly composed -- the groups are completely lopsided and it looks like we're standing in an office stairwell instead of an ornate historic building. Honestly I was shocked at how amateur her choices were. For our first dance, she took the same photo over and over: us backlit with the DJ table behind us. I don't suppose she might have wanted to capture the angle that had us in a spotlight with ALL OF OUR LOVED ONES encircling us! Ridiculous. And after that we had to nag her for over a month to give us any photos (probably because she was ashamed of them), even though we'd paid already. She did offer to do some re-shoots of the bride and groom but then to no one's surprise couldn't make herself available for when the venue would let us back in. F-king awful. read more

Allana is exactly who you want by your side for the whole wedding process- calm, reassuring, and fun all through the big day. Not to mention her photos are gorgeous -- we just put together our wedding album (a year and a half after the big day...we're a little slow) and are marveling at how beautiful her photos were all over again. read more

So far Allana has taken engagement photos and boudoir photos and it won't be long before I enlist her for wedding photos. She is AMAZING--helps you be yourself at any shoot and captures sweet moments. A true artist! read more

I wish I could give Allana six stars. I look like a freaking movie star in my headshots. I could not be happier with the results of our session. She was also a pleasure to work with, taking the time to understand my needs (one professorial-looking shot for work, one fun shot for social media, etc.) and making me extremely comfortable and unselfconscious during the session. Honestly, I'd get married again just so she could shoot the wedding. You WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED if you hire her! read more

Allana was incredible! She was quick to respond to our e-mails and very accomodating to what our needs were on our wedding day. She made us and our guests feel very comfortable in front of the camera. We loved every single one of her photos. She was like a ninja when she took candid shots at our wedding. She has a very good eye for detail and for capturing all the moments that mattered to us. Her slide show and photo gallery were beautiful. Our family and friends love our photos. We highly recommend Allana for weddings, engagement photos, and any special occasions that you'd like to capture on film. Thanks to Allana, we'll be able to treasure our special day for the rest of our lives together! read more

Allana is a genius! I just had a session with her for my medical residency application headshot, and it was perfect. She did her homework, understood exactly what I needed, and was able to give me advice beforehand on what to wear, etc. Her studio was easy to find and is a lovely space. During the shoot, she set me at ease and shot several different permutations that never would've occurred to me. I saw a few of the proofs in the studio, and they're exactly what I need. She has also been very accommodating about my deadline. I definitely recommend working with Allana when you need a professional headshot! read more

Allana is a superb and talented photographer. She is a true artist. After seeing how impressive my friends' wedding photos came out w/ Allana at the helm, we hired her as well. They were absolutely perfect!!! I liked her work and working with her so much, I hired her to do another shoot with me for my 1 yr anniv present to my husband. Once again this talented artist has exceeded my expectations. Do yourself a favor and hire her!!!! read more

Allana made us all look like movie stars. There were some things during our event that didn't go exactly as planned, but she totally went with the flow and made everything perfect. She also made sure I ate when I needed to eat, made sure I relaxed when I needed to relax - she was awesome. A consummate professional and an amazing artiste! We booked her for our wedding immediately after an amazing family portrait session in the Arboretum about a year prior, because we just immediately clicked and knew she was perfect. We will continue with her for photo coverage of other important events as our family grows. VERY highly recommended!!! read more

Allana was the photographer for our wedding in July. Between our two families, we have some challenging dynamics. Allana did a great job grouping people and helping everyone stay comfortable. Not only are our pictures amazing, but Allana was a lot of fun to have at the wedding! She got great posed shots, but our favorites were the artsy and candid shots. The Guestcapades thing she did (where she took a ton of shots of different people in the same setting and put them to music like an old fashioned film) was so cool! Everyone really enjoyed watching it! We recommend Allana to all our friends. In fact, two of our guests already booked her for their wedding in May. read more