We interviewed several photographers who specialize in a photojournalist style for our wedding…read morebefore hiring Shawn and ultimately went with her because we liked her online albums (minimal editing because the photos speak for themselves!), and her prices were quite competitive. She was also willing to travel to our venue, and lived conveniently close by for meetings! She moved to Durham from the NE (where she still books a lot of events), but told us she was trying to transfer a lot of her gigs to this area. I think we were only the third couple she shot in the Triangle. We did an engagement shoot a few months before the wedding day. We did love many of the shots Shawn took -- although, at that time, it was up to us to scout out some scenery since she wasn't yet really familiar with the area. Also, bear in mind that Shawn is very :much: a photojournalist. Capturing a live-in-action moment is where she excels. Portraiture is a little different, and I personally would have done better with a little more direction. I felt our engagement, 'first look,' and solo photos lacked a little creativity -- the poses and angles are rather repetitive. But Shawn has a real talent for in-the-moment shots. There are some very nice emotional captures of my grandparents at the rehearsal dinner, and of my parents during the ceremony. Shawn was even at the ready when a gust of wind blew my dress up Monroe-style during our 'first look' shots, and we have some wonderful quirky takes from that. My only real disappointment with our resulting photos was that somehow my husband's entire family was excluded! It's true that my family dominated in numbers, and his family mostly kept to their tables during the reception... but it seems an oversight to not have included them at all. And then my first wifely duty was to handle my brand new in-laws being upset about their lack of clan representation! I should also note that we had an 'associate photographer' built into our package. But this person was chosen only a couple weeks prior to the wedding. He wound up being a bit more of a hobbyist photographer (he's been shooting for decades, but doesn't appear to have a for-hire website). While he was extremely sweet -- I feel terrible even saying something negative about him because he came in a tux and was just the nicest guy ever, raving about our first dance and congratulating us over and over -- and took a lot of pictures; unfortunately, his were just decidedly not up to par with Shawn's -- eg, the color on our ring shots was incredibly skewed, the shot not innovative, and it failed to capture (though requested) the inscription on my husband's ring, or even my stone setting. Ultimately, I found Shawn to be very pleasant to work with and I do have many shots that highlight our big day beautifully. But if you work with her, I would suggest getting the associate photog on the contract in advance.

I highly recommend Shawn Tomkinson Photography! Other than making AMAZING photographs, Shawn…read moreTomkinson Photography stood out to me for many reasons. First, Shawn has over 20 years of professional experience as a photographer and she has photographed hundreds of unique and beautiful events up and down the East Coast. Shawn is a well-seasoned photographer that you can trust to capture your most important memories with beautiful, timeless photos that you and your loved ones will cherish for years to come. I simply ADORE the priceless photos she took for me! Second, Shawn is a full-time photographer and business owner. These days, most photographers have other jobs and use photography as a part-time or weekend gig to make some extra money. Photography is Shawn's ONLY business and her greatest PASSION, so all of her attention can be devoted to YOU! Third, Shawn completes ALL work herself, start to finish! This really sets Shawn apart from other photographers because nowadays many photographers outsource their editing (and sometimes even their shooting!). After she shoots an event like a wedding, Shawn probably spends at least 20 hours color correcting, retouching and editing the photos. Images are delivered to her clients only after they meet Shawn's high standards. Fourth, Shawn is known for her unique photojournalistic style. She is an expert at shooting candid photos that look natural and mirror how people look in real life. Her forte is capturing those tender moments that tell the story of people connecting with others, getting swept away by emotions, experiencing wonder and excitement, or just having fun! Fifth, Shawn is the perfect combination of professionalism and warmth! Her genuine kindness, sensitivity, sense of humor, and flexibility all culminate in creating a calming effect on her subjects. Suffice it to say that working with Shawn is a pure delight! Last but not least, ALL of Shawn's packages include your high resolution files! A photographer who is willing to give you electronic copies of all the photographs is a rare find indeed! Imagine having the high resolution files of all of your photos to modify, print, and create with as often and as long as you'd like! What FUN! The possibilities are limitless!

We hired Nichols Photography to photograph our backyard wedding and we couldn't be more pleased…read morewith our photos. Working with Johnny to plan our event was a pleasure. He made us feel very comfortable because he was so organized and professional. He had such an eye for detail, finding the perfect spot and capturing natural poses. We highly recommend Nichols Photography for your special event.

I cannot express how great Daniel's photos are! He did our wedding on 04-30-2016 and the pictures…read moretruly captured the love and happiness we were feeling. He was not intrusive during the ceremony like some photographers are (in fact I didn't even notice him) but he still got some AMAZING shots! He was so kind and professional to work with. We will definitely use him as again for future photography needs!!!

We so enjoyed working with this husband-wife photography team! They love what they do, and they…read moremade our outdoor session totally fun for our 3 kids. They were well-prepared before our session so they understood what shots were important to us to capture. They also had a great service to help plan what types of images to print and hang in our home afterwards. My absolute favorite thing we ordered was the custom album - Vanessa helped put together the images and the order. The album cover in linen is so pretty, and the pages are thick like a board book which makes them kid-friendly and also so easy for the kids to turn and enjoy looking through. Lovely!

I won a free engagement session in a raffle and since it was free, I wasn't expecting too much, but…read moreI was really pleasantly surprised. Amy Turner is the photographer/owner of Your Still Life Photography and she did a great job. I've worked in this industry for some time and can definitely say that she's good at what she does. Engagement sessions are pretty straight forward. You pose, you smile, the photographer snaps their camera, etc. What makes a good photographer in these run of the mill sessions is how creative they are in how they pose you and how good they are at capturing you and your s/o in a "moment". I've seen MANY wedding images/engagement sessions and I absolutely love how creative Amy is with her poses. She only spent about 30 minutes doing our engagement session, which seems short but you can get a lot of images in 30 minutes. She shot so many images we liked that my fiance and I had a really hard time picking and choosing which ones we wanted to buy. She's really responsive and helpful when you have questions. She's also super energetic and you can tell she really loves what she does. She also does other types of work besides weddings like family portraits, maternity, etc.

Amy Turner is sooo talented and she is great with kids. We had our pictures taken at a nearby…read morepark. She was so patient with our kids, came up with creative poses, and worked quickly without rushing us. Our pictures were the best family portraits that we have ever taken. My husband hates the hastle of getting a family portrait done and he didn't mind. After our session, Amy sent us a link for proofs rather quickly. It was great to see them online. We were able to order prints and Christmas cards. I've never received so many compliments. It was a great experience. If you would like lovely family pictures done in a natural setting - make an appointment with Amy.

Morgan photographed our engagement and wedding photos -- both incredible! Engagement photo session…read moreat Duke Gardens in the spring time, we brought our dog and Morgan knew all the tricks to get our good girl looking great. (Morgan also got my partner and me to look our best as well, ha!). Our wedding was in November in our backyard and then a reception at the Museum of Life and Science. She's shot lots of weddings at the Museum, so she really knows her way around and captured a ton of fun moments. Morgan is truly a pro in all settings and she's a joy to work with. Her photographs are beautiful and we are going to enjoy them for a very long time!

Can't say enough positive things about Morgan. She was very responsive, professional, and worked…read morewith us on short notice. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a photographer in the area.

Jeffery his wife are fantastic. They photographed our wedding and reception, and Jeffery did…read moreengagement photos for us also. They were super helpful before the ceremony, doing way more than just taking photos. They really went out of their way during the ceremony also, and coordinated well with other vendors. They were quick to respond whenever we contacted them. Very importantly, their photos were great. They are clearly extremely talented. Keep in mind that they do a very natural style. This is good in that photos aren't too posed or phony, and they let you feel more natural and just do what you are going to do, since it's your day. However, this means that a lot of photos could turn out awkward if someone in the picture makes a weird face or posture and the photographer doesn't correct or pose them. Just keep in mind the style. Anyway, the photos turned out great and were done for us SUPER quick. These guys are professional but so personable and friendly that I wish we were having 10 more weddings so we could hire them over and over!

When my wife and I started searching for someone to do our son's senior pictures, we really were…read morenot sure where to start. Luckily we found Clay with a quick internet search and he came up as one of Raleigh's best photographers (pretty sure he won an award for best photographer, but I can't remember the name, sorry Clay). What a gift and blessing it was to find Clay! You want your child to be able to be themselves and hopefully the photographer can catch that on film. Clay and Danny (Clay's wife) did just that. They were able to capture our son's personality and moments that will last a lifetime. The spent a whole afternoon with us walking all over Chapel Hill making sure that we had the chance to see our son in so many unique environments. We did not expect to get the time and treatment we received, Clay's personal attention is sincere and appreciated. Beyond the quality of the images, the selection of mediums they offer is amazing. The price points are extremely affordable and very high quality products. I simply cannot recommend Clay enough. Thank you to you and Danny once again. You brought tears to our eyes during the reveal. Not only did you gain life long customers, you have some new friends! Obrigado Amigos!

I can not say how much I LOVE Photos by Clay! They are amazing, patient and courteous. These 2 make…read moreevery picture look effortless. Just so happy with the work that has been done with us. I am and will always be a repeat customer!