Amazing photographers - outstanding photos A must-have for anyone wanting to capture the love and joy of a wedding or event. Chris and Elizabeth are beyond fantastic! read more

C Tyson Photography - Event Photography Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

I am a worrier and I worry about everything. As someone who watches the local news before bed, I've seen probably 500 different segments of "Problem Solvers" (or some variation) about a couple who paid a photographer thousands of dollars only to have them bail last minute, take crappy photos, or disappear forever after taking said photos. So naturally, since wedding photos were my #1 priority, I was basically a lunatic when it came to finding our photographer. A friend of ours is a former wedding planner and she recommend us to Christopher as someone who had helped her out in a pinch. We loved his website, but it all seemed to good to be true. It wasn't! After talking with him I couldn't have felt more at ease. I can't say we didn't put him through the ringer while "interviewing" with him, but I can say how absolutely THRILLED we are with our wedding photos. I jokingly tell everyone that I love my wedding photos more than I could ever love my husband (so far its not true, but only time will tell how that pans out..;) KIDDING). Christopher was awesome to work with. We are inherently awkward and unruly people, but Christoper did a great job of coaching us and capturing "real" photos. There isn't a photo in our collection that looks overly posed or unnatural (we worked out those kinks during our engagement shoot). In the end we received about 1400 edited, digital photos (I can't imagine how many he actually took!), and the count does not even include our engagement session. We had him all day from 9am to 10pm, and our package included a 2nd photographer. I also can't emphasis enough how easy it was to have Christopher around us all day, even in the limo as we cruised before the reception. Our friends were probably even too comfortable around him which explains some unusual groomsmen photos.. My best advice (obviously stolen from Christopher): 1. DO the engagement session. We wanted to bail on it, but I can't stress enough how much it helped to practice being in front of camera. I think it made our wedding photos a million times less awkward having been used to the camera being on us. 2. Hold your bouquet low as you walk down the aisle. I see so many photos (not done by Chris) where the bride is holding her bouquet by her chest and covering up that dress you just paid hundreds of dollars for. Also smile!! Maybe you are crying, or about to barf, but just smile.. that goofy look is what people call 'true love'. 3. Try to think about the photos that you actually WANT. I've been in so many weddings where I have to sit through 4 hours of photos while EVERYONE gets portraits done. Why do you want a picture of just you and your great aunt? Do you need a solo portrait of each bridesmaid? Who frames a solitary photo of themselves? Christopher was more than willing to take whatever photos we asked, but our family photos took 20 minutes tops. The group photos are the ones you are going to frame anyway. Cut the excess and get to your reception.. you should be partying right now! (Also make sure to sneak away for 15 minutes towards the end of your reception.. I mean have you SEEN his website? The man knows his way around a flash at night). read more

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Chris is the absolute BEST. Captures everything you could ask for and is incredibly patient and understanding. He goes the extra mile to give you the best experience... even getting down with the wedding party to pin up the bride's dress.... THANKS CHRIS! read more

Christopher was an incredibly detailed photographer. What I loved most about him was that on game day (my wedding), he helped smooth out all of the details. He did more than just take photos. He made sure that the evening was going great. He made sure things were on time and running on schedule. He answered questions for other people so it didn't have to bother my wife and I. At certain points, he even made sure my wife and I had fresh drinks. This along with his fun attitude kept spirits high and tensions low. He was more than a photographer for us. But, lets get to the pictures, which were original and gorgeous. I'd gladly recommend him to anyone. read more

Christopher Tyson does AMAZING work! He is well worth the prices he charges! We got sooo many compliments on our wedding photos! He is super friendly and energetic, his staff is also super nice! He is creative and always trying to outdo himself! Work with him if you can!!! read more

Chris was one of the first vendors we booked in our wedding planning process. Our photographs were very important to us, as it is the one tangible item we would walk away with on our wedding day. We met with several photographers and were fortunate enough to book Chris while he was still available. His incredible talent, outgoing and compassionate personality, and professional interaction quickly made him a favorite vendor. Chris became much more than a photographer to us; we grew to respect and appreciate not only his photography skills and role in our wedding, but also his passionate involvement in the Rockford community. Chris made himself available beyond our engagement shoot and planning sessions. He provided helpful recommendations and honest insight on a variety of other wedding related topics. Chris made it clear that he wanted to make our big day and planning process as stress-free as possible--and he did just that. We first experienced C.Tyson's photography at our engagement shoot. I highly recommend doing an engagement shoot, as we were able to get to know Chris, feel comfortable around the camera, and learn what shots we wanted for the wedding. I gave Chris a few ideas, and he took it from there! He picked an awesome location and made us feel like we'd known him for years! Our pictures turned out just as we imagined, and it was difficult to choose just one for our save the date! C. Tyson photography is incredibly organized and easy to work with. Chris provides clients with login information to access a large variety of resources on his web site. I was able to complete payment, planning, and communication through this portal--making my interaction with Chris very efficient and professional. Chris was always one step ahead of me in the planning process. He initiated contact in the months leading up the wedding simply to check in. He also provided more specific planning forms to guarantee we would get the pictures we wanted. For example, Chris knew each combination of family pictures we wanted far ahead of time. He also became familiar with our venues (church and reception) in advance so that he had special locations in mind for specific pictures prior to the wedding day. By the time our wedding day rolled around, I had full confidence that Chris would capture the pictures we wanted (and many we didn't even know we would want!). Chris was with us the entire day--from getting ready in the morning to the reception in the evening. He was an absolute pleasure to be around on our big day. We barely noticed him in the background capturing every moment. He also provided significant support beyond photography on our wedding day. Chris coordinated with our other vendors to ensure everything was running smoothly. He made sure our families and bridal party were where they needed to be at the right time. He coordinated closely with our DJ during the reception. Our families and friends loved working work Chris on our wedding day. We received our wedding pictures in less than a week after our wedding--which blew us away! The fast turnover was nothing compared to the quality and quantity of our beautiful photographs. Chris captured perfectly every last moment of our day. From our bridal party and family to spontaneous reception moments and décor--we will cherish these pictures for a lifetime. C. Tyson's packages also provide full access to ALL the digital copies of your photographs, which was a must for me. It's such a peace of mind knowing you will have access to ALL your photos FOREVER without any hidden fees or costs. It also provides significant flexibility to do as you wish with you photographs. Chris also provides beautiful albums and options available for viewing at his new studio! Perhaps most importantly, Chris views his brides and grooms as much more than clients. Chris encouraged us to focus on what was important on our wedding day. He checked in with us throughout the day and evening, providing encouragement and reminding us to soak in each moment. It's important to remember that your photographer will share one of the most important days in your life with you, so look for more than just someone who can take pictures when choosing your photographer. read more