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!

My husband and I were interested in meeting and working with this business three times in a row. He…read moreneither called to cancel or show up for our meeting each time. Highly unprofessional and clearly does not care to respect the time of others.

I hired Soleil Multimedia to create a video production after seeing the excellent work they did for…read morethe Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic. Soleil was able to create a video that we treasure. They took the time to understand what we were trying to create and did a wonderful job of filming and editing so the final product created the exact mood we were trying to capture. A+ job!

We recently used Julian Ribinik for our wedding photography, and to put it simply, we couldn't have…read morebeen more impressed. Julian himself is a a professional and personable guy, and we felt very comfortable with him. They (Julian and with his second shooter, Peter) arrived at our event plenty early to take some getting ready and family portrait shots. Throughout our wedding day Julian was able to capture stunning shots of us getting ready, of our ceremony, and of our party - they even managed to captured some of the details we hadn't thought about during the day because we were so busy, and looking back at them is so much fun. He was even able to direct our family members into all of the family shots we wanted - including certain difficult family members. Communication with Julian before and after the wedding was always pleasant. He was able to take our personal requests into account, and after the wedding the pictures were ready very quickly. And he was able to recommend (an equally great) videographer for us as well. Even before our honeymoon was over, Julian was able to send us a couple of very quick highlights to post on our Facebook pages - to help make our relatives who couldn't attend jealous. And it wasn't much later before he sent us the rest of the pictures. The photos all came out absolutely wonderfully, beyond our expectations. Now we'll always remember how beautiful of a day it was. Hopefully your event won't overlap with our next major family function, because we'll be working with him again. =) We couldn't be happier with our choice in Julian Ribinik photography, and highly recommend him

I don't consider myself photogenic and was very worried about picking a wedding photographer. I did…read morenot want highly photoshopped pictures and wanted our wedding pictures to portray the emotion of the day and to be able to relive the day through our pics. I was also aware that we would be spending a lot of time with our wedding photographers, I've had a few bad experiences as a bridesmaid, so I was extremely picky and the personality of the wedding photographer was very important to me!! When we met, Julian we knew right away that he was the right photographer for us. Julian was never pushy or unprofessional allowing his incredibly beautiful work to speak for itself. Both before we booked him for our wedding as well as for over a year leading up to our wedding Julian and Evgeniya responded to every single email, question and request in a timely manner as well as extremely professional and honest one. On the day of the wedding Julian and Evgeniya were so fun to work with. They made us feel so comfortable in front of the camera. We felt as though throughout the day they became an extension of our wedding party. When we saw a few previews of our pictures a few days later, I was literally speechless that our wedding pictures came out so gorgeous. We also received all the pics within a few weeks. I absolutely cannot wait to have Julian and Evgeniya photograph us In the future. I truly feel that we found photographers for life and cannot recommend them enough. They are so incredibly hard working and talented and we are so lucky that we chose them for our big day!!

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!!!

So I really had to control myself to "only" post these few pics, as there were so MANY awesome…read morephotos from not only the wedding itself, but the engagement photos as well! Our experience with this photographer has been second to none. I know he does other photography as well (plenty of corporate for instance), but I've gotta say, the wedding work that he did for our family was spectacular! Having seen his work on his website with other weddings, I can say that he made our family's as special as the other ones looked. Both Jim and Caroline were a joy to be around, and their professionalism and talent will be forever appreciated! Highly recommend!

Jim Colman recently photographed our wedding (Sept 2013) and we are thrilled with the results! Jim…read moreis easygoing and friendly and immediately put everyone at ease for the engagement session, bridal session and wedding day. In addition to beautiful and warm posed wedding shots, Jim and his assistant also photographed candid moments of the wedding prep, ceremony and reception that really captured the atmosphere and celebration throughout the day. Jim also provided advice beforehand on the suggested time for our outdoor ceremony that would create a gorgeous backdrop for our photos. We thoroughly enjoyed our wedding day and thanks to Jim, we have beautiful photographs to last a lifetime. Thank you for everything Jim! - Selena and Michael

Our Wedding was outdoor on a mountain and it was WET and WINDY! Joe found ways to make all the…read morepics clear and beautiful! He scouted out locations for weather and took AMAZING pics! During the ceremony he climbed all over that mountain to create beautiful photos. He clearly understands light, color, and perspective. In his photos I feel beautiful and our venue appears stunning! I also want to note that Joe was tireless! He was committed to the process for so many hours with a bright and enthusiastic demeanor. He certainly outlasted the bride! Thank you Joe for seeing us through my special day, even if it was a driving mist a mile high! :D

My husband is a professional videographer, and we wanted beautiful photos that would capture our…read morewedding in a candid way. First, we were blown away by the artful photos on his blog, and he did not disappoint. Joe is an amazing artist, and we couldn't be happier with our engagement and wedding photos. They are so cinematic and captured many special moments of the day. Joe is relaxed and friendly, and extremely professional. During the planning process, he was very helpful with any questions I had, and he was always quick with communications. On the day of the wedding, he even gave us a ride from the ceremony to the picture taking site. I cannot say enough wonderful things about Joe, and I would give him more than 5 stars if I could. Please go check out his blog!

Steve recently did a family photo shoot for us and we were extremely pleased with both the process…read moreand the results. Steve spent an hour with us taking pictures - with a variety of poses and backgrounds - resulting in a wide selection to chose from. We received the draft and final photos very quickly and wouldn't hesitate to recommend him to others.

We had a two hour shoot, including several separate scenes, both indoor and out, with and without…read moredogs. Steve did a great job - especially when it came to the four year old who didn't want to behave. The photos are great. All of us are very pleased.

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!