People call themselves "photographers" every day, all over the world. Hell, I even used to think I…read morewas a good photographer at one point in my life and then I saw Ed Corral's work. I originally learned about Ed through an old friend I went to college with who served with Ed in the U.S. Military. I actually had signed a contract with another photographer before I met with Ed. Luckily, I had 7 days to get my full deposit back from that other photographer and was able to get out of our contract. THANK GOD!!! My sister a.k.a. wedding coordinator, fiancé and I met with Ed and in no time at all, I knew he was going to be our photographer for our wedding. He showed us some of his beautiful work and I quickly envisioned him being a part of our big day and, in turn, I could see him envisioning what we desired. My husband's family isn't that large as ours, but I have a large Italian/Mexican family on my side, divorced and remarried parents, siblings coming out of our ears and our bridal party consisted of 7 bridesmaids, 7 groomsmen, 3 flower girls, 1 ring bearer and partridge in a pear tree. I knew that coordinating this large of a group was going to be a challenge, and we thought we had enough time for all the pictures we wanted, but sadly, that was not the case. I only have a few photos with my mother and sister and I and none of them were as perfect as I would have wanted. I got very few photos with my father and step-father, who has now passed away. Had I not danced with both of my fathers individually, we would have had zero photos together just the two of us. I, at no point, got a photo with just my brother, and the list goes on. Let's me clarify that none of this was Ed's fault!! We ran out of time, the day literally flew by (just like everyone had warned me) and coordinating a group our size was a challenge. Ed handled it beautifully. He was a pro from the word go! Ed's and his team captured things that I never got to see. I never even took a moment to look at the bows at the end of the pews at church in person but Ed captured that detail that was so important to me during the wedding planning but I didn't even know it was there on the day of our wedding. I didn't see the programs laid out in the basket I borrowed from my cousin that meant so much to me. I don't think I ever saw the ring pillow on our actual wedding day. I even missed some guests that didn't walk through the receiving line and I barely got to talk to at the reception, but we have photos to show they were there thanks to Ed! Being the bride, I never had to get my own drink at the reception so I only walked over to the bar at the reception one time to do a shot with the boys (if you know me, you'll know that's how I roll) but I had printed and framed a Bride's special cocktail and a Groom's special cocktail and these frames sat on the bar counter. This minute detail, again, was such a big deal for me during the wedding planning, but I didn't even get to see this on my wedding day. The centerpieces were probably one of the largest projects and expenses that went into the reception and at no point, did I have a chance to walk the whole hall before the guests arrived (again due to timing), so I didn't get to see the finished centerpieces...Ed captured them exquisitely. I think he caught almost every single one. He even shot the dessert table that I literally NEVER even saw. So many people warned me that my wedding day was going to fly by so do what you can to soak it in. I did just that. There were several moments at our ceremony that I looked around the church to see the faces of everyone in the congregation and my heart melted. My husband and I stood at the top of the stairs in our reception hall and looked at the room full of our family and friends and just took the moment in, without interruption and I remember chills running down my spine. I glanced around the hall when I was sitting at the head table and looked at all the people that took time out of their lives to be with us on our special day. These moments I will carry with me always. Ed and his team captured them in photos I will treasure for the rest of my life. If you need a photographer for your special event or for a photo shoot with just your spouse or children, you could not ask for a more professional, creative, brilliant, proficient and first-rate artist.

Shame on me! I should have written this review almost a year ago. The good news is that I have had…read moretime to reflect on all of our amazing interactions with Ed and his team. I'd call this a blessing for all of you reading this review. You can bet your booty that I've given it some good, long thought. So we first met Ed almost two years ago. My sister was planning her wedding and we knew the importance of excellent photography, so we started the search. Ed is a military man and I believe he was originally referred by another soldier that my sister was friends with back in the day. I was a pain in the rear. I know I was. The whole time. I had been coordinating most aspects of the wedding as the 'first line of defense' so my sissy didn't have to deal with unnecessary aggravation. With Ed it was different, sure I was around, but he mainly worked directly with her. He was professional and responsive, so I didn't need to insert myself since everything stayed on track. This was a huge plus! Originally, under a lot of sales pressure, my sister signed a contract with a completely different photographer. In less than twenty four hours, we knew it was a mistake and quickly got out of it. But since that had left such a bad taste in our mouths, I think we were a little harder on Ed than we needed to be in the beginning. My goal was to make sure that she had the perfect day for her and her then fiancé. Ed works with his wife, Michelle. She handles the administrative side of things and kept everything well organized. We had no issues on that end, so we had yet another detail in which to be grateful! One of my favorite things was the day of the engagement photos. We all took a trip into Chicago and met up. We went from spot to spot to take the greatest pictures! Ed had a second photographer with him that day. It was perfect! One picture turned out better than the next. My sister had a difficult time choosing which photos to use for what purpose. She wanted to keep using them all! Ed takes his craft very seriously. He has an amazing eye for angles and details and catching reactions at just the right time. He is also extremely meticulous when it comes to setting up the shot. My sister had a large wedding party and family that she wanted to capture. Seven bridesmaids. Seven groomsmen. Three flower girls. One ring bearer. Six parents. One grandma. Numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and close family friends. And this was just at the ceremony site! My suggestion to any bride planning a wedding: give yourself enough time. For everything. The hours literally get away from you on your wedding day. We had checklists and we thought we were organized, but there's only so much time to shuffle people around. And to those sisters/wedding coordinators/matrons of honor...take time to breathe, have fun and get in the pictures. I wish I had worked with Ed to make sure that I took a family photo with my husband and my son. We didn't take one of just of the three of us. That's my fault. I never mentioned it to Ed beforehand and I never stopped long enough to do it. Working with Ed was a pleasure. An absolute joy. He was generous with his time, his talent and even with how he handled the end result! It is with 100% certainty that I strongly urge you to consider Ed for your next special event or family photo session. I'm so glad that my sister and brother-in-law had the luxury of working with him!

Jason and Stephanie are the BEST! These two make the most amazing team. The energy between them is…read moreso great, they compliment each other so well when working which makes any photo shoot so easy and relaxed. They are the best to work with. They were able to do our in-home maternity shoot and my husband and I were thrilled with our photos (there were a lot of happy tears). During these tough covid times having these incredible photos to share with family and friends, which we haven't been able to see, are extremely special to us. We cannot thank them enough for capturing this special moment in our life. We cannot wait to work with them again!

I dont even know where to begin on a review of Stephanie Pana Photography!…read moreThe images are priceless! Stephanie herself is so personable, so passionate, so full of life that its absolutely contagious. Her editing style cannot be duplicated. Stephanie cares about her clients, always makes sure even the most hard to please person (ahem, ME!) gets their perfect shoot. I can honestly say I am so happy to have found my forever photographer. Thanks Steph, for sharing your art, your creativity, yourt amazing talent, and most of all thanks for the memories!

They were perfect! Our wedding video turned out better than we could have imagined. We loved our…read morehighlight reel and the full video captured every moment for us!

Video Gallery and Randy Lange, the owner (and our videographer) were so wonderful to work with! He…read moremade sure to capture all the details of our special day as well as tell the story seamlessly! We're so happy with our wedding videos and that we'll be able to enjoy these memories for years to come! Thank you Video Gallery for doing such a great job!

The Behnke's are amazing photographers! They really know how to beautifully capture moments. I wish…read moreI could afford to go to them more frequently!

Working with Paola was such an enjoyable experience. From being on time, professional, energetic…read moreand having such patience with my six year old and 2 month old at the time. She took the time to listen to what my vision was and also made suggestions that made it all perfect. Her photos aren't just photos but a work of art as she truly captures those special moments. I couldn't have asked for a better photographer and 1000% recommend her for any of your event and photo needs. Thank you Paola and look forward to our next photo shoot .

I absolutely love Tom Killoran Photography! The pictures are amazing. They probably have the best…read morequality photos and videos in Chicago!

One word, IMPECCABLE!!!! Lauren is a true artist and has an eye for creating beautiful art! Her…read morewarm presence makes being in front of the camera feel comfortable and effortless. She will help pose you and makes sure to get all the right angles!! She will do whatever it takes to get the right angle and background. She showed us a sneak peek of our photos and we were blown away! She made my husband and I feel our love through her lens and I cannot wait to print these images so we can adorn our house. If you are looking for a photographer, Lauren is THEE ONE!!! One word of advice, BOOK WITH HER NOW! I am back with an update!! We received our photos today and we were speechless! My husband and I flew from San Diego to Chicago so Lauren can capture our photos and we are so glad we did! She is immaculate! look at the art she created! These are just a handful! They were all stunning!!

After stumbling upon Lauren Ashley Studios via social media a few months ago and looking through…read moreLauren's incredible portfolio of work, I knew I wanted to try to book her for my upcoming photo shoot. Lauren is extremely talented. She provided a lot of direction, which I was hoping for, as far as how to pose and where to place my hands, how to walk, where to look, etc! Her vision and creativity is really impressive. She was very professional and made me feel very comfortable and at ease. It's easy to see that Lauren is really passionate about what she does, and it translates into the finished product. One of the biggest things for me was the fact that she does not have any hidden costs. A lot of photographers add things in on the back end for additional fees; Lauren did not do that. She and her team were very clear and straightforward, which makes a world of difference! I was also very impressed with how quickly Lauren responded to my initial inquiry. I have just been continuously dazzled throughout the entire process with Lauren and have already recommended her to friends of mine. VIP service the entire way, and on top of that, Lauren is just such a kind-hearted, patient, lovely individual! She made any stress I had dissolve immediately! Better book Lauren while you still can!

After just delivering my little girl, I have to give the strongest recommendation for the…read morephotographer I had come to photograph my baby at the hospital. After seeing the Bella Baby price list, you would be crazy to settle with them when you could have the skill of Laughing Boys Studio for way less then BB charges. She brings her own props, hats, and backdrops. Check them out if you are PG because they are amazing!

I did receive Ashleigh's response a few days later. I changed the rating back to five because I…read moredon't want to tarnish all the other fives she received. Based on other reviews, they do a great job, but I have not verified that. While I was waiting response back from LBS, I have hired another photographer already. Ashleigh, I understand that you can't make yourself available all the time, but when you go on vacation, I suggest you to change your voice mail to let your current and potential customers know. I call your phone and the voice mail didn't have any indication you might be in delay to get back, so I can only assume you are busy and don't have the capacity for the job. However, I still hope we can use your service in the future.