Daveed is great! Really cares about his work and is one of the nicest guys in the world. Great…read morecolor and life in his photos. I'd work with him again any time!

Aperture Photography is the best photography studio in the Chicagoland area. Having randomly ended…read moreup in there before a High School dance, Kurt & Tori greeted us with open arms and big friendly smiles. Continuing to stay in contact, they were always willing to have us come visit and take photos. When they asked if I wanted to be a model for their Senior Pictures promotion, I couldn't refuse. They cared about what I wanted for my senior pictures and were willing to do whatever it took to make it happen. On top of it all, they even had special events for their models to mix and mingle as well as promote the studio. If you're looking for a photographer for Senior Pictures, school dances, weddings, or just some fierce smile-less couple pictures, this is your place!

Why believe anything I or anyone else here says about how much Neil Gates sucks as a photographer?…read more Take a look at his pictures, specifically, the atrocious, unreal colors he altered them to due to a lack of understanding of and lack of skill in Photoshop or other digital imaging software and decide for yourself you'd be better off having a teenager take pictures for you with a cell phone.

Being a good photographer takes more than owning a nice camera. It requires technical savvy and…read moreartistic talent. Neil Gates has both and he is a truly gifted photographer. I needed some high quality professional head-shots in a hurry. Neil was able to fit me into his schedule and quickly provided everything that I needed. (It made me say "Wow, I look good!") I am very impressed by his work. He is a true artist. I highly recommend Neil Gates Photography if you need any sort of photo work - portrait, family, professional, commercial, etc..

I've been struggling with the idea of writing this review, but feel compelled to share our…read moreexperience, as I am sure others may find themselves in the same situation. We first met Otto through a Craigslist advertisement, where he was searching for models to help him explore areas around his new neighborhood of Joliet, IL, to give him inspiration for future shoots there. As the newly-engaged fiancee to a photographer myself, I felt compelled to respond to the ad, and within a few days, we had met Otto in downtown Joliet. As far as Otto's technique and professionalism, I know that the dynamic between a couple and their photographer largely depends on the personalities of each person and the intention with which they approach the shoot, but my partner and I were a bit put off by the excess of light boxes and staged posing. Still, for couples who seek photographers with this style, I do think that Otto would be a great match. Otto is a very friendly and funny person, and we felt that he was respectful and supportive of our relationship, which I am sure is hugely important for any couple contracting someone to capture it on their wedding day! When we received the images from the shoot, we were happy with his work and very grateful that he shared these with us. It wasn't until recently that I began to feel a bit uncomfortable about having worked with Otto. I had stumbled across something he had published that hinted at an anti-gay mentality, and was surprised by this finding. I was initially hurt, but my partner pursued it further with him to allow him the opportunity to explain what he meant. We were met with a response that was offhand and flippant regarding our concern, and could not help but feel the sting of hypocrisy at its finest. This review is not meant to attack Otto on his stance on LGBT rights, as everyone is entitled to his opinion, but I think it is disheartening to work with someone who claims he is supportive of gay marriage when he is working with a gay couple (for monetary gain or otherwise), and who then turns his back on the issue when he is no longer under contract. This may not mean much to most people, as questions of their unions never surface, but I would be doing a disservice to myself and the LGBT community at large by not revealing our experience.

This review is LONG overdue as our wedding was May 2010. *gulp*…read more I have known Otto for years. We went to school together. And although we worked together on many projects, photography was always his strongest love and passion. When we worked together, you could appreciate his sense of detail, his eye and ability to bring out the best in people by disarming the situation. It was a no-brainer when the time came to get married that Otto would be the one to do the photos. We didn't want the standard photos you see so often. We'd seen the work he's done for others and in his own home with his family. With only one request (big family photos), we left him alone to do his work: gave him free reign, full access. And with that, his thoughtful, photojournalistic style made our wedding as vivid in stills as it did in real life that day. In terms of logistics, our non-standard wedding (outdoors, in a public park) were no problem for Otto. He quick assessed the situation and delivered stunning photography that has been the rave of everyone who has seen them. He is strongly strongly recommended. And if you have any questions about his work, please feel free to DM me.

Great team to work with very professional, thoughtful, and the results are coming in very very…read moresolid over the last 15 months. I am a big fan!!! Thank you Purple Pig MG!!!

I was a walk-in during the Parade on Saturday March 19th. I was in desperate need of a new shirt as…read moreI was visiting from the city and overdressed expecting much colder weather. I received a very warm welcome and was immediately helped by a very kind woman who was in the middle of doing some work but still dropped everything to see what I needed. Even though I was willing to purchase any shirt that was immediately available knowing this was a custom t-shirt place, she still made sure to give some good options that matched the parade theme and even showed me all the different t-shirt materials and comfort level / fit. I was very happy with my purchase and the prices are fantastic for the quality of t-shirt and service received!

I absolutely loved my T-shirts and so did my friends so much so that they wanted me to buy more for…read morethem. Service in the price for top notch and I highly recommend this place. She also had the cutest little doggie

Had some head shot pictures shot for a press kit for various up and coming local artists! great…read moredeals shoot her an email real friendly!

I'm getting a lot of compliments on these amazing photos that this photographer took of my kids…read more The photos were incredible!

Totally Professional Experience! Great value and super creative and experienced. Really enjoyed the…read moreexperience and this business is top notch all the way. Id recommend them for business or personal studio work - nice work Dan! Appreciate your team!

UNPROFESSIONAL. RUDE. INAPPROPRIATE. DISGUSTING BEHAVIOR…read more Words I would describe, Dan. My daughters had pictures after their dance rehearsal today and we were the first group to go for the day. Keep in mind this is 2 and 3 year old children and it's Mother's Day weekend. Immediately Dan was annoyed at my 2 year old daughter because she was crying during her pictures. Mind you she broke her arm the day before, is in a stint, in pain, and doesn't understand what's going on. I move along blowing off his obvious annoyance. Our group then steps aside for group pictures and his team starts helping us with posing. The moms are all off to the side except for one who is sitting on the floor taking pictures not realizing she was in the way of the camera. A blonde girl on the team then proceeds to take several pictures, but my daughter starts crying so I take her out and say "go along without her it's okay I don't want to force her to do it." I then hear from across the room Dan very loudly say to the group behind us "thanks for not crying." I was dumbfounded because our group was the only one who had gone and my daughter was the only one that had cried at this point. He actually had the nerve to try and shame my two year old daughter for crying?????!!! Disgusting. So anyways they readjust the kids and at this point Dan has walked over standing on the other side of the blonde girl and he says to her "did you finish, did you get them all." She then very rudely responds, "no I didn't this mom is in the way and in all of the pictures." Dan then seems to think he needs to be a man and yell at this point saying "Well get her out of there, get all the moms out of here, tell them to go away." My blood was boiling at this point. I then turned to him while he's hiding behind his assistant and said "You don't need to be yelling at us to go away and or better yet yelling in front of our children. That's extremely inappropriate." He then responds without making eye contact or turning his head "I didn't yell." I responded "You absolutely did yell and in front of our children which is gross." He then runs off and I see him whispering to some other person avoiding all confrontation. All of the moms then said forget it, don't take their pictures we are done and left. You chose this line of work. If you don't have the patience, kindness, and understanding for what it takes to set aside your own problems and handle kids and parents then choose another line of work. It's disgusting behavior and there would've been a much more professional way to handle that entire situation.

I hired Niko for our wedding in October 2024 and to say I am in love with the pictures is an…read moreunderstatement! He was punctual, helpful, and a joy to work with, as well as beyond talented. I wanted to go to a second outdoor location near our house after our ceremony to get pictures of just my husband and I, and Niko made the vision I had for this location come to life. They look like something I'd see in a magazine, and they could not be more beautiful! I cannot recommend Niko highly enough!

Totally recommended!!! Today, I had a beautiful photo…read moresesion for my daughter's halloween pictures. Niko was very professional and had a lot of patience with my daughter who was shy at the beginning. After he started taking pictures, she couldn't stop modeling and feeling very comfortable with his work. Thank you so much! I can't wait to see his magical pictures!