I've been meaning to write a review of Colson for awhile now - he's done quite a few of my friends wedding and engagement photos, and every single time he shoots a couple that I love and adore they immediately become "the most adorable couple of all time" when I see the photos! He doesn't do events quite as often anymore but he's also been the photographer for a handful of charity events I've both attended and organized. Just recently, Colson did a family portrait session with my parents and brother in San Diego and it was (as expected) another 5-star experience. My family was so happy with the photos and my parents now have an awesome canvas above their fireplace that, as my mom put it, really captures our spirit! My parents were generous to gift a set of crystal cubes to my brother and me so we could have something for our respective apartments. Colson is just the best. Having these photos was really special for my family and I'm so lucky we were able to get him to fly down to SD for the day! read more

Colson Griffith Photography - Canvas for above the fireplace! - Event Photography Near Me

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I got engaged in December of 2009. Like any other girl, I had a vision of what I wanted, what it would be like, the dress, shoes, hair etc. So in that I started planning like a mad woman, I was on a mission. In that I needed to stay within my budget, but just because I have a budget doesn't mean that I should skimp out on great vendors. In that I found myself researching on line for hours and sometimes days! Finally I came across this yelp review for Colson. So I clicked on his website and fell in love with his work. That's when reality hit me and said, Ok if his work is this good it must cost an arm and a leg if not a kidney at least! But nope, I was wrong. So I immediately emailed this talented man and had to set something up with him. I met with him in the fall of 2010, in that, my wedding would not be until two years from now. Either way he agreed to meet with me. We chatted, and chatted, and chatted some more. I left that meeting feeling really happy and excited that I had found the photographer to capture one of the most important days of my life. We first wanted to do a trial run with our engagement pictures, after numerous scheduling conflicts, which I apologized for, but he was super patient and understanding about it. We meet up in May at Santa Cruz at the Boardwalk. I really love the 1950's so I decided to have a 50's theme engagement session. The location was perfect. Colson had great ideas and very patient since I have never been really comfortable in front of the camera. In the end we were really happy, pleased, excited and in love with the images Colson produced. We can't wait to have him shoot the wedding. I also plan to do a Trash the Dress session which I'm super excited about! Ya'll should check him out! Like Now....................Go!!! read more

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Where do I begin with the dearest most amazingly talented Colson... He was recommended by our wedding venue in San Francisco - and we couldn't have made a better choice. Even over a year later we still agree he was one of the best choices AND best parts of our wedding. As far as budgets go - our biggest budget was for photos and food- we're picture people, and those are really what last forever, and after one look at his portfolio we knew we had to meet him. He had amazing options with all kinds of packages - even customized ours to swap out taking photos are our rehearsal dinner instead of engagement pictures... Our photos came out AMAZING - capturing our ridiculous shenanigans, friends and our personalities. We came to our first meeting with the mindset of what we didn't want - serious, propped stiff photos - that wasn't us at all - and he agreed 100%. He not only spent the night before with us for the rehearsal dinner, but also the entire next day (10am - 12am) and he felt like part of our crew. Every single person during and after the event not only sang his praises but wondered how long we had been friends and how we knew him - it was that easy and effortless for him to seamlessly fit in. By the end of the weekend, Colson was part of the family - making everyone laugh, feel comfortable and making everything completely painless, even during the 1 million family photos. He got photos of things we didn't even realize was happening or had already forgotten (i.e. my dad falling in a kilt in high heels during a game of musical chairs - priceless) I can't say enough amazing things about this guy - if you're getting married, or just need amazing pictures done of your family or kids or dog that you'll actually love and cherish - run, don't walk, and HIRE HIM IMMEDIATELY! read more

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We met Colson through our best friends who used him for their wedding. After a quick phone chat we knew we had to have him!!! We used Colson for both engagement photos and on our wedding day and we could not be happier!! All of the pictures captured our day to the tee. You can honestly feel the emotions we were going through that day by just looking at the pictures. Not only did he make us feel comfortable with a camera in our face throughout the day but he made it so fun!! It was like a dance party every time he started to snap pictures of us - we practically didn't know he was taking pictures because we were having too much fun talking, laughing and dancing with him. Our ENTIRE wedding party and guests couldn't stop raving about him and how great he was the day of. He was physically there for every special moment to capture it but felt as if there was no photographer there because he's so good at what he does!!! My husband and I were able to enjoy all the special moments together and get them beautifully captured -- we will cherish our photos and memories of that day forever. THANK YOU COLSON!!!!!! read more

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Colson is such a passionate professional. His attention to detail, sharp eye and personal care that he puts into each of his shoots is what makes him the best. I have worked with Colson on several corporate events over the last decade. His professionalism and attitude make him the first person that I reach out to or refer to a friend for wedding/engagement photos knowing that he will always impress. I can not say enough what a pleasure Colson is work with. read more

Colson is an amazing photographer. We did a wedding re-shoot with him a couple weeks ago. Mark and I got married in June of 2010, our wedding was one of best days of our lives so we were a little disappointed when we found our original wedding photos with our families blurry and the file with the best photos corrupted . . . enter Colson. Colson agreed to do a wedding re-shoot with Mark and me, plus he was down to incorporate a "trash the dress" session. I am not going to lie - I was ecstatic and Mark . . . well Mark was willing to do this for me. In the end we both had an amazing time full of laughs and that was largely due to Colson. Colson made us feel comfortable being in front of the camera. He shot the pictures that embodied our personalities. He was so much fun to work with; it is refreshing to work with someone who is passionate about what they do. It felt like a road trip with good friends . . . . plus he brought snacks - I mean a talented photographer and he brings food, who could ask for more. When we got the pictures back, we were blown away. Everyone loved the pictures that he took. My mom was so happy (and that was the whole point of the re-shoot to begin with). When I look at some of the pictures, I think to myself "that is something from a magazine" but it is really Mark and I which makes it all the more special. If you are looking for a photographer who is fun, creative, has a great eye and whose pictures you will absolutely LOVE then Colson is your guy. (Note from Mark: As a guy, you probably won't be excited about spending an afternoon and evening taking photos in your wedding wear; neither was I. But it actually wasn't bad. I'd even say "fun." Colson takes some awesome photos and Veronica's happiness is worth it. So, guys, if your women read this and say to you "Look, a guy said he had a good time! Can you do this for me?" Well, I'm sorry, but just keep an open mind. You won't regret it.) read more

Loved Colson and his team! Super fantastic and ridiculously charming and professional. Top notch service. Fantastic Photographer. I can go on and on.... read more

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I'm disappointed in this company and wouldn't recommend them to anyone. My wife got a gift certificate from voting on a contest through Dottie Doolitte and booked a photo shoot with them three months ago. My wife got a phone call today from Colson about canceling her photoshoot for our kids Friday (3 days before the shoot). It was a shoot for my kids and my sister-in-laws new son for a mothers day present for my mother-in-law. My wife gave him my sister-in-law's email address because she's a new mom and the baby's schedule is still so unpredictable. She never got back to him and he never followed up or even let my wife know that he didn't hear from her. My wife order clothes especially for this shoot for the kids and we can return them now because she washed them. So we lost money. I guess new business isn't important to Colson. From his actions he proves that he's only interested in money and not the people. read more

Colson was the photographer for my wedding, and I thought he and his crew did an exceptional job. Viewing it from both an independent experience and in comparison to what I've heard from friends of mine regarding wedding photographers, he is amazing. In summary: 1) Technical expertise- Colson is able to find amazing shots, and we came away with a number of images that captured so many wonderful moments. He also takes care to edit, and there's not a single blurry, poorly framed, or out of focus image among the hundreds of images he gave us. 2) Ability to create - Colson prides himself on creating an environment for great shots, and it's clear in the final product. He plays music, dances, encourages, and does whatever is necessary to ensure that the subjects in the photo are relaxed and having fun, and that authentic emotion is evident in the images. 3) Professionalism and service - besides the meetings to discuss the terms of service and to select him, Colson also met with us for dinner before the wedding to get to know us and understand what we wanted and coordinate logistics for the wedding day. He also met with us after the wedding for several hours to go through the photos and help us understand how to view and download the photos so we could make an online album. His effort to get to know us was highly appreciated and made us feel well taken care of both on our wedding day and after. read more

We loved Colson Griffith Photography so much, we flew Colson to Chicago from SF for our wedding! Colson brought so much more than photography to our wedding. He was instantly part of the family. We did our engagement photos in SF (a fun day custom tailored to our ideas/style) and then not only had Colson photograph our wedding, but he came our rehearsal dinner and 'welcome drinks' as well. the photos from that night are some of my favorite! your photographer is the vendor who is with you the entire day on your wedding - during very intimate moments. you have to have someone who fits in....Colson brought some much to the table. Great artistic eye for photos (he even scoped out shots the day before) and such a fun personality - we loved having him part of our day. Our wedding was at the Art Institute of Chicago so art and style were of the utmost importance. Colson totally got our vision and style and NAILED IT! He also had a gallery of photos ready to look at that night!!!! amazing! everyone got to enjoy the photos the next morning and right away. I cannot say enough about Colson. We love him and cannot wait to hire him again to photograph our growing family (we just had twins!) bravo Colson!!!! read more

Colson possesses so many wonderful traits & talents; it's hard to decide where to start! I am not knowledgeable enough to critique his equipment or processing but I am fully able to offer a visceral opinion. Perhaps my favorite aspect of working with Colson is his friendly, laid-back approach to poses and settings. He captured many beautiful shots without us ever knowing he was there. In addition, Colson has a remarkable knack for capturing expressions and emotions so perfectly that looking at the photos takes me right back to that day and I'm living it all over again! To me, this is critical in selecting the right photographer. After reviewing Colson's gallery we knew that we'd found the best in Colson. We hired Colson one year before our wedding and immediately scheduled our engagement photo session. We selected Villa Montalvo for that location. It included a park, formal gardens, nature preserve and concert venue. This gave us many options for backgrounds and Colson made the most of all of them. We brought him to Las Vegas with us to shoot our wedding preparations and reception. Unfortunately the venue we chose supplied their own photographer so our actual ceremony shots were not shot by Colson. However, he documented perfectly our preparations, transitions and celebrations. Colson accompanied me to my makeup and hair session and captured some wonderful memories! At his suggestion, we chose to have our formal portraits taken before the ceremony. We did this in our gorgeous suite and included my children in this experience. The result was beautiful wedding and family portraits! Colson was with me right before the ceremony, in the bride's room, and not only documented the moments but chatted with me to keep me calm. What a treasure! Colson did an excellent job of capturing all our significant moments & memories during the reception! Many of our guests shared with us how comfortable he made them feel while shooting them and the final results showed just that! We finished up the night with more portraits in front of the 70,000 gallon aquarium located in the Chart House Restaurant. It was a beautiful, magical and memorable day! Thank you Colson for capturing the precious moments that we will treasure forever! read more

Nothing but love for Colson and his wonderful photography work during our wedding. His presence helped all of our guests feel at ease and laugh while he took exceptional photos throughout the night. I felt wonderful knowing at the end of a night that seem to fly by, I would have beautiful memories captured by him. I would hire Colson again in a heartbeat! read more

Colson Griffith Photography - Event Photography Near Me

To echo the other reviewers, Colson is just the best! I'll start with his photos...they are AMAZING. He's incredibly talented, both artistically and technically, and he was able to perfectly capture the overall vibe of our wedding. But what you get with Colson is so much more than just a photographer. He's a wonderful person who truly loves what he does, and he'll go out of his way to make your entire wedding day fun and enjoyable. Colson puts a ton of time and energy into his relationship with each couple. Leading up to our wedding, he had us over for dinner (he's an incredible cook!) so that he could get to know us better as a couple. By the time our wedding day rolled around, he felt like part of the family, and this level of familiarity really shown through in our photos. Hiring Colson was hands down the best decision we made for our wedding. We're looking forward to hiring him as a family photographer in a few years. read more

It doesn't get any better than Colson. He is the most charismatic and engaging photographer I have ever met. He took the time to understand what we wanted out of our session and performed flawlessly. I have nothing but admiration for his craft and professionalism. Thank you Colson and thank you again for the (at least) 10,000th time for the most spectacular photo we could have ever asked for! We are so excited to see this printed on a 60" Metal canvas :) read more

Colson Griffith Photography - Could not have ever dreamed of a more PERFECT engagement photo... - Event Photography Near Me

I cannot say enough good things about Colson. My husband and I were married in San Fran in July. .. a destination wedding. Colson was our photographer for the day. He showed up at our apartment 2 hours before the wedding per my request, he brought music and got to work shooting pics right away! By the time we got to the wedding venue, Colson seemed to already be a part of the family! He is so outgoing and personable! In fact, he was complimented the most to me of everything in my wedding! Everyone loved him and still talk about him to this day! As for our wedding pictures. .... absolutely incredible! He took over 600 pictures in a 6 hour time frame, only 3 hours for the wedding with a 25 person guest count! That's a lot of pictures! He met all our requests for what we felt was most importantly photographed. After the wedding he took us around San Fran to 3 very special locations for more portraits. We got our pictures in about 3 weeks after the wedding, a much shorter time frame than I expected and before October I had my album (1.5 weeks to arrive) and our metal prints (2 weeks to arrive). Colson is a hard worker and is very busy but he knows where his client's priority is and that's important to him. My husband and I live in Wyoming but I plan to revisit San Francisco many times in our life ahead and I hope to have Colson do more photography for us in the future! read more

I don't tend to write Yelp reviews. I don't feel strongly enough about things to recommend them to complete strangers who have no reason to believe me. I'm making an exception for Colson. After my - then girlfriend - wife and I got engaged came the arduous task of setting up the wedding. Laying down the memories we'd make that day was our top priority. We spent many evenings Skype-ing or Facetiming various photographers. While their portfolios were generally OK, none of their pictures made us FEEL anything. Colson right off the bat was different. He met us near our home at a coffeeshop and asked us personal questions about our relationship and life. His portfolio was full of pictures that made us go "Woah.". The decision to go with him was an obvious one. What followed was a wild ride. We met in person several times, had one-on-one conversations with him about our relationship and what made each of us special to the other. Our engagement pictures got rave reviews from all of our friends. Closer to the day of the wedding we sat down over sushi to discuss the plans. Colson showed his deep understanding of how a wedding should flow. He helped us create a timeline that meant little to no rushing even though our venue was 150 miles from where we were getting ready. The day of the wedding he came prepared with some excellent music and got our wedding party properly pumped up. Throughout the day he showed himself an excellent photographer, always ready to go that extra little bit. On more than one occasion he ended up sprawled on the floor just to get that perfect shot. And it shows. Our wedding day pictures are gorgeous. We wouldn't trade the memories that we made that day for the world and thanks to Colson we'll never forget. read more

Colson Griffith Photography - Event Photography Near Me

Shame on me for taking this long to write this review. My husband Jeff and I got married in August 2014 and during the planning process we talked about what we wanted to spend our money on. We knew that weddings in general are an expensive deal (especially in the bay area) and we had a budget and in divvying up that budget we knew that the two most important things to us would be the food and the photography. #1 People remember the food and we love food. Everyone agrees that wedding food can be fantastic or awful and we wanted to pour money into food. #2 Photography. Once it's all said and done, your photos will be the tangible thing you can look at years later and say "HEY, REMEMBER HOW AWESOME THAT DAY WAS?!" Colson was recommended by another photographer I had reached out to who wasn't available for our wedding day and I'm so glad we connected. The care Colson puts into really getting to know his clients is one of the things that makes him stand out amongst the gaggle of wedding photographers that are out there. How many wedding photographers out there invite you over to their place for dinner? Or to come over after the wedding photos are edited to view them together? He really gets to know you and what's important to you for your wedding day. I'm sure there are standard shots all brides want but the most important thing to me was to get photos of everyone there. I will probably never have everyone I love in one spot ever again so it was important to get photos with friends and family who traveled from all over the world to come to our wedding. We had a non traditional schedule with a day wedding, a break in the middle of the day and an after party at hour house which took us well into the next day. Colson was flexible so we could get photos of the after party which I really wanted. I mean, if we did't have him that evening all we would have would be blurry instagram shots of drunk folks who discovered all of our halloween/burning man costumes and decided to put them on. (BEST. AFTER PARTY. EVER.) We had Colson and a second shooter AND the Party Booth and we walked away with so many priceless pictures. Our friends and family kept asking how long we'd been friends with Colson since he fit right in with everyone. Most brides on their wedding day are super excited to be the center of attention. It's something I struggled with because I'm not comfortable being in front of a camera and often feel self conscious if I know someone is taking photos of me. Colson's easy going nature really made it easier for me to let all that go and just enjoy the day despite the attention. So yeah, 5 stars. Or a jillion stars if only yelp would let me. Oh right. I spent this whole lengthy review writing about how easy going and awesome Colson is to work with I forgot to mention how good his work actually is. It's awesome. His photos speak for themselves. read more

I worked with Colson on a Vanity Portrait Studio for an event I was managing. Colson, was amazing to work with and the sets that he creates makes you feel like you'e a model on a Vogue fashion shoot. My guests absolutely loved the experience, and it added a luxe element to the party. I can't wait to hire him again for my next event! read more

I had the most amazing wedding experience! My husband and I both met Colson and hired him both for engagement photos at Santana Row (where we had our first date) and of course our wedding which took place at Carmel Valley Ranch. The experience was extraordinary! From the moment we met Colson, he showered us with his dedication and commitment to bring each and client a unique experience and certainly one I will never forget! I was particular about who we chose and well as someone who would care about each and every detail. Someone who could capture the special moments but also have fun, fit in with the family and do an amazing job! I was more than impressed with Colson not just as an artist, but as a person and continue to follow his work on Instagram and Facebook. Colson's giving heart, including participation in philanthropic events, make him an industry stand-out! I'm so glad we met Colson! He gave us those forever memories that we waited our whole lives for! I'm so thankful for the amazing wedding pictures that look at in my home every day. Thank you Colson! We are truly blessed! read more

Colson Griffith Photography - Married! - Event Photography Near Me

Hands down the best!!! What drew my husband and I to Colson was his personality and easy going personality. For our engagement shoot I was really nervous because I did not know what to expect, and the shoot ended up being so much fun and the pictures turned out INCREDIBLE! Colson was silly and made us feel relaxed and after the first 30 minutes I forgot there was even a camera taking pictures. Colson listened to what we wanted, and really captured us as a couple and our style. On our wedding day Colson was cool, calm and made everyone in the bridal party feel at ease. I cannot thank Colson enough for the amazing memories we have for life, and highly recommend him to anyone who is looking for an amazing photographer. You will not be disappointed with your experience! :) read more

I had the pleasure of working with Colson a few months ago at a wedding in the Livermore wine country. He was prompt, professional and FUN! He is very personable and makes everyone feel like a friend. I have never worked with a photographer who played music while doing wedding party portraits, but after seeing Colson do that, I really understood why. It enabled the bride, groom, and their wedding party to be more comfortable in front of the camera, be themselves and have fun with the photos. I should also add that he was prompt in getting sneak peaks and a photo gallery to our couple and the vendors. I highly recommend him!! read more

Before hiring Colson and his team, I would have never thought a "photo booth" could be the highlight of our event. Yet the guests from our company holiday party last year have not stopped talking about how much they loved the Vanity Portrait Studio. Several guests said the prints they received were among the most attractive photos they had ever had taken with their significant others. In addition to having the Vanity Portrait Studio setup, we hired a member of Colson's team to photograph our event, and those photos came out beautiful (and were shared with us FAST!) too. Colson and his staff were also extremely friendly, had awesome vibes that put our guests in a great mood, and were thoughtful about cueing poses that would look great on everyone. I can't recommend them enough. read more

Do yourself a favor and hire Colson immediately! You will not be disappointed. Colson photographed our wedding on October 10, 2015 (and our engagement session last year) and we could not be more thrilled with the results. From beginning to end, the level of service that Colson provided was unparalleled. We first found Colson's work by doing some online research and were incredibly impressed with the quality of his photos. After we made the decision to hire Colson, he hand delivered two bottles of beer that he brewed himself and several bridal magazines to our doorstep. Who does that?? Colson. He will go above and beyond for you in every way. Throughout the planning process, it was a pleasure to deal with Colson and he made the process feel like fun, not like a chore. Of all your wedding vendors, you will spend the most time with your photographer, so it is important to find someone that you connect with. On the day of the wedding, both my husband and I felt like we were hanging out with a friend when we were with Colson, rather than a wedding vendor. He brings a ton of energy and, for lack of a better word, fun, to the day. He even brought his own pump-up mix and speakers to help get me and my bridesmaids in the right mood! He helped make sure everyone was having a great time throughout the day and many of our friends remarked how much fun our photographer was. Yet, we had every confidence that Colson would capture amazing photos of the day, and boy did he deliver. I specifically signed up for yelp so that I could review the amazing wedding vendors that we worked with at our wedding and Colson was at the top of the list. Thanks Colson! read more

I absolutely loved working with Colson, Linda and the whole crew at Vanity Portrait Studio! They are incredibly professional and provide a beautiful, quality product. Best of all is the on-site experience. They are flexible, easy to work with and have super fun personalities. Guests absolutely love getting their photos taken, the photographers give great instruction and the photos are so chic. I cannot reccomend them enough! read more

This review is for Colson's photography workshop. It lasted four hours, he had snacks, and was very well prepared and organized. Best part is he donated all the money to girls and boys club! This is my third photography class I've taken with three different photographers and this is by far my favorite photography class thus far. The class was a very good overview of composition theory, lighting, and general discussions about camera functions and design. The presentation and photo examples used to describe techniques and camera settings was immensely useful. Seeing a before and after picture side by side really helped me understand how functions changed the same picture. The environment was also very relaxed with open communication and fellow classmates practicing techniques as they were described. Colson is also the first instructor I've met who actually knew about random functions I found on my camera and not only knew how to use the function but could easily describe a situation when I could or should use the function. This course is extremely useful for someone just getting into photography and would like not only learn about how to better compose pictures but to also learn about the key features and functions on your camera and how to use them. Highly recommend this class! read more

If I could give Colson more stars I would. Everything about Colson and his photography was perfection. My husband and I wanted to make sure that we worked with a photographer for our wedding that was creative, professional but fun, energetic and enthusiastic about capturing our love on our wedding day. From the first phone call Colson genuinely wanted to know "our story"- he even later wrote an insert on his blog about us and posted his favorite photos from the wedding. He was incredibly responsive and reacted to all of many questions with urgency. The day of our wedding Colson had this way of making people feel comfortable in their photos. He captured so many great moments and the system he used for us to create our wedding album was so easy to use. The thing that we loved the BEST about Colson was his ability to create unique photos and not your typical, standard, canned wedding photos that you see everyone take. His use of light and angles made each photo more like art and less like my prom photo. I would refer Colson to anyone. read more

Colson Griffith Photography - Event Photography Near Me

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Colson knows what he is doing! He is good at making you relax and have a fun time. It's your wedding day, after all! We left the pictures up to him, and he knew exactly the locations and photos to get. Amazing! He had some very creative ideas. And the link to provide to family and friends so they can see the photos was also great. Everyone has commented on how beautiful they are. He also did a great job of getting shots that included the scenery, and more intimate ones of just the two of us. Fabulous! read more

Colson Griffith Photography - Event Photography Near Me

I cannot say enough good things about Colson!! He is hands-down the most talented, personable, and authentic photographer I know. He photographed my husband and I while we were visiting San Francisco and did an amazing job capturing "us"!! He is the consummate professional and has an eye for not only the scenery, but more importantly the moment. There was never a time when we felt staged or forced -- he let us enjoy each other and caught the subtleties of our love and personalities beautifully. We had a blast and are THRILLED with the photos!! Lots of photographers can take a good picture, but it takes someone like Colson to tell a story through a camera lens ... read more

Colson is an amazing photographer and a pleasure to work with! My family and I worked with him when we wanted to have family pictures taken. We didn't wan't the boring traditional look though. He and Alex were so great at getting to know a bit about our family before we even met. They helped us brainstorm settings that were important to us and really helped us reflect on what sorts of props would be important and fun to capture. The day of the photo shoot, Colson was lively and helped us relax. :) It's funny how bringing a camera around can makes you get the tiniest bit rigid but he kept everything light and fun for a great experience. He really cares about his clients and it is so apparent in every interaction we had with him. And of course the photos turned out great! He was able to capture our family so wonderfully, which was a really special gift for my mom. I just love going over to my Mom's house and seeing the photos hanging! It takes me right back to the day we all had so much fun on. I highly recommend working with him if you're in need of a photographer!! You won't be disappointed. All around wonderful experience!!!! Thank you, Colson!! read more

My husband and I had the sincere pleasure of working with Colson on our engagement and wedding photos and can't RAVE enough about him. I always admired his photos from a far and knew I wanted him to shoot for me the day my happily ever after came true. What he gifted us was photos we will cherish for lifetime and they are better than I ever imagined they could be. Colson has a gift for people, the biggest heart and his eye for photography is incredible. This all comes out in his beautiful work as he captures moments you don't even realize are happening and for that we are forever grateful. Colson is brilliant to work with, so much fun and incredibly talented and we can't recommend him enough to anyone looking for creative, meaningful photos for their special occasion. Candice & Tim Maskell read more

Colson did an amazing job for our wedding and engagement photos! We chose Colson for several reasons. We liked the aesthetic of his photos, but what really sold us is that the couples and families he photographs genuinely seem to be having fun. No staged, awkward or cheesy photos. Instead, he captures all the great feelings of a wedding day. Colson achieves this with his general approach to wedding photography but also his personality. He's so much fun, so easy-going, and has an all around positive attitude. He was great at making me and my husband (who are generally awkward and introverted, especially in front of a camera) feel at ease and laugh. Working with Colson on logistics was a breeze. He always accommodated our complicated schedules; he responded to all emails immediately; and he took the time to get to know us. On the wedding day, he kept the timeline moving and was really fast about getting the family portraits and other standard photos done. The final set of photos was already ready for us when we got back from our honeymoon and he has been wonderful to work with on follow-up requests. Overall, we love our wedding photos and Colson was such a pleasure to work with throughout. We highly recommend him!! read more

Choosing my photographer was one of the easiest decisions in the entire wedding planning process. I knew from day one of being engaged that I HAD to have Colson for the big day. I have known him for several years through various events and mutual friends and have always loved his big personality and amazing photos. He always has a huge smile on his face and put anyone and everyone at ease with his laughter and easy go lucky attitude. From the start, he sat down with us to help create a plan for our engagement shoot that would reflect who were as a couple and not just be another day of pretty pictures (although there were tons of gorgeous photos), so it really helped set the tone for the entire planning process. I used our engagement photos to do everything from the save the date, to the entrée wedding website. He took the most epic champagne spray photo of us that really helped create an entire theme of celebration that set the tone of our wedding day. He was so involved in the entire process for our wedding, even sitting down and making dinner for us to plan out what we wanted to see on wedding day for photos. Both my fiancé and I had a dedicated photographer for us and our wedding parties for getting ready and Colson captured the most effortless photos, that were spontaneous and in the moment, which was exactly the style we were looking for. I will forever cherish the memories that he captured for us on our wedding day. I cannot recommend Colson highly enough, I have sent several of my friends to him and will continue to do so, although most of them come to me to ask who took all of our gorgeous photos - they speak for themselves! read more

Colson did our engagement photos last spring and we couldn't be more excited! He's has an amazing artistic eye and had so many creative shot ideas that really stayed true to who we are and what we wanted! He's very professional but so easy going and fun - he was a blast to work with during the shoot! He loves what he does which made the whole experience a great for us! It's obvious that he truly enjoys working with and meeting different people and is 110% invested in giving his clients a finished product they will be proud to show off. Most importantly, he really captured us as we are - our photos are beautiful, natural and fun! Planning a wedding really exposed us to so many photographs and Colson just stood out as the best! read more

I seriously have NO WORDS to describe how awesome our experience with Colson was as our wedding photographer!!!! But here are a few things that stand out: Colson really got to know us, and I didn't feel like I was hiring a stranger, I felt like I was hiring a friend!! He even cooked us dinner a few weeks before the wedding (he is a craaaaazy good cook!) and we sat around and talked and laughed and went over wedding details for hours! He made the entire wedding day FUN because let's face it, he's one of the funnest people to have around, HANDS DOWN! (Like when he was drinking champagne with us as we took a bridal party ride in a train at Roaring Camp where we got married!) He looooves a good party, and he totally adds to the party atmosphere, and I have never seen another wedding photographer actually shake their booty on the dance floor along with everyone else (all the while taking amaaaaazing pictures)!! And last but not least, he delivers an incredible product. Colson is a TALENTED photographer, he's creative, he comes into every situation with new and fun ideas on how to capture the most amazing images possible, his editing is WONDERFUL, and the wedding album he created for us was spectacular!!!! PLEASE, do yourself a favor and give Colson a call, you will not regret it. Meet up with him and get to know a FABULOUS photographer, and a WONDERFUL human being! read more

I wish we had found Colson for our engagement photo session and our wedding. Coloson is SO FUN and easy to work with. He has wonderful ideas and is very talented at what he does. Colson captured our family pictures quick and easy, which is a big feat when there are 9 of us! Thank you so much Colson! read more

Colson did an amazing job for our wedding. His pictures were high quality and he's an absolute pleasure to work with. He really cares about his clients and it shows! I would highly recommend him to anyone. read more

My husband and I initially met Colson Griffith at our good friends' wedding. I spent the morning getting ready with the bride and Colson was the photographer. He had a great vibe and kept all the girls very comfortable and laughing. Near the end of the wedding he put up a slide show of some of his pictures from the wedding and we were sold! We loved the display and promptly asked him for his card and if he was available the following Sept. In November 2011, he shot our engagement photos. It had been a beautiful week and then the day we were supposed to shoot, it was raining. He gave us the option to reschedule if we wanted, but we decided to move forward, despite the rain. We are so happy we did! The shots came out great and we had such a fun day in the rain. One of the many things I love about Colson's work, is that our engagement photos did not look like "typical" engagement photos. They were really fun and spontaneous works of art! We have received many compliments about how unique our photos are. We loved our engagement photos (and our friends' wedding photos) so much that we decided to have Colson and his second photographer, Lora, come to Santa Barbara to shoot our wedding in September 2012! Colson and Lora were both fantastic! The pictures are outstanding and so creative! We can't wait to get together to create our album! side note: yes it is March 2013 and our wedding was 6 months ago- it is our delay in getting around to things (ie this review), not Colson's availability or willingness to get together to order our album and prints. Top 5 reasons I would highly recommend Colson for your wedding and engagement photos: 1. His highly creative and beautiful work- check out his website- the photos speak for themselves 2. His passion for wedding photography 3. His ability to capture spontaneous and natural moments, not your typical cheesy fake smile posed shots 4. His personality capable of putting everyone at ease (which translates to better photos). A personal favorite touch was that he carries around portable music to keep you and your wedding party in the mood for photo shoots throughout the day, making the experience fun and bringing out more natural expressions in the photos 5. He cares so much about the couples he shoots and brining out what is unique about the couple- he spends time getting to know you before your shoots and ensures that he is able to capture shots that tell a story about the couple. By the time of our wedding, we thought of Colson as more of a friend and invited him to our rehearsal dinner and out to the bars, as a guest and friend, rather than a vendor! Another bonus, is that Colson created our guest book with our engagement photos so now we have a wonderful coffee table book with our guests' sentiments. Other important points- his prices are competitive and reasonable considering you get what you pay for! We couldn't be more happy with the final outcome and felt every penny spent on our photography was worth it. He put together our wedding website, which was a huge plus for us and was able to create a registry for our wedding album/prints. The first look- One of the reasons why Colson was able to capture so many great shots is because he offers the first look shots. Ie. the couple sees each other prior to the wedding for their photo shoot. This is less traditional, but is great for so many reasons: 1. less time pressures (you don't feel like you are missing your reception to be taking photos) 2. he offers to go off site to get unique photos with the bridal party 3. the first time you see your spouse to be is more intimate (ie just the photographer, not all of your wedding guests) 4. you look fresh- ie makeup is not coming off after first kiss, etc 5. More creative photos without traditional venue or timeline constraints We were beyond thrilled with all of the work Colson put in to capturing this special time in our lives. We highly recommend Colson Griffith Photography! read more

Wow! He took our engagement photo in 5 minutes! It was absolutely perfect, everything I had wanted. He's such a pro and super nice. Don't use any other photographer. He's a genius read more

My husband and I can't speak more highly of Colson! I found Colson through a friend of a friend for our May 2015 wedding. My husband and I met Colson for an introductory meeting prior to getting our engagement photos and hired him on the spot. He is so easy to work with, fun and energetic. If I had to spend the majority of my day getting ready for our wedding with someone, Colson was definitely the right choice! He really made it a point to get to know my husband and I as well as our family and bridal party. This was so important to us and really made the entire day more stressfree and intimate. Our families and friends loved spending the day with him and were super impressed by the photos that were presented during the cocktail hour of our wedding. We could not be more pleased with how our engagement and wedding photos turned out. Colson's work is amazing and we would highly recommend him for weddings, engagements, and family photos! read more

Colson was recommended to us from a friend to shoot our wedding. From the moment I spoke with him on the phone I knew he was exactly what I had been looking for. He possesses the professionalism, energy and expertise that made our wedding photography experience above and beyond. Our initial consultation was causal yet extremely professional. From the beginning he really wanted to get to know us as individuals and as a couple to be able to capture the true essence of our relationship on our big day. It was obvious that he offered a top notch service and he sure delivered!! From bringing fun music for photoshoots to the delivery of his final product was even beyond our high expectations. On the day of, he felt like one of our friends who had come to shoot the wedding and he was able to vibe with everyone at the event. I received so many compliments from guests about our great photographer. He made us feel comfortable while truly capturing beautiful moments. Throughout the whole process he was very accessible and easy to work with; always quick to respond and made the whole process a custom experience. He was more than we could have ever expected from a photographer!!! We would recommend Colson to anyone!!! read more