We married in Palm Springs in October and we were looking for a photographer to capture the 1960's vibe that the area naturally exudes without wanting to look too contrived. After I had contacted a few photographers with the initial brief, Daren got back to me quickly and with a great quote, considering we had left it right up until the last minute! He was excited about the shoot from the get go with a real passion for the idea behind it. He really wanted to be involved from the creative point of view. We liaised via the phone and Daren was enthusiastic to share mood boards and inspiration ideas. Everything was smoothly executed and professionally carried out. We had so much fun on the day & I can't recommend Daren enough. A true expert in his field and a lovely guy to boot. read more

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Daren is the most outstanding photographer. He is a great person, kind, passionate, talented, creative and professional. He has been taking pictures of our children and our family for years. His best work has been some awesome shots he got of our son in his baseball uniform. They look like they came out of a magazine! His talents and eye for his work are unbelievable. He's creating memories that will last a lifetime. These memories he's helping you create are priceless. You will not be disappointed with him as a person and his work! read more

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My wife and I were so lucky to find Daren to photograph our wedding last year. After our first meeting we knew that he would be a perfect fit for our personality and taste. We has so much fun while taking pictures while have wonderful pictures taken. We thank him for helping make our day so much better than we could have ever imagined. Also we have a wonderful set of pictures we will be able to cherish the rest of our lives. Thank you Daren.. read more

I would recommend Daren Kelley for any occasion. He is gracious and easygoing while making the whole process simple and timely. Daren was a pleasure to work with and someone who you know you can trust immediately. Certainly one of the best aspects of our wedding was Daren's presence at all of the most important times and the beautiful work he created for us as a result. Daren went above and beyond to make sure everything was taken care of and fulfilled many jobs not normally expected of a photographer. Also, he does little things to make the experience better such as sending us a Starbuck's gift card before the wedding to help with stress. After the wedding he sent thoughtful coasters with beautiful shots from our wedding. Daren's prices are also more than reasonable considering the amount of work he puts into each process of his work. We are very happy with the results and will recommend him every time we get the chance. read more

Without a doubt Daren Kelley is THE best photographer I have ever had the pleasure to work with. We are so lucky that we were able to use him for our wedding. The scope and quality of his work speaks for itself. His style and photo quality is beyond anything I have seen before. He is truly talented and passionate about his work and it shows in every picture that he took. We had looked for months at different photographers and never found anyone that really stood out to us. There were a few that we did like but their pricing was almost as much as our entire wedding. One of our friends had used Daren several years ago and we were able to look at their photos. We were VERY impressed by what we saw and they encouraged us to reach out to Daren. They were extremely happy with their experience and recommended him wholeheartedly. I reached out to Daren to inquire about his services. Not only did he respond almost immediately, but he was very professional and accommodating. We were excited to learn that he had our date available. We set up an appointment immediately and he met with us at a local coffee shop to discuss our needs/desires for our wedding. He brought a large amount of his portfolio with him on his iPad and we were able to browse through and look at a large amount of photos. We had several requests regarding the type and quantity of photos we wanted to look at and he accommodated what we asked for. He spent as much time as we wanted answering all of our questions and giving us suggestions and advice regarding different things that we were unsure about. He made us feel very comfortable about the whole process. Looking through his portfolio I was once again extremely impressed by the quality of his work. He has a certain style that is very unique to him, and it just fit exactly what were looking for but hadn't been able to find in anyone else. On the day of our wedding, Daren was there early scoping out our venue (Pala Mesa Resort). Our venue is all outdoors and it is spread out over a large area. So even though the ceremony and reception areas are right next to each other...the bride and groom's suite are WAY far away from each other and there is quite a bit of walking involved to go back and forth. However Daren never complained about the insane amount of walking in the 100 degree heat. He captured so many amazing shots of us getting ready in the groom/bridal suites. My wife was so happy with the way all of the shots came out with her and the girls. Daren just KNEW what shots to get, and captured all of the little ornate detail shots of the little items and accoutrements. He captured some great moments of the guys getting ready as well. I'm so glad we were able to have him come before the wedding to capture these moments. If you're debating having your photographer just come and take ceremony/reception shots, I highly recommend you book for at least 8 hours and take shots of you and your bride/groom getting ready. We are so happy that we have these shots. Also I HIGHLY recommend doing a FIRST LOOK. We took almost an hour before the wedding taking these shots and it was so nice to have this time with my bride to relax and have fun. PLUS you get more pictures. Once the ceremony is over your're going to be rushed for time and you will not have as much picture time. DO THE FIRST LOOK prior to the ceremony. Daren's photos are out of this world AMAZING. He has raw talent that he has honed over the years into a very unique and breathtaking style. He shoots in a photo-journalist style which means he captures the moment and tells a story. He is not one of those photographers that runs around posing every shot. In fact many times I did not even see where he was. He's like a photographic ninja, running around capturing action and shots that I didn't even realize were possible. My wife had also made a list of shots that she had selected on Pinterest (lol) that she wanted to have done. Daren made a very concerted effort to capture every one of the shots she had requested. He brought a print out of them with him and we went through all of them throughout the day/evening. Daren is also such a nice guy. He's fun, relaxed, and made us feel very comfortable on our wedding day. We never felt stressed and he made everything feel so seamless. I would HIGHLY recommend Daren as a wedding photographer. Everyone we know is blown away by our wedding photos. I've seen a lot of wedding photos lately from friends or acquaintances, and honestly none of them can compare to Daren's. It was an amazing experience! read more

My husband and I hired Daren as our wedding photographer for our wedding on 4/2/2016. I chose him because I thought he had such unique perspective and lighting in his photos that set him apart from the rest. I also liked that his photos did not look "prom-like," and by that I mean super posed and unnatural. I remember when I showed his website to my dad, his comment was that these photos looked like they belonged in a museum, and I would agree with that comment. His photos are interesting, artful, and stunning. Daren took both our engagement photos and our wedding photos, and I couldn't be happier. He made us feel comfortable, and he was always prompt and polite in addressing all of our questions. He is also reasonably priced, especially for the quality of his work product. I would recommend him to anyone. read more

Daren Kelley Photography - From our engagement shoot. - Event Photography Near Me

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I was lucky enough to have Darren shoot my family portraits before he even started his own business. Since then I have seen him grow into the artist he is today. He takes amazing pictures of weddings, sports, and candids of his friends and family. He has a true gift with lighting and capturing the moment at its best. Darren has the "it" factor when it comes to taking professional photo's for wedding or of your athlete. I would recommend him The anyone and everyone! read more

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This review is LONG overdue! Today marks our one year anniversary... My husband and I are beyond grateful that we were able to get Daren for our wedding! He has so much knowledge, experience, creativity, insight, calm n cool ways, cat like reflexes and ninja stealthy captures! I've looked back through my pictures throughout this year and have share his name with any and all brides I come across... I trust him entirely and love his family pieces!! He traveled to our venue in Paso Robles, California. He arrived early to set his sights on great places to capture the first look, family and bride and groom photos as no one had ever been married at our venue before. I wish I could rate with way higher then 5 stars as he made our wedding complete! He was shooting the beginning of our ceremony when I began to arrive on my Dad's Harley, clear across reception site and HE DIDN'T MISS A BEAT! Forever thankful for you Daren! You ROCK! XOXOX read more

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Daren is one of the greatest photographers I have ever met and all around a great person! I chose Daren Kelley Photography for my engagement and wedding photos and I have never made a better decision. From the initial phone calls and emails for booking until we received the photos of our wedding, Daren made the process calm and stress-free. Besides the fact he takes AMAZING photos, Daren makes you feel comfortable in front of the camera - as if it is your best friend taking your photos! If you want amazing photos, along with the most talented photographer, Daren is your guy. read more

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Daren is one of the most amazing photographers! He took sports pictures of my son and got amazing images! We were so happy with the results! I can't wait for him to take Varsity Baseball pictures of my son again this spring! He made my son feel so comfortable and that definitely made the pictures even better! Thanks Daren! read more

We were very lucky that Daren was able to take some sports pictures of our son. The shots that he was able to capture were amazing. He is a very talented and creative photographer. He is a true professional! The pictures he takes speak for themselves. I can't express enough thanks to him for capturing my son's passion for his sport. Daren has created memories for our family that will last forever. We will definitely be using his services for anything in the future! Thank you Daren! read more

It is no surprise to us that Daren Kelley is named one of The Knot's BEST of 2013. We could not have made a better choice of photographer, especially for the money. I have had the good fortune of working with both a very big name photographer in OC (who now charges approximately 10k for his packages) and with another former LA-based photographer who now shoots exclusively for Playboy and I can tell you Daren's photography skills were every bit as good for a fraction of the cost. What's more, he is a pleasure to work with unlike some other photographers who act like their time and their agenda on your wedding day are all that matters. PERSONALITY: Daren has a great personality and is warm, friendly and easy going. My husband HATES getting his photo taken and before he deployed to Iraq I took him to another good photographer but it was like pulling teeth to get him to loosen up. Not so with Daren! Taking pictures with Daren was relaxed and comfortable. At times you sort of forgot he was there snapping away as my hubby and I enjoyed little moments together. Daren is fun with a good sense of humor. FAST PHOTO NINJA: Many of us have attended weddings where the wedding party is MIA forever with the photographer who spends excessive time setting up the "perfect shot" and poses. Daren is a TRUE talent because he gets the perfect shots quick! What's amazing is this man is everywhere and he moves fast. We got married at a beautiful tri-level outdoor venue on a hot day and he was running all over the place getting pictures of everything. At times we did not even see him yet he must have had his eye on us because there were many spectacular photos that we never realized he took. He was never invasive at all which is important on your big day and my guests all raved about how they would see him working away but he was never in the way once. PROFESSIONALISM EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS: Daren is a consummate professional who clearly loves his work and strives to put forth his best with every client. He is prompt to communicate, he values getting to know his clients before the engagement session, and he is extremely detailed and thorough. As the wedding date draws near he provides an in depth questionnaire that helps to ensure that he misses nothing and no one of importance to you on your big day. He's very sensitive to family dynamics and I respect his thoughtfulness. Daren took the time to check out my venue online and then showed up more than 2 hours early to scope out the place. He was then super patient as my bridesmaids and I were not ready to go on time for pre-wedding photos. It was extremely hot that day and yet he was still running back and forth chipper as can be. Daren never stopped to take a break even when I encouraged him to please enjoy a meal and take a rest. He was committed to his work and went above and beyond. Our photos arrived beautiful and in a timely manner. He was quick to develop our website link and organized our photos for viewing and for sharing with family. As if that wasn't enough, his charming wife sent us a lovely note and a surprise very special gift at the end! Daren Kelley is a class act and his wife is no exception! EXCEPTIONAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICE: The results from our engagement session were great but our wedding...WOW! I'm no expert but I'm extremely persnickety when it comes to photography. I care about the lighting, the lines, etc. The quality and resolution of the images are spectacular and he captured such special moments. His pictures brought to life all of the love, beauty and emotion of our day and several brought tears to my eyes as I got to see them for the first time. The album he produced is very high quality. Like many brides I had spent so much time leading up to my wedding enviously viewing the stunning wedding photography images on Pinterest that had been posted and reposted countless times. Thanks to Daren, I can proudly boast that I have pictures that to us are even better, because they're ours! If you have the opportunity to hire Daren Kelley, don't think twice just book, book, book! You will not be disappointed, and like us you may end up with a photographer you and your new family will call upon for years to come. read more

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Daren is incredible and no surprise he has 5-star reviews everywhere you look. He's professional, fun, and the photo quality is excellent. Daren truly makes you feel special and has such an incredible eye for whatever setting you may be in. He did both our engagement and wedding photos and to say that we are impressed is an understatement! read more

This review is overdue, as my wife and I got married in early July. Shame on my laziness. Anyway, we could not have been more satisfied with our decision to hire Daren to photograph our wedding. Daren is the man! Not only were the photographs fantastic, but he was also such an easy, comfortable person to work with. Really a very pleasant individual with a great personality. We had hired Daren purely on chance. He wasn't recommended to us by a friend or anything like that. We just did some internet searches, liked his pics, and went for it. We're so glad we did. Daren did an outstanding job. Zero complaints. Thanks so much Daren!! read more

Daren Kelley was our wedding photographer in Sept. 2015. Daren was a true professional and so easy to work with! Throughout the wedding planning process, Daren would send us emails for important reminders and would always have prompt follow-up to our questions. This made working with him a pleasure and one less thing that we had to worry about. On the wedding day, Daren was very organized and efficient in getting all of the photos that we requested throughout the day. His friendly and outgoing personality made it easy for us and our guests to connect with him and feel comfortable around him. He was open to our ideas in terms of the types of photos that we were requesting, and always willing to accommodate our needs. His assistant photographer (Terrance) was also very professional and awesome to work with! His work speaks for itself, but we (and all of our guests) were very pleased with the photos and couldn't be happier with our decision to hire Daren. He continuously went above and beyond our expectations, and we would recommend him for any event that you are thinking about hiring a photographer for. All in all, we were so pleased with our decision and hope that other newly engaged couples find this review helpful when making the decision to hire a wedding photographer! Ryan & Lindsay read more

BEST photographer ever! Daren is sooooo friendly and fun to work with!!! He is very flexible, professional, talented and very friendly. He also makes you feel really comfortable while taking pictures, which make the photos more candid and real. He photographed my engagement photos and wedding and everyone said "who was your photographer?!?!" They were so impressed with the outcome of my photos. He has a passion for photography and it shows in his results. He has unique & artsy ideas with angles and poses that you can't think up yourself. You would be doing yourself a disfavor if you don't select Daren as your photographer! Trust me! read more

Lots of small things add up to the best imaginable photo sports session with Daren. Daren was able to capture my son Logan's love of the game through this stunning shots. He made Logan feel relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera. Daren was able to nab his personality through his unique artistic ability. Without hesitation, I highly recommend Daren Kelley Photography for all your photo needs! read more

Daren Kelley is an amazing photographer. He photographed my daughters soccer pictures and they were perfect. He made my daughter feel comfortable and made it an overall great experience. I highly recommend Daren for sports pictures, senior pictures and weddings. read more

Choosing Daren as our photographer was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding! We live out of the area so only met once in person before the wedding and didn't have time for engagement photos. However, from the first time we spoke on the phone, Daren was kind, easy-going, and professional. He did a great job scoping out places to take photos at our venue and made the whole process of taking our photos feel so easy. Needless to say, our pictures were amazing and we've loved sharing them with all our friends and family. I definitely recommend Daren to other folks in the area! read more

Daren Kelley is not just a photographer but an amazing artist with a great personality as well! Our wedding was at 4 o'clock in a glass chapel, pics I've seen from other weddings there were very light which is pretty but Daren made them magnificent they are so dynamic and truely a work of art much more exciting then traditional pics. I would highly highly recommend Daren for your photographer you don't just get amazing pictures you get a work of art that will last you years to come! read more