Duende Photo sets itself apart from other photographers and especially wedding photographers. Ken Mendoza is an artist when it comes to natural light, naturals spaces and natural looking people. his photographs of newly-weds in Yosemite or in the Marin headlands are both breathtaking in their beauty as well as awesome in their apparent simplicity. I say 'apparent' because their is nothing simple about ken's approach to natural light and the way he works with people. the subjects in the photographs are smiling naturally, conversing with each other and do not have that stiff, posed, cold look that is so common in other wedding photography. If you are getting married or if you wish simply to have some fantastic shots of your family taken by someone who not only understands the skills needed to take the picture but is also deeply familiar with the techniques necessary to finish the photograph and present it, right through to the myriad of different substrates that Ken can recommend depending on the photos themselves to really bring out the best in each shot, then, give DuendePhoto a shot - you will be thrilled with the outcome. Really! read more

Where to begin. I was just looking once again at the wedding pictures from our son's Yosemite wedding. Ken and Brady captured the absolute essence of the day - the bride and groom, the guests, the setting - looking at the photos I see individual moments of emotion and joy that I missed event though I "saw" them. They are consummate pros (the quality of the photos is supurb) and a pleasure to work with at the same time - calm, invisible when they need to be, and filled with fabulous ideas. Hint: Listen to Brady - she knows what she's doing!! read more

Just had an incredible session for my upcoming CD. We were in the zone and stayed there, making for a painless session. Ken and Brady are a seamless team. Creative, professional, and fun. They get right to it, have the right gear, and really love their work. read more

Ken CRUSHED IT! We had our wedding at SF City hall and the guy knows it like the back of his hand. We had another wedding in the Central Coast and we were seriously going to forgo our deposit so we can have Ken again. This guy will do it all and it was so fun having him there. Best Photographer in the Bay hands down! read more

My husband and I were married in Yosemite on July 8, 2015 ... at 11:30 (am). I have to say, I'm not a bubbly person...nor am I a wedding person (I never fix my hair and hate makeup). So, with that being said, I was very nervous about working with two women taking pictures all day (I don't like having my picture taken either). My husband is the same way. HOWEVER...Brady and Ann were extremely professional and within minutes I was completely at ease with both of them. By the time the wedding and group pictures were over and we were about to caravan around the park, my husband told them to hop in the truck and just ride with us. So, needless to say, we were super excited that our personalities meshed so well! By the end of the day, we really didn't want to leave them! We had so much fun the entire day! They took us all over the park and to places we hadn't been to yet. And even though it rained on us, she had an extra umbrella (good thing because I forgot mine) and she continued taking pictures. If you're getting married in Yosemite, you should definitely use Ken and Brady! I requested one specific picture that I saw on their website (the black and white photo with the couple walking in a meadow in front of Half Dome), and Brady got it....perfectly! I can't express how pleased I am with their professionalism AND the quality of the photos. Brady knows and loves Yosemite, and she did a great job working with the natural lighting and clouds. Oh! And, since I'm in Alabama, we communicated primarily through email...which was also a pleasant experience. I could tell through her emails that she was very professional because she didn't use an excessive amount of exclamation marks or "emojis". I know I haven't hit every question you might have, so feel free to contact me and I'll try my best to answer your question(s)! read more

Ken Mendoza is a wedding photographer with a very personable technique, and easy to work with under the stress of weddings! He and his wife, Brady, are so professional, and yet give everyone that comfortable feeling during this special time. Their wedding photography is a product any family will be glad to have for a lifetime. read more

Ken and Brady of Duende Photo have such a passion for what they do. They are true professionals. They take great care to make sure that the photographs that they produce are aesthetically beautiful and technically superb. And they are easy to work with. I highly recommend Duende Photo. read more

We were so lucky to have Ken and Brady as our photographers for our wedding! Having originally found them on yelp they totally lived up to their amazing reviews. They were so helpful and professional and helped us create an easy plan for the day. I love our photos from our engagement session and wedding day, they are absolutely beautiful and a highlight from our big day that we will remember forever! I would highly recommend them to anyone. They make every picture look like it was taken in the most beautiful setting, even if it is in a lawn outside of a hotel! read more

I can't say enough about the exquisite and professional work that Ken and Brady do with their pre-planning, photography, photos, and albums. I hired Ken and Brady at Duende Photos to do my daughter's wedding at St. Theresa's Church and reception at the Claremont Hotel. It was a large wedding and required much detail and time planning. Since my daughter and son-in-law live in San Diego, they could not be involved in all the numerous details. Ken and Brady were so thorough in their help, layouts, pictures, timing and time frames prior to the wedding , that it made the entire wedding and wedding day go smoothly and effortlessly. Brady was extremely detailed in all the pre-planning and help with the desired pictures, group and family photos needed, timing and flow of the entire day. There is no way that we could have gotten in all that we did without the detailed time framing that Brady helped us develop. Both Ken and Brady took pictures throughout the whole wedding day and evening reception and the result were exquisite photos that will last a lifetime of wonderful memories and happiness. They made all feel relaxed and at ease as they busily completed all the pictures needed and captured all the wonderful memories- both candid and posed. The wedding day and eve go quickly and these beautiful photos and exquisite albums will give us fond memories forever. The albums- bridal and parents- are incredibly beautiful. I looked and researched many other photographers and none were as beautiful as the ones that Brady does. She has a terrific eye and can adjust photos, colors, black and whites to whatever your preference it. In addition, the albums are like none other that I have seen. They are absolutely beautiful! I highly recommend Duende Photos and Ken and Brady. read more

My husband and I got married on 10/2/15 on the Peninsula. We have not yet received our photos back from Ken, but I will say that he was amazing on the day of our wedding. As the bride, I did not even notice he was present at the ceremony. He moved seamlessly throughout the event. He was a champ at organizing our family for group photos and he was absolutely FUN to work with when we did our bride and groom photos. I would recommend hiring him again in an instant to anyone. Professional, easy-going, fun and just an absolute pleasure to be around. Absolutely tremendous! I am sure I will be back to rave about our photos once we get them. We just know that they are going to turn out amazing. Thanks Ken! -Jonelle & Alistair read more

I didn't have good results with Ken Mendoza's photography at my wedding. The photos are grainy and many of the group shots are out of focus. He seemed to focus the lens on the background instead of us, the subjects. My husband and I have limited and awkward poses, most shots of us are far away, and just a handful of us actually looking at the camera at the same time. We don't even have one portrait style photo which is an essential. For such an important day as your wedding, I would NOT recommend Ken Mendoza. He is hard working, but the quality and results aren't there. Very disappointed. read more

Brady and Ken are the best Yosemite Wedding Photographers out there. My husband and I got married in Yosemite in November 2017 and Brady and Ken made the whole experience amazing. We spent the whole day together taking beautiful photos all over Yosemite Valley. It was like our own personal tour. :) Brady and Ken are very professional and knowledgeable. They both put so much effort into taking the perfect photograph and capturing the lighting just right. We took some spur of the moment creative photographs that turned out stunning. We couldn't have asked for better results. The whole day was relaxing as we were able to spending time together enjoying our wedding day and the beautiful surroundings. This was due to Brady and Ken being accommodating, keeping us on schedule and helping us be so prepared. We communicated throughout the planning process and Brady provided us with advice along the way to help make it all come together. We are truly thankful to have chosen DuendePhoto and Yosemite Wedding Photographers to capture our big day. Thank you so much Brady and Ken! read more

Ken and Brady shot our wedding and our entire experience with them from preparation & engagement shoot to the wedding day to receiving our album and prints was 100% fantastic. There are a few things that set them above the competitors we considered: 1) Ken's style of photography includes more than just mastery of traditional, mainstream wedding work. While he's experienced and completely capable at classical portraiture, he is also trained and experienced in photojournalism and landscape work. He got a few special shots at out wedding that are different and better than anything I've seen in friends' albums. Candid unscripted shots of preparation and special moments with friends and family and also stunning wide shots that captured the beauty and feeling of our outdoor location. 2) Brady has a gift for planning and professional organization. I was impressed by her detail-oriented thoughtfulness; during a meeting before our wedding she asked to see photos of the friends and family members closest to us so she could know who to focus on besides us and when we were talking through the wedding play-by-play she was able to help with details down to which way we faced during the ceremony to catch the best light. 3) Working with two professional photographers who have extensive experience shooting together was a treat. They have an instinct and rhythm together, during important moments they knew where to be to catch the same shot from different angles and when things got busy they split up to catch all the action. I was especially impressed (and a few guests also commented) that they managed to always be with us, and sometimes be in two places at once, but never be imposing or in the way. This is something you might not get with a pro photographer and a less experienced assistant. Besides your partner, your photographer is probably the person you spend the most time with on your wedding day, and with Ken and Brady that experience was completely comfortable and enjoyable. The quality of their work is artistic and gorgeous, the style of their work is extraordinary, and the experience of working with Ken and Brady for our wedding photography was professional and enjoyable. read more

My family had Ken Mendoza take our family pictures. The whole process was very easy, from scheduling the appointment to choosing the pictures. Ken was wonderful, he is easy to work with and was very patient with the kids. Not only did he come prepared with the right equipment but he was creative in capturing the kids in motion. He was able to capture so many beautiful smiles. Thank you Ken! read more

Book them!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My thank you letter to these amazing photographer says it all: Dear Brady and Ken, Thank you so much for all your hard work at our wedding. Your professionalism and knowledge was evident and quite helpful. Mostly, we loved your kindness and support. I appreciate all your efforts to make a difficult family member smile. By the way, I wouldn't have had my wedding dress on for our first dance if you did not encourage us to dance in Crissy Field and then show us how pretty the dress looked while I was spinning. I am so glad I had it on for our first dance. Brady, thanks for all your organizing, patience, advice and assistance with my bustle. Ken, thank you for all the compliments, playfulness, and reassurance (it made me calm down and not hate having my pic taken). You were both lovely. We are so glad you were our photographers. We felt as though our friends were taking the pics. We cannot stop looking at the photos. They are all so beautiful, it is hard to choose. You captured the beauty of our wedding and the love surrounding the day. We could never thank you enough read more

Brady and Ken shot my anniversary wedding and did a spectacular job. Not only are they great artists, behind the camera, and post production, but they were so fun during our family shoot and day of our event. We would definitely use them again! read more

Ken and Brady were so professional and organized. I never had to follow-up with them. On the wedding day, they knew the shots that would be most flattering and were never intrusive. The photographs were wonderful and had the right mixture of classic, fashion and photo-journalistic styles. Most importantly, they captured the romance, warmth and the plethora of emotions of our wedding day. Thank you Ken and Brady for forever preserving the magic of our special day. read more

I could not have asked for a more perfect wedding photographer to so purely and beautifully capture the essence of how happy we felt as we stood before our closest friends and family to exchange our vows. Duende's artful combination of photojournalism and traditional wedding photography was perfect and turned out to be exactly what I didn't even know I wanted :) When I look at our photos I relive the joy of our wedding day and the really magical thing about it is that I get to see it not only through my eyes, but through the eyes of our friends and family. With all of the fancy digital technology in cameras these days any decent professional wedding photographer can take satisfactory pictures of all the traditionally important moments of a ceremony and reception. In my experience, what makes Ken and Brady at Duende so special is that they captured those expected moments perfectly and then delighted me by catching so many unexpected vignettes in between. All of those in between moments that I didn't even know I wanted, but Ken and Brady so intuitively captured anyway are the photos I find I love the most. When albums by other wedding photographers are shared with me there is usually something that I think is very important missing: what was happening where you weren't and when you weren't looking? For example some of my favorite and most touching photos from our wedding are of our friends and family watching the ceremony. Most wedding photography I see doesn't capture this because the photographer is completely focused on the couple. With the point of view of 2 amazing photographers that we got in the team of Ken and Brady our wedding was captured from many perspectives that would otherwise have been lost. Having 2 photographers was also great for getting both wide and close angles and for moments like the bouquet toss...I don't know anyone else who has such great photos of both themselves tossing and the guests catching. These may seem like little things, but when I sit down to peek at or share our wedding photos I deeply appreciate them. Friends and family who weren't able to make it to the wedding, but visited the online galleries that Ken and Brady made for us have repeatedly told me that our photos are so great and vivid that they felt like they got to share in the day from afar. Can you tell that I LOVE how our wedding photos turned out? :) I'll stop gushing after sharing one last, but I think very important thing: in addition to delivering technically stunning and beautiful photos that I love even more than I expected to, Ken and Brady were beyond fabulous and comfortable to work with. This is critical because, although it is obvious in hindsight, it didn't occur to me in the midst of planning craziness that your wedding photographer is always nearby and shares some of the most intimate parts of your wedding day with you. They aren't just another vendor who does their job and then is gone. You need to like them and you need to be confident that they can capture your day perfectly without imposing or distracting you from it. At this Ken and Brady are masters...practically ninja-like. I hardly knew they were there unless I needed them or Brady was doing double-duty as an eagle-eyed stylist to adjust something quickly to make a shot perfect. I have been wholeheartedly recommending Duende and singing their praises to anyone I know who is planning a wedding in the San Francisco Bay Area, Oakland, and beyond so I'm thrilled to find them on Yelp and tell you about them too! They're simply amazing and I want every couple to be as happy with their wedding photography as I am. read more

There are certain people you meet in life that you just know you'll remember forever. Ken and Brady were amazing. I had gone through three other photographers I was considering for our wedding day, but I hadn't clicked with anybody. Brady got back to me within the first few hours after I emailed her and I knew we had to go with them. Honestly, I do not know what would have happened if we decided on anybody else. Not only did Ken and Brady work their hardest to get the shots we wanted and to make them look as beautiful as possible, but they helped us with everything else throughout the day. Ken is kind and patient, and Brady holds the ship together. She had a schedule planned out but didn't ever pressure me to stick to it, just took everything as it came. There were moments where I felt like the stress of everything might get the better of me, but she was always there with a calm voice, and the next step planned out. We had a slight budget restriction, and they were able to work around it, all the while never making us feel like we might be getting any less than their premiere packages. Not only are they the most talented photographers we have ever met, they are also a couple of the greatest people. We will always remember how perfect they made our special day. read more

Ken and Brady have been amazing to work with and the photos are more stunning than I could have ever imagined! They captured some of the most precious and raw moments at my wedding and I am forever grateful. Not to mention everyone looks beautiful in the photos! I am very particular and they worked with me on every angle. I saw their wedding album at the venue we chose and it instantly sparked our interest. After meeting them and viewing the their endless talent, it was an easy choice for both my new husband and I (and my husband is big into photography, so as picky as I am, he can be even harder to please). I could go on and on, but simply put if you are debating between photographers or still searching, stop now and just choose Duende, you won't be disappointed! I should mention too they were there ALL DAY, 12 hours and were so sweet and nice. Most photographers keep you on a tight 8hr time frame which isn't enough to capture all the precious moments, you never know when they'll come up! Well Ken and Brady were there to capture it all. read more

My husband and I just got married this past Sunday and we wanted to work with a photographer different than our engagement and wedding photographer for our 'trash the dress' session. We emailed Ken and Brady on Tuesday and they got back to us immediately! They gave us recommendations of where we can shoot. They also emailed us back with with the day's temperature and samples of the different poses and backgrounds of how our pictures can be. They are just absolutely wonderful to work with! We met with them today! They were on tine! They were patient! Most importantly, they gave us directions on the poses when we needed help and allowed us to freestyle in the pictures to get more of a natural look! It was so much fun! We were done with the shoot around 7:30 and Ken and Brady had already sent us some sneak peeks of today's shoot! As a bride, I hate waiting on pictures, wondering how they look and how I look. To be able to see some sample ones definitely feels good! Thank you so much Ken and Brady! You guys are the best! May and Daniel read more

We spent a remarkable day in Yosemite, as Brady photographed my husband and me in the setting we have visited and enjoyed for decades. We had already met with both Ken and Brady and since Ken wasn't available, Brady did the "shoot." Her technical skills were superb, but even more, through her ideas of our being together, she created a day of closeness and love for Tom and me. The day was as special as the wonderful photos. Consider Ken and Brady for not just weddings but for family portrait photography in the places you like to be. read more

We had the pleasure of having Ken and Brady as our photographers for our Wedding back in October. I found them through yelp and something in my gut made me call them to arrange a meeting. My husband and I met with them and immediately hit it off, we didn't even have a venue or a date yet but we knew they would be our photographers. I didn't hire a wedding planner and did most of the planning myself, Brady walked me through important time lines and wedding details that I really would have never thought of on my own. They also spend the ENTIRE day with you, there is no time limit for them and this really stood out to me because it didn't make us choose what parts of our wedding were more important. We just received our final pictures and they are amazing.. I have re-lived the day over and over again thanks to them and their capture of detail and emotions. I absolutely reccomend them as they are true professionals and artists in their craft. read more

Ken and Brady are amazing. They are talented, thorough, and very easy to work with. They photographed our October 2012 wedding and really contributed to the mood of the day. The bridal portrait session beforehand distracted me from my nerves so I could relax and enjoy it, and they really made an effort to get as many photos of the guests as possible during the reception. They were organized, prepared, and willing to work within our budget. I highly recommend them! read more

this review is so long overdue since our wedding happened over a year ago September 2013, but whenever i think of brady and ken, i feel so warmly! ​brady and ken are super fun, wonderful, awesome, amazing, professional, flexible, thorough, artistic, creative, passionate, talented, thoughtful and all of the other adjectives in the world that make them the best photographers. we found brady and ken through yelp and met with them at their home studio. ​it was so nice to be able to meet with them and get to know them. we met with them on several occasions! with lots of great food and adult beverages. i think that because of all the time we spent together, that brady and ken were able to capture our best faces on the actual day. we booked a package that included an engagement shoot, which ended up lasting an entire day, but was a really fun time. my husband had looked up some shots he wanted to take around sf, and we were able to get some of those and even ones we didn't consider that turned out amazing. we also took some amazing photos at the palace of fine arts and with the bay bridge lights! we also loved that there was no hour cap for the wedding day, especially because we had a morning ceremony and a reception at night. so brady and ken were there with us from the wee hours of the morning until late at night! i loved that they were able to go with the flow since there were several surprises throughout the day. i recommend brady and ken to anyone who wants exceptional high quality photos captured and have lots of fun in the process. the level of attention to detail and thoughtfulness with the two of them exceeded all of my expectations. read more

We highly recommend Brady as a wedding photographer. We recently got married in San Francisco while on vacation and without ever having met her prior to the wedding she was able to capture everything we wanted beautifully, all of the pictures turned out great!! Friendly, professional, and very easy to work with too. read more

Ken and Brady are awesome. They met with both me and my fiance and were very patient, listened to our needs, and made lots of great suggestions. Their photos are amazing, and very creative. I highly recommend them! read more

Ken was incredible. My whole family was floored when we received our photos - Ken could charge five times more for his work, and we would still hire him again. His artistry, staging and sense of proportion are impeccable. He has exceptional attention to detail, and was very skilled at coaching my husband and I in how to pose properly for photos. As a result, we appeared natural and at ease in all of our shots. Ken is so familiar with City Hall that our session was efficient and each shot seamlessly choreographed. As an example of his unparalleled professionalism, he arrived early to the appointment and waited with us despite ceremony delays caused by the Clerk's office. He did not charge for this time he spent waiting, and in fact spent an extra hour with us because we all had so much fun taking photos together. I cannot imagine a more talented, thoughtful or capable wedding photographer. read more

My sister (Maid of Honor) found Duende Photo through Yelp after conducting a thorough search for photographers that had rave reviews and whose website gallery showed an impressive collection of wedding photos. After meeting with Ken & Brady, our minds were at ease knowing that we were in good hands and our wedding photos were going to be amazing. They far exceeded our already very high expectations!!! It was important that we captured the traditional photos of the day but, especially wanted unique shots on our wedding day and during a Day After Photo Tour (made at the suggestion of K&B instead of doing engagement photos since we didn't want those done). Ken and Brady were far and above our favorite vendors from our wedding!!! They are true masters of their craft! They are so easy to work with, reliable (called when they said they would, made appointments to meet & were very flexible with our busy schedules) highly skilled, fun, relaxed and good-hearted people to boot. Family and friends have commented non-stop on the stunning photos they captured both on our wedding day and during our Day after Photo Tour (seriously...we showed a slide show of our photos at a 2nd wedding reception we had in Canada and there were audible oooo, ahhhhs, wows and gasps). We wanted to take photos at some of our favorite landmarks around San Francisco and we had such a blast getting back into our wedding day attire to do this. It made the wedding day less hectic (photos by the venue only that day) and the photos they captured are true pieces of art. I strongly recommend you do this! One thing I noticed, about every other photographer we looked at, was that they charged by the hour. K&B said their coverage was unlimited and relaxed. They certainly delivered on this and it made ALL the difference. They showed up early to capture pre-wedding preparations and they were the last two to leave the wedding reception making sure every possible shot was taken and captured to recreate this special day. K&B have a true passion for their work and it shows through in the stunning wedding portfolio we now enjoy. The package we purchased INCLUDED the digital rights to the thousands of photos they took!!! They even downloaded them to a hard drive and created a folder where they prepared & sized the photos so it was ready to go directly into a digital frame. There are countless things like this that they did for us (without us asking for them) that made working with them a true pleasure. They also had three different packages we could choose from and their payment set-up was very convenient. 1/3 to secure the date, 1/3 due one month prior to the wedding and the final 1/3 due 8 weeks after the wedding when our photos were ready and uploaded ready for viewing!!! Thank you K&B for making our wedding portfolio our dream come true :) read more