Disappointing and disorganized experience We took our kids to take photos with Santa at Ka Makana and made an appointment for 3:25 PM. Despite having a scheduled time, we weren't seen until close to 4:00 PM. There was no clear organization in the line appointments and walk-ins were mixed together, and walk-ins were being taken before those with reservations. When our appointment time had already passed and we stepped forward to ask when we would be seen, we were criticized by others in line, which was uncomfortable and completely avoidable with proper line management. The most disappointing part was the actual interaction with Santa. There was little engagement with the kids, they weren't asked what they wanted for Christmas. This was especially frustrating since the reservation form specifically asks what your child wants for Christmas. What's the point of including that information if it's never used? We made an appointment expecting a smoother process and a more magical, personalized experience for our kids. Unfortunately, neither happened. Definitely not what we expected, especially during the holidays. read more

We had a last minute idea to take a family Christmas photo before our eldest daughter and her family left island and Santa, Mrs. Clause, and team were committed to making it a special moment! They were patient with the kids; trying their best to get the "perfect" shot. The perfection was in the care and time they gave to a family stressing out trying to make as many magical moments together before we were apart again. The decorations make for a magical experience leading up to, and after while we wait to see the photo gallery. There is a kid coloring section and an additional photo op space! The perfect family friendly, magical location to meet Santa, and Mrs. Clause!!! She is the icing on the cake! Greeting you as you turn the corner; a glimpse of magic for the kids before they see the "big guy." And at the end, daunting task of choosing the pictures was just as magical! Book it now! Tell them Glenn sent you! P.s. Wednesday is 20% off of already $35 deal! @kamakana ALII MALL ONLY Shout outs; @santa @mrsclaus @caleb @matt read more

The owner Jon reached out to me through Yelp and emailed my daughter's downloadable image. He was very apologetic and explained what might have happened. I really appreciated it....thanks Jon! read more

Maraijha at the Pearl Ridge location took family portraits of my 12 year old son and I. She was such a pleasure to work with and she quickly picked up on any ideas I had for poses. She was upbeat and very easy to work with, making us feel comfortable from the beginning of the shoot to the end. I LOVED how the pictures turned out. read more

Super kids friendly! Great pics, great experience! Santa was super friendly and patient read more

My brothers and I came to take Mother's Day pictures and it was the best experience ever! Or photographer Matt helped us feel comfortable and suggested ideas that made our awkward sibling portraits even better. I definitely recommend for the future! read more

Our family photoshoot was scheduled for 12:45pm, and we rolled in at about 12:48pm -- only fashionably late, right? Luckily, Matt (who checked us in AND ended up being our photographer) was super chill and totally patient with us. We've got four kids, including an infant, so you can imagine the chaos... but Matt handled it like a pro. Our daughters are usually so shy, but he somehow got them to smile with their teeth -- if you have pre teen daughters then you know!! The whole experience was a vibe. And when he suggested the Christmas backdrop? Game changer. If you ever book with Expressions, do yourself a favor and ask for Matt! read more

Expressions - Event Photography Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

Kale at Kamakana Alii location was all by herself with Bunny but handled it like a champ! Always smiling and dealt with chaos with ease.

Been coming here every year for our family's birthday and Christmas photos! The staff are excellent. They always find a way to make my kid smile in the photos and there are always so many great shots that it's hard not to buy them all! Jon, the owner, is the nicest and always thanks us for coming in every year. They've also kept their rates very reasonable all these years. Support this incredible local business! read more

Very accommodating and hastle free. I highly recommend for family photos and other event photos.

Great experience for Santa photos with our toddler who was very shy. Managed to get some great photos for our Xmas card.

Kalei was so amazing from check in to check out!!! She was great with explaining everything to us and super great with taking our daughter's pictures! read more

Great and easy experience at Pearl Ridge Santa! Walked right in, friendly staff Thank you!

Amazing and very fun Love the staff and we truly adore Santa Happiest holidays Thank you for making Ameliana's 1st Christmas Memorable read more

Kalei was amazing and full of energy from the second we walked in. Everyone was so patient will all 9 of our keiki and we loved the picture choices. read more

Darren, Brianna and Chaz were amazing with my pup! Such a cute memorable experience! Everyone should do it!

Don't. Can even center a pic and don't wanna even try. We pay money for Santa. And we get half ass work.

We waited over 15 minutes for our 2 printouts ($25 each) at Kamakana Alii which would have been fine except when we got home, realized the photos were printed horribly and cut off. We had to drive all the way back to then stand in another 10 minute line to request a new print out. At the initial appointment the photographer was rude (for a children's photographer wtf) and the girl doing the print outs acknowledged the print wait time "due to needing to reload paper" so why didn't she check the photos when printing? I requested a refund on the printout and was instead given one I didn't want. All I want is my $25 back to go to the gas I've wasted and my time today. Don't ask for us to set appointments and you can't even get the job done during the appointment. We've been loyal to this location simply because the staff has been great in past years but the setup doesn't change and is one of the less appealing on island. We'll be going somewhere else next year. Check your photos before you leave. read more

Awesome customer service! Photographer and Santa were awesome, both were very patient with my big family. Such ease to make an appointment and choose pictures. read more

Leaving a review for multiple services in a span of 6 months. School photos, School spring photos and Christmas pictures. 1. I wish my kids school didn't switch over but this school year was done by Expressions. When I received the photos, pictures were not clear. It looked slightly hazy/blurry. Photo paper was flimsy. 2. Christmas time, we took the kids to take photos with Santa. Booked my appointment online. When I showed up they were busy and staff was overwhelmed. That was not an issue to me because it was the holidays. At that moment I was just happy I was not standing in the walk-in line. Photos were taken, printed and it was horrible. The photo was dark and blurry. I didn't say anything because the wait time to do everything (photo with Santa and editing) took so long and I needed to be somewhere so I just let it go. 3. Spring photos for the kids at school. Again, photo was hazy/blurry and photo paper is flimsy and cheap. I wasted money 3 separate times and got blurry photos. Don't make the same mistake, go somewhere else! read more

Staff was awesome ! I would recommend this photo shoot with Santa ! Staff was friendly and Santa was enthusiastic as well

So much fun! For our first Christmas photo shoot with Santa. Comfortable and fun experience :-)

Very friendly and nice! Chaz and Sapphire made us comfortable and our pictures came out the cutest! Santa was also very realistic and nice! We were the only ones there so it was more enjoyable! Thank you Expressions! #christmas2025 read more

Perfect everything went great! They are super good with the pictures! Santa was super personable! Thank you!

Very nice services, and very helpful employees! Matt was very helpful and very informative on all of the questions that we had. the pictures came out great! read more

Leaving 5 stars solely for the lady in the front desk who crops the pictures. She was really helpful and patient with us. Definitely a girl's girl. I wish I could've gotten her name so I can include it in this review. read more

Great customer service, great atmosphere in general. Sapphire was amazing as she made the process smooth for my son who's a High School Senior. Strongly recommend coming here for professional pictures. Thank you. read more

Really fun and interactive experience. Absolutely amazing to work with and thankful for the patience he had with our baby roaming the room. Definitely will come back again! read more

Such friendly and patient staff. Fast service and quick return. Great experience.......

Grateful that they were able to book a reservation for us. Friendly service, very helpful. Recommended taking family photos here. Holidays, birthdays, senior portraits. read more

We had an amazing experience! Our photographer, Matt, knew how to capture our toddler smiling. The backdrop and props were beautiful and helped capture lovely Christmas family pictures. read more

We always get our holiday pics here every year!!!! And they let us do crazy poses and we are always satisfied with the results! We love coming here and you will too! read more

My child did not want to take pictures with Santa but Santa's crew did their very best to help capture memories. Thank you so much team Santa. read more

This year is very disorganized, we made an appointment and came in at that time and then we're stuck waiting in line behind people who are walking in. Then a line to view our photos. Compared to years past, the process is very slow and unorganized. read more

Alfred & Bryauna were amazing! My son was scared and nervous but they were very patient and let my son get used to Santa before taking pictures. We had lots of options & poses, Alfred had a lot of ideas and it came out great! read more

I stopped by Expressions, on a Saturday, 12/30/23, at about 11:30a to pick up my two 8 1/2" by 11" Business Photo prints. Two weeks prior, during my scheduled appointment, I ordered the Business package. This was when I had the opportunity to take two poses and have two changes in attire. After taking my photos, I selected the 2 poses that I liked, and paid for the package. At that time, you will be given a thumb drive of your photos for you to keep. If you want prints you must go online and choose your shots that you will email to Expressions. They will call you when it is finished. Thus, today I went to pick up my two 8 1/2" x 11" prints that I ordered online. Emil P. who was working that day gave me exceptional customer service. He greeted me politely as he was helping the two customers in front of me. A few customers came in after me and he helped them as well. Emil gave me my 2 delightful photos and I was thoroughly satisfied with it. I was also impressed with Emil's knowledge, positive attitude, and ability to multitask, while helping his customers as well as me. I will definitely be back and recommend my friends to have their photos taken at Expressions. read more

My kids took pictures in like September with Nānākuli Elementary and I wanted to order it. Tried calling several times and never received any call back. I would not recommend this business. School pictures are important to families especially if it's the first couple years. Families should be able to order after the fact read more

So great! Quick and easy to schedule, easy to finish, easy to order, not too expensive

Santa & Staff-Brianna & Matt has the best holiday spirit. Very wam and inviting. Explained the ordering process and it was very helpful. We were late due to our children stuck in traffic on the bus coming home from school and we were able to keep our appointment. Happy Holidays read more

Alright, folks, buckle up because I have a snapshot of an experience to share! We recently had a senior photoshoot for my son at Expressions Studios and let me tell you....the experience was a bit of a rollercoaster. Kai, our photographer? Absolute legend. Super chill, super cool and genuinely fantastic behind the camera. If taking epic photos were a sport, Kai would have gold medals lined up on the wall. He made my son feel comfortable, confident and.....dare I say it.....photogenic! But here's where the lens gets a little blurry. The studio's pricing? Yikes. I paid $100 (plus tax) for the session and that was with a discount. Normally, you'd be looking at $200 just to step foot in front of the camera. And.... what do you get for that? A good time, sure. Memories? Definitely. Photos? Not a single one. That's right! Not even a courtesy wallet sized pic of my son's "I'm too cool for school" pose. Nope. The photos are extra and when I saw the prices, I had to do a double take (and then a triple take because surely that was a typo, right?). Spoiler alert: It wasn't. We're talking $38 for ONE sheet photo. Packages? Oh, they've got them! But the cheapest one that makes any lick of sense? A jaw dropping $400. For one pose. One. Pose. I'm no mathematician, but I'm pretty sure that's the kind of price that makes your wallet cry. Look, I'm all for supporting photographers and the art of capturing memories. But at these rates? I might as well hire a personal paparazzi for the day. Would I recommend Kai as a photographer? In a heartbeat. Seriously, Kai is the reason this review isn't just a screaming emoji. Would I recommend the studio? Not unless you're in the market for spending your vacation fund on a single family portrait. I really hope Expressions Studios reconsiders their pricing. With such talented photographers like Kai on their team, it would be amazing to see more accessible options for families who want to capture special moments without breaking the bank. 2 stars because Kai, was great! read more