We had the BEST experience with Melvin for our engagement shoot! From start to finish, he was professional, easy to work with, and made us feel so comfortable in front of the camera. We were a little nervous about the weather, but he helped guide us through it and turned it into something beautiful -- the photos came out with such a modern, clean, almost editorial vibe that we absolutely love. He was also amazing with our kids and captured both the fun, candid moments and the more intimate shots between my fiancé and I perfectly. Nothing felt forced -- everything felt natural and effortless. The attention to detail, the locations he chose, and his ability to bring our vision to life (even better than we imagined) truly set him apart. If you're looking for someone who can capture real moments while still giving you that elevated, artistic look -- Melvin is your person! We are beyond happy with our photos and can't wait to work with him again. read more

I cannot recommend Alvin & Jessica enough! From the moment we started working with them, they were professional, kind, and incredibly easy to communicate with. On my wedding day they truly made me feel like a queen. They were so supportive, organized, and made everything feel effortless and fun. They captured the most beautiful moments of our day -- the laughter, the happy tears, and all the little in-between moments surrounded by the people who mean the most to us. Their attention to detail and ability to make everyone feel comfortable in front of the camera was amazing. If you're looking for photographers who genuinely care about their couples and will go above and beyond to capture memories you'll cherish forever, Alvin & Jessica are the ones. I'm so grateful we had them to document such a special read more

Quick Summary - Highly recommended! Melvin helped us through easy, natural poses, (which was amazing since we're both camera-shy). He's super friendly & professional, great with tight schedules, knows the details, and is punctual & efficient. You won't regret hiring him for any photo shoots! We had the absolute pleasure of working with Melvin for our engagement and wedding photos, and we can't recommend him enough! My husband and I were both really nervous about being in front of the camera since we're both pretty shy and awkward when it comes to pictures, but Melvin made us feel totally comfortable. He walked us through easy, natural poses and helped us every step of the way. His ability to make us feel at ease made a huge difference! Melvin is not only super sweet, flexible, and friendly but also extremely professional. He listened to our needs, made us laugh during the shoot, and helped keep everything light and fun. His attention to detail and ability to capture beautiful moments is AMAZING! He knows exactly how to work with different people, finding the best angles and poses, and he's super consistent in delivering stunning shots. We were especially impressed by his ability to handle our tight schedule. During the wedding, when my girls and I were running behind, Melvin was quick to notice the timing issues and immediately reworked the schedule so that we didn't miss any important photos. His ability to stay calm, organized, and flexible in the middle of a wedding day was truly impressive. He even helped us make sure we got all the shots we wanted--if you can give him more time for your photos, you definitely won't regret it! Also, Melvin absolutely knows how to shoot special moments like tea ceremonies. He was able to seamlessly integrate this important part of our wedding into our photo schedule without skipping a beat. If you're looking for a photographer who knows how to get the perfect shot, works well with your schedule, and makes you feel completely comfortable throughout the process, Melvin is absolutely the best. We're so glad we chose him, and we'd recommend him to anyone in a heartbeat! read more

I definitely recommend Melvin as your Photographer and videographer. As a curvy bride, I struggle with body image issues. So I am VERY picky about photographer. Melvin listened to my concerns and works with me to help ease each of my concerns. He coached us through every pose and made us feel completely comfortable. Even though I had so much worried and anxiety before the shoot, he made it so easy and FUN! After the wedding, we asked for edited videos and he was so patient with our request. At the end, we have EXACTLY what we wanted, and had so much fun during the process. Our friends and family were very impressed by the pictures and video. Go with Melvin, you won't go wrong. 10/10 in my book. read more

We loved working with Melvin and his team for our wedding. It was such a great experience. They are very professional and easy going. Melvin is so attentive to the smallest details . He has such a great personality everyone loved being photographed by his team and mentioned how professional they were. always made me feel like he was listening to everything we wanted and always kept us in mind. Their communication is beyond excellent. 10/10 recommend. Their work is beautiful and they kept in touch post event to make sure we were happy with the result and willing to edit if we wanted to read more

Would recommend 200%! Amazing quality, phenomenal flexibility, and extremely friendly and professional. Melvin was great to work with and gave us a very quick turn around for our photos. Me and my fiancé fell in love with everything. read more

Melvin is such a great photographer! He captures every detail in our session!! He brought everything to life! I am absolutely in love with our engagement pictures!! He paid attention to every detail and coached us on how to pose and look. I am so excited about our wedding day!! The best part of this is the timing of how fast we received our engagement pictures. It only took 2 days!!! read more

Who could have guessed the engagement pictures were done under the generosity of Elevate photography as part of their promotion aka FREE? I attended half a dozen Bridal showcases and Elevate contacted all the brides who happened to have attended the latest Marriot Spring Event. They were promoting an 1 hr engagement shoot free for 10 couples. When I initially received the email, I was extremely skeptical. Really free? What is the catch? Even if it's legit, the quality can't possibly be that great. I didn't think too much into it because the promotion was selling out FAST. I hurriedly typed in my info and sealed our spot. In no time, Melvin reached out to me through email asking for additional info about my fiance and me. He really wanted to get to know us so the questions consisted of asking our first date, the proposal, etc which I thought was a nice touch! Shortly after submitting our writing, I heard from Melvin that afternoon discussing about our shoot . Melvin was extremely prompt and friendly in terms of addressing any questions or concerns. He explained to me that he will be in touch with me a few days before our actual shoot and they will choose a location for us (as part of their promotion, they get to choose the site rather than allowing the couples to). While discussing about the shoot, Melvin brought up that their company also does "Save the date" videos! He asked if my fiance and I were interested in being their model couple. Another free promotion? Hell ya?!? We ended up scheduling our photoshoot and the video taping on the very same day. They were willing to give us a 2 hrs session rather than just 1 hr. After speaking to Melvin, I was convinced that this to good to be true promotion was real. I was beyond excited in telling my friends, and family all about it! And just expected a few days before the shoot, as explained previously, Melvin called me and named our special selected locations. All there were left was choosing our outfits, pray that my skin and weather that day would hold up! On the day of the shoot, my fiance and I both left school/work early in preparation. Melvin called us a few hours before our meeting time to discuss about the meeting time and weather. The hourly forecast wasn't in our favor but Melvin assured us that they already had a plan B in mind for us in case it did pour. My fiance and I ended up meeting Melvin, Haris (his company partner), and Arthur (another talented photographer from LA) in front of River Cafe near Brooklyn Bridge half an hr before our arranged session and they were more than ready to get started! Our shoot began by the stone wall facade, we climbed and posed, sat and posed, danced and posed, leaned and posed. My fiance and I felt like celebrities having 3 awesome photographers snapping our pictures away. We spent a good hr there before moving to the nearby carousel. Haris asked my fiance and I to sit inside one of the carriages and smile/laugh/talk/tell jokes as we normally would to each other. As we rang around inside the carousel, Melvin and Arthur stood outside and continued to snap our pictures every time we ranged by while Haris was on the ride with us shooting our video/pictures. After the carousel, we decided to switch up the outfit and move closer to the water to capture the bridge. By then the rain was ready to fall. My fiance and I initially were worried and were confused by Haris' wish for the rain. He timed it so we would still be outdoor for the shoot. But after seeing Haris' first few initial testing shots of my fiance and I under the rain, we understood and were more than willing to sacrifice our warmth and dry hair/make up. Haris and Melvin just had ideas and saw inspirations from things that no one else could have come up. He, Melvin, and Arthur all stood in the rain (without any covering) and patiently took our shots. They tried and tried until their perfect shot was captured just as they had envisioned. My fiance and I were more than grateful for their patience and professionalism. We were there until sunset which was way past the 2 hours session they had promised. To my surprise, they offered to continue at grand central and drove us there. We completed our shoot in the main hall. We slow dance in the middle of the atrium and just like the other locations asked to be ourselves! My fiance and I were very comfortable under their instructions. No other professional photographers were as patient and gentle as Haris and Melvin. They were even willing to skip dinner just so we could continue. We stayed close to midnight ( 6 hrs session). Even after our late finish, Melvin personally emailed me pictures at 3AM knowing how excited I were to see the final products! My friends and family are still raving about the work Melvin and Haris have done. My fiance and I were so fortunate to have worked with them. Seriously, every marrying couple MUST consider Elevate. You're doing yourself a favor and promise won't be disappointed! read more

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Melvin gilbert!!!!! My husband and I cant thank him enough on our engagement photoshoot! We first met Melvin through solano 888 videoproduction for our wedding this august 1. (By the way check them out too!) Instantaneously, as we started working with Melvin, he completely made us feel comfortable. It was more like a friend taking photos of us rather then a professional photographer. He was able to capture our moments and most importantly he was able to capture the true us with a simple click on his camera. We loved every minute of it!!! Hes very encouraging because we we're a little shy at first, but later on it just became natural. And as a photographer Melvin sees every detail needed to get a great shot. We had a 3 attire photoshoot, a formal, semi formal, and casual in LA....because we wanted to capture where we are from...and Melvin sure captured the beautuful architecture of the walt Disney concert hall, the mark taper forum, and the beautiful buildings of LA. Seeing Melvins other work, we were hooked on his images becuase we knew he do this for us....and no disappointments at all! We believe as a up and coming professional photographer, Melvin has a bright future ahead of him and know that he will do amazing things throughout his career. We are so blessed to have met him and only look forward to our big day this summer! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts melvin! read more

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Melvin was fantastic to work with (easy going personality, but also takes charge on the wedding day to capture all the photos needed in a timely manner!) and delivered STUNNING wedding photos. Tons of my family and friends commented on how amazing our photos turned out. Melvin even traveled all the way to Durham, NC for our wedding. I wouldn't have changed a single thing about the experience. I highly recommend him! read more

Exquisite Photo & Video - Event Photography Near Me

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Where do I start... Melvin is my mentor for wedding photography. I'm on of his shooter and he never ceased to direct , guide and review my works to make us better photographer. I recently just got hitched and of course he has to be my wedding photographer, who else should I trust my special day with? Melvin directed the pose, angle, he managed to capture every details of getting ready, first look, ceremony and reception. He made me as the bride very calm and comfortable. He knows what he has to do and shoot. No shot list needed for him. He came way early than the schedule and ready to shoot. Pictures turn out very nice and fast! I can't thank him enough for his kindness and professionalism. BEST PHOTOGRAPHER EVER!!!! read more

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This review is much too late! I'm finally coming by to talk about the outstanding service myself and my husband received when we hired Melvin. We purchased an engagement shoot as well as services for our wedding. For our engagement shoot, Melvin drove for almost 2 hours to meet us at our location. We felt comfortable with him right away and we knew we made the right choice in our wedding photographer. The photos he took of us were phenomenal and we couldn't wait to see how our wedding images would turn out. Fast forward to our wedding, his professionalism came out full swing and he knew exactly the kinds of photos we wanted. When we received our proofs, we were floored. I truly began to tear up at how wonderfully he captured real moments. Later on, as we were choosing the layout of our photo album, he was incredibly patient with how picky I was with how I wanted to see the images placed. We are incredibly happy with Melvin and the quality of service he provided. He is also always easy to get a hold of and answer any questions a stressed bride might have! read more

There is only one word to describe the photos we got from our photographer Melvin: Priceless Many of my friends have recently gotten married and I see many different photos, some taken by professionals or semi professionals, others taken with point and shoots or camera phones. Being a photography enthusiast myself, I was very unimpressed by the photographers of choice by many of my friends. So when I came to my own planning, which I haven't done much of, I ended up at various bridal shows looking to be inspired. As some of you know those shows are not the best places to meet potential vendors, but I found some great joy in perusing all the photography stands and looking at other people's pictures. This is when I met Melvin, because his stand was way too cute. It first caught my eye because he had photos from all different weddings, printed on "Polaroids." I instantly fell in love with some of those photos and wished it was me instead of them. One hour of snapping away and one week later, I saw my own photos. They were absolutely gorgeous. This being the first time, I've had my photos taken professionally, it was a bit awkward at first to be told where to look and what to do, but the end results proved that something was done right. He really managed to capture some intimate moments despite me laughing through most of the session. The photos that I have shared with friends and family have gotten lots of praises and high marks. Overall, I would highly recommend Melvin and his partner Haris to be in charge of photographing your big day. read more

Melvin was amazing to work with, traveled all the way to San Diego to give us a memorable moment in our journey together. He is very professional, guides you in the correct way to pose, knows all the crooks and crannies within the business. It was a Blessing to work with him. Thank you Melvin. Rami Al-Bajali read more

Had an awesome engagement shoot with Melvin Gilbert on July 30th! My fiancé and I are not picture people, we rarely take regular pictures let alone professional ones. Working with Melvin was so easy and effortless. Not only is he very professional but he is super funny as well, this made the process enjoyable! He made us feel comfortable during the entire process. He listened to our ideas as well as provided us with great suggestions for locations, styling, and how to pose for pictures. Melvin went above and beyond for us and we are truly grateful! He was able to get our photos to us in record time so we could have our save the dates made and sent out asap. I was in tears to see how wonderfully our photos turned out. We can't wait for the wedding day to see what additional magic Melvin will capture for us! Thank you Melvin, you are awesome!! read more

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One of the best talented photographers I have ever worked with. I worked with Melvin on a wedding and as a wedding planner of 10 years I have seen many different photographers at work. Not only did he deliver phenomenal pictures, his sense of character and calmness on the day of the event is what made it all the more reasons to work with him again. read more

Thank you so much for taking wonderful pictures of our family. The session was so relaxed since Melvin is such an easy going person, love to laugh and very good with kids. read more

Melvin and Haris were great! They made us feel really comfortable during our hour shoot. Especially my (now) husband had some difficulty but they were very patient and knew exactly what to say to make him more comfortable in front of the camera. Had so much fun posing and so happy with the result of the photos :) I highly recommend them for any of your events! read more

Our engagement photos were fabulous! Melvin met us exactly on time and took us around Central Park to several different spots. He made us feel comfortable with the camera and with him right away. (We're both women, and were worried there would be some awkwardness, but it was totally fine!) He did all sorts of posed and action shots throughout the session, showing us the results after each of the spots. While we don't always love getting our photo taken (one of us more than the other!) we were so happy with the progress that we ended up having a lot of fun during our shoot. We were shocked how terrific some of the photos came out. Melvin is really talented and has a great eye for the perfect shot. At one point we were posing at the edge of a puddle under a dark bridge...and somehow Melvin managed to capture a beautiful backlit reflection in the water. The photos were sent to us and posted online in about 24 hours after our shoot. Elevate Pictures exceeded our expectations and we highly recommend them to anyone in need of a true professional. read more

The engagement photos that Haris took of my fiance and I all came out great! I'm so happy I used Elevate Photography. Melvin and Haris were easy to work with and Melvin was always very responsive to my many emails. They were open to the locations I picked and even provided suggestions. I highly recommend Elevate Photography!! read more

We had Melvin shoot our wedding ceremony and reception pictures. The pictures and photobooth frame were customized with both my and Melvin's input and came out perfect. Everyone had a fun time with Melvin and his photobooth service too! He makes you feel at ease and shares in the fun and joy! read more

Melvin recently did a photo shoot for my sister on her wedding day may 3rd and I am at a loss words . I can only say how amazing and professional Melvin is . He not only captured every moment beautifully but was the most professional and passionate photographer. He will definately be doing all of my life milestones and events . I can not express enough how his photos brought true emotion when looking at them and I can 're live the amazing celebration we had for my sister. He not only produces amazing work.. he is dependable.. on time.. delievers photos the next day! Even some on the same day!! He is truly amazing. Thank you Melvin for your passion in photography and giving me a lifetime of beautiful memories on paper. You truly have a gift. read more

Melvin and Harris did our engagement photos and video. I haven't seen the video yet but the photos are really great and it was a joy to spend an afternoon with the guys from Elevate Photography! read more

We chose to hire Elevate photography for our wedding event , and we are lucky to find such a professional photography service . Harris was our photographer , he is an artist, he masters the technique of taking the best shots , he give a careful attention to details ,lighting and poses ... During the wedding party , he captured all natural photos which came out beautiful . Melvin edited our photos afterward, and made us a very nice slideshow . He carefully picked photos that best represents our event and placed them In such a beautiful sequence . Me and my husband are glad we worked with Harris and Melvin.I highly recommend Elevate Photography, I guarantee satisfaction . read more

Working with Melvin for our engagement shoot was so much fun. He gave great direction to my fiance and I and was able to capture the love between us. My fiance and I never knew there was a beautiful carousel under the Brooklyn Bridge but Melvin found this location and it became the perfect backdrop. Even more ironic the location was right around the corner from the restaurant my fiance proposed. We asked Melvin if we could run over and snap a few shots at the restaurant before we wrapped and we were able to make it happen. We're really glad we got to work with Melvin. Our shoot could not have been anymore fun and that was really due to Melvin. PS He even held my huge and heavy purse throughout the entire shoot so that I wouldn't have to put it on the floor. Thanks Melvin! read more

My fiance and I decided to work with Melvin & Haris at Elevate for our engagement shoot and our wedding day in August. So far, we both agree that this has been one of the best decisions we have made as we plan our big day. They have gone way past our expectations in terms of the quality of the photos and more so, the quality of their service. Despite their busy schedules, Melvin and Haris made us feel like we were their only client, taking significant time out to really discuss and understand our specific needs and desires. They worked so hard during our engagement shoot, combining their expertise with our exact wishes. And the photos have only added excitement as we get closer to our wedding - not only for myself and my bride-to-be, but our families as well. I am very excited about working with them on our wedding day and would highly recommend their work to all. Thanks again! read more

My fiance and I are generally pretty awkward when it comes to getting our photos taken, but Melvin from Elevate Pictures made our engagement photo shoot an enjoyable experience and helped us to relax. He knew how to position us to have us look our best and has a great eye for interesting and creative angles, locations, and poses. On top of all that, the turn around time for our photos was 2 weeks when he said it would take up to 4 weeks! read more

Haris did our engagement photo's. He was very prompt and accommodating. On the initial date for our pictures it was raining and he was flexible and rescheduled for us. He is also very creative in his shots and will go to great lengths to capture the moment. He made my fiance and I feel very comfortable. Haris was also very patient and determined to get the shots we wanted. He went over and beyond to make sure we were more than pleased. Melvin is also very accommodating and responsive. He made us feel very secure in booking him to take our engagement pictures and any request I had he responded with punctuality and professionalism. They are a great team. read more