I just did my maternity photoshoot with Tanya and it was a truly awesome experience! Tanya did my…read moremakeup and provided multiple looks for the shoot (and a little non-alcoholic rose while I was getting ready), which made the whole experience super easy and fun. She was very professional and gave me great direction while taking the photos. She sent me some sneak peaks after the shoot (such as the pic in this review). My husband keeps saying I look like a goddess in the photos :D can't wait to see the rest!!

Tanya is too sweet and accommodating. It takes me FOREVER to apply my make and was thrilled Tanya…read moreincluded make up AND WARDROBE if needed in her price!! I was very pleased with my make up. When I was younger I never took a bad photograph...but now I don't like taking pictures because it's 50/50. LOL Also make up tends to make me look older...UUGGHH!! Anyhoo, I was VERY PLEASED with my make up, and I actually look YOUNGER!! YAAAYYY!! The shoot was fun, Tanya is creative and inspired some creativity from my fiancé!! Tanya's timing is impeccable in catching the special effects of nature. I will post the 2 pics she sent me as a sneak preview of our session. I just did the shoot, and am excited to see the rest of the pics when she is finished.

We never did a maternity shoot with our 1st child, and so doing this with Angel for our 2nd baby…read moreWITH our toddler was so precious to us. Also a mom, Angel knows how to work with baby - no matter how tired or distracted they may be AND she positioned us beautifully. She is so personable and we not only LOVE the pictures but just enjoyed the day with her. For sure recommend!

We recently asked Angel to take our maternity photos for us and we're so glad we did! She was…read moreprofessional, communicated clearly with us right up until the day of, and scouted out the best location. We are typically shy in front of the camera but she made us feel so comfortable and directed us in a way that felt natural and most like ourselves. She also speaks 3 languages which makes it easier for our older generation parents to work with! We couldn't have asked for a better photographer and we can't wait to continue hiring her for future events & to capture our family moments!

Working with Brian at Minami pictures was a great experience. I was looking for a company in the…read moreSouthbay who could do headshots for my daughter. He was quick to respond to my phone call, continuously and quickly updated me via email and phone when the proofs were done and got my order fulfilled quickly. It was great to work with such a reliable photographer who has such a pleasant personality too and made my 9 year old daughter feel comfortable. The headshots are beautiful!

The photographer/owner, Brian Minami, took excellent professional headshots of me at a very…read morereasonable price, and has provided exceptionally good followup service, helping me get copies after I'd lost the originals, and at no extra charge (even after 7 years!!)

We absolutely love Chloe and can't recommend her enough. She somehow manages to capture the most…read morebeautiful, natural moments -- even with our little ones and dog who don't always feel like cooperating She's incredibly patient, warm, and so great with our kids. They genuinely have fun during the shoot, which makes all the difference. Every time we get our gallery back, we're blown away. So grateful to have found her -- she's become such a special part of documenting our family.

For the past three years, our family has had the absolute pleasure of working with Chloe and we…read morehonestly can't imagine trusting anyone else to capture our precious memories. From a delicate newborn session in our home to our family holiday photos, Chloe has consistently delivered impeccable results and provided an exceptional experience every single time. Chloe is, quite simply, a remarkably talented photographer. Her eye for capturing genuine emotion and beautiful compositions is truly impressive. She has a knack for finding the perfect angle and light, resulting in photos that feel both natural and artistic. Our photos always have a gorgeous, airy quality that feels so authentic and timeless. Beyond her artistic talent, Chloe is incredibly meticulous in her editing. The final images are always polished to perfection, with a subtle yet impactful touch that enhances their beauty without ever looking overdone. We've been consistently blown away by the quality and attention to detail in every single photo she's delivered. As parents, one of the things we appreciate most about Chloe is her patience with our little one. She has a wonderful, gentle, and humorous way of interacting with them, which instantly brings out the most genuine smiles and infectious giggles. If you're looking for a talented, dedicated, and genuinely lovely photographer who will capture your family's story beautifully-- look no further than Chloe. We wholeheartedly recommend her and can't wait for our next session!

Heidi's work is everywhere in the industry. If you look at a few of the major modeling companies…read morefor children in Los Angeles you will be able to see that she is often used for head shots and modeling portfolios. She is very helpful in helping with clothing consultations prior to the shoots and she has an amazing personality. She is warm and bubbly and right from the beginning you feel like she is a family friend. She knows what the companies are looking for and how to deliver it with your child in mind. A true expert in her field.

Heidi is a great photographer! We have used her twice for our daughter's headshots and she was fun…read moreand easy to work with. She managed to get fantastic photos of our active 18 month old--no easy task! Communication was great before and after the photo shoots and we love the results. Highly recommend!!!

Okay - I'm back now that I've got the actual pictures and WOW! Every single shot is amazing. The…read morelighting, the placement, every detail. Amazing!

The appointment was great, but the photographer Adam i think was his name was rude.the female…read morephotographer did get her name was wonderful.

With a plethora of talented photographers (and some that are not so talented) in Chicago, choosing…read moreone that suits your specific needs is a lot like asking multiple pizza chefs to make their spin on pizza with your specifications. Even if you give all of them the same amount of cheese, flour, meats, veggies, yeast, and other raw ingredients - it's possible and even probable that you'd get differing end results. Choosing a photographer for our engagement session was a similar task, but I had the good fortune of being introduced to Liesl awhile back without actually knowing that she was a photographer. Imagine my surprise and relief while looking for photographers when I saw Liesl Diesel Photography come up. Onwards... Timeliness of Response through Website: 5 out of 5 For photographers, I imagine that time is worth a good deal of money. Even for clients like us who weren't looking to spend all the cash money on the Diesel package that she offers, engagement photo sessions can provide a steady stream of yearly income. Wanting to be as professional as possible, I e-mailed Liesl through her website, and got a preliminary response within 2 hours, which I believe to be reasonable. Had she left me hanging for over 24 hours, I would have moved onto the next victim, I mean, potential photographer. Access to portfolio: 5 out of 5 When choosing a photographer, one of the most important things for us was to be able to access Liesl's existing work. In today's technological age, photogs can post their pictures on facebook or any other social media, but those photos aren't 100% accurate when it comes to representing a photographer's true intensity. They're awesome photos, of course - but as with all trades, photographers have their enough style and fortes, and I wanted one that not only could be creative and extemporaneous, but also one that could do more cliched posed photos. Liesl shared her FULL existing work without any type of pause or reservation, and without any type of pretense. Stylistic Variety: 5 out of 5 And...this part sealed the deal for us. Of course LDP had great photos up of couples and families in nice traditional Chicago settings, but LDP also seems to run some type of loose monopoly on Indian sub-continent weddings. The wedding and engagement couples that were in her portfolio ranged from hipsters to Americans of Indian descent to cookie cutter Caucasian. Also - it was quickly apparent that Liesl is a master of control bokeh - something that other photographers in the city either implement too liberally, or are afraid to use at all. Contract Process: 5 out of 5 Her contract is easy to read with minimal legal-ese. Sign and date, scan, and pay either the deposit amount or full amount depending on your preferred date, and she holds a spot "in line" for you. Accommodation of specific wants and needs: 5 out of 5 With LDP, I found the perfect balance of flexibility while staying true to her artistic roots. I sent over lots of examples from other photographers of shots that we liked, and she ran with our ideas flawlessly. And yes - she was completely fine and skilled at taking photos with our dog in them. Professionalism and punctuality: 5 out of 5 Our photo shoot was scheduled for 3pm at Museum Campus. I got a text from her at 2:35 letting me know she was there. Holy moly. During the entire 2 hour shoot, she was clear and concise with her instructions to her lighting coordinator, she was professional and courteous with us, and at no time did I ever feel like LDP was procrastinating, or being slow, or trying to take advantage of us. I mean...it was a full 2 hours of hard work from LDP, and I appreciate that. Turnaround time: 5 out of 5 Photos were released onto fb the next evening, and added throughout the following days. The full set of high-res downloadable photos was released to us in 4 (yes, FOUR) working days (not weeks or months). I've heard stories where people have waited at least 4 weeks for photos, so you do the math. Access to final products: 5 out of 5 If you have a computer with the interwebs, you can access your photos. Dropbox is LDP's tool of choice, and it works well. Just be sure you have a program to unzip files, or download the evaluation version of winzip. Price and payment: 4 out of 5 I'm not positive, but maybe LDP charges just a little more than others. But the final product is definitely worth it, and LDP does take paypal so you can rack up points on your credit card. Overall: 5 out of 5 In all seriousness, the best way I can describe Liesl is that she's extremely dedicated to her work, and her enthusiasm, no - her intensity, comes through in her final product. I'll post a few favorites in the photos section for you all to see.

Liesl is truly an artist, and her photographs evidence it. In the hunt for the photographer that…read morewould capture the most special day of our lives, my husband and I came across Liesl's website and were truly mesmerized. We ended up meeting with three prospective photographers, but no one else compared to Liesl. She has a true passion for what she does. At first, it was a difficult decision to make since Liesl's services do not come cheap. In the end, Liesl was flexible in working with our budget and customizing a package that got us what we wanted within the ballpark of our budget. Her services are completely worth the price - as she takes incredible photographs! We are very pleased with our selection of photographer and will be recommending her to all of our friends and family! Our final engagement photographs and wedding portraits came out beautifully. We also truly enjoyed working with Liesl throughout the entire process. She has such a great spirit. Moreover, she is very organized, punctual and prompt with the delivery of images. I'm uploading a few sample pictures from our engagement and wedding, but encourage you to check out her full website and make an appointment to meet with her ASAP!

I'm sad I didn't read the most recent review but super glad I didn't get a response back after…read moredeciding to try and book her because I probably would have been out a deposit too. She basically ghosted me after the first few texts about the services she offered and the costs. It also sounds like there were other people that were treated the same way. She's obviously good at what she does but maybe a little shady. Buyer beware, I guess.

Posting a follow-up as I've received direct messages from random Yelpers over the past few months…read morestating they had similar frustrations as me or asking about my concluding experience. After continued attempts to get a hold of Angela via phone and emails, I finally tried TEXTING Angela in November. I was happy to see a text response from her! but then baffled when I read her message. I've attempted to post screenshots of the text exchange but it appears only a portion is posting. In summary, Angela stated she felt she was harassed by me and would not respond to my bullying tactics. Again, I was dumbfounded. Ultimately, she refused to return our $100 deposit and went silent on us again. In hindsight, I should have noticed that most of the Yelp reviews are over a year old. I don't see any recent reviews which should have been a red flag. I hope Angela is able to improve her operations and customer experience as she is clearly talented at taking beautiful photos.