I met James at a bridal faire in Campbell and immediately knew he was the right photographer for our wedding! His photos and photo albums stood out from all the others because they were so creative and beautifully designed, but more than anything, it was his warm and friendly personality that made me so sure he was the right photographer. We did an engagement photo shoot with James in early 2011. This was such a valuable experience for many reasons. First, neither my husband nor I are very comfortable in front of the camera, but James was so helpful and reassuring throughout the whole process. He kept the mood light and fun. The fact that he knew exactly what to do and could direct us made it much easier and comfortable for us. Doing the engagement shoot also allowed us to get to know James better, and for him to get to know us. This helped make us even more comfortable when it came time for the wedding photos. We were thrilled with how the engagement photos turned out, and the beautiful scenery of SF made them even more perfect!! Our wedding was this past December of 2011. James was amazing throughout the whole event! His upbeat and friendly attitude helped put our families and wedding party at ease. James' expertise really helped the day move smoothly and helped keep us calm on what could have been a very stressful day. James was great about making sure we got all the photos we wanted so that we didn't leave anybody out. He got the photos back to us incredibly fast! My husband and I were on our honeymoon and didn't have handy access to a computer, but I absolutely could not wait to see the photos, so we used a hotel computer to look at them! It was well worth it! We could not have been happier with how the photos turned out. James captured every moment of our special day in a way that no one else could have done. James designed a magazine-style wedding album for us, which just recently arrived! He has such a creative eye for designing pages that are beautiful, unique, and interesting. Far from a typical photo album! We are thrilled with the album and will always cherish the memories of our wedding and of working with James! He is the very best!!! read more

My husband and I hired James for our wedding at Garre Winery in Livermore. He was absolutely wonderful! We live out of the state, so we met with him over a year before our wedding. James kept in touch with us via emails, which made us feel more like friends, rather than "clients." He was very professional, yet personable, during our consultations appts, and was genuinely interested in what type of pictures we wanted. During the wedding, he was EVERYWHERE! We joke now that he was a like a wood-nymph, racing back and forth to "get the shot", but he was so inconspicuous! I'm pretty sure he was hanging from the rafters at one point, but he was never "in the way." I also really appreciated how timely he was at taking all the pictures so we never felt absent from the reception. One of our guests actually commented on how it was nice that my husband and I never "disappeared" for too long to take pictures. James' photos are definitely one-of-a-kind. His style is a good mixture of candid and posed, without it looking old-fashioned/boring or too comtemporary. I really appreciated his artistic take on what can sometimes be very standard wedding photos. The album he created for us is fabulous! We receive so many compliments on it, and many people comment on how they have never seen a wedding album like ours before. I would definitely recommend James for any occasion, wedding or otherwise. He's a great photographer, and clearly loves what he does. I can't say enough good things about him! read more

The best decision I made during my wedding plans was booking James to capture it! My wedding wasn't one of those platinum weddings with all the frills, but the photos James took make it look like a million dollars. James can capture the most precious moments in beautiful detail. When you book him, you are not only getting a photographer, but you're getting a wedding coordinator and artist well trained and experienced in his craft, spending his precious weekend with you! So, if you think he's pricey, think of how priceless these photos will be. Because my budget was so tight, I decided not to hire a videographer and instead allocated the money on James. That's how much I believed in him and was not disappointed. There's just something more magical about still photography. Starting from your Engagement session, you start to build that trust needed with the person you're tasked to capture your wedding in special ways. You will learn quickly that you've made one of the best decisions. I'm not usually a photogenic person because I stiffen up in front of cameras, but James is so personable and professional that makes you feel relaxed. He made me and my husband look good with photos that I am proud to show off to anybody. Come closer to wedding day, James will talk you through your day and make you realize things you might have forgotten and assure you of what will happen to make it run smoothly. Anyways, just look at his portfolio. Need I say more? read more

My daughter and I first got a glimpse of James' work at a bridal fair last summer.While browsing the photography booths, we stopped to look at sample albums of his photos and heard him talking to other guests. We were immediately attracted to his natural charm and humor. His mother happened to be there as well and her glowing praise of her son's artistry added to our positive impression. Fast forward to last December at my daughter and son-in-law's wedding. James made the whole event fun, lively and relaxed. His posing of everyone in attendance and colorful and creative shots were a delightful preview of the cherished photo album to come. The eagerly awaited album arrived last week and my husband and I had the pleasure of seeing it soon after.The album's presentation itself was to-die-for! A beautiful black leather case enclosed an equally smart leather covered album. Inside was a romantic fantasy come to life! The photos sparkled with so much love,energy and whimsy, it was hard to believe you were not watching a movie when turning the pages. My daughter and her husband looked like a hollywood "it" couple against James' imaginative shots and backgrounds. The album will be a treasured possession for my daughter and son-in law and will allow them to relive the magic of their wedding for years to come. My advice-- run, don't walk- to the phone to book James for your next special event! read more

James Mueller shot my friend's wedding several years back before I knew them and their wedding album was absolutely breathtaking. When I got engaged last year and started to think about photographers and did some research online and found several that I liked. I also remembered my friend's beautiful album and contacted James. After interviewing all 3 photographers, James stood out in a class of his own. His work was the most artistic and was absolutely gorgeous, his pricing was comparable even on the less expensive side, and his he was so comfortable and charming. James was really friendly and funny yet very professional. He really got to know us and wanted to know every detail of our wedding and understood the unique style we were going for. James was as eager and excited to shoot our vintage 1950s style wedding as we were about getting married! James shot both our engagement and wedding photos and both came out better than we had ever dreamed. He is truly an artist and his passion and love for photography shows through his work. I know years from now, thanks to James, I will be able to look back at my wedding album and remember every detail and relive every emotion of the most wonderful day of my life. I will definitely contact James when we decide to have babies and have referenced him to all my friends who are getting married and/or looking for a photographer! read more

I wish I could give James at least 23 stars. Seriously. I don't know how to write a review that accurately conveys how amazing he is to work with. He brings out the most beautiful aspects of everyone he photographs. He really has an uncanny ability to make everyone look effortlessly amazing. His work isn't cheesy or posed. Smiles look genuine and relaxed. I'm usually really uncomfortable in front of a camera, so finding James was really a gift. I really treasure the images he's given me of my closest family and friends. And, as if that wasn't enough... he has heart, too. Last fall I was planning a big benefit gala and silent auction to benefit the work of Pamoja Project (a non-profit working to support HIV community programming in Tanzania). After a great photo shoot with James, I mentioned to him that I wished I could hire him to shoot the event (I was working on a teeny budget). He was so inspired by the work that he offered right then and there to be our photographer FOR FREE! We are a struggling non-profit that never could have afforded the images he's given us. And, did I mention that this event was in New Mexico?! He flew out and shot the event for a thank you and a donation receipt. Amazing. Please support this amazing human being and talented artist - you won't regret it! read more

James is the real deal!!...not only when it comes to his photography but as a person. To show how good he is...two separate people I am very close with (who know nothing of each other) chose him after searching and searching throughout the bay area to shoot their weddings. I was the best man in one of the weddings and truly saw the care, attention to detail, and the effort that was put forth in making sure he caught the candid photos, the "behind the scenes" photos, the pictures that really make you look back and smile. He was fun to work with; he knew what would make us all "shine"! He listened to every request we had and even had his own really cool suggestions that most of us wouldn't have thought about. I'm a graphic designer and I feel like I have a pretty concise eye for detail and imagination for creativity and I could see that James has that level of expertise. The wedding I was in was conducted in Vegas and we've all seen wedding photos from Vegas and most look cheap and cliche but he was really able to capture the essence of the feeling of love and togetherness and the fun that we all had as a group in his photos. I would definitely recommend James Mueller Photography if you are considering capturing the most memorable moments of your life! read more

I first met James Mueller in 2005 when he shot my sister's wedding. He was so fun and easy to work with . Her pictures turned out AMAZING and her album he put together is a beautiful piece of art! When I started dating my now husband, he saw their album and from that day he said "when we get married, we are using that guy!" When we got engaged we had the photographer decision made and when we looked to pick our date we made sure it was a date James was available. Our engagement shoot at Baker Beach in SF was great. We were both a little nervous about having all of these pictures taken of us but James made it so comfortable and so easy. The beach was absolutely packed that day but James made it feel like we were the only ones there. And the pictures told the same story! James was more than willing to travel to Southern California for our wedding and he captured amazing photos of our day. We still have wedding guests telling us what a joy he was and RAVING about our photos. His work is unbelievable! Overall, James is so fun and easy to work with and so professional. He really makes you feel like it is your day and anything is possible. I look forward to working with James again in the future for any and all of my potential photography needs. James ROCKS! read more

I'm actually afraid that James will become so in demand that us "commoners" won't be able to book him anymore! :) James photographed my best friend's wedding, then my wedding, then my dad's wedding. There is not a better photographer to work with, James has it all! First, he makes everyone so comfortable, the whole experience is natural and true. Second, the technical quality of his work is amazing. He's creative, unique, and will basically become Spiderman to get that shot he's after. Third, you won't get a better value as far as how much time and effort he invests in his clients. He's definitely NOT a "template" photographer, every event and album is fresh and personalized, and he is the absolute best for listening to your suggestions and direction. The day of our engagement photo session, it RAINED in SF, but we were undeterred because of James. He brought a nice black umbrella and we went with it...and our photos are awesome from that day, I think I like them a little better than our actual wedding photos. They look very Parisian with the black umbrella and fog. We would immediately reschedule if it were any other photographer. Instead, we have a very special set of engagement photos and a perfect memory of an imperfect day. read more

Everyone, I'll sum up this review in a few words; James is the BEST! But to be a little more specific, James did a wonderful job at our wedding. We were his first Gay couple for a wedding and he made us feel comfortable during everything. His photography is "on-point" what I mean by this is that James is able to capture that moment in time where your emotions come through. I hate to use this over used expression here but his pictures really are worth a thousand words, seriously. James as a photographer has a great personality; he is fun and up-beat. Everyone at our wedding loved him as our photographer because he really enjoys what he is doing and was able to withstand my crazy family, haha Thanks James! To this day we still get complements on his photography especially on our magazine style album. This album is unique and professionally put together by James. He does all the editing for the photos and albums he puts together; so not only is James a pro at capturing that moment in time, he also does an amazing job editing the final product. If anyone is looking for a photographer you won't be disappointed with James Mueller! Thank you again James and hope to use you in the future! read more

We got married on Aug 21 2010, and we are super late with this review. However, that does not reflect on James, more on our laziness and being bad at yelp. We don't review things frequently, and when we do it is because they are the best we have encountered. James fits that description. Our pictures turned out beautiful and the album that we purchased was amazing. The comment we got the most from all of the bridal party is that James was such a pleasure to work with. We agree with that 100%. He made taking pictures fun and enjoyable rather than a necessary part of a wedding. One more thing that we really liked is the unique shots that James came up with that really made for some fun wedding photos. We are big IOWA Hawkeye fans, and James took a picture of us with two hawks that he saw in the background circling the fields in Livermore. The addition of that image to our shots was fantastic. We thought this was an excellent example of the artistic yet personal qualities that James brings to photography. You cannot go wrong with James, just meet him and I am sure you will agree! Also his dog is cute :) read more

We found James when we picked up a sample photobook at our wedding site. His work stood out dramatically. We cannot say enough about James and the work he produces and the manner in which he does it. When selecting a photographer for our wedding, we looked for beautiful and creative photos that tell a story, a professional and personal manner of the photographer, and a price package that tied it all together. We got it all in James! We lost count how many people who attended the wedding commented about how great our photographer was. James has the resourcefulness, technology (very important!), and focus on customer service that put us at ease and still made us feel like the center of the universe on our Day. Most photographers we interviewed (and we interviewed a lot!) simply documented the day in photos. With James, I can honestly look at one picture and remember all of the emotion that surrounded that point in time. Of all the money spent on vendors for the wedding, we received the most value from James and we recommend him often without a single reservation. read more

My husband and I hired James as our wedding photographer. We had met with several photographers and it was clear that James is there best there is. He is friendly, fun, outgoing, directive, and does beautiful work. He shot our engagement photos and they were stunning. My husband doesn't typically like having photos taken of himself, but James made the experience enjoyable for the both of us. In just one hour, James took countless amazing engagement photos of us all over the city. They were so gorgeous that when my Dad saw them, they brought tears to his eyes. Our wedding was a month ago and we received the proofs from James very quickly. Once again, they were amazing. We are now trying to pick the photos for our wedding album and there are so many photos that we love- it's really hard to narrow it down. James is professional and an expert photographer with a great personality. I would recommend James to anyone looking to have their special moments captured. read more

James- YOU ARE AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!! We were fortunate enough to find James through a Living Social deal of all places for engagement photos. We were so impressed, that we hired him for our wedding...best decision....I mean really, the best decision!!!! James was such a valuable addition to our wedding day...our photos turned out AMAZING and the turnaround time was beyond expectation. Thank you James for being so fun to work with...you have a great attitude and sense of humor that truly was such a fun addition to our day. We received a ton of compliments on you and how great you were to work with; how well you embraced the multitude of personalities and captured the action. It really made me happy to hear the rave reviews as you were shooting:) So THANK YOU for capturing one of the most beautiful days of our lives...we were seriously lucky to find you and your talents. Now, time to order your prints to decorate our home!!:):):)!! read more

If you are looking for a wedding photographer, you have come across a gold mine. Hiring James Mueller was the best decision my husband and I made with respect to our wedding planning. Our photos are beautiful. They capture the moments that we always dreamed of but never thought would end up on film. James will work with you to establish your goals as to your album, the type of pictures you want throughout the wedding day and will honestly take as much time and effort as you need to be sure you are a satisfied customer. More importantly, James has the eye and artistic style to capture those things that you would never even think of to photograph. From James' professionalism when we originally met with him, to his hard work throughout our entire wedding to the beautiful album we have to remember our wedding day, my husband and I cannot express how much we appreciate this photographer or how much we recommend him to you. read more

James took both our engagement pictures and our wedding pictures and all my husband and I have to say - he has the eye of a true artist. The pictures captured the nuanced moments of our union with such sensitivity and timelessness that looking at them now, over two years later, they bring us back to those magical moments in a heartbeat. And they consistently...take our breath away. In photography, James has obviously found his calling. From comparing my wedding pictures to his other client portfolios, it's obvious that James intuitively integrates the personal style of a couple, choosing the right mood, setting and atmosphere that communicates who you two are - together. My pictures were romantic, spiritual and magical because that's who we are! One last thing- James interpersonal skills make him easy to work with. He has a soothing bride-side manner which helped keep this nervous bride relaxed on her wedding day! read more

Thanks to James we have the most beautiful wedding pictures! His style is timeless though with a creative twist. He did both our engagement photos and the wedding pictures. Each time he made us feel so comfortable and was able to capture the perfect picture. We were so impressed that he took the time to visit the sites before the shoot so that he would have certain pictures in mind already. He even waded in a freezing river so that he could get the right shot of us being reflected on the water! On our wedding day he made everyone comfortable. During the wedding all the guests loved him and his professionalism. Even now, two years later, people are still talking about how wonderful James was. Every time we show friends our album they are stunned by how great it looks. I would recommend James to any couple looking to capture their special day. We can't wait to work with him when we have our little one. read more

WE LOVED JAMES!!! We were looking to do some family pictures upon just moving to San Francisco that we can use for our annual family photos and also our christmas card. We didn't have a lot of knowledge yet of the city - not to mention any photographers. James knew just where to take us, at just the right time of day for great lighting, and the results were even more than we were hoping for! He has a great eye for capturing natural poses and expressions and was especially great with our 3 year old daughter (she kept saying afterwards while looking at the pictures - "where is James? I want to see him! He was so funny!") He made it really easy the whole way through by being very responsive over email to making us feel super comfortable during the shoot to getting us our digital images the very same evening. We are very pleased and had a great time in the process. Thank you, James! read more

We just worked with James for family photos. He was wonderful in every way. He worked quickly and with a 15 month old, that was critical. He was great at getting my son to smile and look at the camera. He was really good at picking the right places within the park for lighting and he knew what poses worked well so that we looked natural. It was great to have someone directing us in a positive way to make it pain free and smooth. My husband hates having his photo taken and was telling me on the way to the photo shoot "this is the last time we are going to do this for a long time." Once the pictures came, my husband was calling my mom to share the photos and saying "we are going to have to get more photos done with James soon!!" The end product was amazing! There were so many great shots that we had trouble picking which ones to get prints of. I highly recommend James! read more