What can I say about Jesse? As a friend since 2016 who has witnessed his photography skills with his Leica and seen his incredible growth, I knew from YEARS ago when I was a single gal in NYC that he was going to shoot my future engagement (preferably wedding too but he's my guest first!). I guess technically I already booked him 3-4 years ago. I'm happy to write this review since now I can finally share how that day has come and he shot the most beautiful photos of my fiancé Jae and I that we will treasure for the rest of our lives. Our shoot was on Wednesday, 6/8/2022 and he sent me all the edited photos in under 24 hours by midnight. Did I stay up past midnight to wait for it?? Absolutely. Did I stare at it for another few hours till 3AM on a weekday? Of course. Jesse is the utmost professional and arrived on time on Wednesday at 4pm. He didn't rush us - he knew how to move us from one spot to the next in a timely manner and made us feel relaxed and most importantly, comfortable! I had a little bit of jitters that day since I am typically shy in front of a camera but after he made us laugh a lot in between shots, soon my body and face began to relax too. He will explain his vision of what looks good in the background or the way the light hits. He speaks with so much enthusiasm and confidence that all of a sudden you'll get really excited to stand where he tells you to stand or the poses of how you look. He'll show some photos of how good you look through the process and really boosts your self esteem and confidence! Need words of affirmation? You'll get plenty of that with him. I am a very picky and particular person - I like what I like and I dislike heavily the mundane details. Jesse's photography exceeded my expectations as I knew it would and I am very thankful for him. He really captured the tremendous amount of love we have for each other in this special moment of our lives. I highly HIGHLY recommend you book him for anything you want (portraits, work, portfolios, engagement, wedding, family, just because, etc.) The photoshoot was so much fun and the time just flew by! P.S. I'm still booking him early in advance for all the other big events I plan to have in this joyous ride in life. read more

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I've been following Jesse Hsu's Instagram account for a long time and every time I see a new post, I am constantly in awe how he makes EVERYONE look incredible. Not just because of his natural eye for taking the photo, but the subjects always look effortless. It wasn't until recently when I was lucky to do a shoot with Jesse where I saw why every person he takes portraits of looks so good. Yes, he is a talented photographer with all the skills needed on the technical side. The clarity & details in the images and lighting are flawless. But more importantly, he creates such a safe, easy, energy where you feel comfortable to be yourself. It's no wonder everyone looks their best! Taking photos with Jesse is relaxed, no pressure, & most importantly FUN! He even captured my boyfriend's humorous, happy side, which is a big deal because he is not comfortable in front of the camera and usually freezes up/looks stressed. read more

Jesse Hsu Photography - Couple shoot - Event Photography Near Me

I had to get some headshot photos taken for a press release and Jesse was the first photographer I thought of. Jesse is a pleasure to work with and has a great eye for composing shots. If you are nervous to have your photo taken, don't be - Jesse is super personable and puts you at ease. Any nervousness just washes away. He makes great use of shadow and light in his shots and really knows his stuff when it comes to the perfect natural backdrop for any outdoor photo. He is also super reliable - I reached out to him via email and he responded within hours; we did our photoshoot during the day and he had my photos available for download that evening. Jesse will always be my go-to photographer to work with! Highly recommend! read more

I booked a shoot with Jesse on one of the most brutally cold days this past winter, and he was such a good sport about it. It was so cold you felt like your fingers would get frostbite in a matter of minutes, but here he was with two cameras snapping away because he's a pro and somehow made me look like it was a normal, sunny day and I was a high fashion model that wasn't freezing my ass off. It was a super fast shoot and we didn't have costume changes (again, it was super BRICK out, you guys), but Jesse was so fast and so good at capturing these great shots. He was so calm and composed and appeased my wishes to wear this ridiculous fur trapper hat for half the photos (my ears were freezing!) and still made me look hhhhhhot. Even his outtake pics of my bouncing in place and laughing trying to keep warm looked fun and professional. It literally was a 10-minute shoot b/c it was waaaaaay too cold but he got a ton of amazing shots in such a short amount of time. Saying I loved all the photos is a complete understatement. If you're looking for some sick fashiony, instagrammy, lifestyle, pro blog, FOMO, living your best life photos for your fabulous self, I highly recommend contacting Jesse. If the man can get these dope photos in a few minutes with frozen fingers, imagine what he can do with an hour with you and normal digit dexterity (yeah, I totally went there hahahaha) Thanks for being a good sport and making me look fierce. I mean, look at these photos. Fire. read more

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Jesse was an absolutely awesome person to work with. He helped plan my surprise engagement and was super responsive 24/7 up until the date of the photo shoot! His pictures came out perfectly - and his ability to put us in the right scenery for each shot made them look magical! Would recommend to anyone for anything! Thanks Jesse! Blodin & Ally read more

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Jesse is my go-to photographer. Whether it be portrait photography or food/product photography, he's the best! He is able to make you feel at ease during portrait photography sessions which make for a fantastic end result! Jesse has a great eye and always seems to magically find the perfect lighting. Jesse is reliable, professional and respectful of deadlines. I highly recommend his services for headshots, portraits, event photography... anything! read more

Working with Jesse Hsu was an amazing experience. Great photographer and delightful personality. He cares about every shot he takes. He also has extremely quick turnaround on shoots. My management team (I'm an actor) loved my photos and they said "He really captured your personality." I would recommend Jesse to anyone. read more

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Jesse is such a incredible photographer he made me feel comfortable immediately in front of the camera. All of his suggestions and direction made it easy to concentrate on him and not all the people that were sometimes around. Easy to talk to and work with! Will be coming back this Spring for new pictures read more

Jesse Hsu Photography - awakeandthriving.com - Event Photography Near Me

Jesse is the ultimate professional and one of the most talented guys I know. He's photographed me on several occasions and has a keen eye for capturing those candid moments. He does everything to ensure that his clients are happy and at ease during the photo shoot. I highly recommend him for portraits, engagements, weddings, interiors, food, product, and just about anything. He really is that good! read more

Jesse is a very funny guy with skills to match. He shot my restaurant opening, my portraits and my engagement. I highly recommend. He will make you feel very comfortable and ease any anxiety. Go with him and thank me later! read more

Jesse shot our engagement photos, which we couldn't be happier with! Luckily the weather turned out beautifully for us, and even though my fiance and I didn't have too many ideas for poses, backdrops, or locations, Jesse's knowledge of the city and easy-going and humorous nature made the photo shoot incredibly enjoyable. He is a one-of-a-kind talent, and anyone would be lucky to have him as their engagement or other session-type photographer. read more

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I have not had many professional photography shoots in my life, however the Jesse Hsu Photography experience was the most comfortable, the most chillest, & the most hilarious experience I have ever had. My wife (Tracy), who is gorgeous, who also becomes a dud in front of live cameras, agrees with me whole-heartedly. Story time... I'm from NYC and my thoughtful wife decided that it'd be great to take our engagement photos there (as the wedding was going to be in California). So we hired another photography company (great staff, very professional - photos came out amazing), however Tracy felt uncomfortable throughout the shoot. The subtlety of that is shown on her face in the photos. Flying the company over to California for our wedding (for the sake of familiarity) was way out of our budget, so we reached out to Jesse knowing that he was in the LA area. Jesse was more than willing to hear our story and work with our many insecurities - made us fill out a questionnaire to help this process. After hearing & understanding our story, he suggested to work in another engagement shoot in CA to feel each other out. I was a bit hesitant at first because of our already hectic schedules before the wedding, but it was a decision Tracy and I were so glad we made. At our engagement shoot, he made us feel so comfortable, loosening us up with his witty jokes and encouraging compliments. However, mother nature was just not cooperating with us - the tide was rising fast and the waves started crashing into us real hard, Jesse was just yelling funny jokes at us. We thought that there was no way we were going to get good shots from this, but not with Jesse. He took the most amazing, candid shots - we were just amazed with the final product. This set us up so well for our wedding day. The last thing we worried about on our big day was our photos. He added another person (Ben!) to help capture the day even better. They were so adaptable to our last minute requests throughout the day, Tracy and I could not thank Jesse & Ben enough! Tracy & I will be sure to call Jesse for any & all professional photography needed in the future. I recommend any & all people to do the same as well! P.S.= When you hear Jesse's story of how he got to doing this full-time, you are overcome with a sense of humble-confidence to go live out your dreams as well. read more

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Jesse is a fantastic photographer and so much fun to work with! I've been lucky enough to do so many shoots with him - casual, formal, local and international. He is super professional, but also just a great friend to be around. Jesse has a way to make you laugh, and really can put just anyone at ease around him. He is definitely one of my most favorite photographers to work with because I feel totally comfortable with him and confident in his skills. I've attached some of our most recent photos together. I've seen a lot of his work too - which can include food, fashion, lifestyle, weddings/engagements, and portraits. I would highly highly recommend working with this guy! read more

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Jesse was amazing for our 1st year old's birthday. He was affable with guests and very flexible. Our event was coordinated so that at each group photo opportunity he was able to command people to look at camera and also he was able to shoot photos like a fly on the wall to get honest and candid shots of the actions. He's great with kids and babies as well as adults. He was also able to provide generous shots of the decorations and event itself. Would definitely hire again for future events! read more

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I've had a lot of headshot's taken in my life and Jesse has been by far my favorite. Truly. I had never met him before, where as in the past I've usually known each photographer personally. I was naturally a little nervous but he quickly made me feel like I've known him for years. We did an outdoor portrait session with multiple looks. We were laughing and thuroughly enjoying ourselves the entire time. His personality and amazing product made shine. I'm not a cheesy person but it could't be any more true. I've gotten lots of work based off his photos. I couldn't be happier! I'm actually booking another session with him soon since I got a new hair style! read more

Jesse Hsu Photography - Event Photography Near Me

Jesse helped my team with business executive headshots. He was professional, came fully prepared, and very easy to work with. I would definitely work with him again on additional photography needs :) read more

Jesse is my go-to for portrait and dance photography! For the past three years or so I have exclusively used photos taken by Jesse for audition head shots, program bios, and even my company "corporate" picture. I have done two sessions, and both times I was thrilled with the results. I should also mention, those "two sessions" covered a multitude of venues and looks -- indoor, outdoor urban, outdoor natural, studio session, and even a bar. All very different looks and lighting conditions, and each set of shots turned out beautifully. Jesse is such a pleasure to work with -- patient, funny, and he has an amazing eye for color, light, and angle. When you're doing a session with Jesse, his passion for photography truly shows. In our most recent session, he was excitedly and happily clambering around rocky terrain to get that perfect shot! I tend to feel a bit shy and self conscious when put in front of a camera, but working with Jesse I felt absolutely at ease and able to enjoy the process -- and that absolutely show in the photos! More than anything, I appreciate that Jesse's photos are of an incredible quality and manage to truly capture the essence of the person to a degree that I haven't experienced when working with other professional photographers. Some of my favorite shots surprised me -- natural and candid moments that Jesse caught when I wasn't posing or aware that he was snapping away. Put simply, I couldn't recommend Jesse enough. I will absolutely be using him again for my portrait and dance photography in the future! read more

There are a two types of photographers. Those you need to constantly give direction to, and those that instinctively take a billion photos and know to do so without being asked. Jesse falls into the second category. When I did my shoot with Jesse, not only did he make me feel extremely comfortable, he made sure he snapped photos of nearly everything I did, never skipping a beat, and making sure he got multiple shots in so he could pick and choose between them later. Besides his talent in photography, he is also a stand out guy and overall an amazing person. I am so grateful to say that I had the privilege to shoot with this guy. Definitely recommend! 10000%! read more

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Super chill, approachable, fun, talented, great eye, great gear, good price. Everything you could ask for. Highly recommend.

Jesse is a pleasure to work with - extremely professional and talented. He works efficiently and is flexible. Jesse also makes his subjects feel at ease while he's photographing them. My company hired Jesse to take headshots of our executives in the Los Angeles area. Everyone was thrilled with the results. We look forward to working with Jesse again in the future! read more

Jesse Hsu is a great photographer you can trust! If you're looking for quality shots, look no further. Jesse has a great eye and knows what he's doing. He really cares about every detail during the shoot as well as editing. He has a great sense of humor and warm personality that made it very comfortable to work with. I would definitely work with Jesse again and would recommend him to all of my closest friends and family! read more

Jesse is amazing! I hired him for a surprise engagement on the beach and he helped me with all of the logistics and seamlessly pulled it off without even meeting me in person. My fiancé and I were thrilled with the photos and he got the edited ones to us within 24 hours. Definitely use him! read more

Not only does Jesse take amazing pictures, but he is so wonderful to work with. He makes everyone feel at ease and will get you the shots you want! I cannot recommend Jesse enough-you won't regret hiring him! read more

It's always a good time with Jesse! I've had the fortune of shooting with him a couple times in the city and he's incredibly talented at what he does--the pictures came out amazing! It was my first experience shooting with a professional photographer but he made me feel totally at ease. Actually, he is hilarious! He can make you laugh like no other, so you walk away from the shoot genuinely happy and the proof is in the pictures. Professional, talented, down to earth, so funny, and great company. I highly highly recommend! read more

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Jesse Hsu is hands down the Best. Photographer. Around. If you're looking for quality shots that reflect your best self, look no further. We did a shoot that involved headshots and creative dance shots around NYC and I never expected to receive so many amazing captures of my movement. He cared about my shots turning out as best as possible and edited with an eye to detail. Plus, he was super funny and provided humor and encouragement, which I really appreciated. I would recommend Jesse to my closest friends and family. read more

Jesse Hsu Photography - Shot in the rain by Jesse Hsu. - Event Photography Near Me

Jesse Hsu is the only eye I trust. He has a way of making you look your best, by making you FEEL your best during the photo shoot. He has a great eye and knows a ton about juxtaposition, angles, lighting, editing, and drawing out your best side. I can be incredibly hard on how I look in photos, and somehow, he has figured out how to make me look good. In my time working with photographers, I've recognized three qualities I look for: (1) their level of attention to detail, (2) their level of creativity, and (3) how comfortable they make you feel during the shoot. Jesse has all of these qualities. I HIGHLY recommend working with him and cannot sing his praises enough. read more

I had the pleasure of booking a photoshoot with Jesse last week, and it was a wonderful experience! He is professional, constantly has ideas to implement the subject in different settings (we were shooting outside in the streets of New York) and what's most important he puts you at ease throughout the whole process. He knows how to direct you, but also how to capture natural moments, and he is very compliant to specific requests. Delivery and editing were incredibly fast as well! I highly recommend Jesse!! read more

Could not have been happier with our session with Jesse!!! Wrangling a rambunctious 3yr-old is impressive in and of itself, but to do so AND capture the moments he did... nothing short of incredible. Not to mention, he and my daughter were practically BFFs by the end of the session. He has a wonderful eye not only for the image in-the-moment, but more importantly for the moments to come. Some of my favorite pictures from the session were the impromptu candids that he was able to anticipate. I can't even begin to emphasize how crucial that is for portraits of munchkins!! He's flexible, patient, creative, and an all-around joy to work with. He even read my daughter's Cinderella book to her when she was getting a little antsy and tired towards the end of the day! Will absolutely be returning for more portraits with Jesse. :) read more