Great wedding photographer! Delivered quality photos as promised; good value for the price he's offered. The work he's done for us: http://johngriffinphotography.com/darkroom/share/?client/mondave read more

First of all, if I could give John ten stars I would do it in a heartbeat! My husband and I were lucky enough to find John to take our wedding pictures. I am BAFFLED as to why anyone would give him a low rating!!! From the very start we were impressed with him. He was kind enough to meet with us at our home and was very attentive when we told him what we wanted. We were both so impressed by his portfolio! One of the reasons we went with John is because it is so clear that he loves his work and is very passionate about it. I had gained some weight before the wedding and was really nervous about seeing our pictures. When John finally showed us our proofs I just about DIED (in a good way)!!! We absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED our pictures! Apparently so did the people at The Knot magazine because our wedding photos were PUBLISHED! We were completely impressed with John. His website will show that his pictures speak for themselves. We love his photo-journalistic approach because the last thing we wanted was the typical "okay everyone line up in a straight line and say CHEEEZ" photos. We had many formal shots of the bride, groom, bridal party and family. We loved all the pictures of our guests (not an easy task with almost 500 of them). Every picture in focus - every picture gorgeous! I have recommended John to so many friends and they are all just as happy as we are. Again, I believe his work is phenomenal and will be recommending him to many many more people in the future! With all due respect, I have to completely disagree with Julie L. read more

My last review was 5 months before the big day. My wife and I got married over Labor day weekend, and needless to say, John's pictures turned out absolutely phenomenal! Not only was the final product amazing (Hundreds of stunning pictures and a great slide show--and we're in the process of picking our top 100 pics for our official wedding album, and we...are...STRUGGLING! They're all great!) but John's presence at the wedding was just what we were looking for. During the ceremony,we barely noticed that he was taking pictures; yet he managed to beautifully capture the magic of the ceremony. It was like he was everywhere at once, but never anywhere! We really appreciated that, since we've been at weddings where the photographer was (annoyingly) the main attraction during the ceremony, dancing around the couple and taking away from the ceremony. During the reception, John captured all of the emotions (and motion) of the moment. He took beautiful posed pictures, and candid shots that truly captured the feeling and fun! In summary, I can say without reservation that John Griffin was absolutely the perfect choice for our perfect day. read more

I was thumbing through Grace Ormond Bridal magazine when I came across Johns name and decided to check out his website. Next thing I know, I'm giving him a ring asking if he has my wedding date free and setting up a time to have a look at his work. From the beginning, John was a very personable and outgoing guy. He came prepared with magazine style books, photo albums, and negatives to browse. I was taken by his style since he acts as a "fly on the wall" and wants to document the story behind the wedding. I wanted something different and unique. Once the big day arrived, John was right on time with an assistant and ready to shoot. He told us to just act like he wasn't there and be natural. It was easy since he was almost like part of the party! He is a funny gut who is always smiling and putting you at ease. He was finding the best light, using two cameras, crouching into awkward positions to get just the right shot. The bridal party had a good time striking a pose in a sort of "Vanity Fair" way. He was sure to get all of the usual wedding portraits without making it to hectic or feeling disorganized. One of the best shots was when John ran up the stairs to the balcony above where we had just had the ceremony and had all of the wedding guests look up at him. It is so nice to see everyone who shared our day in one photo. John also set up a "booth" outside the reception for anyone who wanted to take some portrait shots. At the end of the night, I was confident that I was going to have great pics. About six weeks later, I received a black leather box containing everyone of my proofs and the digital files. I was amazed! I was re-living my wedding all at once. The photo-journalistic style fluidly told the story of the event from getting ready, to the flowers, to capturing the feel of the reception, to candid shots of people laughing, to our first dance and cake cutting. The colors were bold and crisp, the panoramic film shots were to die for, and he seemed to get me looking my best in every shot! I can't wait to see the photobook that is on it's way. I'm sure it's going to be perfect. read more

I have worked with a lot of photographers in the past 8 years and I found that working with John Griffin and his team to be very different and wonderful experience. While producing classy, candid, natural look and beautiful images, he still made the couple and everyone who worked around him at ease and at peace at the same time. This is very important in the wedding day. Because a lot of photographers would ask you to post almost very single steps/moves in your wedding day. And most of the time, the wedding day has already been crazy with so many things going on all the once. Sometimes you almost want to be left alone and enjoy your wedding day. John allows the couple to really "enjoy" their own wedding day while still captures the candid and special moments in your wedding day, sometimes you might not even know that he's still there, talking your pictures away. But when it comes to portrait session, John knows how to direct you and everyone, fun and fast and yet still come out with stunning portrait shots. This is the truth for both just the couple and family photo shoot session. So for me, the good wedding photographer must NOT only know how to create beautiful images but KNOW HOW TO CAPTURE them also. John gets it right in both ways. read more

The best wedding photographer we could ever imagine having. John brings so much energy, life, and spirit to his photography. We are so happy with the way our photos came out. We were amazed with the shots he got and his artistic eye! Thank you so much John for everything and for making even us photogenic!! read more

We used John for our wedding a couple of years back. GREAT photographer in skill and in personality. It takes talent and communication to have great photos, and John has both. Prior to our wedding we loved the way he can capture formal poses, but loved more the casual (not-posed) shots which really described the feel of our wedding. Looking at his website he can perform and provide both styles to the Couple's desire. You don't have to guess if he can take great shots, look at his site of other weddings and you can easily see that the quality of his work. Very nice guy to work with, very competitive pricing, and gives great results. Do you really need something more than that? read more

John and his assistant did a wonderful job photographing our wedding. We are really lucky for that given our videographer debacle (see my review of Thomas Hughes Videography). John takes spontaneous photos in a photo-journalistic style. He is creative and does a good job at capturing the mood. We met with 4 photographers before we picked John and he has always been very open about his style and strengths. I am very happy with the candid shots that we now have to remember our special day by. John, as he is creative, is not a typical portrait photographer. If that is what you want, find someone who prefers to capture still portraits. Instead, John takes a lot of spur of the moment and quite artistic shots. He is also flexible and he and his assistant helped us take photos with every table during dinner. So, if you ask for something, he will work with you to do it. We met with many photographers that refused to take table shots! We also got our photos back in a timely fashion and are so happy for that! read more

Photographs turned out beautifully at my sister-in-law's wedding!! I was a bridesmaid at the wedding, so speaking from experience in the wedding party, John was extremely professional while also enjoyable to have around. His photos captured both the traditional expected moments (bride and groom, wedding party, details, etc.) and the light-hearted moments that truly make a wedding special. In addition to focusing on the bride getting ready, he also focused some time before the wedding on the groom (a refreshing aspect - not all photographers do this). Photo delivery after the wedding was also prompt and beautifully displayed - the slideshow was great and a perfect way to illustrate John's work. I have an invitation design business - and I created the paper goods for this event. John's pictures of my pieces (signs, programs, placecards, table numbers) were so lovely that I asked John for his permission to use them. I now display John's photos in my own online gallery. As I am sure the bride and groom do, I appreciated that he included these details in his photographic keepsake of this wedding. read more

John Griffin came to photograph our school. Photographing children is not easy. The photos were absolutely phenominal, to be matched only by his warm and engaging personality. He does take photos from the waist/chest - midair - but that is how he gets amazing natural/candid shots. He is a true artist. Perhaps some people prefer standard cookie-cutter photos - these are not cookie cutter photos. They are breathtaking. I cannot recommend John enough. I am amazed that someone gave him a one star rating even though he gave a full refund. This is consistent with the John I met - he goes above and beyond the call of duty. If anyone is on the fence about hiring him, I am certain you would not regret working with John. read more

John was excellent! My husband and I live out of the country so we ended up choosing John as our photographer without meeting in person, just talking on the phone and looking through his work online. We were really impressed with all the photos on his website and can happily say that our photos were of the same caliber. Our photos were absolutely beautiful! We were fortunate to have a lot of time between our ceremony and reception and John used the time to his advantage! We have photos from so many locations around the city and each is so unique. Him and his assistant were able to capture the very best of our day, from before the ceremony to the end of the reception ... nothing went unphotographed! My only (small) complaint is that the family photos were a little rushed. I thought the placement of the people in the photos was poor (off-balance), even in the small group shots. We hired John for his unique style and vibrancy he brings to wedding photos. He gave us exactly what we were looking for ... thanks, John! read more

John was an amazing photographer. He did a wedding photo session for us as we eloped and there was no formal "wedding" for him to shoot. Instead, we went to 4 locations around LA and John and his assistant captured some amazing moments. My husband & I have been married for almost 3 years now, and we still go back and look at those pictures with such fond memories. Not only do we adore the pictures, we love our memories of spending such a special day with John. He was so fun and encouraging, and very easy to work with. We did our photo session about a week prior to our actual elopement. We told John our plans, and he surprised us by sending five 11x14 prints along with a really beautiful handwritten note to our hotel room. We were completely overjoyed to get to see the pictures! It was such a thoughtful gesture, and a huge treat! read more

We were really disappointed in the photography from our wedding. If this review were for John as a person, super nice guy, five stars, however the photography of our special day was not so great. It has been very challenging to find any decent pictures for framing of 1) the family 2) the bride and groom 3) just the bride unfortunately you can't go back and get these things so I can't recommend John as a wedding photographer. Luckily I had some friends/family who took some wonderful pictures that I have had made into albums. My specific constructive feedback includes: - rushed us through group pictures, took shots of group with people who had their eyes closed, were making really crazy faces, were looking down, were "talking with their hands", had sunglasses on (these are for staged group shots mind you). The main thing is I felt INCREDIBLY rushed as the bride and we were paying by the hour so not sure why would need to be that way, I just wanted some nice pictures to remember our special day and share with others later who might not have been there. I also was rushed when a friend tried to help me touch-up makeup (we're talking some lip gloss here, about 10 second touch up). So many pictures are just not that great, the details I'd expect a photographer to notice my friends/family sometimes caught instead. I hope I can save some other brides from the same challenges. For the amount you are paying it should be "picture perfect". I think my mother-in-law said it best, "you looked so amazing that day and his pictures really are not flattering at all" I know this is true because I've seen the pictures my friends and family took and I was a beautiful bride and had lovely guests who are all for the most part I might add quite photogenic. Don't get me wrong, there are a few decent ones, but I paid by the hour expecting mostly fabulous ones, not a handful to a few ones I can live with or like. read more

Nice guy - terrible photographer Words cannot begin to describe how incredibly disappointed we are with the photos taken by John Griffin. We thought we were going with a higher-end photographer based on his price. He never took a picture of "the bride", the groom with his mother, or the majority of our guests (just to mention a few "forgotten" ones). Please read the list below to understand the quality of the photographs we received. We also had a video made of the wedding... the video shows numerous instances where John is not even looking through the camera lens while taking pictures... he is holding the camera at his chest or waist and just snapping pictures... this may be the reason why so many out of focus, not centered, and have people cut off. We partially blame ourselves for hiring John because when we first met him, we asked why some of his pictures had large areas of blue sky, and many had the sky completely washed out at the same venue... his answer was "I don't know... it just happens".... He said he's had no formal education in photography, has picked it up as he has gone along, and doesn't use an assistant. The only good thing is when we asked for 100% of our money back, he refunded our money immediately without any dispute. When we asked him what happened he could not provide an explanation and simply said, "I'm sorry you didn't like the pictures. I did the best I could". Here are just a few problems with the photos he gave us: 1) CEREMONY - We wanted formal portraits of bride, groom, family and special friends (we gave him a specific list as requested). He never took a picture of just the bride...he did take one of the groom solo (although it was awful). - The traditional picture of the bride/groom with both families has the groom's parents still wearing their sunglasses from the outdoor ceremony. John didn't notice and when it was pointed out he didn't take another picture. - The picture with the 2nd bridesmaid has her hair going straight across her face. - Over half of the ceremony pictures have the bride, groom, officiate or maid of honor with their eyes closed - The beautiful green background of the mountains is completely washed out into a gray and the cloudless blue sky is white in the middle of the picture and only blue in the corners. The few amateur pictures our friends took have green background and blue sky. - He has people walking or standing in the background of formal pictures - The picture of my grandmother has the woman behind her picking her teeth - One picture is of a man pulling up his pants next to a water spigot in dead grass - John never adjusted my hair, my dress, my veil or directed how people pose... - The location of the portraits doesn't show the beauty of the background... I had to specifically ask him to please take a picture of us with the beautiful mountains in the background... my dress is all crumpled up off to the side which he never fixed or noticed. - The only picture John took of the officiate walking down the aisle has a guest's blurry head covering the bottom half of the officiate - We do not have one picture of the entire wedding party at the alter... he cut off the far right groomsmen on the one shot that was from the back of the area - In several of the ceremony pictures, he cut off portions of the groom or bride - The picture of the vows has 1/2 of the groom's body cut off - All of the pictures of the recessional are out of focus - Many of the ceremony pictures are out of focus - Many formal portraits have sun ray glares coming across the pictures - The pictures of the ring bearer are blurry and he didn't take any pictures of the ring bearer up at the alter handing the pillow to the best man... - Most ceremony pictures have people's feet cut off. 2) RECEPTION - 92 % of them are out of focus or blurry. - Every single picture of the dancing is at an angle (which we explicitly said we didn't want), completely out of focus, and washed out the beauty of the ballroom. - Every picture of the first dance is out of focus and with the background of where the servers enter the room instead of the guests or ballroom décor. - The cake picture had the cake cut off the bottom - The picture of the guest book signing table is so blurry you wouldn't even know what it is - He never went around the room taking pictures of our guests at their tables - He never took pictures of our guests dancing (we had a packed dancefloor until the lights came on)... - Every picture he took of the bridal party dancing (during 2nd dance) is completely out of focus, mouths open, during a moment of looking down... read more

John photographed my son and daughter-in-law's wedding in February this year and it was absolutely perfect. I could not have asked for better pictures of a wedding. He is definitely a talented man when it comes to taking a shot that completely captures the feeling of the moment. I have shown the pictures over and over to friends and co-workers and they all say they have never seen anything like it. You can feel the excitement and the happiness that everyone shared. It was a wonderful day, and now thanks to John, we will have no problem reliving the moments he captured on film. Not only were his pictures amazing, his attitude was as well. He had everyone laughing with his great sense of humor, and really helped us loosen up to take great pictures. If only a photographer like John was around when I was married, maybe all of these up-tight photos could have been prevented :) My daughter-in-law was so excited about the pictures that she has made several different albums that she carries with her at all times to show off. She says she has never had pictures taken of her like that. His way of taking natural pictures brought out the best side of her, along with everyone else. I would reccommend John Griffin Photography without hesitation, to anyone looking for a truly gifted photographer. He will be my first call when the grandkids come :) read more

John was great with my whole family. We hired him to take a family photo...that was the easy part. Let the chaos begin. 3 under 5 and all the parenting that comes along with it but John was wonderful. He was able to get some terrific shots before the kids completely lost it. I would whole-heartedly recommend John Griffin for your next big event. He is very talented and patient. Just what we needed to pull a family photo off. read more

I was in the process of trying to find a photographer to do our engagement session and I saw John Griffin's work and was very impressed. I spoke with him a few times and he seemed really nice until I said "I already have a photographer for my wedding, I just wanted to inquire about your engagement session" he said "why don't you have him do your engagement session" with a tone of WHY ME?... I ignored it at first... this should have been what stopped me from going further with John. He said he will get back to me and let me know everything I needed for the session. A few weeks pass and I didn't hear back from John, so I called because I still wanted to do the shoot with him. We spoke and he said "I will get back to you with my available schedule for late March early April..." another week goes by and AGAIN I had to contact him and follow up by this time I was very frustrated... as a paying customer I think he should have been more consistent with keeping me up to date as to what is going on instead of the other way around. So he finally emails me two (2) available dates in April and I checked my schedule and emailed him back to tell him those dates are not going to work for me due to prior engagements...and asked if he had other days available... HIS RESPONSE "the 1st or 6th is better for me..sorry" this response pushed me to decide to take my business elsewhere. It just seemed as if I wasn't given much of a choice its either you take those dates or SORRY its not gonna work for me is the impression I got! I believe that customer service is HUGE especially for wedding businesses such as because of what we are looking to spend. So think twice... read more