I was referred to Maha Studios by a friend and was quite nervous as they are based out of Chicago and I was getting married in Pittsburgh, PA. I knew it would be hard to coordinate travel, meetings etc, due to the distance and I was certainly the bride that wanted to meet and get to know her vendors prior to booking them.   On the initial call, both Zainab and Aaqib were very kind and answered all of my questions regarding price, travel, different packages and hours and everything that would be included. I felt very comfortable moving forward with a team I hadn't met, only having seen their work on their website or social media accounts.   I knew I wanted to work with a company that was an expert South Asian weddings. In Pittsburgh, there aren't many (if any) photographers/videographers that focus or know the South Asian wedding traditions and photography was my husband and I's number one priority. Knowing that the Maha team has extensive experience and almost exclusively works on South Asian weddings made us feel even more comfortable in our decision to work with them.   Maha Studios included a free one hour engagement session if my husband and I visited Chicago prior to getting married. That didn't end up happening, BUT they were kind enough to drive to Pittsburgh the day before the wedding weekend and use that one hour to photograph my Mayoon event! They drove to the location, set everything up and took tons of amazing shots and video that were used in my wedding trailer.   Zainab, Aaqib and Raheel (associate videographer) worked with me the entire weekend (and suggested a few timeline changes, etc) to make sure everything went smoothly. I loved that they made time for both me AND my husband to get "getting ready" shots and made me feel comfortable in front of the camera (otherwise I am so awkward!). I asked them to focus on family members and after seeing the final photos and video, I can see that they definitely did.  They blended in and zipped around like crazy the entire weekend, while I was making sure they had food to eat and a comfortable hotel room!   Post wedding: WOW. JUST WOW. My husband and I are blown away by the photos that Zainab took and the trailer and final video that Aaqib and Raheel filmed. The photo quality is amazing, the photo album we received is beautiful, the trailer is perfect and the 3 hour long video has been playing nonstop. Aaqib responded to all of my requests on minor changes to the video on the same day and confirmed the changes were made. The follow up from everyone was incredible and I cannot wait to use Maha Studios again! read more

Maha studio's team is one the best Chicago wedding photographer and videographers in the Chicagoland area. Seriously, stop looking and BOOK THEM NOW! They are so easy to work with, and make you feel extremely comfortable. They make the experience so much fun and are able to work and any weather condition with so many great ideas. I honestly couldn't be any happier with the level or attention they took to capture every detail. They didn't miss anything and captured every detail and every emotion. I have never seen such a beautiful album. The quality is so high end and the editing is flawless. The videographer is amazing. When first meeting him I could see how passionate he was and his work is beautiful. They were able to even use a drone to capture beautiful clips of Chicago and our wedding party. When I say they went above and beyond, they truly did. Our wedding was in November and on the first snow of they year they helped me walk through snow, ice, and all the salt. They even put up with all my ideas and climbed slippery icy steps to get out first look on top of London house downtown. I seriously love them and still hire them to all my events since. Zainab is just the sweetest, so humble and talented. Thank you again and again for capturing our wedding and for continuing to be apart of our love story. BOOK THEM NOW!! Don't miss out on this amazing team and wonderful people to work with! read more

Zainab and her team are nothing short of AMAZING. It was such a pleasure working with her for our engagement and wedding photos and video. We got married in October 2017 at the Waldorf Astoria Chicago and she was able to capture every moment of our day flawlessly and brought our love and personalities to life in her photos. We will definitely call Maha studios for all of our life events that warrants time to stand still in photo! Thank you Zainab!!! read more

Zainab is an amazing photographer with a vision. She goes above and beyond for the right shot. It was raining outside during our photo shoot, but Zainab made it work. She was also so patient with two, never still, children involved in the photo shoot. I highly recommend Zainab for those looking to capture wonderful moments and make memories! read more

Aaqib and his team did an amazing job for our wedding earlier this year! From our freezing engagement shoot at Navy Pier in February (Even though it was freezing!... It was well worth it), to our wedding ceremony a month later. They have great taste and great cinematic views. Also, they accommodated every single edit and critique that was given to them, to ensure it was exactly what we wanted. I appreciate all their time and efforts to make our videos and pictures amazing! read more

Excellent job! Sent us final edits within 24 hours, which is unheard of today! Researched and found us a great location for our shoot. Was extremely patient with our kids when they had melt downs during the photo shoot. Best part is, Couldn't even tell from the pictures that our kids were not cooperative at all. Would recommend to anyone for weddings, family photo shoots, special occasions, etc. read more

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We had an incredible experience with Maha Studios! We worked with them on the day of our wedding and we couldn't have asked for more. We started our day with a couples shoot at the Chicago Botanic Gardens which was so fun. The photographers were so professional, kind, and easy to work with! They gave great direction and had a great understanding of the Chicago Botanical Gardens. Not a moment was wasted. We also had them take pictures of our religious ceremony. They were very professional and not intrusive at all. They worked very well with our family during family pictures. When we received the pictures, we were so blown away. We received the photos promptly- one week after our wedding day!!! They captured our love and the joining of our families so beautifully. We were especially pleased with all the candid shots they took. We could not be happier and highly recommend Maha Studios! They were such a special part of our day- we would definitely work with them again. read more

Zainab and Aaqib were a dream to work with from the engagement shoot to the wedding events! They captured all the moments beautifully! They are always looking to get creative, which makes the shoots more exciting! They were so patient with us whenever we were running late (Sorry!)! We took engagement pictures at Baha'i and on the Chicago Riverwalk, which were both significant locations to us as a couple. They were able to capture pictures and videos that were more magnificent than we could have even imagined. As they could not be present during our Nikkah/Mayoon ceremonies, we did a special photoshoot earlier in the day, which was so sweet considering their busy schedule! They were present for our wedding events for mehendi and wedding reception. Our mehendi photos and videos really captured the fun we had that night! We only wish we had more time prior to the event to take more couple pictures/videos so definitely plan accordingly. Our wedding reception photos/videos came out so elegant, they really captured the wintery theme perfectly! It looked so elegant yet magical thanks to Siblana Events! We were not able to take portrait photos prior to the start of event so we asked to do them during the event while DJ Aumir was distracting our guests with great music! Zainab and Aaqib got really creative moving around pieces of decor to get the best pictures. Aaqib was very adaptable with the trailer and easy to work with, we were super happy with the trailer! Looking forward to seeing the video clips from the wedding! We really could not have asked for a better team than Maha Studios! -Numera & Khuram read more

Zainab and the rest of the Maha Studios crew did an overall stellar job at not only photographing our wedding weekend but also ensuring that the events ran smoothly. The level of professionalism is self-evident when working with this team, and this was made clear to me with every phone call and in-person meeting I had with Zainab over the year of planning and throughout the actual execution of events. Our wedding day coincided with one of those epic Chicago rainstorms, but Maha Studios improvised brilliantly and got us the memorable shots that made us forget whether we were indoors or outside. I also appreciated how the crew guided my friend, a videographer, and newbie to the Desi wedding scene, through the weekend. It conveyed that they weren't just in it for themselves and wanted all the pieces to come together. Also, I'll never forget on the day of my Mehndi when I was sitting on the couch on stage and Zainab quickly draped my dupatta over the edge of the seat so that others would avoid sitting there, un/intentionally photobombing my glamour shots, lol. The weekend was full of little/big moments like these, convincing me over and over again that this team was looking out for me in more ways than one! I'll end here, but Maha Studios is GREAT, and I highly, highly recommend them to anyone who is looking for an exceptional team to document significant life events. read more

There are many factors that determine how smooth the wedding planning process will be. Creating the vision and having ideas of the bride and groom come to fruition is no small task. An even harder task is capturing the night, vision, and memories of the wedding. It is an intimate moment for a couple, as they transition into this new phase of life and it is important to find the right person to help with such an occasion. We were fortunate to work with the perfect team (I had reached out to over 50 different companies, no exaggeration). When I had reached out to Maha Studios, I had received a call going over ideas, vision, and, of course, price. Next was the face to face meeting. This was crucial and we were amazed at how accommodating Aaqib was, especially since we were meeting with him during peak wedding season. He drove out to the city in the middle of traffic (anyone dealing with Chicago traffic understands that this is dedication). He brought varies examples and walked us through what the process would entail. He also gave us some insight on things to avoid and incorporate so their team may capture the best shot that night. After a quick and thorough meeting, we excitedly signed our contract.  We officially met the full amazing team of Maha Studios the day of our engagement shoot. The four of them had been there since 6 am setting up. Honestly, they were so kind and respectable as well as patient with my husband and me. Their dedication and professionalism were constant. We had taken shots at three different locations, both in the city and the suburbs. They went above and beyond. The day of the wedding, the team had set up and seamlessly blended in. This might sound strange, but they didn't interrupt the ceremony and were able to capture such breath-taking photos, candid shots, and still allow the ceremony to be fluid and on schedule. They were kind to all the guest, and such a great help making sure my husband and I were put together for every shot because we were moving around constantly. It is such a stress relief to relay on such Maha Studios and their creative expertise. The photos were of amazing quality, and came out beautifully! They helped make our wedding day one we will not forget. Follow up: Post wedding, Zainab was great on communicating back and forth on items to fix and modify. Everyone has been quick in diligent in all forms of correspondence (text, email) read more

Zaineb and Aaqib went above and beyond for each one of our wedding events! We felt so comfortable with them and they truly added to our happiness and excitement. I can't even count how many times they helped adjust my outfit or fly away hairs to make sure that they got the perfect shots! They both love what they do and put in their 110% to make sure that they provide their clients with the very best! Can't wait to work with them again for family events and shoots in the near future iA! read more

Maha Studios are incredible story tellers with their beautiful work! They are incredible photographers and videographers in Chicago that I highly recommend. They provide a personalized experience and work so hard to make sure their clients are happy. read more

From beginning to end, Maha Studios was professional and very easy to work with. Aaqib and the rest of the team were always on time, I received all of my wedding pictures in only 2.5 weeks and they turned out exactly how I had imagined. I can't imagine having anyone else photograph my wedding. I would definitely recommend them and work with Aaqib and the team again. read more

Fraud Guy , cheated us . don't pay full amount till u see ur final pictures . Committed to us that female photographer ( he gives u a cock and bull story of category of photographers and how their rate is charged) of top notch grade and it turned out that she new only one thing to stand in one place and just click . later he agreed to compensate by returning % of fees as well as do some location shoot which we did not do as the marriage event wa s over and we will not get the moments again . Hope he doesn't cheat more people . The marriage event wa s photographed without the marriage hall name being shown without the full family in one screen and no pictures of food . They stood in one place clicked pictures and ate food and thats it . Lousy photographers . One can contact me to get complete report if needed read more

Maha did such an awesome job capturing fanily portraits with a toddler. She gave directives throughout the shoot and really helped us feel comfortable in front of the camera. I will treasure these photos forever! read more

Love Zainab's work. She recently photographed my 3 spirited children and managed to get the most amazing shots of them!! She is incredibly talented and her images are always unique. Aside from her work, she's just very easy and personable, exactly the type of person you'd want to have around you during the stressful time of getting photos done! She's my go-to photographer for family photos! read more

Zainab, Aaqib and the rest of the crew were amazing! During our photo/video shoot prior to our big day, I stood witness to how their creative minds worked. Fast forward to the reception, and they arrived early to grab all the necessary shots with our bridal party and family. They demonstrated such professionalism and patience and executed like a fine-tuned machine! We could not have been more pleased with how the photos turned out. We absolutely loved working with Zainab and Aaqib! read more

Best photographer and company in town!! And that's an understatement. Zainab was amazing. I wanted to set up a last minute family photo shoot and Zainab made it possible. Setting up the time and place was super easy. Zainab is very quick to respond back to you and is always honest. She set up the best location for the shoot and was amazing with my little one. Super patient and sweet. We received the pictures way before she told us which was great. The PICTURES WERE AMAZING!! Every single picture was stunning. I couldn't get enough. I will definitely book zainab and Maha studios for future events. Thanks again for everything you have done for me and my family. read more

Zainab and her team did an incredible job with our wedding. We had multiple events over a 3 day span and they were able to catch all our highlights. I was extremely impressed with both the photography and videography. Zainab and Aaqib worked closely with me to ensure that the final product was nothing short of stunning. The team is extremely professional and patient, and ofcourse very talented. Highly recommend!! read more

She had an advertisement on Groupon for a photo session. I called to make an appointment and she answered the phone very unprofessionally. She simply answered "hello" (like she was annoyed). She probably uses her personal cell phone number for her business. I wasn't sure if this was the right number, so I started off by saying "I don't know if this is the right number or you are the right person to contact." I explained to her that I would like to use the Groupon to make an appointment and she was very terse stating that the she had told Groupon that the deal was no longer valid, that she was booked until next year, and that I was out of luck. I didn't even tell her when I was thinking to book and she offered no alternatives. She simply was just annoyed taking the call. She told me to call Groupon to get credit back and then said "OK?" in a very condescending manner. Alrighty, then. Dodged a bullet on that one. Look, I understand that there is some problem with you and Groupon, but be a little professional. An apology would be a nice place to start instead of sounding annoyed at the customer. I also took the time to call Groupon and tell them of the invalid Groupon, which they immediately (the next day) took care of so no one would be misinformed of the deal. Apparently she had been contacting Groupon for a while but they didn't listen to her until I called. She could have easily checked Groupon again and seen her deal was still valid. But, she had not bothered to take care of this herself or was unsuccessful. Caveat Emptor. read more

Zainab and her team did a phenomenal job at my wedding in fall of 2017! We were so happy to see how the results came out. She's extremely talented and I absolutely cherished going through her amazing work. She is very professional and really good at communication/getting back to you promptly. Honestly, I'm so glad that we chose her to capture my wedding and I would HIGHLY recommend her to anyone. A special mention to Aaqib too for delivering all the media on time and working with us through any little changes we would like in the videos. We sincerely appreciate it! He does an outstanding job with editing. We have worked with him in the past too in other family events and he doesn't fails to impress. Maha Studios is so worth it!! read more

I love how our wedding photos turned out and the best part was I received all my photos within the following week. I love how Maha perfects each photo through perfect lighting, candid moments and phenomenal editing. She even knows how to make large family groups all focus on the camera and is constantly doing that! I really loved our wedding portraits as well those were my favorite. thanks again! read more

Our experience with Zainab, Aaqib and Rahul for our 5-event traditional South Asian wedding was phenomenal! They captured our wedding moments to perfection. Not only do they do high-quality work, but they do it with creativity, professionalism and kindness no matter what delays or situations arise. They took pictures of everything we could have ever dreamed of, including close friends and family. They took pictures of our decor, our outfits, our accessories and even on days when there was no time to do a full portrait session, they worked in our portraits between other photos. My husband and I felt calmer with Maha Studios at our side throughout all of our wedding events. We highly recommend them to anyone who wants their special events made even more special with Maha Studios high quality work, and with upcoming events, we will be sure to turn to them again! read more

We had a great experience working with Zainab Zafar from Maha design She was very professional -puts a lot of effort into her work -and made sure to cover the event with creativity ! Love the albums that we got-- would definitely recommend Zainab to be a part of your big day ! read more

Planning a wedding from out of state is always hard especially when it comes to choosing vendors. Zainab and her team were phenomenal during my brothers wedding! We are so pleased to have chosen them as our vendor. They are so easy to communicate with and so patient. They really put my brothers and sister in laws vision and ideas into play. They wanted more candid shots and more fun shots vs the posed ones and all the pictures we received were bang on! The candid pictures were really amazing. Every wedding has delays and certain uncontrollable situations but Zainab, Aaqib and their whole team were so patient and helpful. We could not be happier with the way everything turned out. Thank you so much guys! We definitely recommend you to anyone that's looking for a great photographer and look forward to working with you for future events. read more

I worked with Zainab to get professional profile pictures for an upcoming conference that I was speaking at. She was fantastic and a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend Maha for any photography for any occasion. read more

Neither my husband and I are from the Chicago area so we had to do a lot of research and emailing, but we finally selected Maha Studios for our traditional two-day South Asian wedding. It started off okay. Zainab was difficult to meet with and seemed unwilling to work around anything but her own schedule. We eventually met once, very briefly, to discuss what I wanted. She seemed aloof and only interested in the large wedding she was shooting the next day. Things turned south when I sent Zainab an Instagram with poses that I liked. She seemed to think I was saying I liked the style, and even when I told her I actually liked the poses and just wanted to use them as a frame of reference, she wouldn't let it go. She suggested I get a new photographer. It was so close to my wedding that I felt locked in. I reassured her of what I actually meant and hoped for the best. (After we got the pictures and videos I confronted Zainab and asked her about this situation. She confirmed that I had offended her and she chose to stay silent on the issue rather than discuss with me. She confirmed that she is a very emotional person and cannot take criticism. I was shocked at this revelation because as a professional I thought I could come to her with my suggestions and get feedback from her. She is, after all, the professional here. Not me. I firmly believe that this was, in part, the reason why my wedding photos turned out so poorly. I believe that she held a personal grudge against me for daring to suggest something outside her line of thinking so she essentially sabotaged her work). During my wedding weekend Zainab showed up with her crew and took pictures. My family welcomed her with open arms and offered her and the crew food and drink every other minute (as we usually do). Zainab seemed upset, aloof, and not interested in being there. My sisters commented that she seemed to have an exasperated attitude. Thinking that maybe she was in work mode, I happily went about my wedding weekend and looked forward to getting back my pictures. Zainab even sent me a few examples and they were beautiful so I was really excited. When I got the email saying my pictures were ready, I looked through them immediately. And then I looked through them again, and again, and again. I was in shock. The pictures had turned out so badly. The lighting was flat and the pictures all had a grayish tinge to them. It looked like no editing had occurred. There were flares of light in nearly every single picture. There were no full length pictures of my husband and me from either day. There were hundreds of candid shots of people hugging so you couldn't see their faces or with their backs to the camera. Out of 2,000+ pictures, I could barely select 130 pictures to include in an album. I even asked if I could back out of the album, but when Zainab said she would only give me a pittance, I decided to go ahead with it (side note: be aware that the album you are buying is not from an outside company, it is through Zainab). I thought I was being overly critical, but after my entire family, my husband's family, close friends, and coworkers had seen the photos and had nothing to say for them, I knew that my wedding pictures had turned out badly. Things turned from bad to worse when I tried to talk to Zainab about my pictures. I was told that if I didn't like the photos it was my fault because my wedding was disorganized and everything was behind schedule. I fully admitted to Zainab that we had to cut short our photo shoot during the wedding, but it still did not explain the low quality of the pictures that she did manage to take. Zainab disrespected my family and our wedding planner (with whom she has an ongoing working relationship with). Zainab told me that she showed up and did the best she could under the circumstances and that there was nothing she could do about it. I was made to feel like a criminal and totally at fault for the low quality of my pictures. She also made me second guess my wedding, which I worked hard to make beautiful and fun for all of my family and friends. It seems like she was unable to handle any critique or comment on her work. I experienced the same issues with my trailer and full length wedding video. Zainab's videographer insulted my younger brother's speech by saying it wasn't emotional enough (as an explanation for why I was not moved by the first draft of my trailer). When I asked for raw footage of my wedding, I was told no without so much as a reason (I was willing to pay for it). (Another note - This studio has only been doing videography for one year which we were not aware of and would have influenced our decision immensely). It is truly an honor to be asked to step into the most private, intimate, and important day of a couple's life to document it. These are the pictures and videos your children will see, that your spouse and you will watch to relive the glory days. You should be sure and trust your photographer. read more

We hired Zainab for our Engagement shoot this past fall, and we couldn't have been happier with our selection. Zainab is the consummate professional. She spent time getting to know us, our style, our tastes, our preferences. In addition to having a top-notch portfolio, she just seemed like the perfect fit personality-wise. Zainab knew exactly the shots she wanted to capture, and gave us a lot of direction to make sure we could get it just right. From the angle of our heads to the placement of our hands, nothing was left to chance. When we got the photos back later that week, we were blown away by her innate ability to capture intimate personal moments in such a natural way. Needless to say, we could not be happier with the engagement pictures - they are artistic, gorgeous and captured so many (if not all) our special moments. read more

I used Maha Designs to capture my wedding photos and I have absolutely no regrets. This photographer delivered exactly what I asked for. The photos were vivid, great quality, and most importantly story-telling. The entire wedding was well captured, for Maha Designs pays attention to even the little details at such a large event. Photos have the perfect blend of candid yet posed, dramatic yet subtle qualities. My only regret is not having hired this photographer again for other events. I hired a different photographer and was terribly unsatisfied by their over-glorified work. I too work in the wedding industry (for six years now) as a hair and makeup artist. I know what is needed to make the bride (and groom) look their best. A good photographer is your greatest investment. It is the only thing that allows you to enjoy your wedding-day after it is over. I have worked with plenty of photographers and certainly vouch for Maha Designs. Professional. Talented. Artistic. read more

Maha Designs did an amazing job at my wedding ceremony, to say the least. The pictures speak for themselves! Plenty of candid shots, traditional poses, and artsy pictures that captured every moment are just a few of the things Maha Designs has to offer. The wedding day is always hectic for the bride and before she knows it, she realizes she didn't even get to see the desert table she spent weeks on! With the creative work done by Maha Designs, I was able to re-live the big day and see how the whole event turned out. All the little details are on film for me to keep! Quick, reliable, easy to work with, and impressive, my family calls Maha Designs for every family occasion now. I would highly recommend Maha Designs for anyone looking to capture their most special moments! read more

It was a joy working with Maha Designs for our engagement photo session! We had a blast throughout the entire shoot. Despite the freezing cold, we all laughed and had a great time. It's great to work with someone who is laid back, friendly, extremely professional and talented! We were able to be ourselves and it showed in the pictures. We absolutely loved how the pictures turned out. The pictures were unique, classy, and fun! That was exactly what we wanted. Maha Designs captured such wonderful moments that we'll cherish forever. We received our pictures so fast and loved how Maha Designs paid attention to the finest details. I hope to keep using Maha Designs in the future and I encourage others to do so as well. read more

It was a joy working with Maha Designs for kids photo session! Maha Designs is professional, talented and was so great with the kids. She made them feel comfortable and encouraged them to just be themselves while she took their photos. I love the pictures she captured of my kids. Thanks again for all your help. read more

I have been a long time admirer of Zainab's photography. The pictures Zainab takes are in such away that they always tell a story. The decision to have her take our newborn portraits was an easy one. Her professionalism, creativity, enthusiasm and fun-loving personality were evident during the photo shoot. Zainab was flexible and accommodating to our baby's needs and took her time to ensure she captured the shots she and I wanted. Upon seeing our pictures in the online gallery, we were very pleased with all of the pictures for they capture the beauty of this unforgettable time in our lives. Thank you Zainab! read more