I recently used Michael's service because I needed a professional picture for my LinkedIn profile, etc since I am graduating soon. He was a pleasure to work with. He was a genuinely nice guy and was great at keeping the conversation flowing, which made the experience light and enjoyable. Michael did not watch the clock while I was there, but rather, took his time to make sure the lighting and pose was just right. My agreement with him was for two pictures, which is what I received but he took the extra step of providing me different coloring/shading of those two pictures so I ended up with several different options. I will definitely use Michael in the future if I need another professional photograph taken. read more

We could not be more happy with how this photo shoot came out!! My daughter had so much fun during the shoot and everyone was so professional. Thank you Negrete Photography!! You made senior picture day so much fun!! read more

Michael Negrete Photography - Senior pictures!! - Event Photography Near Me - Claremont, California

Went there 2day!! The woman helping me with my hair is super sweet, and Michael compliments my appearance which made me happy. I kept making them retake the photos until I liked them but their team is super sweet in general and responsible yay!! (they liked my hotwheels) read more

Good photography. The photographer spent 15 minutes with our daughter instead of the 30 minutes we paid $35 for. Never acknowledged us...kinda rude. Overpriced prints. read more

It was a wonderful experience. Michael is extremely personable and professional, made me feel comfortable and confident. The studio is quaint and modern at the same time. And most importantly, the pictures were amazing! I'm brining my whole family. read more

Thank you for the beautiful photos of my parents. The was the perfect way to celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary. I'm grateful to have this memory forever. Our family and friends who have seen them are impressed with the excellent service you have provided. read more

Michael Negrete Photography - Event Photography Near Me - Claremont, California

4 stars for acknowledging my frustration, apologizing, and taking steps to remedy. All five of the senior portraits shot by Michael turned out great. read more

Friendly staff and great service! My daughter and I left very pleased after taking her senior portraits. We loved how they all came out!

Let's talk about this great experience. My girlfriend and her brother had to have headshot photos for their business cards. Business cards in general are a pain in the ass to figure out, let alone putting a picture on a card that doesn't make you look cringe. Micheal made this process very streamlined and enjoyable. The staff was attentive and eager to help. I highly suggest this place to get your portraits taken. read more

My daughter had her senior portraits done and just a hassle. They make you come back to schedule another appt. What is this, Olan Mills. Loved the photos, not thrilled at all, and whoever I spoke to has no customer service skills at all. Lord have mercy Parents beware senior pictures night mare. read more

I would never trust Michael with photographs or anything else for that matter. After my mother's death, he made a verbal agreement with me to store a large and very expensive family photograph my mother had hired him to shoot, print, and custom frame. He used it as a prominent display in his gallery. When he picked it up from my mother's house, he said, rather sincerely, "Just let me know when you're ready to have it back and I'll have it ready for you." He really sounded like he meant it. About a year later, I contacted him and after much back and forth he finally fessed up that he didn't have my mother's property, but he refused to disclose what he had done with it. When I got upset he told me to "calm down" and spoke to me like I was somehow the problem. I'm not sure what he did with my mother's property, but I gave up negotiating with him about it. If you notice the other negative reviews, he's quick to jump on here and apologize and/or correct the narrative. Don't believe a single word he writes/says. Edited to add: I purchased multiple prints from Michael, apart from my mother, so I am a customer of his studio, and I have every right to post a review here. Our entire conversation about my mother's property took place via Facebook messenger. (I have screen shots of the entire exchange.) There was no yelling, threats, or bullying on my end. In fact, he kept messaging me after I stopped responding to him and I unfriended him on all social media platforms. His threats of legal action are sourced from this single Yelp review. read more

So I have to respond on here after reading Audrey S.' review and give this man a terrible review because he has absolutely NO CUSTOMER SERVICE and HE SHOULD NOT BE WORKING WITH KIDS!!!!! He has been doing our school's pictures for years with many complaints over the years. But I never put too much attention to it until I experienced it myself. During our graduation photo sessions he made one of the students cry and it was very difficult for this student to take his 8th Grade Graduation photos afterwards. In another session one of the kids was smiling and setting his pose for the picture and Michael told him "Get that cheesy smile off your face" in an extremely rude manner!! The poor kid's face just fell and he couldn't smile anymore. I was so shocked that he would speak to the kids that way. And yes he also cussed around the kids and had a very volatile attitude. After dealing with him during these sessions the same thing occurred that Audrey S went through and he would not allow us to purchase the digital group photos for our school, which I think is RIDICULOUS!!!! And he wasn't even willing to compromise. The result of his rude behavior culminated in us getting rid of him. So he lost all of our school's business and I will never go to him for photos again as for many of the families that dealt with him in our school!!!! He should stick to landscape photography because he is not good with people!! read more

I really wanted to share my experience in hopes that someone else has the same. I took my three seniors for their senior pictures. I am always nervous when we have to do triple the work because some may not be so accommodating. Well that was far from the truth at Mr Negrete studio. Everyone from Mr Negrete himself and the young ladies on his staff were delightful. They made my children very comfortable even my teen son was made to smile lol. They asked me what poses I would like and we had such a wonderful experience. The pictures came out so beautiful and wholesome, so much so yes I ugly mom cried a bit lol. Thank you all so very much for making this once in a lifetime shoot so special. read more

Amazing photography. The quality of this photographer's work makes it VERY difficult to choose your favorite poses. He captured my daughter's personality flawlessly. Totally worth the $$. read more

Michael Negrete Photography - Event Photography Near Me - Claremont, California

Michael Negrete photography is the best ! Not only they do an amazing job and take their time to perfect every shot , they're also very nice and accommodating to their clients.They accommodating my last minute schedule changes, they took their time with my daughter and dog ( which needed quite sometime ) and when I couldn't pick up my daughter portrait due to family loss , Michael was very understanding and delivered it him self . I would definitely recommend their business and will be back for more pictures of my family . read more

Michael & his team are the best! Don't believe anything else! Michael has captured beautiful photos of our family twice now. Back in 2013 when our girls were small. Again this year (2021) now that our girls are teenagers. He & his staff are so nice & make taking pictures super fun. They are very flexible & accommodating. We will definitely return every few years for more family photos & wouldn't go anywhere else! If you're searching for someone to capture priceless photos of your family search no more! Highly recommend! read more

Michael has done my kids senior pictures and absolutely love them he gets the best shots ever. I absolutely recommend him.

Michael did our son's graduation photos. My son is not easy to work with as he is an introvert. We arrived on time but my husband had forgotten to tie my son's tie. Michael took the time to tie my son's tie for him, talked with him and got to know him a little. He relaxed my son and got great pictures! I just wanted to thank him for not being in a hurry, and generally being a great guy and a excellent photographer. Our pics are the best my son has ever taken. read more

Great experience! Very efficient. Emma was great!! On time, friendly and professional.

Photographer Michael is unprofessional and was rude to my daughter. His sly remarks were unprofessional and made us uncomfortable. If we had a choice of photographers for senior pictures, this is not the one we would have chose. read more

My wife just took my son to get his senior pictures taken and had very rude experience with the receptionist/ assistant. It was a very pressured setting with no time to make a decision on picking pictures and when she said something, the girl told her to be quiet mom and let your son pick his picture. (she was lucky I was not there) We were spending close to $500.00 and she needed more time to make a decision. My wife not to create a scene just went with it. The girl told her if you don't pick something now she would have to make another appointment and pay $35.00 to come back. (it was an hour drive to get there) They don't allow you to see the pictures on line so you can pick the best shot. My wife wanted a digital copy of the picture and the only way to get it you had to buy the most expensive package. On the other side of this my wife did say that the photos look good and the photographer was fine, but customer service as you can read in some of the latest reviews is not a priority for this business. read more

Great studio, staff and photographs. I can't believe it's Senior year. Highly recommend this studio. read more

Michael Negrete Photography - Viewing proofs! - Event Photography Near Me - Claremont, California

Words can't begin to describe my horrible experience in dealing with Mr. Negrete. His team recently took photos of my son's water polo team at CHS. The photos themselves are not entirely terrible, but Mr. Negrete is the most unprofessional business person I have ever dealt with. To say he lacks professionalism would be a gross understatement. To order all of the digital photos cost $99 (30 photos). From there, the prices go upwards to $250 - extremely high for a school sports photo. I'm willing to pay the $99 for my son's photos; however, when I go to purchase this package, there are only 26 photos available. The other 4, which are team photos, must be purchased separately at $20 each. Personally, I have no interest in the team photos; however, I am the parent in charge of Coach Appreciation Gifts for our water polo banquet this week, and as you know, these types of appreciation gifts are funded entirely by parent contributions. I am interested in getting two team photos: one of the Varsity team, and one of the JV team, so that I can print them out, put them in a nice frame, and have the players sign the mat around the photo as part of the "Thank You" gift. The problem is that paying $40 for two team photos is a lot, especially when parents have not all contributed and I am working with a limited budget. So, I reached out to Mr. Negrete via email and asked him what my options were: Can I please have the digital downloads included when I pay the $99 for my son's photos...would he be wiling to print out the two photos for me...what other options does he have, etc. I was not asking for a handout. I was asking how I could get both photos - either digital or print - in time for our banquet. He did not respond to my email. When he failed to respond, I stopped by his office. I walked in and began explaining to a nice young girl my dilemma. Suddenly, Mr. Negrete walked out and started yelling, stating, "I can't do this right now! I have anxiety! I need to pick up my son Lucas from school in Pomona!" I looked around, not sure who he was speaking to, only to find he was speaking to ME! Then he ran upstairs to what I assume is his office space (really just an open loft) and left me standing there. It was extremely awkward and confusing. Then, another young girl by the name of Sarahi (my apologies if I misspelled her name) came out and asked how she could help me. Again, I explained my dilemma. I showed her the email I had previously sent and she said I had sent it to the wrong email address. Mr. Negrete then began to yell again from upstairs saying that I had the right email address, that all online inquires go to the "smiles" email address...not the "support" email address. She was clearly embarrassed and walked upstairs to speak with him. HE asked HER if she had "any ideas" about how to resolve this issue. He then proceeded to tell her (loud enough so that I could clearly hear them both) that he was not going to give me access to the digital downloads of the team photos because I was just going to print out all the team photos and hand them out to the whole team for free (basically making assumptions and calling me a thief), and that he also wasn't going to print them for me because he "doesn't do that". He then walked downstairs to yell at me again to let me know that he didn't have a resolution to my issue; that the Claremont parents needed to "pay up"; that he did our team a favor by even taking our photos; that he did it out of "charity"; and that, by the way, he edited our team photos while he was sick (as if that was somehow my doing or problem). He also shouted that if we didn't want to hire him again, that he didn't care. He then stormed out of the building, ranting once again about his kid Lucas waiting for him at school in Pomona (again, as if his childcare issues/anxiety are somehow my fault or issue), slammed the door, and literally peeled out of the parking lot (I'm talking wheels smoking and screeching). The two young girls, left alone with me in the office, stood their with their mouths agape and in shock. The one associate, Sarahi, apologized to me and asked if she could take my name and number down and said she would give me a call after he had "calmed down" and she could talk to him. I have yet to hear from anyone. It's unfortunate that Mr. Negrete's lack of self-control and professionalism is going to cost him the support of those of us who actually believe in and support small businesses. I honestly don't know how he still has a business with how he behaves. He must have some sort of contract with the schools for senior portraits; otherwise, I don't know how he stays in business. If you haven't yet, read the other negative reviews of his business. Apparently, I'm not the only one who is unimpressed with his disgusting behavior and treatment of customers and employees. Most of his responses are apologies for his own personal behavior. I would not recommend him to anyone. read more

Michael is AMAZING!! He has been taking our family photos for several years now. We love the moments in time he has captured for us!

I had to use them for senior pictures. When I picked up the pictures, the individual wallet pictures were loose in the envelope. I asked the employee why they were messy in the envelope, and why they aren't in individual envelopes and she laughed. I paid 75% less for school pictures and they are presented better. My daughter even asked when I gave them to her why they are in disarray. For the price of the pictures they should present them better. Overall pictures and service was good. read more

It all started promising: my daughter loved the photo shoot session. Unfortunately, at the photo review session a week later, of the fifty shots or so that he took, only 1 was acceptable. I looked at other senior portraits of my daughter's friends. All the same. Even lighting. Too high a focal length. The camera is squared onto the face. It makes his subjects' faces look flat and fat. No depth. A simple google search on "how to do portrait photography" shows how to avoid his problem. I am seriously disappointed in Michael's photos and wish we could go to a different photographer for her senior portrait. Unfortunately, somehow Mr. Negrete is the official photographer for CHS. I'm sure he would offer to do the photo shoot again, but then my daughter has to have her hair done again, makeup... Very frustrated. Cannot recommend this business. read more

Just got back from taking senior pictures and we were so pleased with the results! The entire experience was fantastic. Everyone who worked there was so great and made me son feel super special. Love, love, love it! read more

Great evening at Micheal Negrete Photography! Hard to believe we are already doing this. read more

Michael Negrete Photography - Event Photography Near Me - Claremont, California

Michael contacted me personally and we spoke about the interaction between staff and myself. He was able to accommodate my child, took her senior picture the following day and get her into the yearbook even with it being past the deadline. He was pleasant to speak with and treated my child well when she came in for her senior picture. As far as the comment regarding photo quality I will retract that statement after seeing his great quality. This was a pleasant learning experience through his company and Yelp. read more

Great service :) David was very patient and helpful when choosing my photos. I felt very comfortable here and welcomed. The photographer was very friendly and made the time here special. Highly recommend! read more

We recently called Michael Negrete Photography inquiring about ordering additional prints and I could not believe how unprofessional and rude the young lady was on the phone. I wanted to get ahold of Michael direct but he is almost never there to assist me. His front door says he is "by appointment only" but the times that are available for appointments are not realistic for working parents that have a 9 to 5 job. Also, there are no weekend hours as well. I tried giving this business the benefit of the doubt due to hearing many horrible stories about Michael Negrete himself. Many parents has said that he can be impatient and come off very narcissistic. With some having seen him be exceptionally rude to his own staff members. I guess they were all right. They are great at selling you expensive packages and making your student feel good about themselves, but once they have your money; you can forget the consistency of good customer service. We are giving them 1 star because our experience last summer was good with the staff ONLY at that time. Not necessarily with Michael himself. That's the only saving grace. read more

I was introduced to Michael Negrete through a charitable organization called Shoes that Fit. The organization ran a promo that gave donors a free photo session and up to 20% off actual portraits purchased from Michael. Since our family planned on giving to Shoes that Fit anyway, we figured we'd take advantage of the promo. Michael was really easy to work with when it came to setting appointments, communicating via email and phone, and suggesting a location. He gave us tips on what to wear and worked extra hard to make our then 15-month old son look at the camera. :) He also has toys in his studio to keep kids entertained too. Nice touch. My family really liked several of the photos Michael took. Something in the realm of 600 shots! While we didn't have to look through all 600, it was still hard for us to narrow down which ones we really wanted. The photos he took were great. Only thing - his pricing is higher than we have paid in the past for a family photo session + portraits and digital files. Had to stay in budget. I was a little bummed we had to pay extra for digital files since I'm kind of a DIY with the pictures, photo cards/books, etc. However, Michael allowed some room for negotiation on the $$. That's something we definitely appreciated. End result: we have some wonderful pictures that are now hanging in our home! read more

WOW! Not sure where to begin but I guess the beginning is always best. We have Senior Twin Girls, hair appointments were at 10am, photo appointment was @ 4:30pm ... girls were done after 4:30pm and they were 40 miles away in after work traffic! No way was hubby going to make it, girls were already late. I knew there would be no way my girls hair would have endured sleeping on it overnight. I think Michael heard the panic in my voice while I was explaining the situation to his assistant and came out to speak with me. Michael was beyond understanding and told me to tell Hubby to just get there safe. When I tell you I wanted to cry with relief! When my Husband arrived with the girls Michael and his staff were so nice and relaxed. He didn't rush; he made us feel completely comfortable. Fast forward to picking out the photos.... There was a picture with my Husband and the girls that everyone loved but Hubby... LOL so needless to say we did not choose that picture during the selection process but wouldn't you know it, to my surprise when the package arrived, Michael had included that picture. Yes Hubby needed a shave; yes he was way under-dressed but that moment with tears in his eyes is priceless and irreplaceable. We have one more kid graduating; we can't wait to see you again! read more

They have an awesome staff. Amazing service quick Ann's efficient. I would recommend this place for any type of occasions

I've never been more comfortable in a photoshoot. Everyone made me feel confident and did their best to make me look great in my senior photos. Every strand of hair was accounted for, as they wanted me to look flawless as much as I did!! Thank you guys so much for the great shoot!! read more

Michael was so patient in taking my professional headshots, working hard until we found the one! His studio is beautiful and the prices were surprisingly affordable. I've received many compliments on my photo and I plan to return when they need updating. Thanks Michael!! read more

Going into senior portraits is honestly already stressful; especially if you're a girl who woke up late and had no idea how to do her hair or her makeup BUT the staff was overall so sweet and really cared about the fact that they are YOUR PICTURES. Making sure that my hair was nice. That I felt comfortable and more importantly they had amazing communication (especially for an awkward teen to understand). The packages are pricey- BUT I know for a fact my mom is going to enjoy all of these images for a long time, and that makes the price feel really small. ALSO really loved that they repped class of 2020 gear kinda felt like a Senior hahaha. Definitely coming back here for when I graduate college and need some good pictures read more

We were forced by our student's school to use this horrifically bad ineptly staffed and definitely the worst photography studio in California if not the the known universe. It's located in an unassuming back area of a parking lot which has to be a great place to hide and not compete with a professional storefront photography studio. The girls that greeted us and surprisingly attempted to do the photography (Michael was too busy for such lowly tasks I suspect.) were obviously untrained and bored. They treated us the way I suspect sausage gets treated in a factory with similar results. Not the good Italian sausage more like backwoods midwestern brats that taste like old socks. They went about the session as if they had mistakenly taken some sleep medication then wondered into a business they thought was a nail salon and were forced to push the button on the camera. It seemed to be a huge chore for them. The resulting photos lacked depth, composition, focus and light. Had I known about this clown car of a photo studio I would have hired someone outside Home Depot to shoot with a disposable camera. It would have been a better experience. Oh yeah, they seemed to delight in playing the most bubble gummy infantile music they could find to drive people out as quickly as possible. I think "Muskrat Love" was on an infinite loop or was it Barry Manilow? At least it felt that way. My recommendation is to run not walk just get as far away from this apoplectic asylum for wayward photographers as fast as possible and go somewhere that actually cares about the customer. read more

Negrete Photography, great quality. Just amazing. Working with the team at Michael Negrete Photography was a great experience. Claremont High School Football was very lucky to have a partner in Negrete for our 2015 Football season. They helped make our season memorable taking all of our team pictures, individual pictures and our showcase team poster. They cared about our program; and that's what made the difference. They took their time for the perfect shot and ended up with picture quality that amazed us. The families of Claremont High and the Football Boosters are very grateful and thankful to have worked with Michael Negrete Photography. Thanks. Adam Olesniewicz Programs Coordinator CHS Football Boosters 909-723-2449 read more

This man is a true artist & wonderful person. My son thinks the world of Mike, his tactics & humor produced amazing senior portraits!! I plan to go back for family photos soon!! His staff is nothing short of kind & professional ... GREAT JOB!!! read more