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    Nakai Photography

    5.0 (32 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Updated 3 weeks ago

    Services - Nakai Photography

    Event photography

    Family portraits

    Portraits

    Nakai Photography Photographers Photos

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    Recommended Reviews - Nakai Photography

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    Reviews With Photos

    iddells E.

    A couple of years ago, I was newly engaged and my hunt for wedding vendors had just begun. I really didn't know what to expect in terms of photography packages and pricing. Kenny Nakai was the first photographer I found out about. I viewed his blog in astonishment since I've never seen such beautiful, elegant, and artistic pictures. Honestly, the prices shocked me at first. But when I found out about rates from other independent photographers around the area, Kenny's rates for his packages were comparable, if not better. There are also those larger photography companies you see in wedding expos; they do have good deals, but they just seem so generic. Kenny genuinely takes the time to get to know you and find out what you envision on your wedding day. Included in all of this packages is an engagement session. It was quite awkward at first, but Kenny is such a cool guy and he immediately makes you feel comfortable. During the wedding day, Kenny went to my fiance-at-the-time's house to take pre-ceremony pictures of him getting ready and then to my parent's house for my pictures. He then made his way to the church. He conducted himself with professionalism and was very discreet and respectful during the ceremony. After the ceremony, we managed to squeeze in three photo shoot locations within a small time frame and make it to the reception just in time. There was no sense of rush, we all had a good time and Kenny was fun to work with. We took pictures at Swedish Bakery, Montrose Harbor, and underneath the El tracks just south of Montrose. Kenny actually suggested the location underneath the tracks....it was a unique place for a shoot and it's definitely something that screams Chicago. The way that Kenny incorporated the steel framework in the shots was so cool....we loved it! Kenny has such an artistic and creative eye and has an amazing ability to capture the moment. He's very passionate about what he does and it shows. We are very happy that we chose Kenny as our photographer. We've been getting great compliments about our wonderful pictures. If you want exceptional photography, price should not be the primary deciding factor....skill, artistry, and experience of the photographer is what should be taken into consideration. Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life, you want to capture the day as close as you can, as vividly as you can. You want to look at those pictures years from now, remember how wonderful the day was, feel the emotions you felt on that day, and not think about how blurry the photo is, how better it would have looked if the photo was taken from a different angle, or how much more lighting there needed to be. My husband and I love looking through our wedding pictures and showing them to our friends and family. We highly recommend Kenny, you will not be disappointed! Kenny definitely excels in photography and is constantly growing as a photographer. His passion has led him around the world and he recently just opened up a studio in Lincoln Park. He currently has a great promotion going on for last minute holiday photos....check it out!

    Matthew and John light the Unity Candle.
    Matthew J.

    Kenny's photos were so good, we were immediately contacted but Chicago Style Weddings magazine who wanted to use them. Our wedding was the most amazing experience of my life and I can't imagine anyone capturing it better than Kenny. He is an artist and he's fun when you need him to be and he disappears when you don't need him, but all the while he is taking stunning photographs from every angle. Thanks Kenny, you are truly worth it.

    at Bridgeport Art Center

    We love Kenny - plain and simple. My (now) husband and I planned our wedding in 8 months. After our venue was booked, a photographer was the very next thing on our list to book. We did a good amount of research online (searching photographers' portfolios and blogs) and asking married friends/family for referrals. But once we came upon Kenny's websites, his work just blew us away. We loved his style and creativity that we just didn't feel like we saw with the others. We knew he'd come with some kind of price, but we felt it was well worth it. He's such a great guy, so easy to work with, and he just made us feel so comfortable. We fed off his playfulness and put complete trust in him and our pictures turned out absolutely beautiful. He's still completely professional as well - quickly responds to emails and even accommodates last minute requests I had that had fast deadlines. He helped us find they type of pictures and backgrounds we wanted, even if that meant going all around Chicago to get them! But we were so thankful he really listened to our wants and our personality. We were so happy that we made such a great decision in going with Kenny. We'll turn to him again in a heartbeat. Thank you, Kenny!

    One of my favorites...just outside Water Tower.
    J. P.

    Kenny shot our December 2013 wedding and from beginning to end, it was an amazing experience. People, I am telling you--this man knows his craft, he is a perfectionist and he cares deeply about taking beautiful, timeless and modern photojournalistic style photos. He goes above and beyond what you expect from a wedding photographer. First, the photos were absolutely spectacular and technically gorgeous. We wanted holiday-themed photos, and Kenny took the time to scout out potential locations and found an absolutely perfect setting near the old Water Tower. Which leads me to the second point -- that Kenny gives you careful, attentive personalized service that is second to none. As mentioned, Kenny took the time to find the perfect location during a busy (and cold) holiday season. He helped talk us down from ideas that would have not worked logistically and gave us thoughtful and beautiful alternatives. It was exactly what we wanted -- subtle holiday touches and classic but not cliche Chicago locations. He also shot indoor photos at the Cultural Center, along with "getting ready" shots, traditional family shots and of course ceremony and reception shots. He also gave us great tips, such as bring hand warmers and kleenex to deal with the cold outdoor sessions. He also stayed with us the ENTIRE day, and was very patient during the limo rides and family photos. He uploaded the photos that evening so guests could view them on his laptop during the reception. Each and every picture was gorgeous and I received endless compliments. He delivered the photos in a beautiful, custom-made DVD case. AND, Kenny is nice, down-to-earth, easy to work with, funny and puts you at ease. What more can you ask for? I could go on and on, but I am telling you if you are lucky enough to get Kenny book him immediately. You will not be disappointed.

    Family pics!

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    Ask the Community - Nakai Photography

    Review Highlights - Nakai Photography

    My wife and I went to Kenny's studio back in February for a family photo session with our newborn little girl.

    Mentioned in 32 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Mark Trela Photography - Portrait after the wedding ceremony

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    Mark & Magda photographed our June 2017 wedding and I could not have been happier with the entire…read moreexperience. From the very beginning, Mark was super easy to communicate with and he always responded promptly to the plethora of questions that I threw at him. At our initial meeting, he really took the time to understand what I was looking for in a photographer and what was important to me when photographing our wedding day. From looking through his blog, I knew immediately that his style of photography was exactly what we were looking for; candid, artsy, and a unique way of capturing light (this was huge for me). After we signed the contract with him, Mark was great about keeping in touch over the months leading up to the wedding to get all the specifics of the day and to check in to see if I had any questions. He always made himself available via email or phone if I needed advice for how to best set up our schedule for the day or even if I had silly freak out questions about worst-case weather scenarios (which he always put me at ease about). I really appreciated that Mark & Madga took a day ahead of time to scope out our church and reception venue. I told him it was very important that we incorporate the outdoors as much as we could, and he made sure to find some great potential locations for photos. On the day of, Mark and Magda were able to coordinate perfectly to ensure that both my husband and I would have pictures of us getting ready with our bridal parties. They are both so personable and fun that they quickly put me at ease and really blended into the background to get all of these amazing candid shots throughout the morning. The ceremony went flawlessly and they coordinated group family shots with ease. I think that my favorite thing about working with Mark and Magda was how enthusiastic they were about taking amazing photographs. They went out of their way to convince an owner of a private barn to let us take pictures on his property and I couldn't help but really get into the photo session as Mark was so excited about the location and the light filtering into the barn. The photos from our cocktail hour were such a pleasant surprise to look at after the wedding as I barely even noticed them mingling in the groups to snag some amazing candid photos of all our friends and family. Mark was able to coordinate the timing perfectly at our reception to sneak us outside right after dinner to get these amazing golden hour pictures on the beach. I highly highly recommend Mark Trela as a Wedding Photographer. He is a true professional, a super great guy to have around on your big day, and he creates absolutely stunning photographs.

    Nakai Photography - eventphotography - Updated June 2026

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