When I first came across Michael L'Heureux Photography, I thought it sounded very artistic and…read moremaybe even a little intimidating. I got the first part wrong but couldn't be more wrong about the second! =) I can't say enough good things about Michael. We hired him as our wedding photographer and, from our first phone interview with him to the actual day of the wedding, he has been the model of great client service and dedication. On top of that, Michael is just a genuinely nice guy. My hubby and I had many great vendors for our wedding, but Michael stood out for always going the extra mile, and we are so so so happy we hired him! I consider myself to be a pretty unphotogenic person, but I was amazed at how many great photos Michael captured. He really has an artistic eye. I wish I knew more about photography so I could better express all the beautiful elements in our pictures, but suffice to say, we got tons of compliments on them. =) But on top of his amazing talent and a calming demeanor that put even a photo-shy subject like me at ease, Michael's dedication really blew me away. Even though our venue in Monterey was hours away from his home, he visited it several times before the actual wedding day just to scout locations and check lighting. He didn't take a single break during the 9+ hour shooting period because he didn't want to miss a single shot. It's been a real pleasure working with Michael and he gets my highest recommendation to any bride who wants to hire a reliable, talented and service-oriented wedding photographer. P.S. He's not just a wedding photographer, he also shoots a lot of non-wedding photos~

There are not enough superlatives I can throw at Michael that can describe my wife and I's…read moreexperience with him for our engagement shoot and wedding. For starters, he took time out of a weekend he was in the area for a personal trip to shoot our engagement shoot. Our wedding was in Santa Barbara and since Michael had come up to San Francisco to visit friends he squeezed in our engagement shoot. Not only did he do that, he went out to the location early to scout for great spots so he could be sure we didn't waste any good light once we started shooting. My wife is beautiful and takes amazing pictures. I am the polar opposite of that. I can manage to look goofy or make a strange face in about 99% of the pictures I take. Michael and the 2nd shooter he brought to our wedding, Anthony somehow managed to even make me look good. At the wedding we didn't spend hours doing weird posed shots or wrangling together distant relatives for pictures we'd probably never look at twice. He knew we wanted things that were beautiful but seemed like candid shots. There are pictures I still look at today that were special intimate moments, and I have no idea how he got a shot of them without me seeing him snap the picture. He was so accommodating and easy to work with, it was just one thing about the wedding that brought no extra stress. I cannot recommend him highly enough. Do yourself a favor and talk to Michael, look through his portfolio and if you see shots that you think are your style, book him before someone else does. It will be one of the best decisions you make during your wedding planning.

First of all, I want to say that I could tell from visiting Kent's webpage, that this guy knows…read morephotography. I was excited to buy the Living Social deal because a deal like that was not to be passed up, especially seeing his work and reading the positive reviews on Yelp. Would I recommend him? I have actually, but maybe I shouldn't have....Would I use him again, No and I'll explain why... We exchanged emails (since this is his preferred method) and set a date and time. On the day of, my family arrived and I emailed him to tell him that we were there waiting. He called me back, but I didn't hear it so he left a vm and told me that I have the wrong time. I was pretty sure I had the correct time. Fortunately I was in the right and he told me that he never ever was late to any job. I am forgiving and it was ok, we're at the park, so my son was just playing anyway. Kent arrives, visibly flustered, but did not apologize or seem very personable when he approached. I was taken aback but wanted to get the photo shoot going. He kept distant. Even my father made a comment to me, I just shrugged it off. In hindsight wouldn't it be us upset with him for being tardy? - nope he seemed pissed at US! I kept my distance and let him do his thing. He took a lot of pictures of my son playing in the playground but not many pictures of my family together. He eventually warmed up at the end of the hour but I just couldn't understand why he seemed so upset. My family and I are approachable and I truly was not upset with him for being late. I felt he was trying to avoid me when I tried to make him feel welcome. Kent needs to lighten up or at least smile once in a while! Kent appreciates monetary tips and I gave him one. While I didn't really feel he gave the service that day, I like helping local vendors and we got our deal from LS so I thought I would be generous. We took our family photos in February, I got a threatening email over the Father's day weekend to tell me that I had used a copyrighted image (on LinkedIn) that was not to be used outside of personal use. It really turned my day sour. It wasn't my intention to cheat him out of paying for a head shot, I posted it without thought. Communication is biting, instead of service oriented. I'm afraid to use him again, he'll likely bite my head off! I really wanted to root for him but after all this I rather just stay far far away.

Everyone on yelp has asked who took your photo or compliment my photo. Well the answer is here…read moreeveryone. The Amazing Kent Hwang was the man with the magic touch. He is truly the best photographer I have ever worked with. Professional and passionate about his work. I have never met a harder working man. He really listens to what you want and has never failed me. Because of his work, he got me signed with one of the World's top modeling agency (Ford) and I am ever so grateful. I've always noticed his work and talent. He has a gift of capturing the true you and I promise you will love your photos. I love his work and I have worked with him for over 4 years. So, whatever the occasion is; weddings, birthdays, building portfolios, new images for your business or just want good family photos, contact this man. He won't disappoint you.

If you are considering a photographer, search no more. You have found the perfect one right here…read more My family and I chose Salvador Ibe Photography to handle the photography for our family reunion celebration. Sal combines the best of both worlds in terms of photography - the experience and professionalism when it comes to taking great pictures, and the creativity and imagination of a true artist. My family is not the easiest to work with but Sal was extremely patient throughout the entire day. He has a fantastic eye, can work quickly and supremely professional all-around. His positive energy made the whole day such an enjoyable experience. We cannot express how happy we are with our photographs. Sal is one of those people who creates art through his photography. In addition to his great work, his prices are extremely reasonable. We will definitely use his services again if we have another special event to photograph.

Several months ago, my wife and I began our search for a photographer who would shoot our April…read morewedding in a way that would capture the dynamics of our family. I should rephrase my above sentence to --- just my wife was looking. But I remember how frustrated she was getting looking for the right person. She heard of Sal through word of mouth and planned a day where we could all meet. We met on a weekend afternoon and I was amazed how friendly and how in tune he was with what he wanted. Our passion to find the right photographer was equally met by his enthusiasm for his art. We booked him that day for our wedding. The wedding day came and Sal did a good job of being invisible. One of the things we really wanted was a photographer would capture the candid moments. The moments that are not posed, but rather a snapshot of emotion at a specific time when one thinks no one is looking. We did a few posed photos for family members but after that, we were able to concentrate on the family and friends who were there to share our special day. A couple weeks after the wedding we got a "teaser" photo from our wedding. The moment I saw it I became an emotional little baby! Honestly, we could have just stopped there and been happy with that one photo. However, we were lucky enough receive the rest of the photos this past weekend. The pictures were amazing and found many that could be the huge picture in the living room that says, "Look at us!". There was a great mixture of color and black and white. But the most amazing ones were those that were the candid moments. The honest smiles and tears that were captured are worth a million! The service and personability of Sal is beyond professional! I would recommend him to anyone who wants a photographer who cares about his craft and enthusiastic about capturing the perfect moment for you!

Fernando was the photographer for a wedding I coordinated recently and was an absolute pleasure to…read morework with. His attention to detail was clear from the moment he got there. His joy and passion for his work spilled out in all directions and put everyone at ease. He also made my job easier, as he was absolutely receptive to (and even appreciative of!) my reminders of the tight timeline we were working under. He was totally willing and able to adjust on the fly, all while making sure he got the shots that the couple wanted. The photos themselves turned out beautifully! Often times a photographer is stronger in one area than another -- Fernando excels all around. The variety and quality of photos he delivered is impressive. He not only got the posed, formal group and family photos but managed to capture the spirit of the event with his candids! Bottom line: I would highly recommend Fernando for all your photography needs.

We've had Fernando photograph our family a few times. He takes great photos, is reasonably priced,…read moreand is really good at helping you to settle into the shoot and feel natural. The photos came out beautiful, and we'll definitely be back.

An update to my earlier review. Ed met with me personally to apologize for his inability to…read morefulfill his obligations to us after our daughter's wedding in 2012. Ed explained that he was dealing with some personal challenges at the time and he owned that he completely dropped the ball. Ed brought with him a flash drive memory stick that contained all of the digital pics that he had taken from the wedding, as well he gave us an amazing hardcover book that he had made of the wedding event. In the end, I truly feel that Ed was sincere in his apology and that he has "right sized" his business to a level that he can keep up with....so I would not hesitate to use him again, as his work is amazing!

We worked with Ed again, this time for our maternity photos. He's easy to work with and very…read moretalented. We feel comfortable with him and am sure it will show in our shots. Ed has a great eye and a unique artistic style. He also got low on the ground to get different angles. It was a fun photoshoot, and everything just flowed today! He's skilled with lighting. I've seen his portfolio evolve since first working with him and can tell he gains more and more depth with each shoot. He can make urban and street photos pop, but can also show a softer side with engagement and maternity photos. Again, I'm excited to see the results!! It's always a pleasure working with him.

My husband and I were married 7 months ago and I don't think a day has gone by that we haven't…read morerelived our beautiful wedding through Melinda's GORGEOUS photos! Melinda and her assistant, Cathy, are a real dream team. I can't believe we almost didn't even meet Melinda because we were afraid she was out of our budget. But I was so in love with her style that I couldn't just write her off. Luckily, I convinced my then fiance to at least meet her. We were very honest about our budget and Melinda was gracious enough to work out a deal. On the day of the wedding, Melinda and Cathy did everything to make us, our bridal party, and family feel comfortable. our guests fell in love with them like we did and still comment about how charming the two are. Anytime our wedding comes up in conversation, my dad inevitably mentions how great Melinda and Cathy are, and we can't help but enthusiastically agree. Melinda perfectly captured the vintage essence of our theme. She caught the joy and love that surrounded us that day. If I could change one thing about our wedding, it would be to budget more for photography so we could enjoy Melinda's company longer! She is worth every penny and more!

Melinda shot our wedding back in October 2009…read more She was amazing. she was so creative and made out pictures look AMAZING. I am so thankful i was able to have her shoot one of the most special days of our lives. She took time to get all the details of our wedding, and had great poses for my husband and i. We had some time between our ceremony and reception so we went to Santa Row to take pictures . they turned out great ! they look like we got married somewhere in Italy !!! - Melinda, Cant wait to have another even for you to shoot. You have an amazing talent. Thank you for sharing it with everyone ! -Isaac & Candace

My son, husband, dog, and I recently had our family portrait done by Jamey Thomas. It was a fun and…read morepositive experience for the four of us. We made sure to remember dog treats, which kept our dog focused and on task. We met at Crissy Field so we could have the Golden Gate Bridge in the background of some of our pictures. Jamey has a great personality for getting everyone comfortable and keeping things light. He took lots of pictures as we walked around. I felt like we were famous as we strolled around and had our picture taken almost every step of the way. My son moves fast and isn't the most cooperative subject, so Jamey had his work cut out for him. After about an hour of playing around and getting several candid and some posed shots, Jamey suggested we caravan to a eucalyptus grove that was just 10 minutes away. It was wooded and gorgeous, providing a different look for the photographs. I recommend Jamey highly for portraits, especially if you want photos shot in a outdoor setting with natural light. Wind was a factor for me in blustery SF, so next time I think I'll tie my hair back. If you get a chance, check out Thomas' portfolio online. I didn't post our best photos for privacy reasons - we have 79 images images on a CD, in both color and black and white. Our funniest photo was the "booty shot" directed by my son of all 4 of us sticking out our jean-clad (except the dog, who participated for sure!) booties standing against a log overlooking the forest. Though G-rated, it is a classic for sure. 5 enthusiastic stars.

My husband and I hired Jamey for our October 2012 backyard wedding in Santa Cruz. We found Jamey…read morethrough the vendor list on apracticalwedding.com where each vendor is required to take their Sanity Pledge. When you have a second, I suggest reading it. I interviewed a few photographers over the phone and kept coming back to Jamey. I just found him to be respectful, kind, straight-forward, not pushy, and reasonable. My husband and I met with Jamey in person where we looked at printed copies of his work and talked about our personalities and what we wanted in a photographer. We were sold. He captured movement and light so well. I cannot emphasize the importance of feeling comfortable with your photographer. My husband and I can be hams for the camera, but we can be bit shy when asked to be serious and pose. It was important to us to avoid having a yelling or aggressive photographer. We felt at ease with Jamey and we felt that our guests and family would be at ease as well. For our engagement photos, Jamey came to our home and took photos of us around our favorite places in Santa Cruz (our home w/ our cat, Ocean View Park, our local ice cream shop, the Boardwalk). In preparing for this photo shoot, Jamey just encouraged us to be comfortable, to do our thing. The results were excellent. It was a good warm-up for the big day. We had 130 guests at our wedding. Jamey was awesome and he fit right in with the crowd. Guests were just so impressed with how easily and nicely he moved through the crowd talking with people, asking to take a photo. Jamey's best photos are the photojournalistic shots - the candid photos of us and our guests having a great time. We had a backyard wedding and a lot of time and effort was spent to make that yard look special. He really captured how pretty it was. Jamey is worth it. I look at all the photos now and I find that they really do tell the story of that day. Other pluses: Jamey is responsive to emails and phone calls. He was so patient - I had lots of questions. Agreement for services was also abundantly clear. He provided final photos faster than expected. He was a joy to work with and I kinda miss harassing him with my questions and worries over outfits and makeup. My mother really liked him - that says a lot.

Thos Robinson recently created some YouTube videos for my catering business. He is creative,…read moreimaginative and helpful with staging, flow of content, and inspiring questions to keep the conversation on track. He has a keen eye for capturing the story behind the image; he is kind, patient, and has a great sense of humor. His portfolio of still images is iconic, and I look forward to working with him on future projects -- I highly recommend his expertise.

I recently had the pleasure of working with Thos on a location shoot for an interior design…read morewebsite. He is the consummate professional; timely, efficient, highly knowledgeable and with excellent vision and direction. The images that he produced were sublime, and I highly recommend working with him.