Choosing Russ Levi Photography was, without question, the best decision we made for our wedding. Russ and his wonderful wife Alex are an incredible team. Watching them work together is something special--they are both so respectful, supportive, and talented in their own unique ways. Their partnership brings such a calm, positive energy that made the entire experience feel effortless. Our journey with them began during our engagement session in San Francisco, and it was truly magical. Russ captured my husband and me in such a genuine way--our joy, excitement, and the love we felt as we prepared to start the next chapter of our lives together. He has such a natural gift for making you feel comfortable in front of the camera. Instead of posing us endlessly, he simply encouraged us to enjoy each other's company, laugh, and be ourselves. Because of that, every photo feels authentic and full of life. When our wedding day arrived, Russ and Alex captured it even more beautifully than we could have imagined. They didn't just photograph the big moments--they noticed and preserved the little details, the laughter of our guests, the quiet emotional moments, and all the small things that made the day so meaningful. Looking through our photos feels like reliving the entire day again. From our very first meeting to the wedding itself, every interaction with Russ and Alex was warm, kind, and genuinely fun. They care deeply about their couples and it truly shows in their work. Your photographer is one of the most important decisions you will make for your wedding day, and we feel incredibly grateful that we chose Russ Levi Photography. If you are considering them, don't hesitate--you will absolutely treasure the memories they capture for you. read more

We hired Russ for both our engagement and wedding photography, and he was absolutely phenomenal to work with. I first came across his work while browsing venue galleries and was immediately drawn to how vibrant, natural, and full of life his photos looked. From the very start, Russ made us feel completely at ease. He has an incredible ability to bring out your best angles and most authentic selves -- we felt confident, relaxed, and honestly had a ton of fun during every shoot. The results blew us away. These are hands-down the best photos we've ever had of ourselves -- we'll cherish them forever. Our family and friends can't stop raving about them either. If you're considering working with Russ: do it. You won't regret it. read more

As a wedding planner, I've had the pleasure of working with this photographer for over 10 years, and they are truly one of the most talented and genuine professionals I know. Their ability to capture real moments the big emotions and the quiet in-between ones is something really special. Beyond their beautiful work, they are simply wonderful to have on a wedding day: calm, kind, professional, and always supportive of the entire team. After so many weddings together, I still look forward to working with them every time. My clients always love their photos, but just as importantly, they love the experience of working with them. I recommend them wholeheartedly read more

Russ is absolutely incredible and was one of the best decisions we made throughout our wedding process! We worked with Russ for both our engagement photos last year and our wedding, and both experiences exceeded our expectations. Our wedding photos are absolutely stunning -- he delivered over 1,800 beautiful images that perfectly capture the emotion and joy of our special day. You can truly feel the love and happiness in every shot. What sets Russ apart is his dedication to his craft and his clients. The weekend before our wedding, he went above and beyond to help prepare by second-shooting a wedding at our venue specifically to scout the lighting for our wedding photos. This level of commitment is unmatched and really shows how much he cares about delivering the best possible results. Throughout the planning process and on our wedding day, Russ was completely professional and worked seamlessly with all our other vendors. He captured all the moments that mattered most to us, and his style beautifully reflects the emotion of the day. As an added bonus, he delivered our photos quickly and his editing work is fantastic. We cannot recommend Russ highly enough -- if you want a photographer who truly goes the extra mile and delivers incredible results, he's your guy! read more

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I would hire Russ a million times more. His level of professionalism, quality, pose direction, and work ethic is everything you want in a wedding photographer. Thank you so much for giving us such cherished memories we can hold forever! read more

Russ Levi Photography - Event Photography Near Me - San Francisco, California

We CANNOT say enough about Russ. I said this a few times now to my wedding guests who've asked about him: He's the wedding day best friend you've always wanted. But let's start from the beginning. From our first video call with Russ, he was super friendly, responsive, organized and very personable. He was understanding when we were first nervous about costs and then super flexible when we ended up adding a bunch of stuff (like an engagement shoot) which we 100% are glad we did. If you're having your wedding at Nestldown down, he's extremely experienced with the venue. The entire day I felt like I was just laughing and letting him lead the day - especially for the first half. He's great at navigating different family dynamics because you know how they can be with pictures. As important as the experience was with him (which I can't emphasize enough), he's such a talented photographer. Russ is about capturing moments and dynamic shots. He does not spend much time posing you or recreating typical wedding shots. He's the type of photographer who wants to find something unique in the moment and at your wedding. That's what drew us to him and that's what we love most about the photos we got back. read more

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Our favorite! My wife and I fell in love with Russ' work and professionalism. They say that the vendor you see most during your wedding is your photographer, and we couldn't have been more thrilled to spend our day with Russ! Starting with our early conversations, we could immediately tell that Russ was an intelligent and talented photographer. He broke down Nestldown's timeline and explained everything that we could expect leading up to our wedding. He also understood that we weren't used to taking professional photos which is why we decided to use him as our photographer for our engagement photos. The engagement photoshoot was an incredible experience. It was fun, adventurous, and a learning experience for my wife and I. We became very comfortable with Russ and his style. Best of all, the photos turned out amazing! The wedding itself was tightly planned and we were able to take all the photos we wanted. We captured moments with our wedding party, family, friends, and us as a couple. Even the photos of the event came out perfect. My wife and I can't stop going through our wedding photos and reliving the day! I highly recommend hiring Russ as your photographer for any event! read more

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We booked Alex (Russ's wife, who is also an amazing photographer) for our wedding and she was the perfect photographer! We looked at a lot of photographers for our wedding and Alex's portfolio and editing style really stood out. She does a great job of editing true color photos with a bit of enhancement. Her editing is also very consistently good when looking at her full albums. She is also incredibly friendly and fun to work with! She was enthusiastic about discussing planning and photo ideas. We put together a Pinterest board with some inspiration for our venue which she loved. Alex really hustled our whole wedding to make sure she captured everything. She has an amazing eye for framing beautiful photos and is great at giving posing direction for individual and group shots. We enjoyed shooting with her and her suggestions were helpful for making sure we captured great pictures. She managed to make our wedding photos, including the posed photos, feel effortless and fun so we were able to focus on enjoying our wedding! We would definitely recommend her as a wedding photographer. Her portfolio speaks for itself, but she is also the full package of friendly and professional :) read more

We interviewed several photographers for our wedding before choosing Russ based on both his gorgeous body of work and his personable, upbeat approach. Russ was communicative and friendly in the months leading up to the wedding, and even scheduled a phone call a week ahead of time to discuss our vision for the photos, make suggestions and provide valuable advice on how to efficiently organize all of our family and friends to get the photos we wanted without taking too much time away from the celebration. Russ joined us for our rehearsal dinner and immediately brought great energy and positivity. Our guests were so excited to have a professional there to capture the evening, and he made sure to capture the smaller details and decorations in addition to our lovely guests, both candid and staged. On our wedding day, Russ showed up early and immediately got to work photographing the details and scenery. Him and Amy helped us to knock out all of our bridesmaid and groomsmen photos ahead of the ceremony so that our wedding party could enjoy the cocktail hour, and expertly directed us where to stand to catch the perfect light and how to move our bodies to get great, natural looking shots. They also took some priceless photos of everyone getting ready for the big day. Russ did a fantastic mix of stunning portraits of the bride and groom, fun/silly photos on the dance floor, candid moments, family photos, and images of all of the decorations and details that we will want to remember most. He also checked in to make sure that he was getting all of the pictures that we wanted, which we really appreciated, and gave great suggestions for silly/cute things to do as well. We received a sneak peek of over 200 of our photos within days of the event. We were totally stunned by the quality, creativity, and diversity of the photos. We could not have asked for a better experience and are so happy to have chosen Russ! read more

Russ Levi Photography - Event Photography Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Choosing Russ was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. His photographs perfectly captured and preserved all the emotions of our special day. Thanks to Russ, we have a beautiful collection of formal shots as well as candids that are full of light and life. Not to mention, he has such a warm personality that instantly puts people at ease--so many of our guests complimented both him and his photographs! read more

I wish I could give six stars. Working with Russ Levi Photography was a perfect experience from start to finish, beautifully capturing my proposal to my partner, and giving us images and memories we will both remember forever. Russ dedicated significant amounts of time to me prior to my proposal date, discussing details and logistics in great depth and detail. He utilized his expertise to give me very helpful guidance regarding the exact proposal location up on Mount Tamalpais, in my hometown Marin County. He showed me examples of his previous sessions, and made me feel comfortable and confident all throughout. On the day of my proposal, I learned how talented and personable Russ' partner, Alex, is with a camera! Alex stepped in to photograph my proposal on the day of, when a health matter prevented Russ from photographing the moment (life happens!). I was very impressed by Alex's ability to step in and support on the day of. She arrived at the location well in advance, to give me the opportunity to practice and to take some sample shots. When it came time to propose, she captured our very favorite pictures of ourselves both during and after. Alex photographed us through a mixture of guided poses and candid moments. She made my partner and I feel relaxed and joyful from start to finish, and was happily willing to take an hour's worth of pictures of us! Afterwards, my partner and I were thrilled to receive a very generous service on Russ' part, in the form of him giving us over three times the number of edited pictures on top of what I had paid. He did this as a thank you for my flexibility on the day of the proposal, but all I felt was gratitude for both of them. Russ even performed higher-level retouching for us on a handful of images where we loved everything about them except for some stray hairs :) The photographs we received are beautifully vivid, colorful, and captivating. As an amateur photographer myself, I am nowhere near their skillset but have an eye for high quality work, and they more than delivered. I would wholeheartedly recommend working with Russ Levi Photography for any professional service, and I really hope I have the opportunity to work with them again in the future! read more

Russ is absolutely amazing, I would hire him again in seconds! Russ Levi Photography was a recommendation by our wedding venue, and I immediately fell in love with his photography on his website. The vibrant and candid photos he displayed were exactly the portrayal I wanted for my big day. Russ worked with me and my budget, which I am so thankful for, and he was so helpful with any questions I had. Russ was wonderful on the day of the wedding, and he made my husband and I feel so comfortable in front of the camera. I never felt like the photos were staged and cheesy, it really felt like I was hanging out with a friend all day who happened to be taking photos. absolutely recommend him to anyone looking for a photographer! read more

*LOOK NO FURTHER** YOU HAVE FOUND YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER** Russ was the photographer for my wedding in May 2021. He was booked within a month of our wedding and the process was easy and straight to the point. He made us feel very comfortable from start to finish and his prices were awesome, although I do think maybe he should reconsider raising his prices because his work is amazing!! haha. With him you will find all your worries shifted to happiness and joy because he makes it that easy. Turn around for photos were quick...I could go on and on. BOOK HIM AND SEE FOR YOURSELF read more

Russ Levi Photography - Event Photography Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Russ photographed our proposal and we absolutely couldn't be happier! He's fun and easy to work with, making us feel totally at ease in front of the camera. His work is high quality and his process is streamlined; we received our gallery in a very timely manner. We absolutely love our photos and feel so lucky to have had Russ document these amazing moments for us! If you're looking for excellent photos from a true professional, Russ is your guy. read more

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We couldn't imagine having a better photographer for our wedding than Russ. He's such a professional, took absolutely stunning photos for us, and got the photos back to us lightning fast. If he's available for your date, book him fast before he's taken! We had previously used Russ for our engagement photoshoot at SF MOMA and loved the way the photos came out. With the pandemic making a full wedding tricky, we chose to switch to a micro-wedding, with a few onsite guests and more on Zoom, down in southern California (Malibu) and Russ agreed to drive down from the Bay Area to shoot it for us. He arrived early and covid safe in an N95 mask. He's great at putting you at ease all day. We also love that he mostly uses a photojournalistic/candid style that documents everything but doesn't get in the way of your wedding with lots of distractions and staged photos. He takes colorful and sharp photos that really capture the moment and make you look great and feel like a moviestar. read more

Russ Levi Photography - Event Photography Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We're extremely grateful (and lucky!) to have Russ as our photographer on our most special day! The pictures that he took look amazing and really captures the authenticity of each moment. Looking at these photos now gives us that very special wedding day feeling, as if we were re-living the moment. We're really happy with the way the photos turned out and we will definitely treasure them for our lifetime. If anyone we know needs an awesome photographer, we will definitely recommend RUSS LEVI to them! read more

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This is definitely overdue BUT I had the best experience with Russ Levi! I'm from the Boston area and planned a Cali trip with my girlfriend (now fiancé). I found Russ Levi Photography and he was absolutely fantastic and easy to work with, especially since we we are across the country from each other. He answered any and all questions I had and was SO supportive in this surprise proposal I had in mind. He exceeded my expectations and my fiancé loved him as well. Thank you for helping us create a memory that will last a lifetime. read more

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Russ is the absolute best. We hired him for our ranch wedding in Tomales. He made us feel incredibly comfortable. My husband and I had never done couples photos before and were nervous about the "golden hour" photo shoot feeling awkward. Instead that part of the wedding ended up being incredibly fun and special. We have our photos back now and I cannot stop looking at them. He managed to capture the quite moments, the ones of pure joy and energy, and somehow every single one of our 160 guests. read more

We worked with Russ for our wedding and engagement photos and we love his work! Russ was on the recommended list for our venue, and after checking out his portfolio we knew we had to reach out to him. After an initial consult, we chose to go with Russ. We first met Russ at our engagement shoot. We are both relatively shy and uncomfortable in front of the camera, but Russ made us feel at ease. We love our engagement photos and love our wedding photos even more. Russ was so easy to work with on the wedding day - he was on time, communicative, and helpful. He kept our family photos moving and helped organize guests for photos. Our guests even commented on how great Russ was at the wedding. He delivered a (very large) sneak peek within just a few days of the wedding. Overall, Russ is a great guy and an amazing photographer. We would highly recommend Russ to anyone looking for an engagement/wedding photographer! read more

I've used Russ a couple times now and the quality and colors of his shots are absolutely amazing! I pretty much plan on using him for any other future photoshoots! He did our anniversary shoot and I love the pictures so much that recently booked him for our daughter's 1 year old family shoot. Super friendly guy and I highly recommend him! read more

Russ Levi Photography - Event Photography Near Me - San Francisco, California

Russ was our photographer for our March wedding at The Mountain Terrace in Woodside. He took the time to get to know us via videocall months before the event, and was very warm and responsive to all of our questions and concerns regarding logistics, timing, and specific shots leading up to the wedding. The weather on wedding day was windy, cold, rainy, and generally unpleasant, but Russ was encouraging of us taking pictures outside with the beautiful backdrop of redwoods regardless. He even had an umbrella hat on to protect his cameras from the elements! All the pictures from the event candidly captured the joy, love, and excitement of the day. Russ was absolutely professional, organized, flexible, and directive while also being warm and personable throughout the experience. We would recommend Russ in a heartbeat to anyone looking for an outstanding photographer for their wedding or other upcoming event. Thank you Russ! read more

Russ Levi Photography - Event Photography Near Me - San Francisco, California

Engagement: Russ is AMAZING. He listened to everything I wanted and really helped my fiancé and I get into fun and relaxed poses. His eye for light and detail is amazing and I LOVE my engagement photos! Wedding: Well, my wedding is over and I am unbelievably joyous over the photos I've received. Every single member of my bridal party (and a ton of my guests) are 100% obsessed with Russ and his amazing personality. He made a lasting positive impression on all of us and it has just reconfirmed how great of a decision it was to work with him. I can't wait for another excuse to get photos done by him! read more

Russ Levi Photography - Photo by Russ Levi - Russ made my wedding look like an absolute dream! I feel like a princess in my photos! :) - Event Photography Near Me - San Francisco, California

Russ was absolutely incredible and we highly recommend him. We worked with him for both our engagement and backyard wedding. Both were incredibly intimate affairs, and we are so happy that Russ was there to not only capture but be a wonderful addition to the moment. Here are some of the highlights of working with Russ: - He was very personable and informative when we first contacted him to learn more about his working style to see if it was a good fit for us. My then-fiancée really loved his work, describing it as joyful, dynamic, and romantic. - After we booked him for the wedding, I secretly reached out to book him for the engagement as well. He was very supportive through that process, offering suggestions for good vistas in the area depending on the weather. He went up to the spot ahead of time to help clear away any folks that would interfere with the shot (it ended up being foggy and cold so no one was there, but he still waited for us nevertheless). He also drove us from one location to another for the various shoots. A+ for punctuality and helpfulness! - Russ is a wonderful photographer. He balances being direct with how he wants you to get just the perfect shot with giving you general positions to be in, letting you add your personal flair. He's very witty and cracks a lot of jokes, lightening the mood and making you naturally laugh and smile. We had a fantastic time during our engagement shoot! - For our wedding, we went with one of his recommendations for a videographer, Spencer Sarson, who was also incredible. They both arrived early to setup and take photos of the venue (earlier than any of our guests). - Given that this was during Covid, Russ was very professional with everything safety-wise (mask, vaccination status, etc.). - The photos he took are brilliant. We are extremely pleased with how everything came out and with the number of high quality images that we'll have for years to come. - The process for working with Russ post-shoot has been smooth. He is very professional and responds in a timely manner. Overall we give Russ Levi our highest recommendation for any couple looking for the best wedding photographer that the Bay Area has to offer! read more

Russ Levi Photography - Event Photography Near Me - San Francisco, California

It is difficult to choose a wedding photographer. SO difficult. It is so, so saturated and after looking at galleries for hours, they all start to look the same. But not for Russ. If you look at his gallery, there's something more lively about it. It's dramatic. And it doesn't make sense that Russ can create these breathtaking photos when a lot of other galleries are more "still"... but then you meet him and it starts to make a little more sense. He's an artist, through and through. The way his mind works is so intelligent...I was really blown away when he was making decisions about predicting light situations, what will work and what won't work.. you can tell he's so all over it. More than just that, he is SO funny, charismatic, and pleasurable to be around. We miss him already and intend to do more shoots with him in the future to hang out with him again. Lastly, our* gallery. It was natural for us to be doubtful that our photos would look half as good as the ones on his website. There was just no way.. but it was, indeed, way. Jaw-dropping. Better than we could have hoped. Friends and family going crazy about it. Book him early, the value is so* there. When finished, get a digital photo album and display at home forever. read more

My now-husband and I had the opportunity of working with Russ, not once but twice! First of our engagement photo session, and then again for our wedding day. For our engagement photos, we had planned on taking them outdoors in various neighborhoods in San Francisco. Just our luck - there was a heavy downpour the entire day. Luckily, Russ had alternative ideas that we were open to. We ended up taking them at SFMOMA and even took various 'artsy' photos in the rain. We loved them! While the weather was beautiful on our wedding day, the power went out at the hotel we were getting ready at. Russ and his second photographer arrived to pure chaos. Despite the high levels of stress, they helped calm us down and reminded us that natural light was better for indoor shots anyway. The rest of the day went smoothly and our photos turned out perfectly! If you want a straight-forward, honest, no-fluff photographer, Russ is the guy for you! He will wrangle and pose you and your loved ones with no time wasted and make sure the best moments are captured. Thank you for everything, Russ! read more

I am speechless by Russ's work because it was truly everything we ever wanted our wedding photos to be! Russ took our engagement photos and also captured our wedding day. Russ's style is beautiful, elegant, romantic and artsy. He is so easy to work with and has an amazing personality! The moment I saw Russ's work, I knew he was the one for us and I didn't interview any other photographer at all. Everything turned out to be more than perfect, we had a fairy tale wedding and Russ captured each moment exceptionally and now we have these beautiful pictures with us forever to remember! We usually feel awkward around the camera, but he made us feel so comfortable and we had such a great experience! ALL of our photos turned out amazing to the point it brought tears to my eyes cause they were so beautiful and perfect. He also gives great direction/guidance and is super knowledgable in photography. He is a true professional and is SO talented. If you are looking for a one of a kind photographer, hire Russ, you won't be disappointed, only amazed. I can guarantee you! If I could rewind to my whole wedding experience, I would pick Russ all over again :) read more

My fiancé and I had our engagement photos done in November 2019 by Russ and I can't rave enough about him! I first found him off the Knot website and fell in love with his portfolio. My fiancé and I knew throughout this process we would be the most picky about our photography for our engagement/wedding photos, but Russ was the one we both agreed on and felt his style was the one that embodied our style and vibe the most. We first scheduled our photos to be taken in October, but due to the fires sprouting up around the Bay Area and the wind, the smoke was likely to ruin our stunning back drops in SF. He was very flexible in waiting till the day of to call off the shoot and he was easy to reschedule for another date in November. Russ was punctual, easy to communicate with and answered my millions of questions. During the shoot, he was such a breeze to work with and was able to joke around and talk us through to positioning ourselves in a way that was natural and flattering. He is a master at utilizing natural light in order to make the photos look stunning. We are so in love with our engagement photos and we cannot wait till we are able to work with him again for our wedding! Many of our friends and family couldn't believe how beautiful our photos were and how well he captured our love for each other in a photograph. Highly recommended, don't hesitate to book with him! read more

Russ was absolutely INCREDIBLE during our wedding. Not only did he get amazing pictures, but he made everyone so comfortable and joyful throughout our day. I've got some challenging family members and Russ was incredibly skillful in maneuvering around them and prioritizing what we requested. He took nothing personally when people got in front of him. He was so patient and just made everyone laugh and feel good about everything happening. I can't even believe how good our photos looked. I'm not photogenic at all (I have kind of a lazy-eye) and he was able to make every shot beautiful. How he did it, I have no idea. With candid photos I felt his photography was magical. I was so surprised and pleased with so many things he was able to capture. I couldn't stop smiling and laughing while looking at what he caught with his camera. He is incredibly skilled and I loved everything that he did so I am incredibly grateful that Lisa Stone for suggested him to us. Ive had friends pay 5k for a wedding photographer and their pictures were blah. Russ' services were very affordable and worth every dollar. We had a beautiful venue and he did not skimp at all, but got to the venue early, knew where all of the most beautiful spots were, and where the best light was. He was good with communication throughout our planning and during our special day. Anything we requested, he happily obliged. I wasn't sure I would like posed photos but they were INCREDIBLE. We couldn't be happier. read more

I don't even know where to begin with how happy we are with Russ. We haven't even seen our wedding photos, but know they are going to be absolutely fabulous! (Got married only 2 days ago). I seriously couldn't wait to write a 5-star review for him and his second shooter. We didn't actually meet until the day of our wedding. Sure we had wonderful talks over the phone about logistics and how we should have our family photos taken. However, we both met Russ for the first time right before our wedding. What I loved about Russ the most is that despite the fact never meeting F2F, he seemed so comfortable and friendly. There were no awkward pauses or moments. I felt immediately connected to his personality. He was very professional and was not shy to let us know how to pose or stand. We want our pictures to be perfect, we truly appreciated all the direction he gave us! Russ was also extremely organized. He kept people in line during our family photos after the ceremony and finished in time for us to catch the tail end of our cocktail hour! He felt like family without being in our faces the whole night. On the dance floor, we couldn't even tell him and his second shooter was there. Russ definitely knew what he was doing. Couldn't have made a better choice. Thank you, Russ, for everything you've done for us! read more

Russ Levi was an amazing professional from start to finish. My wife and I were very particular about our wedding photographer, and we didn't want your typical, boring wedding photos. As soon as we saw Russ' work we were very impressed. His photos are very journalistic, cinematic, just straight up money. I thought he did major touch ups, but his photos just naturally come out amazing. We wanted to jump on a call with Russ to get to know him and his artistic vision before we moved forward. It was his welcoming spirit, professionalism, and chill personality that sealed the deal. We knew he would be easy to work with, not anal, and judging by his work, he is a true artist. When the day of the wedding came, we had to make a few adjustments, changing the location etc etc, but Russ was totally cool about it. Through out the whole day of the wedding, Russ and his assistant were super cool yet professional. I, myself have been a groomsman for several weddings, but the photographers were never as personal and never guided our stance, formation, poses as well as Russ did. He made sure that every single person in the photo was placed perfectly and was super patient with everyone. We all know it's difficult to get family members together, but he was super patient with everyone. One thing my wife and I really appreciated was the fact that Russ stayed for the whole night of the wedding. I've never seen a photographer really commit and take pictures for the whole night, but he stayed from start to finish. I appreciated that he was able to take pictures for all of my friends who wanted a photo and was readily available when we wanted a photo. Another memorable experience was when it was slightly raining outside, but Russ was willing to work in the rain to take an amazing shot for us. Russ was super easy to work with, very professional and chill. He told us if we were ever in the city to call him out for drinks. How personable is that? He's really building relationships with his clients, not just a portfolio! I would recommend him to anyone. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. Everyone came up to me and told me how awesome my photographer was. read more

Russ Levi Photography - In the rain. Money Shot! - Event Photography Near Me - San Francisco, California

Russell felt like a friend from day one. Why? He treated us like friends, cared about what we wanted, and was interested in us as a couple. He was honest and responsive and comfortable to be around. I frankly was sold once I saw his portfolio (exactly the style of photography we wanted--artistic, not trite), so meeting him just sealed the deal. Russell is stunningly talented. I am not comfortable in front of the camera, and I verbalized this, but Russell sees some amazing things behind the lens and makes you trust this. He is excited about his craft and that is evidenced by his creativity and flexibility. It doesn't matter whether your setting is "picture perfect" or whether you've modeled your poses in front of a mirror for months--he will find beautiful shots and will always be up for those "what if we try..." moments. The Bay Area is saturated with "wedding photographers" and "event photographers" who often follow a template and will produce pretty results at a pretty penny. They're predictable and great and will get the job done, which is super. We chose Russell because he is invested in creating beautiful photos worthy of being in print and at the same time, being identifiably YOURS, full of your personality and affection. I've already asked him for a lifetime contract. Not lying. read more

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Russ took our engagement and wedding photographs and we are beyond happy with the results. Russ is fun to work with and made our photo sessions less stressful. At the same time, he had no problem providing direction at our wedding or getting our guests to fall in line when it came time to take photos. Bottom line: Russ is super easy to work with, has a great eye for photography and makes the whole process fun. We'd recommend him to anyone looking for a talented photographer! read more

First yelp elite reviewer :D yessss. I first had the delight of meeting Russell through my husband. They studied together in grad school & Russ did photography as a hobby. He graciously did the honors of shooting our engagement shots when I came to visit from Dallas, TX. (Sidenote: even though I did meet Russ first on a more personal level, the 5 stars is warranted completely from a professional/client level. ) The whole experience couldn't have been better. He scoped out a few different scenes to take us & allowed us to really be ourselves. I don't know how he captured the pictures he did, but he really captured those kodak moments. The ones where the smiles were authentically happy & alive. LOVED IT. And you can tell Russ thoroughly enjoyed the photosession (probably even more than we did). Russ has a natural talent in photography & loves it-- and that's what you want in a photographer. Not just someone who's out there for the $ Anyways, just take a look at his pictures. They pretty much speak for themselves. Yes, I would absolutely recommend him for your photography needs (whether you need head shots, engagement, wedding, car, baby, scenic shots). read more

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As good as it gets. My wife and I were lucky enough to have Russell as our wedding photographer on the 1st of November, 2014. We had a hindu style ceremony, outfit changes, two first looks, the threat of rainstorms and Russell handled it all with a smile on his face and his camera at the ready. His talent, not only taking the pictures, but also making the subject[s] feel at ease in front of the camera is all part of the package. He is communicative throughout the process and he actually made it feel FUN taking wedding photos! Never thought I would say that. We were very impressed and would recommend him to anyone looking for any professional shots [wedding or not]. read more

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Russ did an amazing job handling photography for our wedding. His professionalism & experience shooting weddings is obvious when you see him work. He arrived at the venue 1-2 hours beforehand to scout the area for scenic areas to take pictures from, and moves around quickly and effortlessly; helping round up our large extended families for group shots, and being at the right spot at the right time to capture each important moment we'd expect. He has great artistic flare to the way he frames each shot. Our pictures came out looking natural and candid, even when some of them he helped us setup for. He was also able to get an assistant to help take additional shots, EG. of cocktail hour while he handled the family/wedding party shots, for a reasonable rate. Having an assistant was important to us, since it's hard for one person to be everywhere at once, and many other photographers we spoke to beforehand were less flexible in this regards. Definitely would use Russ again, and recommend him to any friends of mine who are getting married. read more

Russ Levi Photography - Wedding Picture 5/27/18 - Photo by Russ Levi - Event Photography Near Me - San Francisco, California

Russ was a true professional, start to finish. Of all the decisions we made for our wedding, I think hiring Russ to be our photographer was the best one we made. He was a pleasure to work with and we received numerous compliments from guests at our wedding how fun and professional he was. Our photos turned out stunning. He was somehow able to transform our awkward smiles into beautiful photos that I'm proud to have. Once the wedding is over the only thing you are really left with (besides an absurd number of vases and candles ha!) are the photos! Invest in a great photographer, Russ won't disappoint. Our pictures were delivered in a timely manner and I LOVED that he sent us a few images that same night. I would proudly and confidently refer him to anyone looking for a photographer. Thanks Russ! read more

Russ Levi Photography - Event Photography Near Me - San Francisco, California

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After having our Engagement and Wedding photos done with Russ, our friends could not stop raving about Russ' talent, professionalism and just his awesome personality. He is so easy to work with and is such a pleasure to work with. We have already had two other friends work with him and their pictures turned out lovely as well. We are going to try and use Russ again for some family photos, because we just can't get enough!!! HAHA He's great! You have to use him because he is just the best and so much fun (and adorable)!!!! read more

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I originally found Russ from Reddit and was really impressed when I checked out his online portfolio. We had our engagement shoot with him which consisted of two locations with an outfit change. Russ was super accommodating as the first outfit was a bit more complicated so took more time to change out of. The experience of the actual shoot was great! We were a bit stiff at the beginning but Russ really helped us get comfortable with some great direction and guidance for different poses, locations and setups. Within just a few minutes into the first location we were already having lots of fun. It's hard to fully know what the shot will be or how it will turn out but Russ clearly knew what he was doing. He was able to capture the beauty of the location and make us look good in it. Russ has been really fast with communication and delivered of our proofs just a few days after the shoot. The process of selecting and editing has been really straightforward. I can't stress how impressed and excited we are with the final pictures we received. We've been showing them to all our family and friends and everyone has been blown away with the quality and composition, continuing to comment on how good the photographs are and how good we look in them! We hired Russ hoping to capture a few good pictures and left with over 100 treasured memories. I would easily recommend Russ to any of my friends and family. read more

I've hired dozens of photographers in my role as a designer at large tech companies. There are three things you look for in a photographer: technical ability with their equipment, excellent post-editing abilities, and that artistic eye that gives each shot something almost indescribable. Russ is the rarest type of photographer because he's masterful in all three of these areas. He was incredibly easy to work with before, during, and after our wedding. I'm not sure how he jumped around so quickly, but he was able to capture multiple angles of each moment. His instincts for being when and where he needed to be to get the best shot were on point. My wife and I were beyond thrilled with how well he captured our wedding. We couldn't have been happier with his professionalism and the final photos. We can't recommend him enough for your big event. read more

We could not of asked for a better wedding photographer. Russ was our photographer for our rehearsal dinner and wedding in San Francisco. He did a fantastic job capturing all of the great highlights and moments. Being a visual designer myself I was looking for a photographer that was creative, artistic and easy to work with. He definitely exceeded all of our expectations. Our family and friends complimented on how great Russ was during our wedding weekend. We took our first look and formal photos at Crissy Fields and the weather in San Francisco is always unpredictable. It was really windy that day but Russ made our wedding session fun despite any weather conditions. We booked our package a year in advance and communication has always been great. We definitely made the right choice and recommend Russ to anyone looking for unique photography on their special day. read more