I would give this zero stars if I could just for the sheer fact that this snowflake started yelling…read moreat me when I had the audacity of asking when they were going to show up? We had an appointment at 9:00 am and it's currently 2:22 pm. Now mind you, we had chores and things to do around the house, so the fact that they were here at 9 wasn't a problem but show up at some point!! And by no means yell at me when I question your scheduling capabilities not to mention you lied and said you were the owner when the other day you said you were just the scheduler. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS COMPANY JUST FOR THE SHEER FACT OF THE SNOWFLAKE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PHONE!! DO BUSINESS BETTER!!

Wonderful photography, great people…read more We met Joe at Indie Wed a few years ago and immediately knew Couple of Dudes were the photographers for us. He and Lawrence have fun, easygoing personalities - which makes taking photos so much easier. They're calming, awesome to hang out with. Joe and Lawrence had an incredible ability to capture our personalities perfectly. My wife and I aren't great at relaxing or being the centers of attention. But with COD everything seems natural. They were able to make us feel loose, feel natural - which is so important in wedding photography. As businessmen, they're very easy to work with. They were responsive to our concerns. They had wonderful suggestions to fit our personalities, easy to get a hold of, easy to talk to. We also recommend signing up for the grin shack! My wife and I weren't sure if we wanted it/how many people would participate. The Grin Shack was one of the highlights from the night. We can't imagine having the wedding without it.

Please...if there is anyone you could choose for your wedding photographer, please choose Mike Hari…read moreand Fadeout Foto. As the others have said, he is a phenomenal photographer with a great eye and aesthetic. But more than that, he is a solid human being. Long story short, my now-husband and I had to find a new photographer one month before our wedding. Needless to say, I was panicking, but thankfully Mike had our day open and not only that, he went above and beyond in that month to make us feel comfortable with him for the big day by insisting on meeting in person multiple times and scheduling a casual photoshoot so we could get used to his direction and working together. It's Mike's professionalism and warmth that really stood out and impressed me. He's never late, had a great second shooter, and is very responsive to phone and email. Of course his photos are crazy, crazy beautiful and I am SO glad we found him (through Yelp too if I may add)! On the day of the wedding, I didn't notice him in our faces at all. Almost like he wasn't there at times, but when he sent us some sample photos, I nearly cried at all the great moments he captured. He has just such a gift of capturing and creating touching moments in such a way that help you relive the hectic day. You can't go wrong with Mike.

Mike shot my wedding and did so much more than create amazing photos. He really listened to what I…read morewanted and pushed the boundaries into photos we'll cherish forever. He was able to take ideas to an artistic level without going overboard. As an artist myself, I knew what I wanted conceptually and had very very specific requests/visions. (ie photos in front of rusty fences topped with barbed wire...). He saw exactly what I wanted and made phenomenal compositions and balanced the beauty of the shots with the grittiness of the scenery. I felt bad for being so specific, but he went all in and gave us what we were looking for. The group shots ALL came out perfect, which is a blessing. I'd say his strongest pics were his candids. Having those moments captured with perfect exposure and focus is amazing. I could go on and on. Mike is professional, smart, has a great eye, can color correct as well as any designer/photographer I've ever met and it's apparent he loves what he does. My partner and I couldn't be happier.

As a comedian, it's important to have a smattering of pictures to be used for posters, online ads,…read moredartboards, etc. But as a non-photogenic person, I have been plagued since my first yearbook photo with the inability to get a decent picture, even when professional photographers and high-end equipment were involved. I had the good fortune of meeting Ting at a Yelp event. I noticed her taking pictures with a nice Canon dSLR, so I figured I'd ask if she takes headshots and might be able to help me out. She told me to look at her stuff on flickr and get in touch with her. I took a look a few days later, and was blown away by both her photos and her creative Photoshop work. I got in touch, and it was on. Ting was very accommodating in that she asked me for as much input as I could give in order to get what I wanted out of our shoot, but not to the point of making me feel like I had to provide input even if I didn't have the slightest clue of what I was talking about. We went to a few spots I had picked in my neighborhood, and then we walked around and Ting found a few others. As you can tell from the 5-star review, the shots came out well. It had to do with several factors - Ting's skillful use of her EOS 5D, our finding the right spots to shoot, and shooting at the right time of day. Perhaps most importantly, Ting offered very helpful input during the shots to help me pose. Remember what I said about not being photogenic? It's always due to weird facial expressions or positioning of my body. I know there are plenty of shots that weren't usable because of this; but Ting was patient and helped me get it right. So now, thanks to Ting, I have some headshots that I can send to bookers, some other fun shots for my website, and a really cool multilayer image that Ting put together from several of the pictures we took. Her rates are reasonable and I am looking forward to working with her more in the future. Whether you're looking for conventional headshots, more creative/artsy type photos, or a flyer/postcard for your business, you can't go wrong with Ting.

Let's get one thing straight, photography is 'art'. No amount of user-friendly and accessible post…read moreprocessing gimmicks can make up for poor photography skills. As a creative person, one of the hardest things about hiring other professionals to fulfil your vision is that not many, if any, can live up to your expectations. This is why Ting Photography and Design was a no-brainer for us. I've seen her work evolve over time, from spectacular, to straight-up awe-inspiring, so having her as our wedding photographer felt more like us being the lucky ones to have been able to have her services, than the other way around :-) There are a lot of factors involved in shooting, beyond just a fancy camera and accessories. From composition, lighting and color grading, to understanding when to/not to overuse post processing effects; these are a few of the tenets of a creative/professional photographer, and Ting excels at all of these. For our wedding, my wife and I wanted both the ceremony and the receptions to feel organic and not staged. The last things we wanted was a coordinator and photographer running around freaking out trying to corral guest for that perfect shot (when we're just trying to enjoy one another's company before we all fly back to our respective corners of the country). I'm sure some prefer their photographer being more commanding, but for an outdoor wedding we wanted the photos to compliment both the setting and the vibe of the wedding - basically, she made sure to get the obligatory wedding party photos out of the way, and then spent the rest of the time capturing the real feel of the party, along with some of the coolest moments from the wedding that the bride and groom are just not able to experience (seeing as you're running around getting' married and all). Now, just because our wedding was a casual outdoor affair, it doesn't mean that Ting isn't capable of working a more traditional one. On the contrary, i've seen her work (which led me to hire her) on some large-scale wedding that required a lot more pre-planning and day-of preparations, and she straight-up crushed it! From your engagement shoot, to the final wedding photo, you and your partner will have a branded wedding, and a set of photos that not only fill a virtual photo album, but will also tell the story of your journey together. Take it form me, i'm a picky dude who questions everyone's artistic abilities (which is why i've never pulled the trigger on a tattoo), but man, this girl is gifted. Whether you go with Ting Photography and Design, or not, make sure that your photographer is - like Ting - an artist first, and a photographer a close second. You will get much richer results, and more compelling work than you will from a 'shoot-by-numbers' photographer whose work is a collection of photos with nothing but perfectly symmetrical composition (bleh).

Videography for a wedding is often viewed as "optional" rather than "essential." I am definitely in…read morethe camp of "essential." Everyone knows that hiring a good photographer is---and should be---paramount, but I cannot stress the importance of having your special day videographed. Pictures are wonderful, but cannot capture your voice cracking when you say your vows. Pictures don't let you hear the toasts at the reception, or all the other wonderful stuff you didn't see, or might miss because the day is such a blur. But the most important reason to hire a videographer is simply this: People don't live forever. A beloved family member of mine recently passed away, and thanks to Shangri-La Wedding Films, he is captured forever, just as I will remember him on that day--hearing his voice, seeing him laugh, and watching him alive and happy. That is truly priceless. So I urge you to make room in your wedding budget for a videographer. It makes spending all the other money worth it, I promise. There are many packages from which to choose, or simply customize what works best for you, including music that you personally select. The only reason I'm not giving five stars is that the final product took a bit longer, and we had to "nudge" them a bit. The film itself will be cherished for years to come. Shangri-La truly did a remarkable job with the time capsule of the best day of my life, Highly recommended!

Shangri-La Wedding Films was one of the best investments from our wedding. If it wasn't for a…read morehiccup, I would give them 5 stars. About a month before our wedding, I learned that Shan was not going to be available to shoot our wedding. Having already signed a contract, that did not sit well with us. Brides know how stressful it can be and the last thing you want is to have to find another vendor. We worked it out and on the day of, Matt and Burt (Shan's fill-in) were friendly and professional. Shan was extremely patient and accomodating with the editing. We are so pleased with the end product. I encourage you to view some of their work and you will see how talented they are. I would also like to note that they are on the more affordable end. =)

If I could give Photo Stories, Inc. 10 stars, I would. We hired Brad to photograph our wedding…read moreafter working with him on headshots and cityscapes for the real estate brokerage I work at. We were so impressed with his work, I couldn't imagine trusting anyone else with the task of capturing our wedding and we could not have been more pleased with the results. His eye for photos is unmatched, he captured our day, the details, the setting and really all the emotions that went along with it. Brad even drove around our venue (we got married at Eagle Ridge in Galena, IL) and found a waterfall for us to have as a backdrop for our portraits!!!!! He really went above and beyond to capture what was such a wonderful day. He also listened to my husband and I about what we found important to capture and made sure he got all the shots we had on our list. Our photos are absolutely gorgeous and I am so glad I have so many wonderful shots to remember such a fantastic day. Brad is so easy and fun to work with and we had a great time going through this process with him. I would recommend Brad for wedding photography, or really any other type, he is fantastic!

Charlie was the videographer for our wedding this past September. We loooooove our wedding film!!…read more From the beginning, Charlie was professional and had a very easygoing and friendly personality. Charlie offers different packages to fit your overall budget. Him and his team work hard to guarantee that all of the special moments are captured from the day, including the small details that brides work so hard on! He is truly skilled at putting together the best moments from your big day! He made sure to meet with us and ask if there were any specific requests we had for the wedding day. And I have to mention his drone! This ensures that you also get footage of what the day looked like outside as well as an aerial view of your venue. Charlie is very flexible and remained available to us even after we received our wedding film and additional footage. Charlie worked so well with our other vendors and remained professional at all times. Also, our wedding film was delivered in a fun gift box filled with goodies! Overall, Charlie has an amazing talent and provided us with a wedding video that we are proud of and will be able to cherish forever. The film tells a story for anyone who was unable to make it to our wedding and reception. We received numerous compliments from friends and family on the quality of our film. Charlie is the best and we are so grateful that we hired him to be our videographer. We will always recommend him and if you hire him, you will not be disappointed!!

If we could give Charlie 10 stars we would!! He was recommended to us by our photographer, Victoria…read moreSprung, and once we saw his work, no one else we were interested in even came close! The two of them worked together flawlessly and professionally! He is so talented, his videos are true works of art that will give you goosebumps!! He is also the nicest, most hard working person. We truly felt he cared about us and making our wedding special, and he totally delivered on that! He even came to our house the week of the wedding to shoot some extra shots without taking time away on the day of the wedding. Kristi, his wife and second shooter for our wedding, was just as amazing and pleasant to be around. Charlie was really able to bring the emotion of our day to life in our film. If you are considering working with him, don't think twice, just do it!! Thank you Charlie and Kristi!!

Emily was so wonderful that she felt like a part of our wedding party. She has a great eye for…read morephotography, taking advantage of all the color and light in our wedding. She is extremely hard working and worked the entire day on capturing perfect shots. Her personality is fantastic for a wedding. It was a pleasure to have her photograph our event--we both couldn't stop talking about how perfect she was for the job.

I was sitting in my dentist's office (WestEnd) and I saw a photo on the wall that I'd seen in…read morepostcards... I said WOW you've got a DINERSTEIN! Matt's work has been throughout the world. He does movie stills, catalog work, studio and documentary. To be able to get talent like his for a wedding is rare. Some friends (Dante & Lisa) had him as a photographer and the photos they were presented with were astounding. RANT: (((I have some other friends who hired a "bargain" photographer who must have had ultra sharpening turned up to 11 -- everyone looked wrinkled -- plus that guy just dumped 5000 unedited and unretouched photos online for everyone to sift through.))) END RANT Matt edits and retouches the final shots. He puts real work into his photography and he has a REAL EYE and 25 years of experience (he did my sister's wedding 16 years ago-- but that was back in the days of TriX & Proof Sheets)

What good is a photographer who takes great pictures if you never actually get to have them in your…read morepossession? We hired Matt to photograph our wedding, and the proofs we saw were beautiful. But years later, we have no wedding album and not a single professional wedding photo in a frame to show for it. He is impossible to motivate, and he would often drop off the radar for months at a time as we tried to reach him. He always had plenty of excuses when he finally resurfaced. DO NOT hire him if you actually want to end up with pictures of your special event.