Words cannot adequately explain how amazing Ray at Apertura is! My husband and I flew Ray and his team out to our destination wedding in Turks & Caicos and it was worth every penny. Not only is he an incredibly talented photographer, he's a wonderful friend and person to know. Our family and friends didn't even realize he was our photographer. He blended right in. He captured every moment we could have dreamed of and was so easy going. He went above and beyond from the very first moment we met him for the engagement photos to the actual wedding. We loved his work so much that we flew from DC to LA for the engagement shots and then had his team with us in Turks & Caicos. He shot our pre-wedding day celebrations (even without pre-planning them with him). His artistic touch is really what differentiates him from the other photographers. It's a very intimate, natural, and in-the moment look that is edgy and cool. The wedding album is to DIE for. The best thing was that we didn't even have to pick out the photos. We had over 1,500 photos and he told the best story that we could have imagined. I wish we lived closer to Ray to have him capture our other life moments but don't worry - we'll be flying back to LA to ask for his creative services as our family grows. Ray and his team were so professional; being on-time and super prepared for every moment. They scouted the island, the venue, and everything in between to ensure we got the best light and shot. We are really so lucky that we met Ray and don't regret selecting him as our photographer. If you get a chance to work and meet him, I highly recommend it. Best ever!! We love him! read more

Our wedding day was one of the most emotion-filled days of our lives. One that I hope I will always remember. But if I don't, the photographs I received would be enough to remind my future self of the love that was shared that day. It was filled with every type of love imaginable; that between a husband and wife, friend-to-friend, father-to-daughter, or mother-to-son. To say the least, Ray Soemarsono does not just capture photographs. He captures emotions. He captured our joy, apprehension, and anticipation through still frames of our goofy smiles, tears, and worried facial expressions. He was there, sharing in every bit of it. This is not your typical, posed wedding photography. I can look at every picture and am brought back to exactly how I felt at the moment it was captured. They will remain some of my favorite photographs ever taken! read more

As a graphic designer and a professional photographer myself, I am very picky when it comes to determining the quality of a photo. Themes, concepts, poses, contrasts and angles are some of the many aspects of photography that I take into consideration when viewing a photo. That is why I hired Apertura as my wedding photographer as I know that they produce high quality pictures. During the wedding planning, my husband and I agreed that the wedding pictures are one of the most important areas that we should not be really skimping on, as they do last forever. I have heard many horror stories from my other friends where they tried to save a few bucks by going with a-whatever photographer and ended up regretting their decision. The photographer has no concept, took unnecessary/low quality pictures, and missed those special moments (and those moments are gone forever!). With Ray, we did not have this problem. Ray is a very talented photographer, extremely creative and possesses unique concepts. He is very professional and detailed oriented. Ray has never taken any wedding pictures in the venue of our choice, but he quickly adapted to it and captured the most amazing pictures that I have ever seen in my life. I just knew that we would remember those touching moments that Ray took of us for the rest of our lives! read more

We spent a lot of time looking at various wedding photographers. After hearing friends' regrets about not choosing better wedding photographers, we decided to be very particular in our search and made our photographer a high priority. We narrowed it down to a couple photographers, met with them, and then chose. We loved both of our choices, but ultimately chose Apertura. We couldn't decide between Ray and Erwin because they both have such great creative vision, so we booked them both! Apertura is not cheap photography. However, we believe it's important to budget for the best photographers you can afford because pictures last a lifetime. For our engagement photos, we visited the Angeles National Forest and did a quirky Halloween afternoon/evening shoot. We had so much fun and the photos were a great mix of silly, scary, and breathtaking. One photo in particular is so unbelievably beautiful that it looks like a painting - it seems too amazing to be real! Our wedding and reception were indoors, and Ray and Erwin did a great job of capturing the mood and special moments of the day. In addition to really documenting the different experiences and emotions, they also took some great artistic shots. Our wedding was a blur, but we can relive the day through all of our photographs. Ray and Erwin also put together a slideshow and albums for us and it was clear that they spent a lot of time and thought. While there are other photographers out there who can photograph your wedding adequately, Ray and Erwin will capture the special moments that others miss. They also do a great job with finding the right places and opportunities for those one in a million shots where the lighting is just right and everything about the shot is perfect. Additionally, they are two really great guys - very professional and responsive to the needs of their clients, but also fun to spend time with. We are so happy we chose them! read more

Erwin is an amazing photographer and a super nice guy. He shot our wedding in March, which is a really important event to have good photos. He made me feel completely at ease on the big day -- his style is to tell the story without getting in the way or trying to force pictures. It makes the whole wedding experience that much better when you like your vendors and team. Erwin is very artistic and creative, and if you like photography, you will appreciate his photos. Apetura is on the pricier side of photographers, and it does take some time to get the proofs back (we got to view ours at around 8 weeks and we are still waiting on the flash drive with the digital images.) Erwin also spends quite a bit of time on the other side of the world, but he is really responsive to emails and is willing to skype or talk on the phone too. He seems to really care about his work and his clients, and I hope that we are able to keep in touch. When my sister gets married, I will definitely recommend Erwin to her as the photographer! read more

Apertura is the BEST, and Ray and his assistant worked hard and closely with us to ensure the photo look amazing. Well we didn't interview many photographers face to face, but after the first meeting with Ray, we knew that he was the one. He cares a lot about his customers and tried very hard to build a relationship with them. Ray and his assistant worked very hard at our wedding day, he showed his professionals and cares not just being a photographer, but also being a good friend. Ray is a very skillful photographer, probably one of the best I've known. Ray is definitely a genius to use natural light and flash light, work with environment and people. He arrived the venue a day before to get himself familiar with the environment, and he was with us for the entire wedding - before a ceremony to the end of the ceremony. He makes us feel very natural and comfortable. Most importantly, we didn't notice his existence while taking all these AMAZING photos. He even worked very hard until the end of the wedding to ensure we can get some beautiful night photos :) His pricing was reasonable, and he was also very careful about his travel expense to ensure no unnecessary expenditure. We have much more good things to say about him, but I think his average 5 star review speaks for his work ethic, the quality of the photos, and his effort. Lastly, yes, we strongly recommend him to be your wedding photographer, you will not be disappointed. read more

We met Erwin at a coffee shop. It's pretty clear early on if you are going to connect with someone or not. Erwin was immediately accommodating and friendly. No pushy sales tactic, just eager to show his work and find out about us. I'm tough. I work in a very visual industry so my standards are high, and worse, not easy to photograph! They'll be no cover of Vanity Fair for me any time soon. We reviewed other work; most of the standards applied, center headshot type photography with little to no visual style. And then came Erwin. He's as much a photojournalist as he is wedding photographer. After all, your event is a series of events told in motion, not just a few snaps to remember who came. Our engagement session was fun and easy. You felt as if you were out taking pictures with a friend. The wedding, even easier. Who wants to worry about everything? The idea is hire the right people (professional people) and let them do their thing. Erwin and his second photographer were both fantastic, great directors, and knew exactly how to control the early part of the evening to get what they needed. From there, they were invisible, but constantly documenting and interacting in the perfect way at the perfect time. They delivered, and boy did they deliver. I can't imagine the time it took to edit so many images, but they were all great. We stayed in contact the entire time and all the results were wonderful. I can say without hesitation, Erwin is not only someone I would recommend, but I'm proud to say feels like a long term friendship. Can't say enough. read more

Best photographer ever! Erwin was fantastic. It's been over five years since we got married and to this day we still receive so compliments on our engagement and wedding pictures. He has such an artistic eye and helps capture the moment in a way that makes it timeless. A true art form which is rare these days. When you look at most wedding photography you'll see the same thing over and over again. It's so boring and repetitive. Erwin takes it to another level. One of the favorite engagement pictures that we have was of us under the pier in Santa Monica. Most photographers spend a lot of time photoshopping their pictures. Not Erwin. I know because he showed us what it looked like after he took it and it was practically the same image when he gave us our entire engagement shoot. He creates the story of your wedding with your wedding album and it's amazing. You can't go wrong with Apertura and it's worth every single penny. read more

In my opinion, your wedding photographer is probably one of the most important if not the MOST important element in your wedding. At the end of a whirlwind wedding day, it's the only thing that remains to document the joy, love, and excitement. To say that I was very picky when selecting my wedding photographer is an understatement. Add to that, I recruited my sister who is an art major/photographer to help me pick out from a short list of LA's top photographers. After reviewing their portfolios, we both agreed that Erwin of Apertura had it all. We didn't just want a photographer that did the wedding basics...bride looking sweet and romantic, bride and groom gazing lovingly at each other, bride and groom holding each others hands against an accent wall, posed pictures of your groomsmen and bridesmaids lined perfectly next to you, etc. We wanted a photographer that COULD do that but will give us MORE. We wanted a photographer with an impeccable artistic eye, one who will capture moments that not even you notice or anyone else notices is happening. We wanted a photographer that uses lights and shadows and composition to portray mood and ambience. We wanted photos that were so unique that you can imagine seeing them in an art gallery. Erwin did just that. Our wedding in February took place in a historic downtown building built in the 1920's. Our photographs not only captured the beautiful ambience of the art deco flare, Erwin made my husband and I look like we were transported to the past and we looked like an elegant 1920's Hollywood couple...a leading man and his starlet. Wow! Best of all, I had the time of my life at our wedding, and Erwin captured it all. It seems like I can go on and on singing the praises of Erwin's photography...but the icing on the cake is that Erwin is just a GENUINELY nice guy! He's sweet, calming, professional, and just one of those people you just want to spend more time with. My cousin recently used Erwin for her wedding photographer too, and I got the opportunity to see him at work as a wedding guest. He's like a stealthy ninja. When he's doing this thing, you hardly notice that he's there, of course capturing all those special moments. I just got feedback from my cousin about her wedding photos and she loved them. Hiring Erwin of Apertura was the most important decision in our wedding planning. It is definitely an investment. But think of your wedding album as the first family heirloom that you get to pass down to your children...that's priceless. read more

Erwin was by far the greatest surprise of our wedding planning. His aim for accuracy and professionalism not only exceeded our expectations, but I'm pretty sure our entire guest list would like to hire him for any and all upcoming occasions. I witnessed my friends wanting to follow, help, and be-friend him ... not because he needed any assistance whatsoever, rather they were enamored in AWE with his endless & clear communication, flourishing ideas, cool presence and keen eye. Though I'm sure he would have appreciated some space, he never once cracked or even politely asked attendees to get out of his way. Oh no! Erwin remained quietly focused like a true artist; nothing could deter him from capturing any specific moment in time that he deemed authentic or special. Because our destination wedding was located in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, many of our friends and family were not able to make the trek. Though their absence was missed greatly, I was thrilled Erwin was able to capture and deliver live moments to share with them. Moments I had forgotten, or simply not able to comprehend their greatness at the time due to my overwhelming emotions or constant distraction. As the bride, I felt so nervous as I anxiously awaited every little planned event to execute flawlessly. In fact, until I saw the pictures I was honestly shocked to see all the joyful moments filled with laughter that Erwin secretly captured. Every single person replied to our photo album thankful because they felt like they were there. Now that to me is pure magic. I could honestly write a ten page dissertation describing my respect for Erwin and his colleague Daniel (whom he hired locally in Mexico) ... I just wish him every bit of success he so grateful deserves. I have attended a fair share of weddings from enormous southern soirees to the posh beaches of Palm Beach where I witnessed my girlfriends standing tirelessly posing and holding awkward positions with fake smiling for dated shots of their demanding photographer. I never felt, not one single time, scripted or unnatural. He let us be our goofy selves, and gently guided us to "share our fire that lights up his camera". I can not sing enough praises for this man, any bride who's fortunate enough to connect with Erwin should be as absolutely overjoyed as I am. Thank you Erwin, thank you from the bottom of my heart ... I never thought in a million years I would have such beautiful captured moments to share for the rest of my life. read more

We are both artistic professionals and amateur photographers so our wedding photos were a big priority for us. We found Erwin from Apertura online. When we saw his portfolio we knew it was true when we read from several sources that he is considered one of the best wedding photographers in the country. His images leapt off the screen at us and far surpassed other portfolios that we had seen. He shot the standard posed photos that no one likes to pose for but everyone is glad they have in their wedding book. But the best thing was seeing the artistic and unusual photos that Erwin added to the standard mix that raised the level of the entire wedding collection. Meeting with Erwin left us feeling confident and excited to see the results of his labors. And he didn't disappoint. He likes to stress that his goal is to tell the story of the day with his photos. Looking over the book sends us right down the aisle once again. And also helps fill in the gaps missing from the drunken reception. :-) read more

Erwin is amazing. I feel like my words don't do his work or our experience justice. My husband and I eloped in Maui and Erwin was amazing to work with throughout the whole process. My husband is not a huge photo person and Erwin just put him at ease and simply became a friend who was with us...and happened to be taking photos along the way. I feel like he really captured who we are and told our story. I didn't have to worry about a thing. Erwin even got up at some ungodly hour with us because we ended up going to the top of Haleakala for sunrise (which is amazing and highly recommended!!) As soon as my husband saw the first sneak peek, he immediate turned to me and told me that he already knew that we would want a very large print for our home. Erwin was down for all of our adventures, cliff jumping, hiking in mud, and all. I can't thank Erwin enough for the amazing experience. And yes, we have wall art in our home and an awesome album because there is no way that these photographs are going to just sit on a USB or cloud server to never see the light of day! read more

I turned 32 this year and made it my goal to get into shape. As a birthday present to myself and a motivation to workout, I purchased a Boudoir session with Ray Soemorsano of Apertura. I have always admired his wedding photography work and use of light. But his artistic approach and dramatic lighting when he shoots boudoir definitely caught my attention. I was never the girl that would even think about doing one of these. I never had the courage too. But this year I seriously just wanted to conquer my fears and insecurities and just go for it. The entire experience was beyond amazing! I had so much fun! I didn't think I could do it but Ray and his assistant made me feel very very comfortable. They gave impeccable direction and I felt gorgeous the entire time. You have to understand that feeling sexy or even acting this way is foreign to me. I'm very energetic, loud and always laughing. I had no idea how to get in the zone... but I did and they helped me through it. When I received my images I was in shock! I was obsessed and could not believe that for the first time in my life I found myself to be beautiful. It was definitely a side of myself I never thought I had. And Ray showed me that. He even opened up my eyes to different parts of my body that I never saw the way he saw them through his lens. I'm so proud of my images and honestly still can't stop looking at them. I can't believe that a single boudoir session has had a profound effect on me. I feel so much more confident and empowered because of it. I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend booking Ray if you are looking to have a boudoir session done. I don't know anyone in the industry that can shoot boudoir the way he does. He is the BEST... trust me on this one!! His use of dramatic lighting, colors and his artistic approach on capturing a woman's body is beyond insane!!! I'm so fortunate that I got to work with him. read more

I can't say enough great things about Apertura, and Erwin specifically. He did our engagement photos, and he and his colleague Ray did our wedding photos; both came out absolutely stunning. All wedding photos are pretty, but Erwin's work is artistic and really interesting to look at. Each one of my bridesmaids mentioned to me how the photos were like works of art, and I completely agree! Erwin has such talent and a good eye for line and detail, and he was able to capture so many wonderful moments with so much emotion. I can't recommend him enough. But on top of his talent, he's also a really warm, friendly person; even from our first meeting with him I felt like he genuinely cared about us. And when it came to doing wedding photos, it felt like having a friend there documenting everything, rather than just a wedding vendor. It was awesome. Hiring Erwin was one of the best wedding decisions we made. My husband and I will treasure these photos forever! read more