I knew I wanted Channing Johnson to photograph my wedding from the first moment I saw his photos. His prices seemed high to me, so I kept looking around for a while, but I couldn't find anyone else who could do what he could do in the way that he did it. My wedding photography was incredibly important to me and his pictures did not disappoint. His turnaround of my disc full of digital photos and prints was so fast and the prints were high quality and gorgeous. I cannot say enough wonderful things about those photos. My wedding images range from sentimental to hilarious. They capture wonderful, beautiful moments in a clear, honest way. Channing is artistic, but not in a contrived way. He has a photojournalistic style and will capture the natural beauty of your day, not manufacture it. He was kind, professional, and efficient, and almost a year later, I am as in love with my wedding photos as the first day I saw them. read more

About a year and a half ago, my partner and I met Channing Johnson at Dado Tea. We liked Channing immediately- he spent a long time with us chatting, he seemed interesting and smart, and, best of all, he didn't seem like a wedding photographer. He seemed like someone who wanted to take interesting and intelligent pictures that captured the spirit of the day, pictures that would tell a story. We didn't think twice about it- we signed a contract with Channing the next day. Over the year that followed, we had the pleasure of reading Channing's photo blog online (www.channingjohnsonblog.com), and much to our amazement, the pictures seemed to constantly deepen in their visual complexity, in their story-telling ability, and in their capacity to just get under our skin. We kept saying 'this guy is so good, I'm so glad we found him." And I have to say, the pictures he took at our wedding are beautiful. They are unconventional (i.e. he does a few portraits, but the rest are pictures he takes over the course of the event, not photos he stages), and they seem to capture something about the day, about our family, about our friends. When I see the pictures, I'm reminded of what really moved me about our wedding. For that, I'm so thankful. Channing is the best. I promise. read more

On the advice of a good friend, we hired Channing to photograph our wedding. He made sure to have a good, long, comfortable chat with us about our expectations well before the ceremony -- learning the little details about us and the wedding guests that would later make big differences in the kinds of photos he took. Channing knows the difference between photographing an event and capturing the essence of a critical moment in a couple's life. He was there for every turn, kiss, smile, tear, hug, dance, spin, jump and wave. He literally missed nothing and, as I look at the photos he took, brings me right back to the moments themselves. We later sent the link to our photos around to our friends -- and the universal reaction was "those are some of the best wedding photos I have ever seen." During the ceremony and reception, I barely even noticed that Channing was there. Yet, he somehow managed to capture the first kiss up close (from the back) and then swivel silently across a meadow to also get us walking down the aisle for the first time as a married couple. I think this guy can fly, seriously. And as for the mechanics: Working with Channing was one of the easiest, most enjoyable parts of the whole wedding-planning experience. He is reliable, responsive, quick and kind. I wish they had more stars than five for the truly exceptional people -- he's one of them. read more

I could go on and on here, but the bottom line is that Channing is an *amazing* photographer, and an all-around terrific guy! A year or so ago, we began looking for a photographer for our May 2010 wedding. We didn't want the "standard" posed/forced photographs; rather, we were looking for someone who could capture the spirit of our love and our day. We hit the jackpot, because that's exactly what Channing does best. (In fact, based on the work he has on display on his website, I booked him before we even met up!) Channing did our engagement photos as well, and we're still getting comments on how cool they are. At both the engagement shoot and the wedding, he captured us (and our friends and family) being "natural," not posed. In fact, both my husband and I noted that we don't even remember seeing Channing at the wedding at all...and yet, we have more than 600 beautiful photos of our friends, family, each other, and the details of the day! Channing is professional, courteous, kind, reasonably-priced, and incredibly talented. I've been recommending him to everyone I know who is engaged. You won't find anyone better! read more

Channing is that perfect combination of talent and calm professionalism that is incredibly valuable in a good wedding photographer. He arrived early to scout out the location and get a feel for the flow of the event, he was super attentive to the entire wedding party without having an overpowering presence, and he worked super efficiently so everyone had time to enjoy cocktail hour. His work is gorgeous, and he does a beautiful job of capturing unscripted moments. Highly recommend him!! read more

Channing is truly a talented artist and just all around nice guy. Like most newly engaged, finding a wedding photographer can be really scary. You not only want to find someone who takes photos you like, but you want to like the person and feel comfortable around them as well. We felt like we hit the jackpot with Channing. My husband and I first found him by recommendation from a friend. We loved his photos online and saw right away that his photos weren't too staged and told the story of the day. We booked him for our engagement shoot and had the best time walking around Boston with him. Channing was so relaxed and had so many great ideas for photos with great lighting. The engagement shoot was a great way to get comfortable with someone taking our picture! When Channing arrived on our wedding day it was like seeing an old friend. Not only was he very professional, doing his job capturing the day, but also he offered to help out, including carrying my dance shoes around until it was time to put them on! Channing picked out a beautiful area for my husband and I to have our "first look." We are beyond happy with our wedding photos and love how he captured our day. Channing's photos are so thoughtful and fun, and we are so grateful that we found him. read more

I can't say enough good things about Channing. At the beginning of the wedding planning process I was completely overwhelmed and obviously had no clue what to do or where to start. Signing with Channing Johnson Photography was a complete "no brain-er" after scoping out his blog and meeting him in person. After looking at his portfolio I was hooked, I knew I would get great wedding pictures - some formal, but also some that really captured the day. Channing is very professional, courteous, reliable and most of all, talented! As a girl, your wedding day is one of the most exciting and nerve racking days of your life. Channing completely put us at ease and there were times where it was not even as if he was there, so he captured a lot of great candid moments. I would absolutely recommend Channing to everyone I know - his work is amazing, you receive all of your edited pictures burned to CD and the album he put together was amazing (and not overly expensive!). read more

Channing is the best! When we were planning our wedding we decided that the one area we were willing to break out budget for was the photographer, since we knew those pictures would last a lifetime. Well, Channing was worth every penny and more! There are three things that set Channing above the rest: his professionalism, his demeanor, and his photography. Professionalism: We had to plan much of our Boston wedding from Los Angeles, and so it was a bit of a logistical nightmare. However, Channing was friendly and accommodating from the start. He responded to all our emails promptly and professionally, set up times for a telephone interview, and had us over to his house while we were in town for Christmas. When we were concerned that his photojournalist background might prevent him from taking the best portraits, he recommended another photographer in case we wanted to go with someone with a stronger portrait background. Then, when we chose to go with Channing, he promised to work with us to take the best portraits possible, and they came out simply stunning. We never take good pictures, but Channing got us to relax and captured the "real us". He was exceedingly prompt on the wedding day, worked tirelessly throughout the day, and got our pictures back to quickly and faster than expected! Demeanor: Channing has a rare ability to coordinate a large group of rowdy wedding guests into a perfect portrait simply by being a nice guy. We have been at too many weddings where the photographer is rude to the guests, or pushes people aside in order to get the shot, and it leaves everyone with a bad taste in their mouth. Channing uses those photojournalist skills to get the shot without getting in the way of the story. He was friendly and joked with the guys to keep them loose when they were getting ready, and was quiet, unobtrusive and respectful during the ceremony, getting great pictures the entire time! He managed to get amazing photos on the dance floor without ever elbowing a guest, or getting in the way. Yet he was seemingly everywhere. Every time we thought, "Boy, I hope Channing is capturing this" we'd turn around and there he was. He never distracted from the magic of the evening, but managed to create a beautiful record of everything. After meeting him for the first time we both wanted to be friends with him, since he's such a nice, interesting and thoughtful guy. Photography: Well, his pictures speak from themselves. He is a real artist, and our guests were simply blown away by many of the photos he took. We had a very fun and youthful wedding, over 80% of the guests were 24-34, and so everyone was on the dance floor all night. This is where Channing's photojournalism background really paid off. He got just amazing "action" shots, and candid photos, of ourselves and our friends being their crazy and fun-loving selves. When you scroll through his photos you can really relive all the excitement and joy of that night, it just comes alive for you. His photos are simply alive, and are so vibrant and colorful, he managed to make everything look as fun and beautiful as it was in real life, sometimes even better! Furthermore, his portraits were beautiful, and while we usually take bad photos, he kept us at ease and really captured us together. We never realized we could look so good! Summary: Channing is a wonderful guy, who manages to take absolutely amazing photos without getting in the way of all the fun. We simply could not recommend him more highly. Oh, and he even sent us chocolates for Christmas! read more

Channing is a photo ninja. My parents told me a horror story about their friends' wedding photographer, who insisted on always getting the shot he wanted. The end of their friends' ceremony: couple has their first kiss, crowd cheers, photographer calls a halt to their walk back up the aisle so he can get a better angle. That wasn't acceptable, and we weren't keen on having a lens constantly in our faces either. So, one of our priorities was to find someone who could capture the day while still being unobtrusive. Channing was perfect. He documented all the moments we remember, as well as many that we wouldn't have seen without him. Yet, other than when we were taking portraits, he flew under the radar, never interrupting the flow of the evening or getting in the way of our guests. And the photos! Our gallery has over 700 images -- every one looks crisp and professional, and many are downright stunning. He has an amazing eye for expressions: emotions and reactions come through so vividly that we feel like we're reliving parts of the celebration. He's also willing to go the extra mile to get different perspectives. During the first five minutes of our ceremony, he somehow managed to get across the building, up to a balcony, and back; he took beautiful photos of the unveiling and gorgeous panoramas showing all of our guests, and he returned before our officiant's welcome was over. We got a glimpse of how he did it from a video of our recessional, in which he silently sprints along the side of the building to get both our first kiss and our walk up the aisle. It couldn't have been more different from my parents' horror story, and we couldn't imagine better photographs. Seeing his site (http://www.channingjohnsonblog.com) is probably more convincing than reading this review. We were swayed both by the impressive portfolio and by our first meeting with him, and we liked him so much that we decided to do an engagement session as well. During that session, he set two nervous subjects at ease, and we ended up with a spectacular set of photos. We gave them to our parents and grandparents at the wedding, and they were thrilled. Finally, working with Channing is a joy. He is incredibly responsive and endlessly thoughtful, and he clearly cares about what he does. He listened closely to all of our requests and concerns, and he dealt tactfully with a couple of our friends and family who insisted that he ought to take a particular picture in a particular way. Our engagement and wedding photos came promptly, with the files mailed on disc and loaded on an online gallery. So yes, Channing is a ninja. He is everywhere and seems to be nowhere; he has consummate skill in his art; he is awesome. read more

After looking at many hobby photographers turned wedding photographers (which isn't a bad thing at all), Channing's level of photography is evident. While looking at his photos via his blog, we knew we wanted him to photograph our wedding. He has experience in taking photos for newspapers and magazines. He has the ability to take creative photos that show emotion. Not so much posing, but many candid photos shot in interesting ways! We first met with Channing at his studio in Arlington. We talked about his packages, and availability, etc. He was professional, and genuinely a nice and cool guy! We were also able to look at some wedding books he made for his clients. After meeting him, we sent him a deposit check as soon as we could. Channing shoots weddings solo, and he said that he can pretty much capture every single guest at least once. He showed up to our wedding location promptly, or even earlier I believe. We communicated via email for the schedule for our wedding day so he knew how much time to take pictures of the bride getting ready, as well as the groom, etc. He got great shots of our ceremony, family photos, cocktail hour, and reception. We are very satisfied with Channing's photographs of our wedding. We got the edited photos about three weeks after our wedding. So fast! As many people say that photos capture something very different than video recordings. I now know what they mean. The photos show great expression and emotion. It is worth the investment. Wedding photos are not something you want to skimp on. When we need photos for other life events in the future, I will be calling up Channing. Thank you Channing! read more

When searching for photographers for our wedding we wanted someone who had an eye for candids. We didn't want to spend a large amount of time taking formals since we wanted to maximize the amount of time we got to spend with our family, friends, and each other on our big day. Channing was perfect. He has an eye for special moments in the midst of all the craziness happening throughout the wedding day. He is also extremely efficient with his time and makes an effort to get to know the names of the "VIPs" of your friend and family groups. As an added bonus he is a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend Channing to anyone looking for a non-invasive photographer who is flexible, friendly, and extremely talented at what he does. read more