It is baffling why Cloak does not have a page on Yelp as they are one of the best wedding photographers in the business.
Shopping for a wedding photographer can be daunting because there are so many great photographers in LA. After a while all of the photographers start to look the same. To help narrow things down, there are two things that Cloak does very well. They excel in low light (indoors, dark moody venues, rainy days) and epic, sweeping photos like the ones in movies or that fairy tale scene you have in your dreams.
We found out about them through friends who had used them for their wedding last year. After a couple of emails back and forth, we set up a meeting at their brick and mortar store located in the Burbank mall. We met with Leon, the owner of Cloak and he showed us his portfolios as well as his videography. What struck us was how all his photos were able to tell a story and how his videos could capture all the beautiful, intimate moments of each wedding. Both photos and videos were made with movie-like editing and quality. Leon also specializes in Photoshop which he uses when making special edits. Want to look like you're in Disneyland, but you're in your Aunt Midred's backyard? Done. However, Leon was not available for our wedding date, so we chose Fernand, the second tier photographer.
We were a bit hesitant since we would not be getting the top photographer at Cloak, so we were able to book a trial for something around $200. Our engagement shoot went great; Fernand was easy-going, funny, and open to ideas. He knew DTLA quite well and we traipsed around the city snapping photos, having the best time. We booked him shortly after. We got an amazing deal for both photography and videography somewhere around $5,000. He also offers a photobooth for something crazy low like $300+ if you book with him. Sold and sold.
On the day of, Fernand arrived on time and ready to work. He came with team consisting of Noelle, his second photographer, and two videographers. All four of them were fun, easy-going, and flexible. Our wedding party was a goofy bunch and the Cloak team was able to fit in perfectly with them, getting fun shots as well as serious ones. We even had time to hop into a van and get a killer view of DTLA before our guests arrived.
After about a month later, the pictures were ready to be viewed on their website. It comes with all the photos, a slideshow that showcases the best ones of the day, and the video. Make sure you choose the songs beforehand or they will choose one for you. It's best to go with 4 songs: 2 songs for the slideshow and 2 for the video. Make sure you have one slow paced one and one energetic one.
I was blown away at how beautiful the pictures were. The photos sent chills up my spine as I re-lived every perfect moment of our wedding. The photo booth was also unique in that wedding guests could pick how many pictures they wanted printed out (e.g. 10 guests in one photobooth shot, 10 print-outs, one for each person. Truly awesome.)
I cannot sing higher praises than this for Fernand and Cloak Photography, so I'll let the photos speak for themselves. read more