OUTSTANDING. Ben came prepared with lots of soft lighting options. He took outstanding portraits of…read moreour teenage daughter on her special occasion, and also portraits of our whole family. I've ordered a bunch of framed prints to hang on our walls and to send to relatives. Ben was extremely easy to work with. He was especially great at getting our wiggly 7 year old son to smile nicely for the camera.

Ben not only shot the most amazing wedding photos and videos, but he and his team did everything in…read moretheir power to make our day run smoothly, especially when our bus didn't show up. I could not speak more highly of Ben, the quality of the product and person. When our usb was later corrupted, Ben saved the day by providing a whole new set of photos and videos. Our family still talks about how great Ben and his team were and how amazingly he corralled both families seamlessly so it did not take forever to take group photos. Do not look further, he and his team will be the perfect addition to your wedding.

Super reasonably priced photographer who was easy to work with and the photos turned out great! He…read morewas willing to stay an extra hour at our wedding celebration to capture even more fun.

I'm fairly disappointed with my experience here. It has also made me decide I probably will take my…read moreown photos of my kid, rather than continuing to pay anyone. What's included in the package is made unclear, so I never got what I expected. In addition, during the shoot he said that he could take my arm out if I had it on my kiddo and when I reminded him of this later, he said that was considered a complex edit and would cost money but they'd do it complmenetary that time. Had he told me this at the time of the shoot, we would have done something differently to get photos without me there in the background. Not cool.

Mark Trela and his wife Magda photographed our wedding August 2019 at Garfield Park Conservatory…read more When I say they exceeded every expectation of ours, I mean it. To be honest, the photographer was the only vendor I was picky about and as soon as I saw their wedding photography, I knew immediately that they had to be ours. I love the lighting and style of their work. They are incredibly talented and have an eye for what makes a good photo. I loved how their documentary style gave us a full story of that day. If that wasn't enough, Mark and Magda are incredibly kind and will put their whole heart into your day. They were present and attentive the whole time. When the events of the day were underway I didn't even notice them buzzing around snapping photos. They were also responsive before and after the wedding and worked well with our wedding planner when it came to scheduling, etc. We received the photos within a couple weeks of the wedding. They also helped us select photos for a leather-bound book (honestly, they did most of the selecting/formatting themselves which was wonderful - I'm a hands-off kind of bride). I've told Mark and Magda I want them to be our family photographer forever! I'm just so in love with their work and I don't want our wedding to be the last time we work with them. I can't recommend them enough and they'll be worth every single dollar you spend on them (something pretty uncommon in the wedding industry!!)

Mark & Magda photographed our June 2017 wedding and I could not have been happier with the entire…read moreexperience. From the very beginning, Mark was super easy to communicate with and he always responded promptly to the plethora of questions that I threw at him. At our initial meeting, he really took the time to understand what I was looking for in a photographer and what was important to me when photographing our wedding day. From looking through his blog, I knew immediately that his style of photography was exactly what we were looking for; candid, artsy, and a unique way of capturing light (this was huge for me). After we signed the contract with him, Mark was great about keeping in touch over the months leading up to the wedding to get all the specifics of the day and to check in to see if I had any questions. He always made himself available via email or phone if I needed advice for how to best set up our schedule for the day or even if I had silly freak out questions about worst-case weather scenarios (which he always put me at ease about). I really appreciated that Mark & Madga took a day ahead of time to scope out our church and reception venue. I told him it was very important that we incorporate the outdoors as much as we could, and he made sure to find some great potential locations for photos. On the day of, Mark and Magda were able to coordinate perfectly to ensure that both my husband and I would have pictures of us getting ready with our bridal parties. They are both so personable and fun that they quickly put me at ease and really blended into the background to get all of these amazing candid shots throughout the morning. The ceremony went flawlessly and they coordinated group family shots with ease. I think that my favorite thing about working with Mark and Magda was how enthusiastic they were about taking amazing photographs. They went out of their way to convince an owner of a private barn to let us take pictures on his property and I couldn't help but really get into the photo session as Mark was so excited about the location and the light filtering into the barn. The photos from our cocktail hour were such a pleasant surprise to look at after the wedding as I barely even noticed them mingling in the groups to snag some amazing candid photos of all our friends and family. Mark was able to coordinate the timing perfectly at our reception to sneak us outside right after dinner to get these amazing golden hour pictures on the beach. I highly highly recommend Mark Trela as a Wedding Photographer. He is a true professional, a super great guy to have around on your big day, and he creates absolutely stunning photographs.

I hired Jill to complete a shoot of headshots for me a few months ago. I was very satisfied with…read morethe services she provided and her work. She was professional, on time, her photography skills were excellent, and the price was reasonable. I would consider using her again for future headshots or other photography services. *This is an actual review - "not fake".

Photos are great and Jill was pleasant to work with. Kind and warm also. The photos are easy to…read moreaccess, download, and share.

I moved to Chicago at the end of last year, and this is my first pregnancy. At first, I wasn't sure…read moreif I wanted to do a maternity photoshoot. It felt out of my comfort zone, something I had never done before. But after hearing from friends that I might regret not capturing this moment, I decided to start searching for a photographer. I came across many different artists online, but Sri's portfolio immediately stood out. His photography style is artistic, natural, and unique--nothing felt overly posed or awkward. I was already approaching my third trimester, so time was limited. Thankfully, Sri responded quickly and guided me through the entire process. He explained what to bring, what to expect, and assured me that most of the wardrobe and accessories would be available at the studio. We scheduled the shoot two weeks later with Sri and his talented makeup artist, Laura. When I arrived, I was nervous and unsure, but those feelings quickly disappeared. Both Sri and Laura made me feel completely at ease. Laura styled my hair into soft waves and gave my skin a beautiful, radiant glow, while Sri patiently walked me through the session step-by-step. Sri has an incredible eye for detail and a clear passion for his craft. He was attentive, energetic, and never rushed the process. Even when I needed time to find the right pose, he remained patient and encouraging, always focused on capturing the perfect shot. The final photos exceeded all my expectations--they are stunning and filled with emotion. I'm so grateful I stepped out of my comfort zone and trusted Sri with this experience. He even made sure I had a beautifully edited photo ready in time for my baby shower just one week later. This photoshoot has become one of the most meaningful memories of my pregnancy, and I wholeheartedly recommend Sri to anyone looking for a photographer. He not only incredibly talented but also kind, professional, and deeply passionate about what he does.

I cannot recommend Sri enough as a Chicago maternity photographer! I set up a pregnancy photoshoot…read morefor my sister as a gift. She hadn't planned on doing a shoot for herself and I wanted to make sure she had something beautiful to look back on to remember the moment. It was important to find someone who would make her feel comfortable while also delivering truly stunning maternity pictures-- and Sri exceeded all expectations. From my first call with him, Sri was warm, professional, and incredibly straightforward about pricing, deliverables, and the entire process. He made everything seamless, even arranging hair and makeup. When I introduced Sri to my sister, he was just as kind and reassuring, which instantly put her at ease. The maternity photo shoot itself was an amazing experience. Sri's studio is in a great location and offers the privacy that was important for my sister to feel relaxed. Throughout the session, Sri brought great energy and took the time to understand how my sister wanted to see herself in the photos. His expertise in artistic photography really came through-- his use of light is masterful, creating simple yet powerful images that perfectly capture this special moment. I found Sri by searching online for photographers in Chicago, and I'm so grateful I did. If you're looking for a talented, professional, and thoughtful Chicago maternity photographer, Sri is the one to book!

Alina is amazing!! We have had her take our family and kid photos 6 times over the past 5 years…read more She is great with young kids and helps keep parents sane when the kids are not being cooperative. Her photos are beautiful and she catches some great unposed moments. I highly recommend her and feel so fortunate that we found her!

We had a great experience with Alina! We hired Alina for our son's birthday party. She arrived on…read moretime and was ready to start shooting right away. She quickly made herself part of the background. The kids didn't even notice she was there, and she was able to get lots of great candid shots! My son wasn't feeling great, but Alina had some toys and props with her to help distract him and also had some tricks up her sleeve to get a fussy 3-year-old to smile! She got the CD to us by the following week. With other photographers, we had to wait at least a month and usually had to pay through the roof to get prints without a watermark. Alina's pricing was very reasonable and we were very happy with our pictures. We will definitely be calling her in the future.

Melissa and Isai took my wedding photos May 2014. I was super excited for my wedding day and…read morecouldn't wait to be married to my best friend. The big day came, I blinked and the day was over, I was a bit sad due to how fast the day went by. All brides to be know how much planing goes into a wedding, so at the end of the day, I couldn't believe my wedding day had ended. When I received my photos back from Melissa and Isai photography, my husband and I were able to relive that day! Through the amazing photos they took I had the same feeling I had on my wedding day, I cried with such excitement. They were able to capture the feeling and mood of that day. I remembered feelings and emotions through the photos, I also received many compliments on my wedding photos. Melissa was very patient and creative for the bride photos and Isai captured my husbands true personality through the pre ceremony photos. I would definitely use them again for other special occasions!

I'm so glad that I can be the first to review Byrdhouse Photography because it gives my husband and…read moreI the chance to tell you: DO NOT MISS OUT ON A GREAT PHOTO OPPORTUNITY WITH BYRDHOUSE! My husband and I were looking for a natural light photographer to take maternity pictures. I did a lot of online research and stumbled upon Byrdhouse Photography. After falling in love with the artistic and classy photos on the website I called and set up and appointment with Becky, the photographer for Byrdhouse. The photo shoot in one word was AMAZING. Becky was a true professional. She arrived on time, came with ideas, props, and most importantly, her skill. The photos were utterly gorgeous. We got the photos in a viewing gallery in no time. Once we ordered the photos we received them within the week. Not a detail of the photography, pictures, or service was overlooked. We loved the experience and the product so much that we had Becky come back and do our newborn pictures. They were gorgeous. We are already planning on having her do more photography for us in the future!

I needed a professional headshot for work. Becky responded promptly. She had wonderful ideas in…read moreregard to setting and lighting. I had nothing to worry about. The quality of the pictures is phenomenal and the turn around time was so quick. I highly recommend Becky for wedding, family, or professional photography.

Ben was awesome to work with for our engagement photos. He met me the week before at the location…read moreto make sure I was fully comfortable about what I needed to do and where he would be. The pictures came out perfect and he really took his time to make sure both our families were involved as well. Couldn't recommend him more if you're doing an engagement in Chicago!

Ben moved fast, knew exactly how to use the light, and got me through without it feeling rushed. I…read morewalked away with a full set of professional headshots, candid street shots, and indoor portraits in 60 minutes. No wasted time, no awkward posing direction. Just good work, efficiently done. He made it easy and was extremely professional. Not awkward at all. Would book again without hesitation.