From beginning to end, Derek was excellent. I had not allowed anyone to take my picture in years, especially not in this setting. I had scoured for hours looking for the perfect photographer. I wanted something unique and personal in my photographs. Derek knew exactly the interpretation I was going for.Derek took the time to review some of the important things I wanted captured in the photos. When I saw Derek's work, I knew he was the one who thought outside the box, and he had a vision beyond what I could even imagine. Derek was always responsive and prompt in our interactions, and on the day of the shoot, Derek was so much more than I expected. He was friendly, professional, and kind, which made me feel comfortable as I was very nervous. The final results were breathtaking, and I couldn't believe it was me in the pictures. Derek was timely in delivering my gallery and was fair in his pricing. I would highly recommend Derek for any of your photography needs. I am looking forward to working with him again soon. read more

Derek is a real joy to work with and he is artistic without detracting from the subject of the photos. During the wedding we barely noticed him at all and he took great photos and he knows exactly how to get your good side read more

Derek was the best from consulting, to planning, and our wedding day beginning to end! The first thing that led us to considering him as a photographer were the reviews about his personality, and they did not lie. We've never worked with professional photographers that weren't a friend, but Derek does not act like a stranger. His confidence gave us confidence. As for his work, it's just as amazing! Derek captured so many amazing moments that we were hoping were photographed, and even some that we didn't realize anyone else noticed. The photos came out so amazing! We traveled from out of town to have our wedding at the Clovis Castle, and the different looks from both the building and the scenery, including the sunset were all utilized in the photos and made it all a thousand times more beautiful. read more

This review is almost 3 years too late but well deserved all the same. Derek did my wedding photography. It took me a year to go through the photos and when I did I downloaded them wrong so they came out poorly. I contacted Derek and even though it was my mistake he was patient and still had backups of my photos for me and educated me how to download them correctly. On the day of the wedding he was on time very well prepared and the absolute easiest dude to work with. Did amazing work and his turn around time was amazing. There's not a photographer I could possibly recommend more. read more

I doubt the best in town. The reason for my negative review is the fact that I was a Potential customer and first-time caller who was inquiring of services, only to be disappointed with no courtesy call back. It's been several days since I left that message and response time indicates 1 day! Horrible first-time impressions! I should have looked at the reviews first to notice that they are several years old and not current. Just thought some should know that if they call, they might not receive a call back if they call this particular business. So glad there are other businesses to inquire services from. read more

Derek has an incredible eye for the interesting, dramatic shot. His work never ceases to amaze me! He is also just as comfortable shooting professional portraits and other classic shots. I have an amazing photo he created hanging in my office that I get compliments on frequently. read more

Derek is fabulous! He makes you feel comfortable, is professional, and responds quickly! Not to mention his work is first class!

It's been almost a year now since Derek shot our wedding! All of the pictures are up on our walls, and I revisit the memories each time I look up at them. When I first met Derek he told me he can make a pile of poo look good. With his humor and amazing personality he can work with ANY situation, and Any location and make it look like a million bucks. I am so happy, and I am so thankful that we decided to choose Derek to capture our special moments. He made our shy introverted family feel comfortable and each picture captured each and every single family members personality. It was a fantastic day and I'm able to remember it even more with Derek's work! read more

See all

The best photographer in town! Derek is so personable, professional, and so easy to work with. We were so happy that he could travel to our destination wedding. Our wedding photos turned out absolutely gorgeous! read more

See all

Saying Derek is THE BEST is an understatement! He bar far exceeded our expectations. He did my engagement and wedding photos and they all were breath taking. He made us feel extremely comfortable which made the photos come out amazing. There was no awkwardness what so ever. I would say he was the best investment we could have made for our big day, that we want to remember forever! Thank you Derek, I can't wait to work with you again soon! read more

Derek Is truly a one of a kind photographer. My husband and I have Utilized his services for work related head shots, Fun Christmas photos, and maternity photos. He knows how to use lighting regardless of your skin tone And make you look fabulous. You give him instructions on what you want and he makes it his own. I highly recommend him for your private event, head shots, etc. You will not be disappointed! read more

My now husband and I were very particular when choosing our wedding vendors. We wanted to connect with them on a personal level. We met with a total of three local photographers in the Fresno/Clovis area and Derek was the last of the three. My husband was unable to make the meeting due to work constraints. I immediately loved Derek and all of his incredible photos. I was ready to book him right then and there, but Derek thought it best for my husband to meet him and make his own decision as well. We met at a local pub for a drink a couple of weeks after. My husband agreed: Derek and his work - superb. But, who does that? Derek wanted to make sure my husband was comfortable with working with him too. That is awesome! My husband was impressed by that, and so was I. The big day rolled around: Derek was right on time. I never felt his presence when we were all just hanging out or getting ready. We ended up with some amazing candid shots. When it came down to Derek directing us on poses - it was effortless! We loved it when he would snap a photo and get super excited as he looked at his own work. You can tell he truly loves what he does. He had so many creative ideas. We ended up with some dark and romantic shots as well as the bright, formal shots. His versatility is what you need in a wedding photographer. We could not be more excited with the photos from our wedding. We are so thankful for the memories we are walking away with, both of Derek and of the wedding. And we have it all on film. Priceless. read more

Truly one of the best experiences we could have asked for! A great person and tremendously talented photographer. Our wedding photos have impressed so many. Derek was considerate of our vision, timely, and his insight is second to none. We would recommend a thousand times over!! read more

I feel very fortunate to have discovered and worked with Derek Lapsley on my professional portraits. I am not someone who enjoys being photographed and the results from previous sessions with other photographers over the years have been consistently disappointing. I was impressed with Derek's portfolio of work and decided to give him a try. I'm so glad I did! Both my experience and results were excellent. Derek is a skilled and gifted photographer with a delightful personality. His customer service is also outstanding. I recommend him highly. read more

If you have the privilege of having your photo taken by Derek, prepare to have your socks blown off! We had Derek shoot our engagement photos. He is an extremely professional businessman who knows 1. How to have fun and 2. How to compose a damn good picture. The experience with Derek in booking the session, during the session, as well as the services and products he offers after the session are all flawless. Do not hesitate to call this man and make an appointment. read more

Derek is the most talented photographer I have encountered. I had a portrait session with him last week. I loved how he cared about every little detail in his work. He makes you feel comfortable and yourself. I didnt know how to pose for pictures, he guided me all the way through. His work looked effortless because of his talent. When I got my pictures I was really stunned of how good they were. They were better than I even had in mind. I'm scheduling a second session soon. If you are planning to get a photographer for your wedding, event, festival, or even some personal pictures, Derek is the guy! read more

I had previously paid for professional photos with another photographer and was dissatisfied and disappointed; specifically, because I felt the photos unflattering as I did not have much direction. Following word of mouth, I was told by a close other that Derek was the best in Fresno. I looked at his photos and was impressed, so I booked a session. Words cannot express how professional Derek is. He made me feel comfortable, while providing much direction so that I would receive the most flattering photos desired. I'm extremely unaware of how I am posturing, but he made sure to direct me in a fun and easy going manner. I was so pleased with the photos I received, I actually purchased additionals. I am currently using my photos for my employment's website, my LinkedIn account, and pending business cards. They are professional, yet highly unique and eye catching. Derek is an investment in your business and comes highly recommended! read more

Derek and Andrew did very well on our wedding. Highly recommended!

If you have never had to pick out vendors for a wedding, then you may not be familiar with the fact that there are a LOT of choices out there! When my wife and I were looking for photographers we were almost overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices there seemed to be, and picking a photographer is arguably one of the biggest decisions you can make when picking a vendor for your wedding. You might pick a venue that is not the greatest (Our venue the lake dried up and didn't have the scenic backdrop we had hoped), but with the aid of a good photographer this issue is not nearly as bad as it could be. Inversely if you select poorly when picking a photographer, then that same issue could be catastrophic for your wedding photos. Luckily for us, we chose wisely! Derek knows his way around a camera, and that dry lake bed that we were worried would look terrible ended up looking great based solely on his skill as a photographer. We even ended up walking down in to the lake bed to take some groomsmen pictures and they ended up being some of my favorite groomsmen pictures! There is a lot of stuff that goes on when you are doing pictures for your wedding, the pictures don't start and stop on your wedding day, and it starts well before the day of. When we came across Derek's website we immediately knew we had found our photographer! Some of the things he had written had us laughing, so we knew that his since of humor matched ours, which is something you may not think is important, but you would be surprised how much it actually DOES matter. Of course let us not forget that the quality of his pictures were also very influential in our decision to have him do our photos, his sense of style and the way he frames shots are perfect. From our engagement pictures where he made a dried up field in the foothills look amazing to our wedding with a dry lake bed, which he also made look amazing, working with Derek was a pleasure. Not only does he know how to take awesome pictures, he is a genuinely friendly and nice dude. Having someone that you feel at ease with is important when you are getting pictures taken. You don't realize it until you are there in person taking the pictures, but capturing an intimate moment on film could be pretty difficult if you don't feel comfortable with the person behind the camera. If you have not yet surmised by the above paragraphs, I without a doubt recommend that anyone looking for a photographer hire Derek immediately. I would also caution you, and I am speaking from personal experience here, do not skimp when you are hiring a photographer for your wedding. I will confess that I can at times, be a major cheapskate, spending large sums of money makes me nervous! And while I was initially hesitant to spend several thousands of dollars, I am glad we did. Think about it like this; you might save some money skimping out and hiring someone who has limited skills, but these are pictures that you are going to want to look at (presumably) forever! Take that couple hundred of bucks and stretch it out across the several decades of your marriage, doesn't sound too expensive anymore does it? read more

Derek is incredibly talented, professional, and a joy to work with! We loved his style and it rang true in his beautiful photos to us!

Literally one of the top photographers in the state! Check out his website and see for yourself, I highly recommend him, not only is his work beyond creative but his personality is awesome as well. He was literally the best vendor I had at my wedding, I would totally use him again for future photo sessions. read more

We love Derek so much! I am incredibly uncomfortable in front of a camera and truly dreaded having photos taken for our wedding ceremony. But Derek is so easy-going and helpful; he really made me feel relaxed and comfy. We were married outdoors in the Sequoia National Park, and Derek was willing to hike and run around in the woods to get us some wonderful photos. He even suggested the most amazing overlook to finish our photo shoot that we would have never thought of--with mountain views we couldn't believe! He was also very flexible and worked with us--we appreciated it so much. Thank you Derek for everything!!!! read more

He is very creative! He knows exactly where and when to take the perfect photograph depending on the sunlight or even when indoors with the lighting. His pictures are unique and he captures even the smallest details! He is extremely talented, and his personality makes him enjoyable to work with! He captured me and my husbands wedding and we wouldn't have anybody else! read more

We had the pleasure of working with Derek and his team at Wolf Lakes over the Summer. They captured every detail you could want and the true personalities of the couple they were shooting. Their great attitudes and professionalism made it a fun experience for everyone. The photos are phenomenal! I would highly recommend Derek and his team for your wedding. read more

Derek Lapsley is professional and a very talented photographer. His work is the best and We knew we had to have him shoot for us. We had so much fun taking pictures and derek made us feel so comfortable. He is worth every penny and we couldn't be happier with our pictures that we will keep for the rest of our lives. read more

I could not have been any happier in choosing Derek as my photographer for our wedding! I hired him years back to take my senior pictures and new then I would hire him for my wedding someday too! He is artistic but never in a way that takes away from the people in the pictures which I love! He also made my husband feel totally comfortable! He absolutely HATES taking pictures and Derek made all the awkwardness completely go away! He and his assistant also did a great job at capturing every moment we wanted seamlessly without feeling like they were in the way at all! I've been to a few weddings where the photographers were all over the place and took away from the beauty of the ceremony but Derek was the opposite! I looked through most of my pictures and thought to myself, "omg how did he get that shot i dont even remember seeing him there!" Overall I would recommend Derek over and over for any event photography you might need! He is professional and punctual and covers everything so you don't have to worry about a thing! read more

It was pretty difficult finding a local(ish) photographer to do our tiny Yosemite wedding. We planned a small dinner after the ceremony at The Ahwahnee Hotel, and they provided a long list of photographers they have worked with over the years... After looking up everyone on the list, I was pretty underwhelmed. I gave up looking for a while and I finally found Derek on The Knot's app. I reached out to see if he might be free to shoot my destination wedding that was on a random Tuesday and he was very flexible, positive and enthusiastic every time we communicated. We spoke a few times over email and I let him know that I wanted some shots throughout the park after the ceremony, and he was all for it. Derek was on time the day of, was very prepared and made me feel super comfortable. I am not really used to being in front of a camera like that and he totally made me feel at ease and actually have fun. He drove my husband and I around to a spot we wanted to take photos and he had ideas of his own that were gorgeous. It seemed like he was inspired by our surroundings and didn't have a specific set of poses/locations in mind. He worked quickly and was great at improvising. Derek captured all of the little details that will help us to remember our day, and got some incredible photos of us in Yosemite. I had so much fun with him and his team all day that I was actually sad when they had to leave us! All of our friends and family who were there had nothing but positive things to say about them. We got all of our photos back from Derek on the day we were back from our honeymoon and I couldn't be happier with the results. Thank you for capturing the moments of our day, Derek! read more

My husband and I hired Derek for our wedding. It was really important to us that the beauty of our wedding photos would be able to last forever. Derek did not disappoint. He has a true gift for capturing life's intimate moments without being intrusive. We got to know Derek during our engagement photo session and it was a great opportunity to learn his process and get comfortable. On our wedding day he captured every shot we requested and gave us a wide variety of the entire day. The photos were available to us in a timely manner and we got custody of the proofs 90 days after our event. We would highly recommend Derek to anyone looking for an artistic photographer with fun energy! read more

Derek was the best decision we made about our wedding besides saying yes at the alter. He did such an amazing job! Our pictures turned out beautiful and unique in style! My guests and family loved him and his assistant. They were both so calm and made everyone feel comfortable. He was so quick to get our photos back too. I will recommend him to everyone and use him again in the future. read more