Deeba was incredible! Hired him to capture a surprise proposal and he went above and beyond. The week leading up to the event he helped brainstorm locations for the best photos and opine on strategy. Walking up to our chosen proposal spot, I was initially worried because someone was sitting near where I was going to propose and would be in the shot. Turns out, it was Deeba making sure nobody else got in the area for the perfect proposal. He was so clandestine my fiancee had no idea anything was about to happen until I was on one knee. She was so surprised she never took off her glasses during the actual proposal and he noticed and right after we were done kissing had us quickly re-enact the moment without glasses or her purse. The shot speaks for itself. Would highly, highly recommend for anything important you want to capture in the most beautiful way possible. read more

Donya Photography - Event Photography Near Me - Davis, California

We booked Deeba for both our engagement photos and wedding photos. He was amazing from the start. I highly recommend doing engagement photos first because it helped us get to know him better. And the photos are amazing! I have gotten so many compliments on our wedding photos and I love looking at them. It was important to my husband and I to not see each other before the wedding. We met with a few photographers and they told us our timeline and style of photos that we wanted would not work. Deeba listened to us, learned all the family dynamics, and not only accommodated what we wanted (more formal portraits and less cheesy kisses on the forehead), but he fit everything with enough time to spare that we could go to our cocktail hour! At the reception I literally did not know he was there unless guests were dragging me to get a photo taken (Sorry Deeba!). He blended in, and made everyone feel comfortable. If you want a true photo documentary of your big day, chose Deeba. You won't regret it. read more

Donya Photography - Event Photography Near Me - Davis, California

When we were looking for a photographer for our wedding, Deeba's photos stood out because he captured such gorgeous, candid moments. Once we decided to reach out and hire him, he was lovely to work with from start to finish: straightforward, professional, punctual, and happy to go at our speed throughout the process. Most importantly, his photos captured the love and joy of our day beautifully! We can't wait to get his photos in an album and on our walls! read more

I'm so happy we chose Deeba for our engagement photos! The entire process was flawless and I couldn't have imagined a better outcome. Deeba was always very quick at responding and even had suggestions for the location and time of our photos. He showed up early to our shoot and he helped calm the nerves immediately. Throughout the shoot, Deeba knew all of the spots in the park to capture the best photos. We had so much fun walking around the park with Deeba and formed such an immediate connection that I often forgot we were there for photos. Now, the end result. We received the photos quickly and they were INCREDIBLE! The gallery captured a variety of different locations/poses/colors, etc.. We had the photos done to include on our Save the Dates and wedding website and it was almost impossible to choose the best ones. I was worried that they would look cheesy or staged but that was not the case at all. The photos are natural and he was able to make the most out of the park at sunset. I highly recommend Deeba to anyone looking to capture a special moment and we hope to work with him again! read more

Several weeks ago my fiancé and I did a photoshoot with Deeba for our engagement photos. The shoot was comfortable and fun. He was very knowledgable and has a keen eye for angles and natural takes. If you are looking for a photographer that you can trust very quickly then Deeba is your man. My family and friends are still blown away by our pictures- Lots of tears!! Thanks DEEBA!!!!!! Nathaniel and Dustin read more

Donya Photography - Event Photography Near Me - Davis, California

I did a LOT of research before choosing Deeba at Donya Photography. My husband has been in a lot of weddings and was not excited about being posed or doing cheesy things for photos, so we needed someone with a more natural style. I loved Deeba's documentary-style, photojournalistic photography immediately. He excels at capturing beautiful, natural moments and expressions. He also has an incredible eye for light and composition. Our wedding photos are beautiful shot after beautiful shot. Our families are having an impossible time choosing photos to frame, because they are ALL so good! Leading up to the wedding, he was easy to communicate with and very flexible as we had to make changes to our venue and plans due to COVID-19. No complaints at all, would hire him again in a heartbeat! read more

Deeba is amazing. Sure, the photos he provided were candid, beautiful, and often stunning, but he also performed above his job description when handling some more unconventional public stops to our limo ride. First, the photos and photography: Deeba was professional, courteous, and arrived exactly when he was supposed to. And throughout the course of the event didn't seem to be anywhere. Absent. Gone. But then we got the photos back. He had melted into the fixtures and, it turns out, was omnipresent. He caught a lot of moments of intimacy and tenderness that we might not have seen otherwise. His product was exactly what we wanted. Second, he went above and beyond. When we left our venue in our limo, we had a narrow window before our costs would jump (based off of additional hours of time): about one hour to capture photos in front of the White House and the Lincoln Memorial and get to the hotel. We hopped into our limo with Deeba on board. But the driver immediately got lost - he turned away from the direction of the White House and drove for a few minutes in the wrong direction before Deeba clued us in - we were not paying attention, being a bit caught up in, well, everything that had just happened. I told the driver we were heading the wrong direction, at which point Deeba jumped in and assumed the role of navigator, getting us to the White House without further problems. After we finished at the White House, we needed to get to the Lincoln Memorial... But the limo driver was missing. He had parked many blocks away (and had no clue how to get back to us). After we had walked about halfway to the limo, my wife's feet could not go further - high heels and the potent combination of adrenaline and total exhaustion could get us no further. Deeba, however, had wisely taken the driver's phone number, called him, and ran off to find him. Next thing we know, the limo pulls up with Deeba already in the back. He was a champion. And the photos... The photos were fantastic, full stop. We have so many excellent memories of the day, and they have now been complemented by an amazing series of photos. Thank you, Deeba. You were awesome. read more

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Photography for my wedding was the one thing that I took full responsibility for planning, so I searched quite a bit for the right photographer. Deeba's work stuck out as soon as I saw it. His images are as dynamic as they are intimate and spontaneous. He's got a gifted eye for capturing all the right moments and for accenting the style/size/spirit of the event. A pleasure to work with too, in terms of logistics and professionalism. I highly recommend if you're looking to capture your day in an artful, personal, and candid light, rather than the more stodgy traditional wedding photography style. read more

Deeba shot my surprise engagement proposal his past weekend. The photos themselves are gorgeous- they feel real and do not look staged. He captured the emotion and moment perfectly. Deeba was professional to work with and responded quickly. Can't be more happy with the results and will definitely use Donya Photography again in the future! Thanks again Deeba! read more

We looked at a lot of photographers, and Deeba stands out because his photos really put you in the moment. They have a depth and presence that remind me of the great photographers at National Geographic or the New York Times. Deeba is also extremely easy to work with--punctual, courteous, scrupulously organized, and unobtrusive at the event, but totally engaged in giving you the experience you want. We had him photograph our wedding ceremony last week (we'll have the reception in a few months, and he'll photograph that too). The pictures came out beautifully--really hard to decide which ones we'll print, there are so many striking shots. He listened carefully to what we wanted but also had lots of creative ideas for framing pictures. Really great experience overall, and we're looking forward to having him at the reception! read more

Hi Deeba, Please forgive us for the insanely late reply! We love the photos and have not stopped looking at them since we got them. Everything looked great from the colors and richness you were able to capture during the reception to the stunning B&W film photos (my favorites). Thanks again for lending us your eye! Also my parents said you were so nice that they thought you were one of my friends lol.  Best Wishes! read more

Two days of a crazy, multi-cultural, chaotic wedding celebration-- and Deeba caught it all perfectly. We just got our photos back last night, and my fiance and I truly couldn't believe how well Deeba told the story of our wedding and caught every big moment and conveyed each emotion. He and the second shooter (Deeba rightfully recommended we have one with our 200+ guest count), Devon, had such a great approach to photographing our wedding and capturing everything while barely being noticed. They employed the perfect combination of portraits and candids and the end result was so beautiful. We are so thrilled that we found him (thanks to Yelp!). Beyond his awesome photography, Deeba was by far the most organized vendor to work with before and after the wedding. Quick to respond to my crazy questions and with a clear system in place to document exactly what you want, and deliver. When you're planning a multi-day wedding (or a single-day wedding, at that) you really don't want to worry about someone unreliable or stressful-- and trust me, we had those, too-- so it was great working with someone we trusted throughout the process. I can't recommend him enough. read more

This is a very tricky review to write because Deeba Yavrom did a beautiful job capturing our wedding. He also added some drama I wasn't prepared for. As you can see from my other wedding-related reviews, we planned our wedding on very short notice. Fortunately the only issue came from this bit. He showed up ontime and took gorgeous photos. He also 'forgot his wallet' and couldn't get his car out of the parking garage. We had to leave our wedding lunch and forgoe (sp?) our plans to shoot photos around the city and at Chrissy Field. Other than that, he stayed with us for a very long time and charged us very fairly for his work. He sent the CD with the photos very quickly and they are spectacular! I can't say that enough (check out some of the pics on my profile). Deeba has a very promising future in wedding photography because his eye for subtlety and detail is extraordinary. The next time I get married I'll surely use him again. Just kidding! :) But, if I ever host another SF event where I need photography, I'll definitely call him again! read more

We learned about Deeba through Yelp and his website. We decided to contact him because of his glowing reviews and the style of his work shown on his website was exactly what we were looking for (photojournalistic, natural, not too 'pose-y'). From the start he made the process very easy, he was really wonderful to work with the day of our courthouse wedding, and communication was a breeze throughout. We really love our final pictures - even with 50+ mph winds and a cloudy day, Deeba made it work brilliantly! He is easy going and open to suggestions but also clearly knows what he is doing and has experience with a lot of different settings, which means he can easily get creative and respond to whatever small issues may pop up during your photo shoot. I am not the biggest fan of being in pictures so I was a little apprehensive about getting our photos done, but any worry I had dissipated as soon as we started taking photos and this was because of Deeba's easy going and genuine demeanor. I highly recommend him to anyone who is looking for a photographer for a special occasion! read more

My husband and I had the pleasure of working with Donya Photography in May 2009. When researching for a wedding photographer, we were looking for someone that would capture the most important day of our lives in a simple yet classy way. Seeing Deeba's work on his website, we immediately knew that we had found our perfect match. From our very first meeting, he was so flexible, willing to hear and incorporate our ideas and what we wanted. Our engagement pictures turned out wonderful. He was also able to express the beauty of our wedding day in the most amazing way. We are so happy with his work. Thanks to him, we will always have the perfect keepsake of our wedding day. THANK YOU, DONYA PHOTOGRAPHY :) read more

Donya Photography did an excellent job at my wedding! I loved all the photos. The style of photography, as others have mentioned, is more candid, which I like. They were also extremely reasonable, probably one of the best deals around the area. This really helped us keep under budget for our wedding - which can be quite difficult to do! You won't be sacrificing quality with price. read more

This review is coming in a bit late - more than a year after the wedding. Sorry, Deeba! I thought I already wrote you a review! Deeba did a great job! The pictures look great, and he was able to accommodate our tight schedule. We did our ceremony in the early afternoon, took our wedding pics, and then went straight into the reception and dinner. His style tends to be a bit more candid, less posy, which I really liked. What I appreciated most was the "seamlessness" of the experience...and what I mean by that is that he didn't really take over the wedding to get the shot. I absolutely detest it when photographers hijack a wedding, and get in the way of the actual event. My wedding was way memorable, and went just as I wanted it to go. No awkward moments where the photographer elbows his way into the aisle as I'm walking down. :) read more

We researched a lot of photographers, but no one seemed to really go beyond the typical to capture moments that were full of personality and heart the same way Deeba did. We worked with Deeba for our engagement photos and they turned out wonderfully. He was very flexible for scheduling on a short time frame (with a fiance out of town, and chasing the elusive cherry blossoms), and was communicative and punctual. Even with high winds and a chilly day, he made it work finding great shots and really taking advantage of the sunset. I would absolutely recommend him, the price was reasonable, and the quality was phenomenal. read more

Great Experience! Deeba of Donya Photography was wonderful; he worked with us during the entire wedding planning process. We did a destination wedding in San Francisco, and it was hard to find vendors in the area, without being able to be in California and meet anyone in person. We picked Donya based on the online reviews, his website photo gallery, and just the ease of communication during the planning process. He was familiar with the area and understood the general feel of what we wanted on our wedding day. After talking with him for months in advance, it was already a comfortable experience, even though we had just met in person on the wedding day. Sometimes a whole day of photos can feel like a lot of work; we had a big group and 4 different locations, but Deeba was so flexible and so easy going, that it all went so smooth. Once we got the photos, I was amazed at all that he captured. We lucked out with perfect weather and the golden gate bridge as our backdrop...but I am just so happy that we found Deeba, he really made the wedding day so special. Photography is such a big part of the wedding plans and the day couldn't have gone better. read more

Finding the right photographer for my wedding was a huge priority for me. I browsed TheKnot, looked up my friend's wedding photographers, and even ventured onto Craigslist. I wanted someone that would capture the moments, not set us up in awkward poses and snap away. I was so pleasantly surprised when I came across Deeba's portfolios online. Everything looked perfect. We had Deeba take our engagement photos and were super pleased with how they turned out. He did not disappoint at the wedding either. Captured some AMAZING shots that me and my family will cherish for the rest of our lives, you kinda can't repay someone for that. Speaking of payment, way affordable. I wanted a custom package, and he designed a package that fit my needs and budget. Will definitely be using Deeba in the future! read more

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We used Deeba to take both our proposal and engagement photos, and couldn't be happier! For the proposal, he worked with me to get the timing right, and took amazing candid shots. For our engagement photos, he was incredibly easy to coordinate with in order to take photos at two locations in DC at sunset. He had great suggestions, clearly an expert at what he does. He also incorporated our own ideas into the photo shoot, which we really appreciated. Deeba was incredibly nice and made us feel relaxed taking photos in Georgetown and around the monuments, which he turned around very quickly. The pictures were better than we could have imagined. We HIGHLY recommend him! read more

Everybody seems to know a wedding photographer. But most of them fit into the categories of either A) Super expensive or B) So mediocre that you might as well just ask your Uncle Bob to bring his camera. Donya Photography is that rare type that is not outrageously expensive, but the photos are still outrageously beautiful. Deeba and his second shooter, Aysha, did an excellent job of capturing our wedding. Deeba has a talent for capturing candid moments perfectly. He really seems more like a photo journalist than a wedding photographer. It is quite special to have pictures with genuine emotions, smiles, and interactions. He was also really great with the posed shots he did with just me and my husband. He had an eye for the perfect locations and situations. I felt like he really captured the dynamic between us and made us look great. He is not as enthused to do group posed pictures. He will kindly do anything you request, but you have to ask - he is not going to go out of his way to make sure there is a shot of you posed with your great aunt so and so unless you request it. I highly recommend Donya Photography. Not only is Deeba professional and talented, but he is also warm and kind which makes it an added pleasure to work with him. read more

Deeba was our wedding photographer and brought of 2nd shooter for our wedding. He was a pleasure to work with and we really enjoyed his photo journalistic style. He was very responsive by phone and email. We highly recommend him without reservation. read more

Deeba was recommended to us by a friend of mine who's wedding Deeba was the photographer for. He gave a stellar recommendation so we called him right away. One of the very first things Deeba told us was he did not like to do the typical "posey" wedding pictures. He liked to capture real moments happening rather than asking people to stand and smile. Which is one thing we really liked. We were both camera shy, and impatient when we are made to pose. He is very discrete while he is working. He likes to try and stay behind the scenes and you would almost forget that he is there, but still manages to get all the shots he needs to get. That said, he is very courteous. When my wife had her brief "bridezilla" moment he was nice enough not to take pictures of that situation and waited patiently until she snapped out of it. We would also like to commend him for dressing appropriately, we have seen photographers that would come in jeans and t-shirt which kinda ruins the mood if your going for an elegant formal event. After the wedding Deeba was extremely quick getting the photos edited and sent out to us. Which was perfect because we were able to inform him of some revisions we would like for him to do, which again he dealt with quickly. We highly recommend Deeba Yavrom. And would hire him in a heartbeat if ever we need a professional photographer again. read more

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I just got married last month and i know how extremely difficult it is to find a high quality wedding photographer on a budget, especially in the bay area... but look no further, Donya Photography is the way to go. Deeba (owner/photographer) was extremely professional, courteous and polite. He was very willing to work with our needs and ideas for pictures/poses... but he also setup some great shots for us as well. We received our pictures quickly and have no complaints with the quality or number of pics. Deeba did an awesome job of capturing all the moments in the standard shots (i.e. group pics) as well as artistic close ups, blurred backgrounds, cool angles and the rest. read more

Deeba was incredible! With only 5 days notice we worked out a plan to surprise my now fiancee by the Lincoln Memorial. There were so many ways it could have gone horribly wrong (my fiancee was an hour late for our run, I was not wearing the clothes I said I would be wearing), but Deeba was incredibly professional and was attentively waiting by the monument for the big moment. He sprung into action when I arrived (with only non-verbal cues) and was able to navigate the crowded area to snap several amazing shots. We have been universally told how amazing the photograph is that we get to keep forever. Deeba made the moment even better than I had imagined. He then was able to send me about 20 touched up photos in under 2 hours in time for the engagement party. Highly, Highly recommend. read more

Deeba did an amazing job photographing my surprise engagement proposal this past weekend. The photos were even greater than we expected and captured our emotions as well as the ambiance of the venue just as we were hoping. Deeba was very easy to work with as we had much communications back and forth leading up to the big day, and he nailed everything right in regards to my detailed proposal plans. We will be using Donya Photography again soon as we plan for a Spring photoshoot. read more

Deeba shot our wedding in September. He did an amazing job! Not only did he take traditional photos of the families, but he also took many creative shots of fun moments. He is an artist with the camera. On the business side, he was prompt to get back to me and a pleasure to deal with before and after the wedding. I highly recommend his services. MB read more

Deeba was a great photographer. He delivered exactly what we wanted and at a reasonable price. He was on time for all of our meetings, patient when answering our questions and took all of the photos we had on our must have list. I would highly recommend booking him for all of your photo needs! read more

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Deeba does an amazing job! My wife and I did a lot of searching for wedding photographers in the DC metro area. When we came upon Deeba's website we were struck by how well he shot candid photos. It was a stark difference from other wedding photographers websites that had the same corny/cheesy feel to the photos, and did not capture the day with any sense of reality. Deeba takes incredible photos that in no way seem forced. For us he took posed photos we requested as well as seamlessly capturing the wedding. I would also be remiss if I didn't mention his calm demeanor and ability to take photos in an unobtrusive manner. Overall, not only are we thrilled with the photos, but our friends and family are too! We can not say enough good things about Deeba! read more

Deeba is a phenomenal photographer. I have known him for a few years, have worked with him, and have hired him as a photographer as well, and I couldn't be happier. He runs his business in a very kind and honest manner, his photography is stellar, and his outlook is always bright and cheery (which is certainly contagious). He delivers photos in a very prompt manner, and I have always been very pleased with the results. I would not hesitate to recommend Deeba to anyone requiring a photographer (and I have in the past). His style is very fresh and alive, and does well to display notes of his own charisma. Very highly recommended! read more

Deeba is a true professional. I love his out of the way style, yet his ability to make meaningful suggestions when needed. I appreciated that Deeba was willing to work with me on pricing. Deeba does beautiful work. My gut instinct told me he was the right photographer for our event, and it turned out to be true! Jessica Friedman read more

I am writing this review for Donya Photography because I wanted everyone to know how amazing Deeba is as a photographer. His work on my Traditional Vietnamese Engagement Ceremony has brought so much pride and joy to me and my family. The Traditional Tea Ceremony is a series of events, that is full of customs and colors, unfolding within a 40-45 mins time frame. The photographer has to be quick thinking on his feet in order to capture those intimate moments unraveling in front of him/her. On top of that, he/she has to have an intimate knowledge of the procedure as well. And Deeba did exactly just that. And all that was given to him was a written procedure from me about a month before the event. That is the true mark of a professional. As for the quality of Deeba's work, I couldn't be any happier. We love his photo-journalistic approach. Every single picture looks so natural and is full of energy and emotion. It feels like he was documenting our event for a newspaper or magazine. And finally, the best part about having Deeba as your photographer on your special day is that you will barely notice that he is there. He is not the type that will try to take charge and create shots just for the sake of doing it. He is more the type that stays behind the scenes and be as unobtrusive as possible. That is why most of his pictures have such an organic feel to it. In general, if you would like someone who is pleasant, humble, and unobtrusive to be the person that capture all of your intimate moments on your special day, Deeba from Donya Photography is your answer. read more

We couldn't be happier with our decision to hire Deeba to shoot our wedding photos! My partner and I usually look extremely awkward/uncomfortable in photos, so we were worried about how our wedding pictures would come out. But it's a testament to Deeba's talent that all of the photos came out beautifully! We were totally blown away by the photos, especially with his candid shots that perfectly captured the day. Deeba was also a very chill and calming presence on the day of the wedding--he's just a pleasure to be around and very easy to work with. Can't recommend him highly enough! read more

Deeba absolutely nailed this assignment. I planned a surprise proposal to my girlfriend, and I hired Deeba in advance to stealthily capture the moment. He did a fantastic job; stealthily maintaining his distance as to not give away the surprise, but close enough to capture the emotion of the moment (and, to add, in challenging outdoor, cloudy lighting conditions). The pictures were great; she and I are both very happy and will cherish these pics. Thanks Deeba! read more

We booked a couples session with Deeba during a recent vacation to DC. He was professional and made us feel comfortable, and we thought his photos were fantastic. We liked his natural style and had a lot of fun during the session. We would definitely book him again and I highly recommend him to other couples. read more

My fiancée and I hired Deeba to take our engagement photos, and are thrilled with the whole experience. We found him on Yelp, and from the moment we started emailing with him, we knew he was the right photographer for us. Deeba has a keen eye for light and we loved the way he composed his shots, so choosing him was particularly easy. Working with him on the day of the shoot was effortless. He was early to our meeting spot, and although we were both clearly nervous, he quickly put us at ease. He was unfazed by our energetic puppy, and just told us to be ourselves. His advice worked. We took the pictures on Friday, and they were ready Monday evening. Not only do we look good, but Deeba perfectly captured DC and the beautiful late afternoon on the mall. That kind of promptness and professionalism didn't go unnoticed. If you're looking for a professional, kind, and talented photographer, look no further. Deeba won't disappoint. read more

Finding a wedding photographer can be a daunting task, but look no further. Deeba created so many lasting memories of our wedding day in August 2010. He and his second photographer, Musa, were so professional, had calming demeanors and were easy to work with. At times, you forgot they were there because they were never in the way or overbearing, but together they got every important shot we asked for. He is not into "posey" photos, but prefers more candid, real moments, which is exactly what were looking for. I appreciated the teaser photos Deeba sent us after the wedding to keep us satisfied until he could edit and organize the remaining shots. Overall, I would definitely recommend Donya Photography for any important event in your life. The prices were extremely fair and the quality was more than we could ask for. read more

Deeba did a fantastic job photographing our wedding! We never knew he was there yet he captured everything beautifully. We didn't really have a plan or location for our "couple" pictures between the ceremony and reception, but he knew the area and found some amazing backdrops for these pictures. I couldn't have been happier! He was very creative in lighting and framing and also captured a lot of the little details and decorations that I planned but was too busy to enjoy at the time! I love going back and looking at all of the amazing pictures. I would recommend him to anyone! read more

We were looking for a "documentary" style wedding photographer who would capture the people and emotions of the day rather focus on the generic and cutesy/sentimental wedding details that are always staged the same way. It was surprisingly hard to find wedding photographers who embraced that idea. But Deeba came through in a big way. He not only understood what we were going for but executed it very well. He was great to work with ahead of, and during, the wedding. On the day of the wedding he was able to blend into the background as needed to capture people naturally. And most importantly, the photos were all we could have hoped for. We highly recommend him. read more