Vanessa and Anthony at Essence Photography are a top notch husband-wife team, and we couldn't have asked for a better experience for an engagement photoshoot. They captured exceptional candids of our engagement photoshoot in natural lighting. The delivery of our photos was prompt and easy to access and download. Thank you for making our engagement shoot a success, Essence Photography! We will definitely be back to capture our next milestone with you. read more

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Vanessa from Essence Photography covered our corporate ribbon-cutting event and the photos were phenomenal! She went above and beyond to capture our business grand opening. We will absolutely use her services again! Thank you, Vanessa! read more

We couldn't have been happier to have Betsy and Justin capture our engagement and wedding photos. I had really high standards (thanks to Pinterest), and Essence Photography far exceeded them. After experiencing engagement/wedding photography, I would actually have to say that the pictures are NOT the most important part. The most important part is how well the photographers and the subjects (us as a couple) work together. We totally dug Betsy and Justin. They are both so low key and relaxed, but at the same time, they get stuff done. They pose you and also take your suggestions for what you'd like to see. They are open to suggestions, but are also professionals, so they know what works and what doesn't work. They have such great personalities and are so good at what they do that my whole family was so appreciative of them on our wedding day. Having photographers with a good personality and disposition is so important, because they help you feel at ease, and therefore, take more beautiful pictures! I also have to say that Betsy is so kind for working with me. I have a pretty direct personality, and sometimes that doesn't always go over well. She was very patient in working with me and always listened to what I was looking for and did her best to accommodate me. I was very appreciative of that! The pictures they took for us will last us a lifetime. They are so beautiful and are also backed by good memories of working with Betsy and Justin. Thank you, Essence Photography!! read more

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To me...the most important part of a wedding comes after, it is the photos. The most important thing in life, is photos. That is largely due to the fact that I only remember bad things, and I struggle to keep any memories that are joyful. Life is nothing but moment after moment and I needed someone who would help me always remember. I knew that I would search and search and I would find a way to get the money together to pay for my photographer, whoever they may be. I searched every photographer in California and Nevada. But it is was always Essence. As soon as I saw their site, I knew. Everything about their photos are timeless and quiet, and lovely. If photographer soulmates was a thing, I swear they would be mine! My husband and I were never able to meet Betsy or Justin till the wedding. While Betsy was nothing but kind and wonderful in her emails, I was still a little apprehensive. Mostly, because my husband hates taking photos and I get anxiety from photographer appendage placement instructions! Haha Our wedding, originally in Georgetown, CA, switched to Foresthill, CA, both locations hours from their home, but they didn't mind! Betsy was so understanding and reassuring when I told her of the venue change 4 days before the wedding! (Yeah some madness happened LOL) Come the day of the wedding and Justin and Betsy are sweet, relaxed, fun, and totally in control of the situation! They both provided polite helpful instruction and kept us laughing and smiling the whole time. They really became part of our wedding. They mingled with all of our guests! And all of our guests had nothing but the nicest things to say about them! I don't want to say how quickly we received our photos, in case they can't always achieve that, but holy cow, it was fast! I have heard horror stories of brides getting photos 6-12 months later, but not Essence! :) I didn't cry on my wedding day (hubby didn't want me to and kept making funny faces), but looking back at our beautiful photos I finally get a chance to reflect all the love we have for one another and get a good cry going! I have never encountered a business that I wanted to keep for the rest of my life! We cannot wait for maternity photos and family photos later down the road! So, in short...hire Betsy and Justin, the dream team! They will not disappoint! read more

Essence Photography - Our fave photo, with the best photographers! - Session Photography Near Me - Redding, California

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My husband and I are so thankful that such awesome photographers were with us for our engagement session and wedding day. Our engagement session was in Monte Rio CA meaning Justin and Betsy traveled hours to get to us. Well.... turns out our session also was on the same day as the biggest storm of the year, I'm taking flood warnings and roads being washed away. However, we brought some cute umbrellas and somehow they pulled it off! I love our engagement pictures, they are unique and so special to me. Talk about a bonding experience with our photographers. Lucky for us there was no rain on our wedding day and we got to spend some time with Justin and Betsy without being soaked! Having Justin shoot the Groom and Groomsmen pictures is a nice way to make sure the guys are comfortable and don't feel too pressured about having a camera in their faces all day. Besty worked with us girls before the wedding and made everything easy and fun. As a couple they communicated well to make sure that my groom and I didn't see each other before the ceremony. So far I have only seen a few pictures from our big day and my mind is already blown!! I could not be more happy with Essence Photography and would highly recommend their services to anyone and everyone in need of a photographer. read more

Essence Photography - Sunset pictures taken by Betsy and Justin at the White House at Churn Creek in Redding, CA - Session Photography Near Me - Redding, California

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We just got our Family Christmas photos back and we absolutely love them. They turned out amazing. Betsy was awesome and told us exactly what to do, and was able to get great shots of our 4 dogs, and the 4 of us. Couldn't be happier with their work. read more

Essence Photography - Session Photography Near Me - Redding, California

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Betsy took the most amazing photos of our little family, and captured our baby girl so beautifully! Would definitely recommend her for families looking for amazing family photos! read more

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Essence Photography were able to capture our hearts from the beginning. Betsy and Justin are the most down to earth, incredible partners and individuals you will ever meet. They capture great memories and go above and beyond to ensure the needs of each and every one of their clients. They make us feel more like friends than we are clients of theirs. We had our engagement session done with them and cannot wait to have them capture our upcoming special day. I have a feeling they will be photographing our lives for years to come! Thank you Betsy and Justin!! read more

These ladies did an amazing job capturing beautiful pictures of my family. It wasn't rushed we felt comfortable and my kids adored them. We will definitely be having pictures done with Essence Photography again. read more

My husband and I had the pleasure of having Betsy from Essence Photography capture our Wedding day, maternity, new born, and in a couple weeks our family pictures. We have had the best experience! On our wedding day unfortunately it rained, but Betsy didn't let that stop her from doing an amazing job! Betsy wanted to get the best shot even if that meant she had to get a little muddy :) she even set up a fun photo section inside for all of our guests free of charge because of the rain. I could go on and on about how wonderful Essence Photography is! read more

PICK THEM! BEST DECISION WE MADE. Seriously, it was like having a day of coordinator, and an additional bridesmaid/groomsmen by our side. Betsy and Justin are timely, kind, funny/personal and brilliantly skilled. I was a stressed bride until Betsy arrived, made me laugh and instantly calmed me down. Guests could not help but compliment how wonderful they both were. One of the best parts of my wedding was having them photograph our wedding. They drove to Incline Village at Lake Tahoe to photograph my wedding. You won't be disappointed. Not only did they care about our vision, but they celebrated our story and when they were finished, both my husband and i didn't want them to leave because they have become our friends through this process. Our photographs are gorgeous and i would choose them a million times over. read more

This crew is beyond amazing! We did the mini sessions with Santa! Santa was willing to hold my newborn! No wait in line! Way better than the Santa at the mall that you have to wait in line for! Will be back for more pictures. Thank you so much to this crew for making it nice and easy with a newborn. read more

Betsy is amazing!!! My husband and I have used Betsy twice so far to do our photos. Once to do pregnancy reveal photos and the other to do maternity photos. She really goes above and beyond to make sure you're happy! Her fun and positive attitude make the session so easy and fun! she really knows her stuff too. I loved her creative input and her professional attitude! I am excited to do more photos with Betsy when our baby comes! read more

I've had the pleasure of working with the Erickson team on three separate occasions and have been entirely thankful for their services. The first was an engagement session in January. We were having a backyard wedding, most of the decor was put together by hand, even the flowers were ordered in bulk; I wanted to invest in the photography for our one and only wedding. You cannot redo these moments and it's critical to have a photographer who is both gifted in their profession and can also understand the photos you'd love to have at the end of the day. Our wedding and engagement sessions were a bundled as a package deal. I snagged a Facebook offer for ten percent off my order, and I believe this is available more often than not, go grab it for an easy savings! Betsy was so flexible with me and answered each and every ridiculous question and concern I had. She was personable, understanding, and made it clear she cared about you and your happiness. The third session was a food photography session which is entirely different and typically a very difficult genre of photography. She made it extremely convenient for me to bring my product to a styled setup and capture beautiful shots of my work. My husband and I already plan to have Betsy and Justin return to our home for one year anniversary shots and look forward to the many business transactions to come. I highly recommend Essence Photography for anything from weddings to family portraits. They're a phenomenal team. read more

Hands down THE MOST AMAZING photographer team out there! Having Betsy and Justin photograph our big day was definitely the best decision we made. They exceeded all expectations and I would recommend them over and over again. They are such fun loving people and made everything so easy! Our family and bridal party loved them! They were incredibly organized and professional and also worked so well with the little children in our bridal party. If you are looking for a wedding/engagement photographer, look no further and BOOK THEM NOW! We are so happy with the experience and will cherish our beautiful photos for years to come! Definitely the best vendors we booked for our wedding! Thank you again for everything, Betsy and Justin! read more

I recently got married in June and I can't say enough nice things about having my photos taken by Betsy and Justin Erickson of Essence Photography. Being that these two are married, they made a fantastic team. I had a friend recommend Essence Photography, who sometimes shoots for our local Northstate magazine. Since I am so recently married, we've only gotten to see a few photos from our wedding. Betsy is open to trying any photo ideas you may have, but still tries to stay true to herself as a photographer and takes some really incredible shots.My husband's idea was to have us all dolled up and on his motorcycle. Betsy loved the idea and ran with it, and I can honestly say that I was absolutely THRILLED with the turn-out. The night of the wedding, she promptly uploaded her three favorite photos from the evening unedited, sneak-previews. Untouched, these photos were fantastic! With Betsy's keen eye we are anxiously waiting on the edge of our seats to see the rest of the photos. Especially the ones she pulled out all the stops on! We also paid for a photo booth which was a huge hit and was a great to entertain the young ones, or guests of any age! We took the photos from the booth and are having our guestbook made from these as a more fun memento of our wedding. Betsy came with a box full of props and urged us to bring anything else we thought would be fun props. Included in our package was a full eight hours of two photographers, a CD of all photo negatives, a photo album, and three hours of photo booth photographer and free digital copies of any photo booth pictures available for download via Essence Photography blog for any guests. Incredible. I would recommend this company to any of my friends who may be getting married, or even for family/maternity shoots which she also does at a very reasonable price. read more

There are not enough nice things I could say about our experience having Justin and Betsy as our wedding photographers. I met with Betsy a couple of times to discuss what my wants and goals were for the wedding day. She put together an entire timeline for me so I could have an idea of how things would flow on the day of. Justin was with the guys while Betsy was with me prior to the first look. Hair and make up ran about an hour over than it was supposed to, but instead of panicking, Betsy remained calm the ENTIRE time. This was a life saver to me because if she had been nervous, I would have had a breakdown!! Justin and Betsy stayed for 8 hours and captured all the most important moments of the day. Betsy made sure to show me a few photos throughout the day to make sure I was happy with what she was photographing, which I thought was really awesome. It showed how much they cared about giving us what we wanted. I also heard that Justin helped the guys with their pocket squares, which they were clueless about, so they were more than just great photographers!! I got my photos back within a month and I am so in love with them all. Seriously, they are both masters at what they do. I cannot thank them both enough for capturing our Love Story in the most beautiful way. It means more than we could ever express. Thank you, thank you, thank you! read more

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