Now that we've had time to review our actual photos, we sadly have to update our initial review…read more Going into the wedding we were so excited to work with Chris. But once we really took a look at the photos, we realized we got very little of what we wanted. Before the event, Chris seemed meticulous. He met with us twice and asked detailed questions about our family trees, and we explained who the really super important guests were, aka the guests we wanted lots of photos with. Looking back at the pics, it seems like Chris either didn't hear the majority of our requests, or he heard them and was just too overwhelmed to handle them. During our meetings he stressed a few really important photos, like one with the groom's parents and the bride and groom, one with the bride's parents, photos of the elderly relatives whose presence at the event we'd want to cherish...also his personal favorite of the bridesmaids all looking one way and the bride, in focus, looking at the camera. Somehow, Chris failed at delivering those photos at a high quality - the ones he was passionate about. Most of them are unusable. Chris is definitely a nice guy, but his work quality wasn't what we were expecting, especially for a wedding that was essentially all in one building (no frantic driving across town, searching for parking, etc.). If you are looking for someone to shoot a very, very low key event or a wedding without many moving parts or complications, working with him will probably work. Anything higher stress than that I would recommend working with someone else.

I had the pleated working with Katie Jean and she made the whole stressful experience so much fun…read moreand gave me so much thought into how to get the most out of my day. My wedding was out of state and as you could imagine so much more stressful. She was my rescue. She shot my whole day and brought so much joy. This was the best decision I made. I would recommend to anyone.

Jessica is amazing! The best photographer I have experienced! She had creative ideas; was succinct…read moreand deliberate when she took photos (didn't waste your time); was efficient and allowed for many poses and settings; was pleasant , professional and friendly. I cannot saying enough great things about The Refinery Photo Studio!

I was long overdue for updated head shots and I am very glad that I chose The Refinery for this…read moresummer's session. I was able to book several weeks in advance and lock in a time for an outside shoot. In terms of the studio, the place is very cozy and the "dressing room" area even features R+Co Hair Products which are awesome! Jessica is an excellent photographer and the outside session has fun and nicely paced. Afterwards, we went back up to choose the ones I'd like to keep and have as final products. In under two weeks, I got the link to my gallery and I am quite happy with the array of finalized images. I highly recommend the work of Jessica and Ryan.

We loved working with McKenna! She is so friendly, kind and made us feel better through all the…read morejitters and even more excited through our joy! We did a small micro wedding in an art gallery and she was so flexible in working with us even though all the details didn't come together until right before! I would definitely recommend.

McKenna did an amazing job wrangling even the rowdiest family members for extended family photos…read more She did a wonderful job reminding us to stay on schedule, but was relaxed and flexible enough to let us enjoy every moment. Her attention to detail was spectacular. She was accommodating through multiple postponements due to Covid-19. She brought fun energy to both our engagement pictures and wedding day while still remaining very professional. All expectations were stated and communication was easy. Most of all, our photos are so dreamy- they capture all of the sentimental and funny moments of our big day in a way that is polished but still so authentic to us.

Amy was amazing! She went above and beyond for our engagement photos by taking a boat ride with us…read moreto capture a special moment on the Milwaukee River. Amy captured so many special moments at our Wedding that I didn't even know I would want. She coordinated with our band and venue to ensure we were on time and able to sneak away for sunset pictures. Her fun attitude kept our wedding party ready for photos and enjoying the process! Amy's photos were beautiful from our Wedding Day and we could not be happier She sent them within 2 weeks and did an great job editing. I would recommend Amy to anyone! Thank you again :)

I can't say enough incredible things about Amy at Happy Gnome Photography. I've worked with her on…read morethree separate occasions. First, she shot our engagement photos. We wanted to do something a bit non-traditional. The whole idea started with wanting to include my Grandpa's 1932 Chevy... we knew it wouldn't make the trip out to our Boston wedding as I'd dreamed of as a little one, so instead it was the centerpiece of this shoot. Amy took this idea and ran with it... she provided balloons, brought great props, and even hooked us up with a really incredible mechanics shop for a backdrop. We had a blast, and the shoot turned out exactly how we'd hoped. I then went to Amy for a boudoir session. I told her I'd be in Milwaukee and was interested in a shoot, and within a few days she was setting up a whole shoot that would allow for a friend to do her own session, too. Amy made me feel incredibly comfortable through the entire session. She had great shot ideas and backdrops, and even brought a few accessories to share. My now-husband got his little black book as a morning-of wedding gift... he was blown away! Exactly what I was going for. :) I saved the best for last: our wedding. The incredible emotion that is felt on your wedding day is something you wish you could feel forever; the next best thing is having photos that perfectly capture the day. I still get compliments on how fantastic our photos turned out...of course, we send all the credit to Amy... we just showed up for the pics! Amy was patient, professional, and so easy to work with. She knows how to communicate with a bride on her day, and she will do everything she can to make sure you get what you want. Amy thinks of the little things, like reminding us not to wear socks to our boudoir sessions (weird indents on our skin) or discreetly reminding me that if I'm putting on a strapless dress in a few hours, I should take my bra off to avoid the same marks. What a smart lady! Aside from the actual photos Amy provides, she also does a really great job with customer service post-shoot. She'll often share a "sneak peek" right after a shoot to give you a sense of what to expect, and we always got our photos much faster than I've heard others do from their photographers. She's very clear about what she'll provide and how you can use/print your photos: so important in making sure she gets credit where it's due and you get the photos you want. The payment process is easy peasy. My husband and I moved back to Milwaukee a few months after our wedding, and we plan to use Amy for every photo-worthy event that will come up (newborns, back to school, mini-sessions, anniversary parties, etc etc etc). She's that great. Book her now!

Highly recommend Little Giant Photography. My mother spotted Tia's work on the Married in Milwaukee…read morewebsite and we feel so lucky to have been able to work with her as both our engagement photographer and wedding photographer. Planning a wedding from halfway across the country made Tia's timeliness, professionalism, and experience absolutely invaluable. Our wedding ceremony was held with only 25 family members in my grandmother's home and she was the perfect photographer for us. Her work captured the intimacy, love, and laughter that surrounded us all day and we are blown away by her work. Sharing photos with family and friends, they all say the same thing, "Wow! Great photographer!" We couldn't agree more.

Tia was our wedding photographer. She did an amazing job to capture our special moment at the…read moreSchlitz Audubon Nature Center, even before, during and after the rain. Very professional, yet made the photo process fun. Easy to work with throughout the entire wedding planning and event. Photos of planned poses and natural depictions turned out great. Highly recommended!

Best person in the world to draw out your inner child, your secret sauce, and make the pictures a…read moretrue reflection of who you are. Stacy plays in her studio, and brings you into calm confidence to truly be you. I've seen it myself, and with others I have referred to her. BRILLIANT!

Stacy Kaat not only knows how to shot a good head shot, but knows how to keep things comfortable…read moreand relaxing while doing it. My headshots - one conventional and one 'dynamic' (to fit the mood of my freelance videography business) - showed the range that Stacy has as a headshot photographer and were exactly what I needed to promote my 'personal brand'. Beforehand, Stacy sat down with me to discuss what I wanted to convey in my photographs and also helped me choose the right outfit to match the vision we had of my headshots. She kept the whole experience calm & fun, and I couldn't have been happier with how everything turned out. I highly recommend Stacy for anyone looking to have a high quality headshot done. On a side note, Stacy is also a great networker and a wealth of knowledge on small business planning and marketing. I learned a lot just chatting with her in between photos.

Karen Oliva is the most talented photographer I have ever worked with. She is professional,…read moretalented and creates the most gorgeous photos I have ever seen! If you want something unique, and your event to be captured perfectly, look no further. Karen invests heavily to every client and caters to whatever look they are going for. She is great for weddings, headshots, personal shoots, or any other event.

Kara did an amazing job with my professional headshot-style photo shoot…read more I wasn't even sure what I was looking for, so she took some time at the beginning to discus the traditional versus "new wave" style of business pictures. With LinkedIn and social media being such a big deal now a days, you better look profesh, and you better look good while you're doing it. She made everything stress free for me and guided me through the process. I'm not used to professional pictures, but she made me feel comfortable and confident during the shoot. Tried on some different outfits with some different backgrounds at her studio (which is lovely and nicely decorated) The day was painless and casual, she had a quick turnaround process and gave me a stunning final result, including a great editing process for some general blemish removal, etc. Would highly recommend Kara not just for her professional photography skills, but her personality and her ability to make you feel at ease. She handles family portraits, weddings and adorable baby shoots, too!

Kara generously offered to schedule me in the next day after I had anxiously reached out because my…read morebaby was nearing 6 weeks old and I was having a difficult time scheduling newborn photos (typically taken within the first 2 weeks of life) with a different photographer. She cleared her schedule and was able to beautifully capture my increasingly huge and more active, less sleepy infant. The preparation that went into the shoot was top notch from the heat being turned up in the studio so my baby wasn't cold to the wide variety of outfits, props, sound machine, and she even had a camping/outdoorsy background that fit our nursery theme! We BOTH felt we were in the best of care; my baby is normally fussy in the hands of strangers but Kara had a way of calming him to get all the cutest poses effortlessly, and I as a new mom was able to finally relax for a few hours. She is also a mom to two littles and was incredibly easy to talk and relate to. It was apparent she truly loves her career and genuinely cares about her customers and their family.. which is increasingly hard to find these days! I recommend her services to anyone looking for family photos; you will treasure them for decades to come.