I had a family portrait done 17 years ago. There are things I really do not like about Kramer. The first is there strict policy of not sharing anything digital. Yes, I get that there "real" product is a combination of a digital foundation with a human touch of finishing, but I still, I personally like to have the source material and this is simply not going to happen here. Also, there pricing and marketing. 17 years ago I remember getting a discount offer on the purchase of a luxury car. It seemed significant, but I do not recall exactly where the sticker shock came in with the process, but post sitting we were in it deep enough to just say yes to the price. Over the years the portrait faded. And, not all of it. For some reason the skin tone of the faces faded whereas the arms did not. It was never placed in direct sunlight and even if it was this doesn't seem like a pure exposure issue since it was selective fading. Moving out of state and thinking about moving the portrait I wondered why I should even worry about taking it as it was really that bad. For some reason I thought about reaching out to Kramer. The hardest part of the process was getting a response from Facebook Messenger. It seemed to be the only digital method of contact and I really wasn't in the mood to waste time on the phone. Eventually, I got someone's ear and that turned into speaking with the owner. Okay, with all of this so far, you would think this would be a one star review! Well, eventually they found the original digital file which predated a change in their systems which made it harder than it should be, but they found it. Then, replacing it wasn't even a conversation. The only question they asked is if it was in the original frame. It was, so that made things easier. It took a while to get it back but the result was amazing and possibly better than new. This made the cost, the lack of personally having the digital backup, etc, all secondary. And, no, the photo I posted with this review is not the portrait in question! This review is posted to the Hillsborough and Red Bank locations since the original sitting was in Hillsborough (along with the faded drop off) and the new pickup was in Red Bank. read more

Kramer Portraits - Session Photography Near Me - Red Bank, New Jersey

I felt misled by the sales presentation and ultimately disappointed with my purchase. I believed I was purchasing a painted portrait, only to discover that the finished product was essentially a colorized photograph printed on canvas--with a price tag of approximately $14,000 (this includes the $2,000 I spent at a silent auction for this work). During the sales process, the image was repeatedly described as a "masterpiece," which I do not believe accurately represents what I received. In my opinion, the sales pitch was misleading, and I do not feel the finished product provided value commensurate with the price. I regret not addressing my concerns sooner, but I have since discouraged others from using this studio. I would strongly recommend making sure you fully understand what you are purchasing--and what you are actually receiving--before committing to a purchase. read more

Still waiting for my photos since April. I was told 15 weeks and we are passed that. Trying to get someone on the phone is just about impossible. High pressured sales...I was extremely uncomfortable when I left. read more

I had the best time at my Photography session with my cats! Jonathon, the photographer (not sure if I spelled his name correctly), was amazing and so sweet, soft spoken, and patient. Laura was super warming and friendly, we really connected with each other because we own the same cat breed adopted through an animal shelter. Overall, amazing experience! I wish I could've gone all out and gotten the larger portrait sized, but unfortunately not in the best financial position right now. I was able to get the framing and an 8x10 of just my 2 cats. So happy and grateful to have seen this opportunity on my Facebook feed. read more

Very nice and professional people to deal with. All our options were well explained in great detail. Definitely recommended read more

They were professional and The photographer Johnathan was great when it came to getting my cat to face him and look at the camera. I would recommend them for a family portrait read more

If you have the money to spend on something as gorgeous, but frivolous, as this then by all means do it. The photographer, Michelle was amazing. She did a great job for my family and me but the overall experience was awful. I was lured in under the pretense of a free canvas. I WANT TO NOTE THAT YOU ARE NOT WINNING A CONTEST YOU ARE FALLING FOR THEIR SCAM/GIMMICK. They look you in your eye congratulating you for "winning" something they have no intention of giving you. I was 100% aware they would try to upsell, but the way in which they go about it is egregious. They sit you down to go over everything but don't offer the size that's included in the "contest". They start out with the larger size that costs over $7k. You have to explicitly ask about other sizes and they do not tell you costs for each upfront. They don't treat you as people, they treat you as walking money bags. I left feeling terrible. It was supposed to be a nice memory with my mom and it was just a disheartening experience. Also, even with all the money you are spending you DO NOT GET DIGITAL COPIES. They also charge 4% fee if you do a payment plan and over $200 on shipping (even if you live nearby they don't let you pickup). read more

We had a fabulous experience! Jamie took our photos and the portrait came out gorgeous! Laura the artistic director was fantastic too! Cant recommend this business enough! Very high end, professional, and an all around excellent service. read more

Thank god I came here before booking an appointment. I apparently won the "free photo contest" and I was so excited because my youngest son who is under 2, has had his jaw reconstructed a few months ago to remove a tumor and various other surgeries, and this would be his first professional photos with his new smile. They asked me personal questions to get to know me, learning my situation, and a single mom too, and when I wouldn't give them the $200 deposit the lady got super nasty. They blew up my phone several other times that day, and I called and left a message complaining. The owner (a man?) called me, and explained the fake scheme again, and told me to look them up online. Thank god I did, I will not be wasting our time. read more

Oh boy - lol. Let me preface this by saying I should've done my research before this experience - I definitely take some of the blame here for going into this very uninformed. Anyway- I was scrolling through Instagram & saw an ad along the lines of "looking for siblings to win a complimentary photo session at our studio!" So I put my email in, because why wouldn't I want free photos of my beautiful kids?! I forgot about it after that. Then one afternoon I get a phone call from a lovely enthusiastic woman telling me I WON THE SESSION! How exciting!!! She asked a little bit about my kids and toward the end of the phone call she advised there'd be a $200 *REFUNDABLE* deposit just to save our spot. Totally understandable! I wasn't ready to pay it so I told them to try back in a couple weeks- so the time came & it was scheduled and I paid the deposit... but not before double checking that I would be getting it back and the session was complimentary. I was enthusiastically assured that it was in fact refundable and the session was complimentary. Great- booked the session. Had another lovely phone call to go over some details of the shoot, what the kids should wear, etc. Awesome- I'm excited now. 2 days before the shoot I open Google maps to see how far it was from our house- and Yelp pops up. This is where my heart drops & I realize I made a big mistake. I was a sucker- just like the rest of these people in the reviews Their business model is to lure you in and make you *think* you've won an amazing prize & a beautiful portrait worth $1500- what you actually "win" is a photoshoot, then a presentation of your beautiful photos with INTENSE pressure to upgrade... for THOUSANDS of dollars. Now knowing this when I went in after seeing Yelp, my husband and I had a firm stance that we were going to walk out of there with our complimentary portrait and our deposit back. Now- the photographer, Michelle, was amazing. She was GREAT with my kids (11 & 2.5), and she took beautiful photos of them!! Unfortunately, the experience with the art director, also Michelle, was not so great. The whole interaction was so, so awkward The awkwardness started when she asked if my toddler was going to cooperate bc it was very important that we sit & listen to her presentation of the photos. That perhaps we should schedule to come back to review them without the kids- absolutely not- we traveled an hour & a half here, I ain't coming back to look at 10 photos I get it, she had a lot of very compelling and interesting facts during her presentation to express the value of these photos. We politely expressed that we didn't want to waste her time and were under the impression based on my previous phone calls that we were just coming here to get our complimentary photo & our $200 deposit back. She sternly reminded us that it was her job, we weren't wasting her time, and to let her finish her presentation. So we let her finish. And then stood firm on the fact that we weren't going to be upsold. She was NOT happy. We ended up settling on an 11x14 unframed portrait (worth $1500 ) which was what we "won" + $25 shipping, and the remaining balance from the $200 deposit would be refunded to us. We will receive the portrait in the mail in 12-15 weeks She was visibly agitated that we couldn't be swayed and she didn't even want to say goodbye to us But I made sure to thank her for her time & the beautiful photos, nonetheless. Listen, if we were in a different tax bracket maybe we could justify spending $3k on a big, beautiful portrait of our kids. And again, my fault for not doing my research beforehand. I ABSOLUTELY would not have booked the session & all of this would've been avoided. Coulda, woulda, shoulda But DAMN- their business model is tacky as hell. Preying on families & luring them in with *razzle dazzle* only to back them into a corner & pressure them to spend an obscene amount of money on something so frivolous. I just hope y'all see this review before you book your session- I wish I had read more

Kramer Portraits - Session Photography Near Me - Red Bank, New Jersey

Submitted an application for a complimentary pet portrait session and finally made it to my appointment. The decor and ambience at Kramer is beautiful and inviting, and the staff were incredibly helpful and kind. Jamie our photographer was so nice and easy to work with and her energy was great. Once the session ended and we met with Laura, we reviewed our options for canvases and she was extremely gracious, understanding, and very thorough in terms of being patient and transparent when reviewing the different packages. We ended up getting a 16x20 and though it wasn't a purchase my partner and I would normally make we knew this was a worthy investment as the photos came out beautifully and their work is amazing. Looking forward to seeing the final result! read more

Kramer Portraits - Our Dog Angel - Session Photography Near Me - Red Bank, New Jersey

We recently visited Kramer for a giveaway win for a "free" photoshoot with our dog, and while the experience had some highlights, there were definite drawbacks. Michael was absolutely amazing--he was so kind and patient, especially with our pup! The photoshoot itself was fun, and it's clear they do incredible work. However, what we didn't appreciate was the pressure to purchase something afterward. We weren't informed ahead of time (despite three relatively long phone calls) that we'd spend an hour being encouraged to buy photos or packages. If we had known this, we would have set expectations from the start. Unfortunately, we just don't have the budget right now to spend thousands on a family photo, no matter how great the work is. That said, their office is beautiful, and the photos were stunning. This could be a great option for families who have the means, but better communication upfront would have made the experience smoother for us. read more

I found this company via Instagram where they promoted an open call for an E-magazine "Art of Dance E-Book". As soon as I filled out the inquiry, I was called 3 times, and received 2 emails. That should have warned me. Next, I spoke to a woman named Michelle whom set up my appointment. She informed me that I needed to leave a $200 deposit for the photographer to take my daughters photos but assured me that I would see it returned the day of the appointment. Okay so I'm out $200 on my credit card, then I actually check my account, and it's actually $400! I called the studio, no answer. A phony recording stating that they are only open on Wednesday-Saturday. I immediately called my bank to flag my account for fraud. This was on a Monday. On Tuesday, I kept calling the studio and got denied there were 2 separate $200 charges but I argued that I actually sent the screenshot. Hours later an " owner" called me back saying they will be refunding my card and that was a mistake made by a person named Brianne. Okay. Next morning, Thursday 11/11/21, is my appointment for my daughter to go be photographed and talk about the e-book. We arrive, it's certainly nice and looks high end, but the red flag on the door was "appointments only". Okay so they clearly have a systematic approach to luring people into their studios. Now I'm here, I'm looking at the " hand painted photos"...I want to Pratt Institute, my major was Fine Arts and let me tell you, NOT HAND PAINTED!!! These are photos that are edited to appear painted, giclee printed onto canvas, and given the extreme photoshop edits to appear as painted. Ironic part in this experience is that I said I went to Pratt and they stopped trying to push that garbage on me. However, it didn't stop Dina Dolan from trying to sell me a $10, 750 Art of Dance package. After I explained that I wasn't interested in buying, just the e-book feature, she started talking "discounts", referring to the $1500 Gift certificate and the "savings value". Here's the thing, savings DO NOT MATTER if one didn't intend to spend period. So after I kept rejecting for over an hour, Dina took away the framing, I said I want my $200 back and she said " $178.00 due to the shipping expense of the complementary image". All of that for one 11"x14" giclee print. Lesson learned. read more

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Horrendous experience with the customer service and overall responsiveness. Told them no to the "online offer" they deducted $24 for shipping anyway. Weeks of follow ups turned into months. Still waiting. RUN FROM THIS PLACE!! read more

It was an amazing fun experience for the whole family. We were greeted with such friendliness and warm welcome as soon as we walked in. Our Portrait Artist, Michael was so amazing and he made it fun for us and had an amazing time. Jennifer and Justin walked us through our choices and was able to pick out the best portrait. We would recommend anyone to come and book your appointment at your nearest Kramer Portrait Studio. -the Catuncan family. read more

The experience and studio were very nice. The person who booked our shoot on the phone were very nice. The studio is convenient and comfortable. We won a dog portrait sweepstakes. Michelle did a wonderful job capturing photos of the two of us with our 3 dogs. The dogs were not being the most cooperative and she was still able to capture some great shots. We won an 11 x 14 portrait. I think the studio should have provided some information around pricing for larger items prior to the shoot. We would have loved to buy a larger portrait but they were out of our price range right now. We were very happy with the final portrait and it was a positive experience. Would recommend Kramer Studios for your family portraits but I recommend you get some idea of the pricing upfront. read more

Our experience was wonderful! Jamie was patient and great when taking our photos and Laura provided us with a wonderful and informative experience. She was thorough and transparent about pricing and our options. We would definitely recommend Kramer Portraits to our friends and family. read more

Came to Kramer Portraits to redeem a prize I won via social media. The shoot was great. The photographer, Michael, handled our pup so well and provided great direction for us since we are awkward in pics lol. After the photos were taken, we waited about 45 minutes before we met with Kaila to review the pictures. She was great. I will say, the frame was an additional cost but it's optional and has a lifetime guarantee if you do decide to go with it. Overall, it was a good experience. I will update my review when I receive the photo! read more

Kramer Portraits - Session Photography Near Me - Red Bank, New Jersey

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It was a great experience took pictures with my pups and my sibling. I wonderful photographer and good atmosphere, especially for forster timers. I enjoyed the experience a lot and the pictures came out great. I can't wait to see the portrait in person read more

Great time with our pet dog as well as a family portrait. We're looking forward to our "forever portrait" honoring our dog and love

Great experience! It was our first time at the studio. The actual portrait arrival takes a while, and it's estimated we won't receive our physical portrait until end of November or even closer to the holidays in December 2023. We took our photo in September 2023. I only wish we had an option to get the digital photos as well. read more

It's a scam. Do not go here . They will call you tell you you "won a contest" Then say you will get the deposit back. Then they talk you into a package and it's 3000. No thanks not me. read more

Peter and Michelle were so nice and accommodating. Nick and I got stuck in heavy traffic on the way here and they were understanding and we never felt rushed during our session. We are usually very organized and put together, however we were having one of those days where everything was going wrong. My dress zipper snapped in the middle of the shoot and my dog was not listening to any commands. Michelle was so professional and sweet, she helped find a paper clip to fix my dress up and she had a lot of patience with our crazy dog. Unfortunately, nick and I do not have the budget to get a larger portrait, because they did a fantastic job. Hopefully in the future, we can come back again and buy a larger painting. Thank you both again so much for such a wonderful experience. We will never forget your hospitality and professionalism! read more

I brought my 3 year old son in for pictures. He was so difficult but the photographer was wonderful. She had so many tricks up her sleeve and was able to capture some beautiful photos. Everyone was very kind and went out of their way to make me and my son feel comfortable. read more

We had a family photo session at Kramer Protraits and it was amazing. The photographer was so patient with the kids and was able to capture beautiful shots. The whole experience was pleasant and would definitely recommend them to anyone who are planning to have a lifetime memory protrait. read more

Had a great experience! The photographer, Jaime made every thing easy and Laura made the rest perfect as well! Would deff come back for more sessions! Thank you! read more

The experience was great! The Master Artist/Photographer Michael made us feel extremely comfortable and was very conversational which was great! Laura was sweet and very detailed and helpful, and a heck of a sales woman lol. The whole experience was great and albeit expensive, we will probably be coming back in the future. Thanks for the great time! Girlfriend and I loved it read more

Low quality for the price. The photographer got visibly frustrated with my dogs for being dogs. They kept trying to upsell me aggressively after I won the online sweepstakes and even after I kept saying no to the expensive add ons. The portrait I received was simply one of the pictures they took of us, no touching up at all (as they promised). I'm glad I got this for free, I wouldn't pay more than $100 for it (and I think this goes $800 retail which is absolutely absurd), take your money somewhere else... 2 stars for the woman who took care of us at the start. read more

Amazing experience with an incredible staff here! Can not recommend enough. They made me and my dog feel so comfortable! Ask for Michael for your pet shoot :) read more

Super experience n great great photo shoot w lovely photographer ! My fur babies looked incredible and it was super fun !

Kramer Portraits went above and beyond to not only ensure we received amazing photos but to ensure that our entire experience was one to remember. This was from the moment we stepped into the studio and even the follow up communication since. Working with children sometimes can be a challenge and they made it seamless for my daughter. I would recommend them over and over again! read more

If I could give negative stars, I would. This place is terrible. I "won" a contest and tried to schedule the session aroun my work travel schedule. When we were finally able to make the date, my husband ended up getting sick so we couldn't make the apt. I called and let them know. Nobody called me back and they never refunded my deposit of $250.00 despite numerous phone calls and emails with NO response from Kramer photo. Avoid this place like the plague. read more

i had a great time working with michael and laura on this project! it was very good environment and i felt safe and comfortable taking pictures with my boyfriend. the portrait looks amazing before finishing touches and we can't wait to hang it in our new place! read more

Our experience at Kramer was absolutely amazing! Couldn't have asked for a better time, Thank you!

Kramer photography created a warm and inviting atmosphere for our pet portrait. We were very pleased with the results.

We continued to be billed after we cancelled our contract. Kramer Portraits does not know when to stop. Now it's time to contact the appropriate entities to complain about their business ethics. They requested that I remove my prior review because it's hurting their business. They said that they would refund our money and stop only if we remove the review. I wouldn't take it to this extend if they honored our request. Customers need to be aware and now what they are dealing with. It might appear that due to our complains and from other customers that they are changing the way they do business. It's a very unfortunate situation. read more

We "won" a contest but had a very good experience. Made the appointment, paid our $200 deposit. Day of appointment, photographer was very experienced and got some great shots. We went through the pictures, picked our favorite for our free 11x14. The asked if we wanted a frame (conveniently it was $200). We declined the frame and left without any sales pitches. The next day my credit card processed the refund. So we got a free portrait! Only downside is it takes 12+ weeks to come in. But I'm patient. read more

Amazing work, love their professionalism and energy. Michael the protagrpher very pleasant and caring. Laura also amazing, allowed time to go over options of images and frames read more

I was selected for a couple session via social media. We went to our scheduled photoshoot, and it was an absolute amazing experience. Spacious, clean, joyful atmosphere We were greeted, refreshments were offered, the photographer was outstanding, and they make you and your spouse feel included throughout the shoot. They were experiencing technical difficulties that night, so we did have to come back just to view our photos. Which is understandable, technology is technology. Most importantly, our photos came out phenomenal. Now I gave 3 stars for two reasons. 1. This "free" photoshoot aa described on social media is NOT free. You receive a $2500 certificate towards the pictures, and these portraits?.. are a pretty penny. I believe this should be made very clear when you are called to book your appointment before the session. No one mentioned that this is not a free session, but it's discounted. Although this certificate is a HUGE discount compared to their pricing, it is not free, which leads to the second issue, the up selling. Considering my s/o and I did make a purchase (one 11x14, and two 8x10 photos), the price for this was approx. $600, and words that stuck with me from the employee to describe the sizing of our selection we chose, was "small" & "you may regret it". For a $600 purchase, those should not be words used to describe what our hard earned money will be going towards. We were extremely pressured to buy a larger portrait size, Which averages at more than 5k, and was treated "frowned upon" when requesting prices for a smaller size. I believe everyone was extremely pleasant, and the photos are out of this world, but the rules of this contest should be VERY clear before having potential customers come to the establishment blindly on the pricing, and then have to leave feeling belittled because of the sizes you and your s/o choose. Of course I should have done my research before hand myself, because this is not the first time as i have seen from other reviews, but the experience was worth it.. read more

great staff! great photographer! love how the photos turned ou! can't be happier! Truly one of a kind experienced!