The good: I got my toddlers photos taken with Heather in her…read morehome studio. The photos came out great and my kiddos both enjoyed the session! It was short and sweet and went smoothly. I liked the lighting and soft finish of the photos. They look like supermodels in these photos! Her website allows you to download the shots but also to order prints or photo art in various mediums. The turnaround time with photos was super quick (a couple of days). She was pleasant and easy to work with. I'd highly recommend her! The bad: We only got 2 photos with me and the kids because my kids got so squirmy toward the end. The interesting: There were various backdrop colors but we used white and tan. There are a few chair prop options and fuzzy rugs. There were also wooden toys and stuffed animals for kids.

Heather was a pleasure to work with on both newborn pictures and milestone pictures of my twins…read more When they were newborns, Heather was so very patient, accommodating, and the pictures are gorgeous! At our milestone photo shoot my babies had the best time! Heather magically was able to entertain them, allowing them to sit as still as possible and smile for the most perfect pictures:)

Kristy's photography far bypasses any other photographers work around the Southern California area…read more From weddings, engagements, maternity sessions, baby milestones-- they're all phenomenal. I couldn't ask for a better photographer to meet your needs. She works with your vision and offers her own professional insight as to what could make your beautiful photos an incredible reality. She's an amazing human to work with and I highly recommend hiring her for your next event! Kristy is kind and sassy and has got it all, and will give you exactly what you want. You won't be disappointed!

We loved Riley Cooper Photography! We have done newborn, baptism, and first birthday photos, and…read morethey have come out great! She has many background options to choose from and does great with children of all ages.

Rhea is absolutely amazing!…read more My son's first birthday was quickly approaching and I wanted to get some photos taken. I was a bit all over the place with what I wanted and Rhea was incredibly patient and answered all my questions. We then set a date/time to meet at her studio to bring my son in. I let her know what the theme was for his party, and she took the initiative to buy things in theme that totally made the photo shoot. She was great with my son and got a bunch of smiles from him. Everyone who has seen the pictures, is obsessed. Rhea is super creative, incredibly talented and a pleasure to work with. We will definitely be reaching out to her in the near future as she also does holiday photos. Thanks Rhea!

This is a long overdue review! We found Rhea through a friend who had an amazing cake smash…read moreexperience, and we're so grateful we did. We've now worked with her twice -- for our daughter's 6-month and 1-year cake smash -- and have loved every experience. We've worked with several photographers, and she is by far the best with our daughter. What truly sets her apart is her kind and incredibly patient nature. She makes everyone feel comfortable, and it shows in the photos. On top of that, her aesthetic is beautiful, and she makes the entire process feel seamless and easy. She is absolutely worth the drive, and her pricing is incredibly reasonable for the quality and experience she provides. We're so excited to continue working with her in the future and couldn't recommend her more highly!

Fantastic photographer! Pays attention to details and is dedicated to her art. Would recommend to…read moreall in the area.

Brooke Merrill captures strength, vulnerability, love, and happiness in her photos. You can tell…read morethat photography is her passion during the shoot and the delivery of her work. She's incredibly playful and relaxing to be around, but will go to great lengths to get the shot. You can find her scaling up a tree faster than a squirrel or army crawling through the trenches...no shot is too high or too low for her. I highly recommend her for her professionalism, creativity, and quality of work. (Plus: She's kid friendly, pet friendly, and can cheer up even the grumpiest of grumpies)

With a plethora of talented photographers (and some that are not so talented) in Chicago, choosing…read moreone that suits your specific needs is a lot like asking multiple pizza chefs to make their spin on pizza with your specifications. Even if you give all of them the same amount of cheese, flour, meats, veggies, yeast, and other raw ingredients - it's possible and even probable that you'd get differing end results. Choosing a photographer for our engagement session was a similar task, but I had the good fortune of being introduced to Liesl awhile back without actually knowing that she was a photographer. Imagine my surprise and relief while looking for photographers when I saw Liesl Diesel Photography come up. Onwards... Timeliness of Response through Website: 5 out of 5 For photographers, I imagine that time is worth a good deal of money. Even for clients like us who weren't looking to spend all the cash money on the Diesel package that she offers, engagement photo sessions can provide a steady stream of yearly income. Wanting to be as professional as possible, I e-mailed Liesl through her website, and got a preliminary response within 2 hours, which I believe to be reasonable. Had she left me hanging for over 24 hours, I would have moved onto the next victim, I mean, potential photographer. Access to portfolio: 5 out of 5 When choosing a photographer, one of the most important things for us was to be able to access Liesl's existing work. In today's technological age, photogs can post their pictures on facebook or any other social media, but those photos aren't 100% accurate when it comes to representing a photographer's true intensity. They're awesome photos, of course - but as with all trades, photographers have their enough style and fortes, and I wanted one that not only could be creative and extemporaneous, but also one that could do more cliched posed photos. Liesl shared her FULL existing work without any type of pause or reservation, and without any type of pretense. Stylistic Variety: 5 out of 5 And...this part sealed the deal for us. Of course LDP had great photos up of couples and families in nice traditional Chicago settings, but LDP also seems to run some type of loose monopoly on Indian sub-continent weddings. The wedding and engagement couples that were in her portfolio ranged from hipsters to Americans of Indian descent to cookie cutter Caucasian. Also - it was quickly apparent that Liesl is a master of control bokeh - something that other photographers in the city either implement too liberally, or are afraid to use at all. Contract Process: 5 out of 5 Her contract is easy to read with minimal legal-ese. Sign and date, scan, and pay either the deposit amount or full amount depending on your preferred date, and she holds a spot "in line" for you. Accommodation of specific wants and needs: 5 out of 5 With LDP, I found the perfect balance of flexibility while staying true to her artistic roots. I sent over lots of examples from other photographers of shots that we liked, and she ran with our ideas flawlessly. And yes - she was completely fine and skilled at taking photos with our dog in them. Professionalism and punctuality: 5 out of 5 Our photo shoot was scheduled for 3pm at Museum Campus. I got a text from her at 2:35 letting me know she was there. Holy moly. During the entire 2 hour shoot, she was clear and concise with her instructions to her lighting coordinator, she was professional and courteous with us, and at no time did I ever feel like LDP was procrastinating, or being slow, or trying to take advantage of us. I mean...it was a full 2 hours of hard work from LDP, and I appreciate that. Turnaround time: 5 out of 5 Photos were released onto fb the next evening, and added throughout the following days. The full set of high-res downloadable photos was released to us in 4 (yes, FOUR) working days (not weeks or months). I've heard stories where people have waited at least 4 weeks for photos, so you do the math. Access to final products: 5 out of 5 If you have a computer with the interwebs, you can access your photos. Dropbox is LDP's tool of choice, and it works well. Just be sure you have a program to unzip files, or download the evaluation version of winzip. Price and payment: 4 out of 5 I'm not positive, but maybe LDP charges just a little more than others. But the final product is definitely worth it, and LDP does take paypal so you can rack up points on your credit card. Overall: 5 out of 5 In all seriousness, the best way I can describe Liesl is that she's extremely dedicated to her work, and her enthusiasm, no - her intensity, comes through in her final product. I'll post a few favorites in the photos section for you all to see.

Liesl is truly an artist, and her photographs evidence it. In the hunt for the photographer that…read morewould capture the most special day of our lives, my husband and I came across Liesl's website and were truly mesmerized. We ended up meeting with three prospective photographers, but no one else compared to Liesl. She has a true passion for what she does. At first, it was a difficult decision to make since Liesl's services do not come cheap. In the end, Liesl was flexible in working with our budget and customizing a package that got us what we wanted within the ballpark of our budget. Her services are completely worth the price - as she takes incredible photographs! We are very pleased with our selection of photographer and will be recommending her to all of our friends and family! Our final engagement photographs and wedding portraits came out beautifully. We also truly enjoyed working with Liesl throughout the entire process. She has such a great spirit. Moreover, she is very organized, punctual and prompt with the delivery of images. I'm uploading a few sample pictures from our engagement and wedding, but encourage you to check out her full website and make an appointment to meet with her ASAP!

Tbh I was unsure how our maternity family shoot would turn out after a disastrous series of…read morewardrobe malfunctions + toddler chaos but Roni truly turned these moments into magic. We felt so comfortable and at ease with her easy, fun loving humorous nature. Her patience and energy pulled out so many sweet moments from the kids. Not only is her story inspiring, her talent is magic. The world truly does shine brighter with Roni's spirit and skilled artistry. We will never forget this crazy but special season of life thanks to these captures! Just a piece of advice: let her know the day before specific props and backdrops you'd like. Day of I was frazzled and could not remember everything

I am utterly obsessed with our Christmas shoot! Roni did such an amazing job! Her studio is the…read moremost gorgeous, yet simplistic and creative. She has so many great spaces and set ups. I love the way she edits the photos- the tones and lighting are perfect, not too much. She also has such a wonderful personality and makes you feel like you're right at home. When I left our family shoot, I honestly immediately wanted to book another shoot just because I knew these were going to turn out great. I was wrong they came out EVEN BETTER!! my 22 month old daughter had such a great time and thank you Roni for bringing the bubbles out and entertaining her. She had a blast -- we all did! It's not easy to shoot with toddlers but Roni has a way about her! So amazing !!!

Working with Heidi was an amazing gift of a boosted self-confidence to myself, and an amazing gift…read moreof a boudoir album for my husband. He had the reaction I hoped he would when he opened the box on Valentine's Day, and I couldn't have been any happier. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with her. My husband and I love the album and I'll forever cherish how I felt on the moments leading up to the photo shoot (like thinking how to wear my hair, stepping out of my comfort zone and looking for what to wear for the photo shoot, the excitement and pre-photoshoot jitters) and the confidence of letting loose and being proud of my body during the photo shoot. Thank you so much Heidi for helping me and my husband see myself in a new light and explore a whole new side of me!

I had the best time working with Heidi Garcia! I had my…read moreshoot toward the end of last year, and it was a ton of fun and felt effortless and natural. What I really appreciate is how Heidi walks you through the whole process. She finds the right balance between giving you tips on what outfits to bring, and letting you choose your own style. Plus she's a very friendly guide during the shoot and even lets you choose what music to play so you can really get in your comfort zone. Heidi knows how to capture you at your best. Even though I have zero modeling experience, I felt both comfortable and confident during the shoot, thanks to her expert advice and knowledge of the perfect photography conditions (lighting, posing, etc). Plus, she lets you choose what music to play during the shoot so you can really get in your comfort zone. You are going to love how the pictures turn out! The last thing I will say is that if you choose to get a physical album, you will be absolutely floored by it. High quality stuff! Thank you Heidi for the incredible experience! It was fun, safe, and I will treasure these photos you took for the rest of my life. Cannot recommend her enough.

We have worked with Cheryl for three sessions now. First, when our twins were around 6 months old…read more Second, when our twins were around 9 months old. Third, around 1 year old. The first two sessions were at Cheryl's studio near the Korean victory bell, and the third sessions was outdoors. Cheryl's studio is in a very unique part of town, and we enjoyed exploring the area before and after our visits. The nearby Korean friendship bell and its park have an amazing coastal view. If you happen to be in the area on Saturday, you might be able to check out the model railroad club, and it's detailed train scene. We found Cheryl to be excellent working with kids. It is extremely challenging to get their attention and get them to smile. Cheryl was also very flexible, working with us to include our favorite outfits, props, poses, and other little details. My wife loves how selective Cheryl's wardrobe is. Cheryl always works around our twins' napping/feeding schedule, so the kids can show up at the happiest mood. She was also very patient, giving us time to feed the kids their bottles. My wife and I never feel rushed while working with Cheryl. The photos themselves turned out beyond our expectations. The quality of the photos is outstanding. Our twin boys are growing up so fast, and we are thrilled to have taken the time to capture their early stages (with Cheryl's help). We've had a great time sharing the albums with friends and family. Overall, it has been a great pleasure working with Cheryl. She is responsive and easy to communicate with over email. I have already recommended her to my co-workers (most friends and family we shared the album with always ask who our talented photographer is.) I will gladly work with Cheryl again in the future (if she can find time in her busy schedule!).

Cheryl did such a fantastic job with our family photos, despite challenging conditions. I could not…read morebe happier with them. Highly recommend.