It's always great to hire someone who is good at what they do. It's many times more awesome when…read morethat person is super passionate about their profession and that passion shines through in their work. Michael especially exceeds at being let loose at events and conferences where he can roam around capturing lots of candid shots to be used for future marketing materials and recaps. He did this for us during TEDxSanJoseCA. In fact, he did double-duty, also taking photos with a point-and-shoot and sending them to our social media team in real-time to share vial social media. I also recently hired him for a half-day professional photoshoot. He did a great job. We shot a big handful of shots in studio and then shot out to some spots out in the city for another batch. He coordinated with me before our shoot date, finding me a few city backdrops that fit the style I was going for. I strongly recommend hiring Michael for your personal or professional photoshoot.

Michael is not only a class-act but (as cheesy as it sounds) a brilliant artist. He is devoted to…read morehis craft but pairs it with a disarming charm that puts you everyone around him at ease and allows him to capture everyone in their best light. /puns Seriously - Michael's work is impeccable and delivered with a smile. Worth every penny and can't wait to use him again.

**N.B. This review is based on my experience after having purchased a portrait session on Living…read moreSocial and having just received my photography package today.** Oh boy, my first 5 star review. This never happens. Background: I'm a super infrequent user of online daily deal sites like Groupon and Living Social. I've bought under 10 of these types of things in the past few years, for reference, and this purchase was my most expensive. As a full-time working professional, I'm just starting to get back into acting on a hobby basis (unless anyone wants to give me my big break, of course). I'm taking private lessons from an acting coach, but it's really all just for fun at this point. The first thing I was told I'd need if I wanted to be considered for roles at auditions was a nice set of headshots. I understand I could've had a friend take some, but I did want a nice quality set -- I just didn't want to pay upwards of a thousand dollars on something that amounts to a hobby. Enter Living Social and the Ideami Studios deal: for $99 (reg. $500), I'd get a 30 minute outdoor portrait session with 3 photos digitally retouched, a neat magazine cover with quotes of my choosing, and a video of my photo session. Ever cautious, I emailed the merchant before purchasing, with the understanding that I wouldn't purchase the deal if I didn't get a response. I've dealt with Groupon/LS merchants before who treated me a little bit less than respectfully (I'm guessing because they view the discounted deal as me being completely cheap). But no! Within an hour, I had a response back, addressing my questions about the feasibility of using the session for headshots. Owner and photographer Javier Ideami even offered me a better deal after a minor misunderstanding (that was no one's fault) so I got a slightly longer session. My girlfriend purchased a 30 minute session too, and we were scheduled for a shoot within a week of purchasing the deal. Throughout the week leading up to the shoot, Javier was responsive to any questions the two of us had via email (and we had a lot), always responding promptly and politely. A few days before the shoot, he sent us some information with tips on colors to wear, what to do with make-up, etc. The day of the shoot we met on time at a cafe and walked to a nearby courtyard. It was a nice, quiet setting. Javier was friendly and seemed genuinely interested in my girlfriend's and my pursuits and reasoning behind getting our headshots taken. My girlfriend went first and seemed to have a blast, doing a lot of different poses and being her typically outgoing self. Then came my turn. I'm much more reserved, but Javier made me feel really at ease, encouraging me to try different poses, expressions, etc, and talking to me throughout. After my hour, we parted ways with both my girlfriend and me in good spirits. Javier had let us swap out clothing and given his opinion on certain looks without being pushy in the least throughout the session. Two days later (this morning), we had our pictures. Since I was paranoid, I checked out my girlfriend's first (we were emailed the links together as that's how we'd been conversing) and WOW. Javier seemed to pick up on the features that made her unique and beautiful and just amplified them with his digital retouching. The background was also tastefully done and didn't draw attention away from the person in the picture. And her video was adorable. He managed to capture her personality perfectly in a 30 second short. My turn: I'm super nitpicky about my appearance, so I went in expecting to be mildly let down, but wrong again on my part. Apart from one picture I wasn't horribly fond of (blame goes to my dopey expression entirely as the retouching was just as good as the rest of them), I was stunned by how much I really loved the shots he chose to retouch for me. He picked a great variety of angles and colors. And there was my shy personality, right before me, except it looked appropriate in the pictures. Professional. Appealing. I was really pleased. Then to top it off (because Javier is the friendliest professional photographer on earth, it seems), Javier included a couples picture of my girlfriend and me as a gift at no cost as a thanks for the fun session. Incredible. Here's this professional photographer who's treating our $99 Living Social deals like we'd paid him his normal $500. There was no sense that he looked down on the fact that we were paying so much less. This photo session was an absolutely positive experience. I told my girlfriend earlier today it'd be a dream to have Javier be our wedding photographer sometime down the road. I liked him that much. Without question, I'll be recommending him to anyone I know who's looking for a photographer, as well as returning whenever I'm in need of new photos. His easy-going, friendly, and professional nature really made the experience memorable for the two of us.

I purchased a 30 minute outdoor photo shoot with Ideami Studios, as I am currently a producer of…read moreelectronic dance music and owner of LANYX Sound Factory (an independent record label in SF bay area). I was looking for a local professional photographer that I can partner with to take pro portraits to use for new artist profiles, releases, websites, and promotion. Javier is an efficient, professional photographer that delivers exceptional high quality photos. I am extremely pleased with his work and have used the photos on my website. If you want to see his work then check them out at www.lanyxsf.com/artists.html Definitely will be using Javier and Ideami Studios for LANYX Sound Factory! Rich

Hands down the best photographer that I have ever encountered! I was needing some graduation…read morepictures taken of my sister, and we decided to go with Brian. He was so friendly and easy to talk to. He definitely made us feel comfortable throughout the shoot, which, I think, is something major when having your photos taken. He helped us choose locations, poses and everything. The day of the shoot it started raining but he used that to his advantage and came up with amazing pictures. Plus he takes such unique and creative shots, his work really stands out from others. I cannot stress how honestly talented he is, and it shows in his work. He has a good eye for taking a seemingly simple background and making it look amazing! I will be recommending him to my all friends and will definitely be giving Brian a call for any future shoots I need.

Hasain is the absolute best!!! He is a master of lightning and he captures beautiful natural and…read morelife long memories. We cherish the family portraits he has captured over the years from maternity shots to family photos with stunning natural landscape backgrounds and soft flattering lighting. I should also mention that Hasain really helped me with my business photography as well. We are so grateful for both Hasain and Joanna. They are the best! I highly recommend them for any photography need.

Hasain Rasheed Photography is a welcome addition to Temescal Alley. I stopped in this afternoon and…read moreadmired the various well-compositioned family photos on the wall. I believe I also had the opportunity to talk with the Artist himself we struck me as creative, talented, and pretty chill. According to Hasain's web site, he's been in the business for more than 15 years and that his photojournalist style style translates into beautiful, colorful, and emotional storytelling and images.

I recently attended a client's retirement party and could not help but notice the photographer…read more This is not a good thing. To my mind, a photographer should take great pictures, be nearly invisible and be professional. Meatloaf said "two out of three ain't bad," but it is bad when you are a photographer and cannot accomplish two of the three. Let's start with the positive; the man takes nice pictures. I was able to view some of the pictures on his camera's screen and Mr. Dennis obviously knows his business. Unfortunately, doing the job you are paid to do was not enough in this instance. He was hardly invisible. In fact, he acted like one of the invited guests and was always in the way when anyone else attempted to take a shot. During the guest's speech he stood dead center and I wondered why he did not use the zoom function. Perhaps his greatest flaw was his lack of professionalism. I have absolutely no problem with a man looking at or even gawking at my girlfriend. Admittedly, my opinion is not unbiased and my girlfriend is beautiful and has great stems. She is also extremely shy and does not flaunt her looks in any way. Mr. Dennis could not take his eyes off of her and at one point walked over and said "I am taking you home with me." He then took about twenty pictures of her nonstop. My first thought was to slap, not punch this "want-to-be-Frankie Beverly-look-alike in the mouth" but after he saw my face he quickly regrouped and said "let me get a picture of the two of you." Dude, learn to be professional and stay out of the clearance section when shopping.

I met Jim Dennis while visiting Oakland a couple of weekends ago. He was at the Joyce Gordon…read moreGallery hosting a workshop. Jim, it was a pleasure meeting you and Thank You for the invite to your Holiday Gathering. We had a blast, your Studio, the music, your photographs, everything was fantastic!!! I look forward to visiting you and Oakland soon ;-D

If you're looking for stunning photos to take your business to the next level, look no further than…read moreJennifer Graham. My business partner and I did a lifestyle photo shoot with Jennifer over the course of three hours, and we had an absolute blast. We did a combination of indoor photos, outdoor shots, and individual portraits. Jennifer has an incredible eye. She's super efficient, creates dynamic images, and is so much fun to work with. She listened carefully to our vision and ideas going into the session and made us feel comfortable throughout. We rented a small Breather office space for our photo shoot, and Jennifer was able to move things around and make it look like several different locations! The resulting photos are absolutely stunning, and we know that they will help us continue to build our brand and create those personal relationships with our customers. If you're looking for a branding photographer, there's no one I'd recommend more highly than Jennifer!

It took me some time to finally coordinate my session with Jennifer because I just could not find…read morethe right time to do this. I cannot say how thrilled I am to have finally done it! By waiting, I only put off the feeling of being delighted, empowered, and renewed. Jennifer's selection of style, attention to details, and passion for pulling out the best in an individual is her signature. She cultivates a space where you are engaged, having fun, and being your true self. I loved our time together. I remember being so nervous and how she quickly calmed me down, and I forgot it was a photo shoot. Jennifer knows what to look for and how to capture that moment. She is skilled and gifted only giving that right back to you with a lifetime memory of stunning photos. Every time I look at my photos, there is a release of neurochemicals floating through my body reminding me of this special experience and how valuable it has been for me. Everyone should make it a goal to have their photo taken by a professional photographer and for me this photographer is Jennifer.

Erich's work is beautiful. We booked him for our small wedding with approximately 25 guests…read moreoriginally planned for Spring 2020. Due to the pandemic, we had to postpone our wedding 3 different times, and then we finally decided to get married in August 2020 with just our children and their significant others. Erich remained flexible and accommodating with all of our date changes, and always replied with "no worries." Erich's prices were very affordable, and his work exceeded my expectations. He provided the full digital file in both color and black and white. I would recommend Erich to anyone, and I will definitely be hiring him again.

Erich was the best!! Super affordable and so nice and professional. Erich was easy to plan with and…read morehe had great ideas for pictures day of. He got our online gallery ready only a couple weeks after which was so nice! We loved all of our pictures and he got so many candid shots that we will treasure forever. I highly recommend Erich for any photography needs. He's the best!

Julia helped us with our FAVORITE photos that we have with me and my husband. We went a very…read morecreative direction - and Julia completely leaned in and made the shoot fun and truly a memorable day. She is an incredibly talented digital artist and the end results are incredible. We're going to go back to her for more of our major life moments because it was such an amazing experience. Thank you so much, Julia!!

My experience with Julia was an absolute A+. We did an outdoor shoot for my 40th birthday and I…read morehave a great selection of beautiful photos that I can use over and over again for years to come. Julia has a fine eye for lighting, poses, and making you feel fabulous and comfortable during the whole process. Her professionalism and great vibes shines through the entire time from beginning to end. She's also prompt in her communication and great editor and can't recommend her enough!