We could not have asked for a better match! Being that our wedding was destination and I was not able to meet Mark in person before booking him, I was more than a little nervous! After looking at his portfolio, I was confident that I would be happy with his work but being able to connect with your photographer is also SO important. I have worked with brides in the past that just outright did NOT like the individual that they hired as their photographer, and the frustration shows. From the first conversation with Mark, I knew that he was an AWESOME person with a passion for his work and the people that he does work for as well as an excellent photographer. The day of the wedding went by like a flash of happiness, but where ever we looked, Mark was there. He captured some of the most amazing little moments that I did not even know had happened (and I was part of them). In the beginning, I could tell that my Fiance was extremely uncomfortable with the entire photographer/photo shoot situation, but Mark did not blink an eye, he continued with the photos and instructions (with an amazing fun loving attitude) and made both of us feel so comfortable. By the end of the night, my Fiance was raving about how much he loved Mark and was so happy that we decided to invest more money that he had initially wanted to. Even better, after looking at the pics, you would NEVER know that my Fiance was a bundle of nerves; he looks amazing in every photo and I have to admit that I was a little nervous about how they were going to come out. I could go on forever but here are some of the additional factors that are huge for me and may help with your decision to book Mark: - His detail photos are amazing! SO Important to me, my detail photos are more cherished than the photographs of myself. I could not be happier with them. - He makes everyone feel comfortable; our families are still raving about him. Let's be honest; it gets HOT in Hawaii, and no one wants to stand around for what seems like hours for a photographer to tell them where to stand and what to do. We had nothing but fun while taking our photos with Mark. - A beautiful delivery before the promised time frame on the contract. I have friends who were married months before I was and have still not received their photos. Sneak peek photos were available within a few weeks online. - The number one reason to book Mark - Beautiful Photos and lots of them! read more

We hired Mark to photograph our wedding in November 2019. We live on Oahu and our wedding was on the Big Island, which made the planning process somewhat stressful at times. However, Mark put our minds at ease by checking in periodically via email to ensure that we would have all the details of the day-of photography squared away long before the day of our wedding. He was very responsive and made sure that all of our questions were answered, which is a total blessing during the wedding planning process! When we finally got to meet Mark in person a couple of days before our wedding, we instantly knew working with him would be a breeze. He is an easy going guy, who was incredibly warm and easy to talk to right from the start. He really listened to our ideas and what we were hoping for in terms of our photography, and offered up many awesome ideas of his own. He made sure what we wanted was realistic in terms of time frame and venue, and meeting with him was reassuring that we would have nothing to worry about. Mark even came by our venue the day of our rehearsal, just to get a sense of the area and be prepared for the big day; he definitely went above and beyond to ensure the best quality service and photos possible! Our wedding day was so much fun, and Mark made sure to capture all the great moments. He made the formal portraits fun for us, our families, and our entire wedding party. Looking through the photos he captured on our special day really makes me glad we decided to work with Mark. His creativity and ability to make us comfortable in front of the camera really show in the beautiful pictures he captured. We are so grateful that Mark made our wedding photography process seamless and enjoyable from start to finish. I would 100% recommend him, you will be well taken care of and can focus all your energy on truly enjoying your special day. Thank you so much, Mark!! read more

My fiancé and I had an existing trip planned to Hawaii, and about 3 weeks before the trip we had an idea to get our engagement photos done while we were out there. Mark was quick to respond to our last minute inquiry and was a pleasure to work with! Truly an awesome person and talented photographer. I'm so grateful he was available and the pictures he captured were stunning! He gave us a few options of locations/scenes to do our shoot at, and gave advice to do's and don'ts with our dress attire. For two awkward people in front of the camera, Mark made us look great with all of his cues and guidance. We definitely felt comfortable in front of the camera because of him. He gave us fun scenarios to induce a natural laugh and smile. We chose the 1.5 hour photo session and he went above and beyond, making the most of a most productive session at sunset. I'm in love with his pictures and have gotten soo many compliments already. Although Hawaii provides gorgeous scenery in itself, Mark's work is definitely unique and gorgeous. After the session, Mark gave us a local's insider on some great restaurants and bars to try while we were out there, too! Definitely always appreciative of foodie advice, haha. read more

One of the BEST things I did for our "Once in a life time trip to Hawaii" was to have Mark capture it on film!! The photos turned out beautifully ! Mark took photos of our family at Old Kona Airport Beach. He is so professional and is so talented! He was absolutely wonderful with my husband who despises getting his photo done and never smiles in them(never except our wedding photo 23 years ago. lol) Mark was able to connect with him, make him relaxed and actually have a fun time during our 60 min sunset session. Mark came prepared with equipment and he obviously knew the landscape extremely well. From the start, he was very responsive with booking the best date/time and location for our family events. He provided a great list of beaches for me to review and choose from. We were so happy to receive the many wonderful photos - they exceeded all expectations and we have been receiving so many compliments on them. We are so happy that we'll have these photos to enjoy forever! We highly recommend the next time you are on the Big Island to have Mark there to capture your family with the beauty of Hawaii as your backdrop! read more

The quick & easy review: Look no further. Absolutely book Mark!!! Here's why: From a professional standpoint, Mark was by far the most professional & organized photographer that I reached out to. He responded quickly to emails & kept the payments/contract signing simple. The pricing was competitive as well. According to my wedding coordinator, he was also about 45 minutes early on the big day!! From a personal standpoint: Mark made us feel comfortable every step of the way. We had more than one phone conversation during the planning process, during which we ended up chatting about all sorts of things. On the big day he was pleasant & conversational & made our photoshoot fun (which is not easy to do because my husband and I both hate having our pictures taken). We even had multiple wedding guests mention afterwards that he was super friendly & fun. In the end, our photos came out even better than I imagined. I would highly, highly recommend Mark for your big event! read more

We travelled to Kailua-Kona in March to get married and found Marks website online. What a lucky find! He made the whole process painless. He was quick to reply to our messages, chatted with us on the phone, offered up location & vendor ideas and even offered to meet us in person prior to our day! Mark made everyone feel comfortable and we had so many comments from our family and guests about how nice he was. Neither my husband or myself are very comfortable being photographed but Mark was quick to joke with us and help us pose appropriately. He took the extra time when we ran behind to make sure he got all the shots he envisioned. He truly was so great on that day that even if the photos were subpar we would be happy but the photos came out beyond our expectations!! We are so happy that our quick internet search lead to such a wonderful experience and stunning photos! Don't hesitate to book Mark for your event! Thanks again for everything Mark - Janine & Devon read more

Before our recent trip to Hawaii my wife and I researched several photographers in the Kona area. We ultimately selected Mark after reviewing his online portfolio and a few phone conversations. We could not be happier. Mark was spot on from his recommendations of the location, to the time (both day and timing in the trip) and the colors that we wore. I was honestly a little concerned going into the session as I don't like to have my picture taken and I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to relax and my stress would show through in the photos. Mark carries himself with an air that exudes calmness and trust and within minutes I felt like I was with an old friend. He truly brought out the best in both of us and I couldn't give him any higher recommendation. If you're looking for a photographer then I would definitely recommend Mark. I'm now plotting when we can go back and take our children so we can have some family photos made. Great job Mark!! read more

I most strongly and highly recommend Mark Hinwood for all your photography events. Mark provided exceptional photography at our sunset beach wedding on the Big Island of Hawaii. Our wedding planner highly recommended Mark and we looked through lots of photographer's website portfolios and their online ratings before selecting him. Mark's portfolio stood out for his quality, composition, light, color and authenticity of his work. He was prompt and professional in responding to our emails and organizing the event. During the ceremony, he was super nice, energetic and fun. He turned around the images in just over 3 weeks (half the time estimated). He is a gifted artist and the pictures he provided are gorgeous and amazing, better than we ever dreamed. His prices are reasonable and a great deal considering how easy and fun it was to be photographed by him and how beautiful the photos turned out. Simply the very best! read more

Organising a destination wedding from Australia it is always a bit daunting when you have to book photographers and other things without being able to meet or get to know the people you are going to be working with. Mark and Michelle were fantastic right from word go ! The correspondence via email was reassuring and easy to understand in the lead up to the event. They made sure everything was going to go as planned and on time in preparation for the sunset wedding. Mark made us feel comfortable and we felt like we were friends right from the moment we met . We could not have asked for or would have wanted any one different to take our wedding photo's . They are absolutely gorgeous, so many fantastic shots, and you can easily see the passion that Mark puts into his work. We would without a doubt highly recommended Mark to any and all of our friends and family needing a great photographer. Thanks for the great memories x read more

Mark is AWESOME! My wife and I found Mark online through his website. He took family photos for our 25th anniversary vow renewal on Kukio beach on the Big Island. From out first contact, Mark was prompt, professional and courteous. His contract was well written and clear about what his services covered. He even took care of our beach permit which was a big help since we were traveling from out of state. Mark met us at the beach and was set up and ready to go right on time (we were the ones that were late). He had great ideas for poses and the pictures all came out great. He was funny and friendly which put us all at ease. He even took several pics using props we brought and was very patient with our special requests. There were eight people in our group and the vote was unanimous...Mark was awesome, the pics were professional and well done, and he met all of our expectations. We highly recommend Mark Hinwood! read more

My sisters and I thought it would be nice to have our family photos taken on the beach by a professional photographer while we were vacationing in Kailua-Kona in June. We have 15 people in our family, so I was looking for someone who had experience photographing large family groups. I looked on Yelp and found Mark's reviews. I was impressed with his portfolio and website, so I booked an appointment with him. He offered various beach locations and times, so our group decided to go with a sunset photo shoot at the Old Airport beach location. Mark was great to work with - he made the whole photo shoot experience a fun one. My mom was impressed with him! He made us feel comfortable and paid attention to details. We thought his photo packages were very reasonable, and we ended up buying the full gallery! I would definitely recommend Mark to anyone who needs a photographer! Mahalo, Diana read more

Mark was absolutely fantastic to work with on our wedding day photography. He was recommended by our wedding officiant Becky Ringler @ simplekonabeachweddings.com and we couldn't have been more impressed or happy with the level of detail and service we received. Mark knew the place we were getting married, what time would be best for pre and post photos and captured us perfectly. He is also great at putting your nerves at ease and made my wife and I both smile and laugh throughout the entire evening. The best part about seeing our finished photos was reliving the day and how much we enjoyed it all with our families close by. He captured everyone at their best and we will have memories to share the rest of our lives and pass down to our children. Thank you Mark and we hope to work with you on a return visit in the next few years. Anthony and Milena read more

We booked our entire wedding online and decided to get a photographer for the day. Mark was quick to respond and very professional with all our communications. When we got to the site for our marriage, mark was already waiting for us and had scoped out the place for best angles, lighting and photos. He made us comfortable from the first moment we met. He set everything up so that during the ceremony, he just had to click and shoot to not miss any moments. Following the ceremony, he was able to help guide our family and us during photos. He really has an eye for detail. We loved our pictures and our experience. Since our officiant was not great with communication or directions, Mark was also able to help calm us and ensure that when she finally arrived that everything went smoothly. We are very glad that we chose him on our special day! read more

Mark is an absolute pleasure to work with ~ !!! He's extremely professional and easy to connect with ~ I'm so happy to have found him to take my son and daughter in law's "surprise beach wedding" photos in Kona on March 2, 2017. My son and his wife were married in the courthouse last year and didn't get to have an actual wedding, as they had hoped. I planned a surprise for them in Hawaii and had everything set up in advance. Mark was fabulous at responding promptly to my emails and truly went above and beyond to shoot this special day ~ both my son and his wife loved working with Mark and I would use him again in a heartbeat ~ !!! We received several photos already and are eagerly waiting to see the entire shoot ~ !!! I can't thank Mark enough for all he did to make the shoot go so well ~ !!! Mahalo ~ !!! read more

We had our family photos taken by Mark Hinwood during our recent trip to the big island. He was very easy to work with and gave us good advice on choosing outfits and footwear. We were given 2 different sites to choose from and were able to select one just a short drive from our condo. This was important because my 2 teenage boys were not excited about getting up early, wearing clothes of my choosing and having to spend an hour getting their pictures taken while on vacation. I was worried about their attitude but Mark managed to coax some great smiles out of them. He took a lot of pictures in a variety of backgrounds - sand, water, lava rock, palm trees - and the results were spectacular! I would highly recommend him if you are in the market for a family photographer. read more

Mark Hinwood is AMAZING! Having the perfect photographer for my wedding day was the most important thing to me while planning my destination wedding. I had received a few recommendations and found Mark via a google search. From my very first email, Mark was extremely responsive. Because I was planning from a distance, he made it a point to call and get to know my fiance and me: how we met, the feel of our wedding, our hobbies, etc. He kept a list of our "must-have" shots and used his creative genius for the rest. I LOVE every single shot and love getting to relive our wedding day each time I look through our pictures because he captured every detail. We cannot thank Mark enough for the gorgeous photos. read more

LOOK NO FURTHER!!! There are simply no words to describe how pleased we are with Mark Hinwood's Photography! My fiancé and I took a trip to the Big Island and decided to take our engagement pictures. I am so glad another photographer recommended Mark since she was booked. Honestly, I doubt anyone else would have done better than him! His personality is amazing and he makes you feel so comfortable and relaxed! We recently received our pictures and they are breathtaking!!! He took his time with us, longer than planned and we received so many more pictures than expected. You can truly see he loves what he does because it reflects in the time he takes with you and his finished product. THANK YOU, MARK!!! read more

Mark was an amazing photographer! All you need on your wedding day is the groom and wife, a marriage officiant, two leis, and your photographer of course! I mean if you are going to elope, your parents will kill you if you don't have it photographed! He shot our photos at our elopement at Beach 69 in the Kona kailua area. Since we are both shy...I mean obvi, this is why we eloped...he was a great person to help you come out of your shell and smile for the camera. My favorite photos were the ones of us just walking along the beach together. They made great thank you cards. Go with Mark and you wont be disappointed. Plus, he gave us great pointers of places to visit on the island. read more

Mark was awesome, very quick at responding to emails before we arrived in Hawaii and very good communication about how to prepare for pictures and how to find the beach. He arrived before we did and he took so much time to get the best poses. When our beloved granddaughter was inconsolable and not cooperating, he changed gear and worked on other family poses. He did not stress over it and he kept us all in good spirits when we were distraught with her. The finished product arrived in my inbox exactly on time and the photos took me back to our 10days in paradise! These photos are the best souvenir and have captured the love of our family and the beauty of the Hawaiian backdrop. read more