James was one of our first hires during the wedding planning process, and one of the best too! He has a great eye for detail and is extremely talented and professional (pictures and editing). Our wedding pictures came out amazingly well, and this is coming from someone who is very rarely happy with any picture of myself :). And like a true photo ninja, we hardly even noticed James on the day of - he just magically captured everything in the moment without us needing to do anything different. Thank you so much James for creating the shots that we will remember for a lifetime! Sincerely, The very happy couple, Ryan and Sonya read more

As everyone has been saying James is amazing!!! He truly has an expert eye in capturing the best moments of your wedding! I found him at the bridal bazaar and I have had nothing but amazing experiences working with him! Our engagement session was just breath taking even on a gloomy day. Seriously cannot believe how amazing our pictures turned out. The day of our wedding also he was on top of everything! Our whole bridal party was amazed with James' passion for capturing amazing photos! And his communication is definitely on point! You're not left in the dark wondering what's going on with your pictures. He constantly keeps you updated! If you're iffy on hiring him I say JUST DO IT! He's amazing and I promise, you won't be disappointed read more

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We hired James for our August 2012 wedding. James made planning our wedding photography very simple and stress free. He was extremely patient, always answering my millions of questions, and was very communicative making sure that I felt comfortable and had all my answers. What I really appreciated in the weeks before the wedding was that he drove an hour to scope out our venue with my groom and me so we had an idea of what to expect. James calm and confident attitude eased any photography stress a bride would have. During the big day James did an amazing job capturing all the big moments. He was discreet and methodical in his approach. I gave James a list of all the photos that we wanted, group shots, family shots, exc.. and he capture them all. And when I needed him to take a spur of the moment photo, he was there ready to shoot. He made sure that we got all the shoots we wanted before the night ended. One of the best experiences with James was the speed at which we receiving all the photos on CDs. And I loved that he gave us all the large quality files, they are mine to keep and do what I want with. I did not have to sieve through thousands of proofs... I was able to get my photos printed on my own and share them with friends and family immediately!! James gave us amazing photographs that just summed up our wedding day. He truly has a talent for capturing the people, the place, and moment. read more

Masterwork Weddings - Our wedding at Talega Golf Club, San Clemente, California. Photographed by James Maciariello. August, 2012 - Photographers Near Me

Amazing work! My husband and I were in need of a photographer for our wedding. During our engagement I had researched many photographers and had sat down with a handful. I hadn't found the perfect fit for our wedding. It was very important for us to find a photographer that we clicked with and felt comfortable. This is because we knew we would share one of the most intimate and special days in our lives with the photographer. We met James at the Bridal Expo in Del Mar. Although I had attended the prior Bridal Expo. I was determined to find a day of planner and a photographer. I had set my expectations high and wouldn't settle for anything less. I immediately fell in LOVE with Jame's work. My husband and I sat down with James in person and had booked him. James made us feel comfortable during our wedding. I never once felt that someone was lurking over us and taking pictures. Our pictures came out amazing! I would book him again if I ever need a photographer. He is the best! I would refer James to anyone looking for great experience and most importantly amazing pictures! read more

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I've been meaning to write this review for a little while, but as anyone who just got married can attest, the times before and after your wedding can be so hectic that you can barely get through your "to do" lists. Now to the point, James is an amazing photographer and such a sweet man. Our pictures came out incredibly beautiful and we couldn't have asked for a more delightful person to do the job. Obviously we loved having him at our wedding and hope that he felt like one of our cherished guests as well as our photographer. I can't tell you how many of our friends and family came up to me to express how lovely they thought he was. That day surpassed my expectations and is, by far, the best day I've ever had; and I'm so happy that James was, not only, able to share in it, but to have been the one to capture all those memories for us truly means a lot. read more

If you want the BEST photographer and the most creative photos, you must work with James at Masterwork Weddings! His work is amazing. My husband and I are extremely happy with our engagement and wedding photos. We learned about Masterwork Weddings through our friends who had also used James for their wedding. All of the photos we saw were amazing! I highly recommend working with James and his team. They will work so hard to capture the most important moments. Masterwork Weddings was hands down the hardest working vendor I hired for my wedding day and the one I am the MOST pleased with! Thank you so much James for everything! read more

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James is awesome! He is very kind & professional. He's so creative & does great work! My husband & I are very happy with our engagement photos & wedding photos! All our family & friends loved our pictures too! It was very hard for us to pick out which photos we loved the best! There were so many good pictures. He responds to email & voicemails quickly. He also gets you your pictures back in a good timely manner. You're not waiting several months for your pictures like other photographers. He is really great to work with & makes everything seem so smooth. He has a very positive happy vibe. I highly recommend him. :) read more

Our experience with James (Masterwork Weddings) began almost a year before our wedding when we found him during a bridal event. We knew exactly what we were looking for and for almost 3 hours of complete exhaustion walking from booth to booth we were really starting to get defeated and worried we'd never find anyone and would have to settle on whoever was available for our date. Masterwork Weddings was our last (truly) last stop. This unassuming table displayed what was most important, the photography! The photos were absolutely gorgeous and after meeting James, the man behind the lenses, knew we needed to work with him. The passion with which he spoke of his work was very genuine and really put us at ease....finding a photographer was one of the most important aspects of the wedding for us. We met with James a week later where he presented more of his work and booked our date! The wedding being literally a year away we'd be in touch a little here and there, and he was always super responsive to any of our questions/concerns, anything! When it got closer and closer to the date, you know when the stress starts kicking in, he made us feel very at ease. We knew that the photography would be well taken care of. Finally the big day, the morning was mayhem of course, but as soon as we got to the venue and saw James and the rest of our amazing team, we knew it was time to just enjoy. The men were shot first, and looking back at those pictures, it looked like they had so much fun. The women next and then just the two of us. It's really important to feel comfortable with your photographer and while it might have been a bit strange at first (it's been a while since our modeling days!) it didn't take long to almost forget he was capturing these very personal moments. James stayed long into the night and got so many really amazing shots. He was very much a part of the wedding, however he was so professional and just darn good, he completely blended into the fun to capture the genuine emotions without anyone feeling like they were just getting their pictures taken à la paparazzo style. James mailed CDs of our photos a little over a week after the wedding, which was perfect because we were able to enjoy them before the grooms family returned home to France. We are so proud and so so happy with our photos. We were so lucky to have run into James at that Bridal Event. It's because of his photos that we can relieve that day every time we pick up our album and we are so appreciative of him for that. Jasmine & Eric read more

James is a true artist! He's just amazing to work with, creative and accommodating. My husband kept whispering to me during our pictures at our wedding: "these photos are going to be amazing!" And they truly are! Thank you James! You are the best! read more

Masterwork Weddings - One of my many favorites by James! - Photographers Near Me

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James did the photography for our wedding in September 2011. All our friends and family loved our photos. James was great, we met in person to discuss the event and the imagery we wanted. James was very flexible with working with us and understood that we were on a budget. He showed us several albums containing some of his work and told us in detail how his pricing worked. He has several wedding packages to fit your needs. My husband thought he was a trustworthy, down to earth guy and liked his photos. James scouted out the location of our wedding ceremony and the location where we wanted the bridal party photos taken before our wedding date. He looks at all the small details to ensure that your images will be flawless. We felt very happy with our decision to go with James and even more happy once we saw all our pictures. We received the CD with all the images and the copyright around 2 weeks after our wedding so we were able to print out the photos we wanted. I still have friends and family asking me to see our wedding photos and/or asking for prints. I would recommend him to any friends interested in high quality photos. read more

We hired James as our photographer for an outdoor wedding on Coronado in May, and we cannot say enough great things about how wonderful the photographs turned out! He worked with us on a timeline, planning for special shots, and lighting well before our event, and then made sure all photography went without a hitch on the big day. His preparation and gentle demeanor made working with him such a pleasure! I've already recommended him to friends and family for their special events. read more

Masterwork Weddings - Photographers Near Me

I feel really lucky to have found James as my wedding photographer. As a bride, I was looking for somebody organized, easy to work with and would be good at shooting an outdoor beach wedding. I highly recommend James as a wedding photographer. He was such a pleasure to work with during my wedding on 2.27.2016. He was very organized and helped us plan our group shots so we could maximize time. Thanks James for capturing my beautiful sunset wedding photos on the beach. 5 stars. read more

Masterwork Weddings - Photographers Near Me

James shot our wedding in June 2013. We were extremely pleased with James before during and after the event. His pricing is excellent and more importantly his photos came out amazing. read more

James shot our wedding September 21st 2013. From the moment we met for the first time we made up our mind that we wanted to work with him for our wedding. He was professional and made sure we had all the details ironed out for the days prior to engagement pictures and wedding day. We met James at the bridal bazaar. He was not pushy at all and most important his work was incredible. His prices were very reasonable and he made sure to explain all the packages for us in detail. The engagement pictures were taken in balboa park. He did an amazing job and got us our photos within weeks after we took our shots. He is very talented and did a amazing job with his creativity. We hired him for an entire day and it was well worth it. He was very pleasant with family and friends and made sure everyone was comfortable as he took shots. He works the crowd and makes sure everyone is involved throughout the evening. The ceremony pictures and reception were outstanding! We had our wedding at el cortez and James was the perfect fit for our venue. His vision and passion for hat he does is mesmerizing! We received our photos within weeks as were very happy with the results. James is amazing and I highly recommend him to any future bride and groom! read more

Me and my mother in Law met James in Bridal Bazaar and we immediately fell in love with his work. We booked James as my engagement and wedding photographer. We had nothing but wonderful experience with him. He is very easy going and nice person, professional and creative. He is full of passion and his work is just amazing. I just got my wedding photos back and we couldn't be happier with them. James is a true talented photographer and we highly recommend him. read more

I recently worked on a wedding with James of Masterwork Weddings and it was great! I was the wedding planner for a couple who's wedding was at Tom Hams Lighthouse on the San Diego Bay. James was extremely communicative beforehand and we chatted about the day arrangements well in advance. The pre ceremony photos were quite extensive so I worked the details into the day agenda. On the day of, James and the second shooter were extremely pleasant, professional and easy to work with. The quality of the photos were great! I highly recommend this company! read more

James was amazing! Love the pictures and his enthusiasm! He was climbing the walls to get the perfect angle!

My husband and i hired James for our wedding and engagement photos. And he is absolutely the best ever! My family and my husbands family loved him and loved how professional, respectful and kind he is! He is such a blessing and has a true talent! When my husband and i decided to have a family, we want to hire him for a maternity shoot. You won't regret it and his prices are also the best in SD and he is very straight forward with what his packages offers! He is such a natural! YOU WILL NOT REGRET HIRING HIM, BUT YOU WILL REGRET IT YOU DONT! Thanks James, once again, for being absolutely awesome and yourself and making everything as perfect and as smooth as it was! read more

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We hired James to be the photographer for our wedding in June 2012. We met him at a Wedding Expo in San Diego earlier that year. As we looked through his amazing photos and spoke with James about his photography experience, we noted that his calm, thoughtful demeanor quickly separated him from other photographers we had previously met. He was so easy to talk to and it was evident through his professional, yet caring manner that he honestly LOVES his work and by his nature wants the best for you! We knew right then we had found our guy! James met with us a month before our wedding to scout out the locations (both ceremony and reception) for the best possible outcome! He was very flexible, really listened for what we wanted and at the same time he was professional by giving us his expert opinion! On the day of our wedding he was punctual, professional and made the photo sessions easy and FUN for all of us!!! He made everyone feel at ease and very comfortable! James is very detail oriented, easy going, trustworthy, and reliable! He is such a phenomenal photographer!!! We highly recommend him to everyone!!! All of our photos turned out to be AMAZING!!! James captured great moments and made our special day memorable forever and for that we will always be thankful for him!!! Ildi and Jason read more

We got married August 2011 in San Diego, California. We found James at a San Diego Wedding Expo and after speaking to him and his wife I knew he is the perfect match for our wedding. We wanted a very laid back atmosphere during the day and that's what James brought with his photography. He met with us a few times before the wedding and we were very impressed. Our engagement photos were done by the beach and he met us in Orange County where we live. Our engagement photos were so easy and we enjoyed every moment. We didn't even know James was around during the shoot. All I wanted for my wedding day was a fun atmosphere all day long. James listened and delivered everything I asked for. I had a big bridal party and everyone loved James. My coordinators were not so great and it helped that he had a schedule of all the photos we wanted which made it much easier for me. He was very easy to talk to and helped us find great places to take pictures. Our wedding was an amazing day and if you want a photographer who is easy to work with and has great packages that are very affordable Masterwork Weddings is the photographer for you. He is amazing at making you feel special and the photos show it. I highly recommend James for anyone who wants great photos and a day that will run smooth on your biggest and most exciting day!!!! read more

James was our photographer for our wedding this past summer! He did a GREAT job!!! We met James at a bridal show and was instantly impressed by the photos he displayed. We later scheduled a meeting with him at a coffee shop and he explained to us how he wanted to create some unique photos for us and offered a GREAT deal. We met with 4 other photographers BEFORE meeting him (so we did our homework :)) We had our engagement photos, wedding day photos turn out GREAT! James is a down to earth guy, extremely friendly, and someone my husband and I would recommend to anyone looking for a wedding photographer. read more

Planning a wedding is tedious. Every bride would like to have the best and perfect wedding. This means you have to have the best vendors/team to make this happen! I can say I have the team that made my wedding fabulous! WE have the BEST photographer, James! I met him at the bridal bazaar here in San Diego. Out of numerous photographers at the bazaar he is the only one who stood out.. WHY is that? Couple of things.. He is not pushy; he's got an eye for everything and can see it from his work. Beautiful sunny San Diego weather is a place for a great shoot, but who can beat a photographer with a skill where he can make a cloudy weather to a beautiful and phenomenal photo shoot and the outcome of work is AMAZING! Above all James is so easy to work with! He made it so easy for us from engagement photo shoot to our wedding day. He listens and very attentive, he made us feel so comfortable to every shoot and never pressured us on doing what we are not comfortable of doing.. He has an eye for the BEST shot. HE CAPTURES PRICELESS MOMENTS.. of happiness and love where no directions of pose like you see in magazines but MEMORIES THAT WILL LAST FOREVER. He is our guy and will use him when we have kids and would like him to be our family photographer. You guys are in good hands with James! Cheers to your fabulous work! You are more than 5 stars to us! Love, Nat and Adam read more

I first met James when he did my best friend's wedding, of which I was a bridesmaid. I was blown away by not only his quality of work, but also by his professionalism and work ethic. He is a very calming presence in what can be a stressful and chaotic day, he kept everything running smoothly and brought out the best in everyone. His post production editing skills are superb, James truly has a gift for capturing special moments and making the photos look outstanding! Since the wedding I have hired James to take head shots of me and referred him to several friends who have also used him for their weddings. I couldn't be happier with my head shots and my friends rave about the work James does. He is a jack of all trades when it comes to photography which is very rare. From taking the photos, to making you feel comfortable, to editing, to quick turn around times, James is simply the best! Hire James, you will be so happy you did! read more

James was my wedding photographer, and he was absolutely AMAZING! I've already recommended him to friends getting married this year. My husband and I got married in November 2014. We are an adventurous/spontaneous couple, and we decided to get married 3 months after our engagement. That being said, I booked James 2 months before our wedding. He was extremely professional and accommodating. He knew that we were under a lot of pressure because of our short engagement, and he did everything possible to make our experience with him run seamlessly. He responded promptly to any questions we had, made different timelines for us to choose from, was very open to any suggestions we had, and showed up early to scout our venue for the best places to take pictures. Because of my November wedding, we were also in a time crunch to get all of my family and bride/groom pictures in before the sun went down (4:45). My wedding party was not very good at staying focused during the pictures (guys especially), but James managed to keep everyone on point and get amazing shots. A few of the bride/groom pictures were taken at night, but they were still absolutely stunning. The final wedding pictures were returned to us a couple weeks after the wedding, and they are BEAUTIFUL! James could not have done a better job! My husband and I were also surprised at the amount of pictures James took. He captured every single moment that was important to us. We've received many compliments from family and friends on the pictures. He was the best vendor of our wedding, and you cannot go wrong with James! read more

My one year anniversary is coming up, so naturally, I've been looking at photos from my wedding day and realized I never gave James the review he deserved! I found out about James from a coworker who saw his work at Bridal Bazaar. She wanted to book him, but he was already booked for the day of her wedding. I figured he must have been good, so I reached out! From our first meeting to the days after our wedding, James was amazing! He was so sincere and was truly concerned with what my husband and I wanted for our photos. He was extremely responsive/communicative and truly made me feel confident that everything would be taken care of in his hands. All he asked is that we provide a day-of schedule and that if there were specific photos we wanted, that we provide that list to him. I was upfront with James and let him know that I didn't have set poses or photos in my mind that I had to have, but that was no problem for him. He scoped out the venues in advance and had great ideas when the big day finally came -- he even almost got hit by a car to get us some great shots! He was so prompt in getting our photos to us! It only took him 2 weeks, meaning we got to see them right when we got back from our honeymoon. Again, James is great! Any bride would be lucky to have him as her photographer! My only regret is that I feel like I didn't take enough photos with my husband! But we did choose to not have a first look and had a pretty tight timeline. Keep that in mind, future brides! read more

Masterwork Weddings - 08.30.14 Bali Hai Restaurant - Photographers Near Me

James previously did a fantastic job with our engagement shots and "fantastic" is a complete understatement when it comes to our wedding shots. He was a blast to work with from start to end and had the best sense of humor to endure our very nerdy and inside joke filled wedding. My guests commented that James was quick on his feet and all over the place the entire night. And boy are our images a testament of that. He caught perfect moments between our families and friends and we can't even remember seeing the camera! Our photos have brought us to tears with how perfect they are. The candids were especially great and have had us laughing for days. James was very accommodating to the 10ish "must have" photo poses we wanted and made sure to keep them in mind even when we forgot. He was very calm and directing, which is perfect for a stressed out bride. He has an eye for the "perfect" pose and all of our bridal photos came out phenomenal. He was excellent at spotting those perfect moments between kids, adults, family, and friends, which has made for a photos we will cherish forever. We could not have asked for better photos or a better person to be our photographer. read more

To put it simply, our experience with James as our wedding photographer in September 2013 was nothing short of perfect. Not only did we end up with the most gorgeous wedding photos I've ever seen, but he was such a joy to work with and made the whole experience entirely stress-free. The planning: James was the most responsive vendor we had from day one. We were planning from across the country and didn't meet him until the day before the wedding, but he made me feel so comfortable during the planning process, I was never worried. He gave advice without pressure and catered to what we envisioned for the day. The day of: He scouted the perfect locations ahead of time and gave us such a great variety with a good mix of artsy and classic. We have a tendency to be more awkward than elegant, but James made it seem so easy to just be ourselves. It never felt suffocating or unnatural and that truly shines through in the photos. The photos: I swear I'm not just a biased bride. Every person I've gushed about them to has wholeheartedly agreed. I don't even recognize myself in some of the photos - I have never felt so beautiful as I do looking back at the photos. James' vision and timing are spot on to capture every special moment without ever making you feel like you have a camera in your face. Last but not least, the terms: Pricing is affordable. Actually it is quite a steal for the level of craftsmanship and professionalism. And having the full photo rights is more important than you might think initially. Seriously, how wonderful to have the entire progression of the day instead of just a handful of someone else's taste in best shots. James is a true artist and will be one of the best decisions you make for your wedding. read more

James photographed our wedding in May and was absolutely amazing! We made such a great choice. I originally met him at the bridal bizarre with my sister-in-law. I wasn't even engaged yet but I remember being excited about his work, not to mention, James is a super nice guy. Well, my sister-in-law ended up hiring him for their engagement session and wedding and once I saw their pictures, I was sold!! They were gorgeous! My husband and I had a very small wedding and hired James to capture the day. He was so awesome. He met with us before the wedding to plan everything out time wise, much appreciated since we only had him for a short time due to our micro budget:) Even with only 3 hours of shooting, he captured everything and more!! His pictures are very artistic and you can see his passion and precision in each photo. It was nice to work with a true professional who takes his work seriously, while making it fun at the same time:) Our families are even more thrilled with the pictures....they wasted no time blowing then up. My granny said it best, "These aren't just pictures, they're art." Do yourself a favor and hire James- you won't be disappointed! read more

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James did a excellent job on my headshots. He's very professional, friendly, honest made me feel very comfortable. You can tell he loves his job, it shows in his work and that says a lot alone. I had a hard time picking just a few picks for my headshots he did such a great job. I'm a beginner getting headshots done and he was very helpful letting me know what to wear and not, etc. I highly recommend James if your looking to get excellent pictures done and working with someone that was an absolute pleasure, James is your man! read more

If you are looking for an amazing photographer to capture your wedding...look no further. James shot our wedding at Green Gables Wedding Estate in San Marcos on August 4, 2012, and we could not have been happier with his work. James is a very humble, down-to-earth guy, who let's his work speak for itself. As soon as we met James, we could tell he was a great guy. He just seemed very genuine which is hard to come across these days, especially in SoCal. He scouted our venue with us to look at the lighting and to get ideas for the kinds of shots he was going to take. He was very patient in answering our questions and making sure we were comfortable. On our wedding day, James and his assistant were extremely professional and made everyone getting their photos taken at our wedding feel at ease. By the time we got back from our honeymoon, we had already received 4 CDs in the mail with our photos. Masterwork Weddings did an amazing job photographing our wedding, and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for an amazing photographer to capture their big day. read more

James did our wedding photos this past December 2017. My husband and I had a combined Indian and American wedding, giving James quite a challenge and a very long day. We like to say he is our "Cross-Fit photographer!" To say that James was amazing is an understatement. From our very first meeting, James was phenomenal and absolutely lovely to work with. Not only is he an incredible photographer, but he is a genuine, kind and humble person, making our experience even more pleasurable. In addition to our wedding photos, James kindly came to our Sangeet night (similar to a rehearsal dinner, but on a much larger scale) the night before our wedding at no extra charge. He captured beautiful photos at both events and he clearly has an eye for capturing the right moment. In addition to his talent, James made us feel very comfortable and we never felt awkward while taking photos. James was also great working with our families and keeping our day on time without ever feeling rushed. We wholeheartedly recommend James and Masterworks Weddings to anyone planning a wedding, or anyone in need of a photographer. We will be calling James in the future for any and all of our future photography needs. Thank you for creating these magical pictures that we will treasure for the rest of our lives. read more

James is so personable and he works so hard! We just had our wedding last Saturday, 11/14/15. We had a wonderful day with James and his assistant capturing all of our important moments. I can't wait to get the photos back to write this review, so I'm just going for it and will add some in later. James is such a fan of marriage and went into wedding photography after tying the knot himself. (He had many years of professional/commercial photography prior to this.) He is truly a pro and knows exactly what to shoot so that you will have photos to remind you of your special event. Ahead of our wedding, James met with us and went over our ceremony locations and helped us review places where we wanted to take bridal party shots. Then when our day arrived, it was a breeze to move from place to place knowing that we had everything pre-planned. Having seen James's work on his website and in albums from our initial consultation, we are confident that our photos are going to be amazing. Also, his pricing is very reasonable and he includes full ownership of all images for the client. Five star experience, highest recommendation! read more

James with Masterwork weddings was phenomenal for our recent engagement shoot. Right at the beginning of our interview with him I knew he was the photographer we would choose for our engagement and wedding photos. He's super easy to work with and his calming personality puts you right at ease. We did two locations for our engagement shoot and even with the high humidity and temperature outside he didn't miss a beat! The photos came out wonderful and can't wait to see how our wedding photos turn out! read more

Wow did we ever make the right choice by working with James for our wedding! I only wish we could give more than 5 stars!!! It was the most magical few days of our lives and I am so grateful he was there to capture it all! He truly went above and beyond in every moment. From staying later than expected during our rehearsal dinner, jumping up on a post during the cocktail hour of our wedding to get a picture of us with every guest at our wedding (totally unplanned but awesome) which allowed us to just relax and enjoy for the reception, to putting his cameras down and kneeling on the ground to help my mom with her shoe clip during the reception. I know there are countless more examples of his commitment and extra care he took to help us capture the day and support our family and friends. There is no thank you great enough to express our gratitude to him!!!!!! The pictures were so gorgeous and magical and everyone keeps complimenting us that they are the most perfect wedding photos they have ever seen! THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts! Christian and Justine (wedding on 10/8/16). read more

James (Masterwork Weddings) delivered a fantastic book of wedding memories and was a pleasure to work with in the run up to and on the day of our 2012 wedding. As others have pointed out, his personality is wonderful; he is calm, collected, friendly, relaxed, and professional, all traits that we gravitated towards when we met him at the Bridal Bazaar and all traits that made his presence at our wedding a very welcome one. Well, that and the fact that he actually (discretely) hurdled a few bushes to get the best shots during our wedding :) James took some really nice pictures of our wedding that we will always cherish! read more

It takes an act of god, or a determined fiance to pull me away from a NASCAR race, especially the Daytona 500. But with deadlines afoot and a wedding around the corner, my options were limited. So there we were on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Just me, miles away from my dearest sporting event, my fiance and James. The location: a beautiful oak grove in the vicinity of Poway, CA. What I expected to be a long, drawn out escapade of cheesy smiles, flash photography and pre-meditated gestures of love turned out to be one of the most enjoyable experiences of our wedding planning endeavor. James showed up on point, receptive to our ideas yet ready to expound on his creative professionalism. We started out with some fun shots, ones that let us characterize who we really are as a couple. James let us roam free with our romance, and in the middle of a forested grove, he conjured up magic. As we moved to different wardrobes and venues, James rolled with the punches. He stayed on top of the lighting just as much as our dwindling energy after shooting for 2+ hours. Always an optimist, he was compassionate about his work and wouldn't settle for anything less than amazing. I couldn't be happier with the finished product James provided, nor the means to the art that he is so very good at. There will always be another race, but engagement photos only happen once. In the end we captured a beautiful moment in time and in essence the magic of our love. Thank you James for conjuring up your professionalism and imagination to make our engagement photos everything we ever dreamed of! read more

James was so awesome to work with. He was creative and definitely gives you the tools you need to get your wants expressed prior to the wedding. I was overwhelmed and slacked on putting together the correct list, but I got all the pictures I wanted. He was so zen, kind and creative. The pictures look beautiful. I give my highest recommendation to James. read more

My husband and I met James at the Bridal Bazaar, and we contracted him to take our wedding and engagement pictures. From the first meeting, we knew he was going to be the one. He has such a pleasant demeanor. He makes you feel calm, confident, and beautiful. And at the same time he inspires you with his creative energy. He has no qualms about jumping over bushes or lying down in the dirt to get that perfect angle. If you have an idea about a pose, he's all ears. If you're clueless, he'll create the pose for you. During our engagement shoot some random person walked up to me and said "this one's good, he knows what he's going". And of course, the pictures turned out gorgeous! James is a true artist. We will be contacting him again in the future for our family portraits. read more

JAMES IS FANTASTIC!!!!! OK.....to expand on that......my wife and I hired James for our daughter's wedding. Our daughter and now son-in-law live in Japan and gave us less than 4 months notice about getting married so everything was a rush to get handled. About a month and a half into the process we set out on our search for a photographer and interviewed several. From first contact with James through e-mail we were impressed by his quick replies and detailed approach. Even better was his flexibility in scheduling a face-to-face meet. We felt immediately comfortable with James when we met as he discussed his approach, his style and expressed what he felt was important in such a big day. He was enthusiastic and presented a "whatever you want" style that we knew would match well with our kids. Looking at his photos in person and his galleries online showed an artisitic AND intimate style and he was one of a very few that provided you with all of the photos he took. Working with a couple who would not be in the country until a week before the wedding is not always the easiest, but James remained in communication, did not push for anything that we did not want, was always in such a positive and upbeat mood that working with him was fun. James lived up to his promise of providing excellent service at a fair and very reasonable price, and also as promised, we hardly saw him during the event! He was sneaky, stealthy and got great shots from all over the place! Thank you James for all you did to capture all of the special details of a wonderful day. I will recommend you to anyone looking for a CLASS ACT photographer! read more

Wedding planning is stressful enough. Hire James. He will make your life easier and you will be in love with your photos forever. He actually came recommended by our reception venue. Most venues have a preferred or required vendor list to help make your life (and their lives) easier. He was on it but in the middle of the list. Some of those vendor lists are so long and tedious. This particular coordinator brought out a postcard with James work and simply said he was the best deal for the quality. There are tons and tons of talented photographers out there. But at a price. After surveying all photographers and weighing our options - do we want a combo videographer/photographer team vs. separate vendors, what kind of quality can we afford, etc. - we kept going back to James. Frankly I think we got a deal. I think his work was worth more than what he actually charged. He was quick to respond and incredibly professional. He shot our engagement photos and our wedding (January 2015). My family is huge and hugely opinionated (some people know exactly what I'm talking about) so it was great that he could blend in and make everyone happy. My family loved him. He was so great at knowing when we needed some direction (trying to look natural and not posed feels super weird) and when to just go with the flow. He has great energy and is willing to get a little uncomfortable (like wading in the frigid pacific ocean at sunset on a cold and very windy November day) to get the perfect shot.We received our photos so quickly afterwards. I absolutely love our photos and keep going back through them over and over again. Do yourself a favor. Hire James. read more