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

Kenny Kim is one of the most down-to-earth, genuine, and talented people I have ever met. I…read morecouldn't think of a better person to have helped me with creating content for my business. We originally met through Instagram, and I knew I had to hire him. When launching my business, I knew I would need high-quality images, for example, a headshot, social media content, etc. Kenny thoughtfully set up the perfect photoshoot day to encompass everything my business is about which is food, wine, work-from-home lifestyle, and social media. It was my first photo shoot, so I was nervous. He made me feel comfortable and told me where to look and how to model. It was a new concept for me but he made it easy! I tend to feel uncomfortable being in front of the camera, but he made me feel like a natural. Kenny captured my smile, lighting, and pose perfectly. Kenny has the ability to bring out genuine expressions from you, which is not an easy task. I really don't know how he did it but I am forever grateful. Kenny might be known for wedding photography, but he is just an all-around incredible photographer. If you are looking for a wedding photographer, I have worked many weddings as the day of coordinator and I can tell you that a photographer who can make a bride feel comfortable through all the stress is a photographer you should hire. That is talent! I can say with full confidence Kenny would be the person to hire on your wedding day. Also, for those of us who are impatient. Kenny gets you your photos quickly! I really couldn't be happier with how my photos turned out and I look forward to working with him again!! Whether you are getting married soon or need lifestyle shots, he is hands down the best. Thanks again, Kenny!

We cannot say enough about Kenny. Our wedding day simply would not have been what it was if it…read moreweren't for him--us, our families, our wedding party and our guests would all agree. Kenny got to know everyone so well and took time to ask everyone questions while managing to take the most beautiful photos. We have already continued our relationship with Kenny and we will absolutely be using him for future events we hope to hold as a newly wed family!

I am not quite sure where to begin…read more.. I will start by saying that 5 stars is bullshit for what Gavin does. There should honestly be a category for the true elite and masters of what they do. Gavin is by far in that Category of Amazing/Elite/Top of the Line. Almost a year and a half ago when I was looking for photographers I spoke to many many different people. I heard what they had to say and saw the type of pictures that they took, and what they charged for their services. I was having a wedding that was probably a few hours longer than the normal wedding. Actually, it was a 3 day wedding and we had approximately 500 guests. Because I was paying for my own wedding, I was much more picky that probably someone who had their father pay for the wedding. I was soooooo beyond picky that I probably even have Gavin a hard time. For that I am sorry. But this guy is amazing. The pictures from our wedding are beyond beautiful. I got married about a year ago and to this day I have random people that I do not know, comment on the wedding from the pictures that they saw on facebook. Gavin was there for just about the entire wedding! That is sooo soo many hours. And he was able to capture just about every significant moment. That is a very tough job to do in the over 12 hours that he was with us. His advice and guidance on what to do for the pictures was so helpful and almost a year later, I still can't stop looking at the pictures and can't find an expensive enough picture frame to put the few pictures that we have printed. Gavin is so incredible that even after the wedding when I was a total groomzilla (again, I paid for my own wedding so I was still annoying for months after), he worked with some of my pictures and was so concerned about me being happy and satisfied. Do not consider any other person to capture your most important moments. Gavin deserves whatever award can be offered the most talented person in his industry! I will never use anyone else but him. So Gavin, don't die on me or move to Europe. I won't be able to afford you. Thank you for everything that you captured for us. Those moments don't have a price for us so thank you for keeping the price so so low! And Brides, Gavin is Mr. sexyman. So everyone will enjoy smiling at the camera when Mr. Pretty is shooting away, especially the horny bridesmaids ;-)

Everyone knows that planning for a wedding is a costly expense. The biggest expense I was willing…read moreto splurge on was, hands down, our photography. It's what keeps and shares all the memories of the day and shares the little things that maybe we did or didn't see, so we can relive the magic of the day time and time again. I have a lot of friends and family who are photographers who how to get behind the camera and shoot away. So I wasn't looking for just any photographer. It had to be one that would as good as or surpass my friend/family photographers because lets face it, I'm paying someone to immortalize one of the best and memorable days of my life. I wanted someone who had an eye to be able to capture the perfect candid moments to be able to feel the joy, love and emotions of the day. I spent HOURS and days looking for the perfect photographer. When I stumbled upon Gavin's work/portfolio, it was perfect. I love his style of photography, with the light airiness and crisp photos. From the close up shots of the details of the day, to a pano view of the wedding grounds and party/guests, to the actual moments of the day, all the photos were amazing and spectacular. Gavin was great to work with from beginning to end. Even though we live in Sac and Gavin is in the bay area, he was accommodating when we needed to meet up or if things could be done via email. I love his photography approach in wanting to "be a fly on the wall" to capture the memories instead of posing for every shot. He was realistic with his timeline on when he would get photos, photo album proofs back to us and stayed within that time frame. I would recommend Gavin to anyone who wants a photographer to capture those priceless moments that you want to last for forever. He's worth the investment!! The only thing I wish, is if he could accept credit cards (so I can rack up the points paying the pretty penny)!

If you are in need of a photographer for a photoshoot or an event, you've come to the right place!…read moreStephen and Alex are amazing to work with! They make you feel extremely comfortable in front of the camera and they do a great job executing your vision! If you're in the Bay Area you should definitely reach out to them! They are easy and great to work with!

I needed to freshen up my photos and LinkedIn presence given the current move to "everything is…read moreonline presence" for Financial Advisors due to COVID-19. I asked David if he could shoot my photos - something that would be professional enough for LinkedIn, but also personal enough that I could provide a framed picture to my momma. It's a lot to ask from one set of pictures, I know - but David delivered. The photo shoot was quick and efficient and i was in and out of the studio within 30 minutes. I explained what I was looking for and David captured it. Thank you David for helping me to update my pictures. You did a beautiful job and I am extremely satisfied

I am in awe of my experience with taking photos with Donnie! I needed professional photos taken to…read moreupdate my profiles. He was able to help capture parts of my personality which has lead me to gaining a good fit of Clients for my business. I would recommend him to everyone!

We just got our photos back from Playful Soul and we are so pleased! Planning the logistics with…read moreBillie was great and the shoot itself was so much fun, we were laughing and having fun the whole time. It made the whole experience really effortless even though I was a little nervous about knowing exactly what to do. Jay provided the perfect amount of direction for us. I have been religiously checking my email account waiting for the photos to come in because I was so excited. My excitement was well-warranted. I would definitely recommend Playful Soul Photography to friends/family and I would definitely consider them again.

As camera shy as I am, Jay brought out the best in me. He was an ease to get along with and helped…read moreme become comfortable in my own skin. If that wasn't great enough, my photos turned out amazing and I honestly have never been happy with photos of myself in the past. I highly recommend using him and his team for your next big event!

Matt & Laurie were great to work with. I bought a LivingSocial deal for an hour photo shoot for my…read moreniece. I totally procrastinated to the last minute and finally got something booked. The weather was expected to be overcast but I really wanted my niece to have baby photos outside versus in a studio. Laurie suggested San Joaquin park. My sister and I met Matt and hit it off automatically. He was very easy to work with and was very patient with my, almost 1 yr old niece. We def got our bang for our buck and weeks later the proofs came out great. Took a little long but totally worth it. (!!)

Our daughter wanted very few things with regards to a photographer for her wedding day. She…read moresearched online until she found the perfect person: Matt Beardsley. He gave her exactly what she asked for. The day of the event arrived and he arrived on time and everything went great. He had a 2nd photographer with him and they didn't miss anything. He started posting pictures the next day. We will meet with him soon to get the final product. I feel Matt did a fantastic job capturing the day. He was very friendly but professional. We are all happy with his work and would recommend Matt to anyone seeking professional photography, especially a wedding!