We first worked with Michael and his team in April 2023 for my sister's wedding and our experience was amazing! Leading up to the wedding, Michael worked with us to understand the schedule of events and photo vision. During the event, he effortlessly managed the chaos of a big fat Indian wedding to capture the wedding perfectly. Despite not being Indian, he understood all the rituals of a Hindu ceremony and even respected the customs, like no shoes on the mandap (he brought slip ons for the wedding ceremony so he could easily slip them on and off when capturing photos on the mandap). All that to say that when my partner and I got engaged and started planning our wedding, we knew Michael had to be our photographer. While our wedding was a much smaller scale, he beautifully captured all our events. We have been on Cloud 9 reliving the Grah Shanti, Haldi, and Wedding through the photos captured by Michael and his team. He is officially our family photographer for all big events going forward! read more

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Michael and his team are a dream to work with it! Michael is so thoughtful and works to ensure our photos represent who we are. Most importantly, Michael prioritizes empathy and kindness to ensure that we are as comfortable as possible, particularly because my fiance and I hate taking photos! It was a great experience and we highly recommend using Michael and his team for your special moments! read more

Michael is the best photographer in the world! He's so kind & easy to work with. Even though we had never met before our photo shoot, there was no awkward silence at any point & we talked about a lot as he is very knowledgeable. He made our maternity shoot sooo fun & told us what to do to get the best pictures. My husband & I had never done a photo shoot so we didn't know what to expect or do but Michael made it so easy & stress free. He was very patient & understanding of my not so easy to work with life schedule & had great locations to choose from & also is willing to drive to different locations. Michael also did our daughters newborn photo shoot & was so patient with us & her even though she was fighting the power most of the time Michael is very professional & got our photos back to us so quickly despite busy times! I would definitely 100% recommend him for your next photo shoot. read more

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100% would recommend! Amazing results, fast turnaround, easy to work with, fun to be around, and respectful of the cultural intricacies that surrounds weddings read more

Choosing Michael as our photographer was one of the best decisions we made for our special day. From the moment we met with him, we felt like we were in great hands. Michael's warm personality and genuine enthusiasm made us feel instantly comfortable, and that set the tone for everything that followed. On the weekend of the wedding (2 days for a South Asian wedding), he and his team were not just professionals behind the camera; they were like friends who made every moment feel natural and fun. Michael and his team always showed up to photo sessions ahead of schedule which speaks to his high level of professionalism! What we loved most was how Michael made the whole experience enjoyable. He has this unique ability to bring out the best in people, turning what could be stiff and posed photos into genuine expressions of love, laughter, and joy. It felt like we were just spending time with friends who happened to have cameras--no pressure, just pure celebration and happiness. His team worked seamlessly, blending into the background when needed and stepping in with the perfect suggestions at just the right times. Once the photos came (just a few weeks after the wedding), they were beyond breathtaking. Michael has an eye for detail and a talent for storytelling; every picture feels like a work of art and takes us right back to those beautiful moments. He captured not only the big, important moments but also the small, fleeting ones--the looks, the emotions, and the little in-betweens that made our day so special. He even had the pictures ready to be shared during our cocktail hour from the wedding ceremony and the event the night before which was the kindest surprise for us! The timeliness along with the quality of the photos were second to none. We are so grateful for Michael and his team for their passion, their professionalism, and above all, for making us feel so incredibly special on our wedding day. If you're looking for a photographer who will go above and beyond to make your day perfect and preserve your memories in the most beautiful way, look no further than Michael Santos Photography. Thank you Michael and team for everything! With lots of love and thanks, Amol and Shivani read more

I don't even know what to say about Michael. From our first phone call all the way until even well after our wedding, Michael has been an absolute joy. He took the time to get to know us as a couple and understand what we wanted out of our wedding photography. He's the expert, of course, but he never made us feel like we had to do everything his way if we wanted his services. We first met Michael during our engagement photoshoot in Laguna Beach and it was the most fun I've ever had taking professional photos. He immediately put us at ease - we laughed for almost an entire two hours and the photos came out GORGEOUS. I was super excited to work with him during the wedding events and he was more than gracious enough to constantly accommodate our extended times. He walked through the initial timelines with me to ensure that not only did he understand what types of photos and moments we wanted captured, but to make sure that everything flowed from a photography perspective. This was also a great time for us to talk about any specifics we needed him to be mindful of - no photos of people eating, certain family members might be hesitant to smile but will smile if asked, etc. He was also very, very kind about hearing any insecurities or concerns I had about myself in terms of being photographed and he kept them in mind during the entire weekend. His whole team was a godsend! Michael treated our entire family and all of our guests with such kindness - literally everyone noticed and commented on how nice he was. He kept us on time and stepped in to take on certain tasks that weren't previously taken care of by our planner. He went way above and beyond in all aspects and of course, every single photo was BEAUTIFUL!!! He also previewed some of our shots during our reception which was such a nice, thoughtful touch! Our guests (and my husband and I) got to get a sneak peek at the day's photos and it made us enjoy the reception even more because we could see how well the wedding went! I can't wait to use Michael again for future photoshoots and events. read more

I met Mike years ago at a wedding, and have seen him at several weddings I've been to throughout the years. He has a great eye for detail and his work continues to amaze me every time I see it. I had Mike do my graduation pictures, he was so flexible with me and during the pictures made sure I felt comfortable I was BEYOND satisfied with his work the pictures came out sooo nice! I also referred him to my manager for her wedding and she ended up hiring him. Once again, amazed me with the results. Mike has become my go to photographer for any and all occasions in my life! read more

You should hire Michael for your special moments and this is why: He is easy to work with he makes you feel comfortable and values your opinion. He will make time to discuss preferred places or appropriate according to the season. He will show up to the session on time. He will guide your poses and best angles. He will recommend personnel according to needs e.g. I needed someone to do my hair and make up He is patient and respectful, I got the vibe he is family oriented. Have you checked out his Instagram? @michaelsantosphotography What are you waiting for..... go! Michael was referred to me by a friend, so I looked him up. When I saw his Instagram photo shoots, that was it! He was hired. I didn't care how much he would charge me; I didn't care how much I would tip him; I didn't care how much the photo package was going to cost me. All I knew was that I wanted the perfect memories captured in photos for my wedding day. My wedding photos are absolutely gorgeous, we even created a family tree portrait that hangs on our wall. People always give me compliments of how beautiful they are, that's how I know I did the right thing. My husband has a photographer friend who was curious to know who Michael was to check out his work because apparently there was some good angles. I was nervous going into the session but as soon as I met Michael, there was a connection between my husband and our kids, so I immediately knew it was going to go well. When I look at my photos it brings me memories of natural happiness captured in portraits. Thank You Michael. Michael's pricing is fair. I promise you the quality of work and photos you get, will be worth your money. read more

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Mike was a referral from a friend who worked with him on their wedding photography/videography gigs, and we were so so happy with his work and how our photos turned out! For both our engagement session and wedding day, Mike was courteous, professional, and very helpful in making sure we were comfortable and got the kind of shots that we wanted. We received our photos very quickly from him and still can't stop looking through them to relive our special day! I highly recommend him for any of your photography needs! read more

Planning my family session was a mixed bag of emotions. I have only had one other family session since my son was born and wanted everything to be perfect. I was stressed about picking the perfect location, what we were going to wear and about how to pose. Mike immediately put me at ease. The booking process easy and he responded quickly to any questions I had. He picked the location, offered suggestions on what to wear and described what he had in mind in terms of posing for the day of. As I got ready for our session I felt relaxed and confident that it would go well. The location setting was perfect. Mike gave me and my son excellent directions on how to pose and what to do with our (awkward) hands and feet. The session was fun and easy going. When I first saw my slideshow I cried because of how beautiful the images were. Mike captured us perfectly; the beauty of the location, our emotions and even our silly moments. Mike's professionalism and creativity made the whole process from start to finish easier than I had imagined. We had such a fun time and the images are so beautiful I plan on doing a family session with Mike every year! read more

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If you need beautiful Senior Portraits done, Michael Santos is the guy to go to! I've never had professional pictures done before, so I was nervous going into our session especially because I don't think I'm very photogenic and I really don't know how to pose in photos at all! But Michael really helped me relax because the vibes he was giving off were very calm and chill. As soon as the session started my anxious nerves instantly went away and I just enjoyed feeling like a model lol. I picked Michael Santos Photography because the photographers in my small town just didn't live up to the standards that I wanted. That meant I had to travel to him but that was worth it! I love my Senior Photos! 5 Stars for the work, quality and overall experience :) thanks Michael! read more

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Michael is simply the best! I had hired him for my wedding which was originally supposed to be in June. Then Covid hit. He was more than helpful with rescheduling and made the process really easy. When things started to open up again in June we were actually able to have a small ceremony with just our parents and he came to take pictures of that as well! We absolutely love them! He made us feel very comfortable and made sure we got all the photos we wanted. It was so amazing that we got to capture that special day and he is still flexible with our TBD 2021 wedding. I could not recommend Michael more! read more

Mike was nothing but professional, accommodating, patient (especially with me 1.5yr old, who didn't get his nap before the shoot), and safe. He constantly checked in with us for comfort and wellness. Made sure to check-in to make sure the images was what we wanted. He delivered 100%. Even tho we ended a bit early due to my child. He assured us that he was OK with waiting and putting us and the kids first. Will definitely use his services for future engagements. Highly recommend him and his team! THANKS MIKE! read more

Best photographer. My wedding photos came out perfect . Michael is really easy to work with and prices are fair for what his work is. You get what you pay for and with him it's quality. Photo and videos is all you have left from your wedding and it's the biggest portion you should be paying . Thank you guys again!!!! read more

Michael was our photographer for our 3 Day South Asian wedding in Arizona (March 2024) and did such an AMAZING job!! Throughout the wedding planing process, Michael listened to all our requests and was so friendly and easy to work with. Throughout our 4 wedding events, Michael felt more like a friend to us than our vendor. We felt so comfortable working with him and his calm demeanor was so helpful during the high-stress moments throughout the weekend. His two other teammates, Lauren and Jules, were just as amazing, friendly, and easy to work with! Michael had a gallery with 100 teaser photos sent to us the morning after our reception which was very impressive. We absolutely LOVED how all the photos came out. My dad plays the slideshow for every guest that enters his house. Michael has a genuine and natural talent for capturing the special moments while also capturing the entire vibe and decor of the event. 10/10 would recommend Michael and his team!! read more

As a photographer myself, I feel much more comfortable behind the camera than in front of it. But, you only have your first kid once, so I wanted to get another photographer's perspective for maternity photos, and I'm happy that we went with Mike. He's a creative artist who truly knows his craft. The entire process went smoothly, from booking a date, to the session, on through to getting our photos back, which we absolutely love and have printed, framed and hung in our house; we also sent his photos out for announcements & holiday cards. We have a piece of artwork on our walls that says "These are the good old days," and we're reminded of that every time we see the special moments in our life that Mike captured so beautifully. I can say with all confidence that Mike is worth every penny (and more than he charges, to be honest). We look forward to working with him for years to come as our family continues to grow. read more

Michael Santos Photography - Session Photography Near Me

When I was looking for a photographer for our wedding, I was overwhelmed to find the right person that had the vision I was looking for to capture our special moment. I wanted someone who not only captured our relationship but to incorporate the environment around us. Choosing a location is just as special as finding someone to capture that moment forever. When I told my wedding coordinator what I was looking for, he referred me to Michael Santos. I was AMAZED! I knew just by looking at his work he was the right one for us. I was so impressed by our engagement and wedding photos, I love them still today! He makes a simple location look like the most amazing scenes! Michael Santos has a great vision and will incorporate your vision and make it memorable. When you find someone that understands your dream, they are not just a business but a friend for life. I highly recommend Michael Santos Photography! read more

Michael Santos Photography - Strolling in the park where we dated with Mickey - Session Photography Near Me

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Awesome photographer. Excellent wedding shots, especially during pandemic times. Thank you for being careful, safe, and quick in getting back to us. We love the photos and have them framed. read more

Michael did such an incredible job photographing our engagement ceremony. Best choice we made that day. In "posed" photos, he was mindful of the details (like hand placement, accessories all being centered, hair falling properly) to make sure each shot was moments-worthy, and he made sure we got group shots with all the right people so no one was left out. In "candid" photos he did an AMAZING job of capturing all the important smiles, hugs, and laughs, all with great angles and great lighting. He managed to do all of that while staying out of the way so it was never a distraction. He was kind and patient and such a pleasure to work with. Ill definitely be hiring him lots over the coming years. Thank you Michael!! read more

Can't say enough amazing things about this photographer!!! He turned my maternity shoot into everything I could have dreamed of and more! He was so easy to work with. I gave Michael a couple of ideas of what I wanted and he took it from there. When we met up again to look at the final pictures.....Wow!!!! So many tears!! I still get all chocked up looking at the pictures!! Can't wait to use him again for baby #2! read more

I recently booked a newborn session with Michael. From booking my session to receiving my photos everything was smooth sailing. Michael answered all my questions and help me understand what I should expect for the day of the photo shoot. On the actual day, he was extremely patient and made sure all my expectations were satisfied. In addition to my new born, I have a toddler too and getting him to take a picture was extremely difficult. But Michael worked his magic and took some amazing pictures. I definitely recommend him. He is worth every penny. read more