Despite being serious amateur photographers, my partner and I knew we needed a third-party pro to immortalize our wedding at San Francisco's City Hall earlier this month. We're a tough audience. We knew some of our friends would take blurry iPhone snapshots, but we wanted special memories of this milestone event in our 33 years together that would shimmer and bring back the day in perfect photos we'd delight in viewing again and again plus be proud to share. I found Patrick upon Googling "SF wedding photographers." We liked what we read about him from satisfied clients and we loved his work when we saw much of it in his studio. The shots were so natural, fun and spontaneous -- just like us! None were posed, stiff or formal. Aside from lighting and composition perfection, Patrick's Irish accent, warmth and sense of humor added to the package. Patrick was also instantly responsive whenever I e-mailed him (which was often) over these two months, and his rates were extremely reasonable. He was flexible with our events and budget, and he was fine with our decision that he shoot just two of the four this month and next. I wasn't surprised that Patrick beat us to City Hall last week toting his three cameras. He put our 10 witnesses and Supervisor Wiener, who officiated in the Board Chamber, at ease with his friendly banter. Patrick knew just where to get dramatic backgrounds at City Hall before and after the ceremony, and we all followed him willingly like obedient children. Our wedding pix were available online for us to see the next morning and hand-delivered via flash drive the following day. Neither of us is a beauty, but Patrick made us look like models in some of the shots. Does this give you the picture? I was diagnosed with a relapse of pneumonia the day after the wedding and a friend marveled, "If those are photos of you when you're sick, I can't wait to see well ones!" read more

after searching for a concert photographer who did not specialize in celine dion, ted nugent, or jam bands at the great american music hall (services exchanged for baked goods), i found patrick right here on yelp. yea! patrick is extraordinarily professional--he researched our performance space before returning my phone call (which came only half an hour after my query), and also took pity on a poor classical music non-profit with very reasonable fees. i had to give a number of limitations and guidelines based on musical cues in the concert and sensitive artistes, so he brought along an assistant who is also a musician to be thoroughly prepared. he fully captured the evening, from warm-up to concert and then reception--each part with very different conditions and requirements. so he's versatile, too! also, i needed immediate galleries (for press) after the event, and he came through over a holiday weekend. but most importantly, patrick's photos are beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. he has a particular talent for candid shots--he finds the most emotional (or bizarre) spot in the room and frames it, and it's terrific. also check out his hip book! that's a book of hips-the-body-parts, not necessarily (although probably) a book that is hip. read more

Let me start by saying that I don't work well with cameras. I get awkward when in front of the lens, and inevitably end up with shots of me with my tongue sticking out or with my thumb up in the air. So when I went looking for a photographer for my wedding, it was very important for me to find someone who was able to cope with my camera-induced dorkiness. Patrick was exactly what we needed. He balanced the "staged" shots with the candids beautifully, and captured the most amazing moments of the evening. He managed to find the moments where I didn't have a ridiculous look on my face, and turned the moments that I did look dorky into amazing shots. Seriously, Patrick exceeded any expectations that I had about my wedding photos. There are so many to choose from, we can't narrow down the ones we want to print out. AND Patrick connected us with a really fantastic photo printing shop - one where they pay their employees more than minimum wage! He's fantastic. I would recommend him to anyone. read more

I was never one to get professional photographs, and am actually quite uncomfortable in front of a camera. However, Patrick and I met when I was very pregnant, and wanting to document my big bump, I worked with him. I don't think any other person could have captured me the way he did. I'm not 'shy' but just not a camera person. He took all the time necessary, snapping away after asking me a question so I'd be focused on telling him a story, forgetting that he was meanwhile clicking away. In other words, he was patient enough to work with me over many hours to get the few candid shots that finally really represented me. I don't know how he does it since he does not retouch his photos. To see his photos of me, and know that's really me, is quite amazing. He has taken the time to get to know me, my baby, my family. And he has provided the most meaningful pictures for us. I'm also not the type to write recommendations. But for Patrick, I really think others should know what he can do...Enjoy! read more

Patrick did an amazing job of photographing our modest Indian wedding of approximately 300. It was his first time at an Indian wedding, but amazing felt at home with the whirlwind that an affair like that can be. He is a simply amazing photographer who has a keen eye to capture the moment. (Sometimes you don't even realize that there was a moment till you see it in his photograph...it is as if he crafted it!) He fit comfortably into all of our events, which allowed him to capture those private moments impeccably (He looks dashing in a kurta too...). Most photographers may have gotten annoyed with the demands of aunts and uncles pushing him one way or another, but the entire time Patrick was cool amidst the chaos and amenable to anything. We continue to hear from so many friends and family about how amazing, beautiful and fantastic photographs we have. Thank you Patrick for giving us memories captured for a lifetime. So be your fabulous self, and get Patrick to capture it. read more

I first met Patrick as a model for his hips book. I've always been a huge fan of his work, but he absolutely blew me away as our wedding photographer. We just got married at San Francisco City Hall on the first day of legal same-sex weddings. Patrick skillfully captured all of the excitement and historicness of the day. As a person, Patrick is a really good guy. He made us feel comfortable and he was not at all intrusive. He somehow managed to both give us our space so we almost forgot he was there, and simultaneously he didn't miss capturing a moment. In addition to the artistic and stunning photos he took of us, he was also kind enough to tell me when I had a string hanging out of my dress or a lipstick smear on my face and other little details that we were very happy to not have captured forever in our wedding pictures. We couldn't be more happy with the photographs from Patrick. We will treasure them forever and we have Patrick to thank. read more

I have worked with many photographers in San Francisco; everything from headshots for TV/Theatre to fashion shoots for magazines. Patrick Roddie is hands down the best photographer I have worked with. He has enormous integrity and an amazing eye for catching you at your best. If you are looking for a photographer for your wedding or even for headshots I highly recommend Patrick Roddie. I first met Patrick for headshots after being unsatisfied with the ones a very well-known local photographer took of me. I was more impressed with the images that Patrick was able to catch - he honestly and sincerely captured my essence and my personality. Since then I have used Patrick for numerous shoots - headshots, fashion shoots, my band and even my wedding. He is comfortable to be around in a one-on-one shoot at his studio or outdoors. He fits in well in family environments and was a great person to have at our wedding taking photos. read more

I have never written a Yelp review, but I was so impressed by Patrick that I wanted to spread the word. Patrick was the perfect photographer at our wedding. In addition to taking the most gorgeous pictures of us, he is an all-around great guy. He was truly able to capture all of the joy and celebration of the day. In addition to capturing stunning candid shots, Patrick picked an amazing location with perfect lighting for some post-cermony portraits. Patrick took classic pictures of us that we will treasure forever. We are so grateful that Patrick was able to capture our wedding day so perfectly. Patrick also gave us a very quick turn around for the pictures. We were thrilled to be able to enjoy the pictures just a few days after our wedding. In addition to the amazing pictures, he put the pictures into a slide show with music that brought tears to our eyes. We give him our absolute highest recommendation. read more

Patrick is superb! He just photographed us and our new baby and we couldn't be more happy with how they turned out! He has fabulous style and talent! I have worked as a commercial/print model for several years which has allowed me to shoot with a number of photographers, and Patrick is now my new fave! He spent like 5 hours at our home following us around and capturing our daily life with our new baby girl. We ended up with over 1,000 images! He also put them on CD's for us...each picture in both color & black/white & he made us a website for them too! Patrick was super cool and easy to shoot with! Baby wise...he also does really pretty maternity pictures and he will come to the hospital or wherever to take a few pictures of baby after they are born. I plan on using him several more times!! Which makes me wonder why I'm blasting him like this....soon he will be too busy and too expensive for me!! :-) read more

Our wedding was quite spontaneous with only one week of planning and it couldn't have been better, also thanks to Patrick's shots. He managed to make himself available on such short notice and captured every part of our wedding ceremony at beautiful SF city hall and took us to some lovely spots around the city with amazing light. We don't like staged photographs but rather enjoy pictures that show the true sprit of the moment and looking at his work afterward made us remember what a great day we had. I'll look at those over and over again. Also our friends and family, many of which couldn't be there, thanked us afterward for picking Patrick since his pictures made them almost feel like they had been there with us. I like to layout my own photo books so I 'just' asked for the photo DVD which was exactly what I wanted. The fair price was well worth it and Patrick's work speaks for itself. Thanks again! read more

Patrick has an uncanny ability to capture the essence of a moment without having to be a part of the moment. I've watched Patrick take 1,000s of pictures for more than 5 years and have always been amazed at the quality of his work. He loves his art and puts everything into making sure he is the best photographer he can be. When you see him work you realize that the camera becomes an extension of his arm quickly moving to capture the moment from different angles. He then does what is appropriate to get the best picture from the subject, whether it is to be invisible or to draw the right pose. The results are memories forever, and his results are works of art, framed, posed and focused perfectly. My wife and I were honored to use Patrick for our wedding and have 1,000s of stunningly beautiful photographs. Every time we show them we get comments on the quality and selection of shots. read more

Where do I even begin? Patrick has this truly amazing talent to capture the moment as it takes place. The emotion, excitement, and happiness that surrounded our special day was captured in each and every photograph he took. Patrick's work is beautiful, artistic, and real; that is exactly what we wanted and that is exactly what we got. Patrick's style is truly unique, but it doesn't end there. Patrick delievers unmatched customer service and we feel that we have made a friend in San Francisco. With only a limited amount of time to spend in SF, Patrick met us at our hotel to deliver our pictures in both color and black and white. I was absolutly blown away at how freindly and talented he was, we cannot thank you enough for what you have done for us! If your looking for a freindly, professional, talented photographer...look no further. read more

Patrick is an AMAZINGLY!! talented photographer. The pictures he took at our wedding are absolutely stunning! He has an incerdible way of interacting with people and making them feel at ease. He devoted so much effort to getting the best photographs ---taking pictures form the ground, etc. ! In addition to the great posed family pictures, he was able to get amazing candid photographs because people did not know that they were being photographed. He blended right into the crowd and was everywhere. We are so grateful that we were referred to him. Anyone that gets to have Patrick take photograhs for their special event or any occassion is lucky!! In addtion to being an extraordinary photographer, he is very personable which helps with those amazing shots and makes it really fun to interact with him. read more

We had a great experience with Patrick. We hired him to photograph our new baby and he was extremely easy to work with. After welcoming him into our home, he spent a number of hours over the course of two feedings capturing some amazing pictures. In addition to being very friendly and down to earth, he was very professional. He did a phenomenal job both in suggesting ideas for photos as well as being receptive to our ideas. In all instances, his eye for light, scale, framing and the unexpected candid moment really impressed us. The proverbial icing on the cake - he was back the following day with two CDs with all our pictures in three sizes (large, computer optimized, and web-size) duplicated in black and white. We couldn't be happier with the results and would highly recommend him. read more

Patrick photographed our September wedding, and was awesome. He's a joy to work with and just generally a nice guy. He did a great job of capturing important moments while we went about our crazy, busy day. He stayed cool in the midst of chaos, and dealt beautifully with all of the crazy demands of my various family members. The pictures are great. He really managed to capture some wonderful moments, and take some of my very favorite pictures of my friends and family. And he really got some beautify shots of us together. Usually wedding pictures look very stiff and posed to me, but ours aren't - he just let us be ourselves and captured the madness. Definitely hire Patrick to photograph your wedding (Or any other event! His non-wedding photography is fabulous too!). read more

We are very happy with Patricks services. We contracted Patrick to take some headshots of some of our team members for our company's website. Our office is in an old San Francisco building in the Financial District. We wanted to use the exposed brick as a background. Patrick was very accommodating. Furthermore, he was very responsive. When we originally contacted him for a quote, he was one of a few photographers which responded the same day! I must have contacted 15 photographers. When he came to our office, he wasted no time in setting up the area where the photoshoot was taking place. He made everyone feel very comfortable. The photographs reflect this. We are very happy with the results. We would hire Patrick again. THANK YOU PATRICK!! read more

I was looking for wedding photos that breathed. I did not want the generic posed photos. I wanted to capture the "in-between moments"--to have the sort of pictures that felt real. Patrick did exactly this. He was able to capture each guest's best self. The photographs are not only beautiful and full but also natural. He is a true artist and lovely person. He is the sort of person that makes one feel their life is a little bit richer for having met him. He eased into each event and made everyone feel comfortable. He was very devoted to making the experience smooth and his service was exceptional. I would recommend Patrick to anyone. I could not have asked for a better photographer. read more

I have worked with Patrick on a few occasions. Most recently he photographed my wedding and truly exceeded my expectations! He has a way of capturing the essence of each person and brings back to life the experience of being in the moment. My husband and I are so happy with what he shot. We still can't decide which photos to print out...they're all so good. We've narrowed it down to about 350 so far! As for the other times I've worked with him, let's just say that I never thought I was photogenic until I met Patrick. Since posting his photographs on my website, I've received a significantly larger response than ever before. I highly recommend him for any of your photography needs. read more

I use Patrick as a house photographer for a child & parent dance party called Baby Loves Disco. He has always been super professional, on-time and courteous with the party goers and house staff. My job sect-- music & events -- allows me to see tons of photographers who are soliciting work. In over 10years in the industry, I can honestly say his eye is one of the best I've seen. With the child-centric nature of Baby Loves Disco, it allows for a photographers ability to shine, as children can be so photogenic, if captured on camera the right way. Its been a very positive relationship so far and I look forward to continuing to work with him. This is the photographer you want!! read more