Melvin was referred to me through a friend who had him shoot their wedding. We needed a photographer for our wedding and my fiance and I wanted someone we meshed well with. We had already talked and met with a couple photographers, but wasn't too impressed with their personality and work. Then we met Melvin! Thank goodness for that referral... He is awesome... funny and great to work with. He makes everyone feel at ease and is good for a few laughs. But most importantly, he knows how to direct to get amazing results! He's a joy to work with and I can't recommend him enough. Super talented photographer. Thanks again, Melvin! read more

Melvin has a real talented eye and awesome to work with. We trusted his expertise and allowed him to guide us through the shots--which came out amazing! He made everyone in the wedding party relaxed and now we have wonderful pictures to cherish. We hope to use him again in the future to capture other important events in our lives. read more

We had Melvin take our engagement photos. We had our 3 dogs in our photos. He was very patient with us and our dogs. He was very receptive to our suggestions and also creative with his own suggestions. He promised our photos back in two weeks but we got them a lot sooner which was great because we couldn't wait to see them. They were beautiful! I'm so in love with all of our photos!! I would definitely recommend him in heart beat! read more

Melvin was a great photographer. We met him by the Louvre and he chose some great nearby settings to take photos. We had a very grumpy 2-year-old, and it took a lot of persuasion and patience to get some good photos out of her. Melvin was very good at motivating poses out of her, telling US what to do to get good poses out of her, and catching the rare split seconds when a smile crept to the surface. He is partial to a more natural, candid photography style, which we were very please with. He was a fun guy to interact with, friendly and professional. We are really happy with how the photos turned out. read more

Working with Melvin was an amazing experience. My fiancé and I are not a big fan of taking pictures but Melvin made us feel very comfortable and at ease. When the photoshoot started, we were definitely nervous but Melvin made this whole process easy, relaxed and fun. We got our engagement photos back yesterday. We are very pleased with his work and we are glad Melvin will be our photographer for our wedding next year. Thank you, Melvin! read more

My fiancé and I had our engagement photos taken by Melvin. He was AMAZING!! Where to even begin? The price was very reasonable. Melvin was extremely easy going and "there for us." The day that we were supposed to take our photos (outside) it rained. Melvin suggested driving back the next day JUST FOR US! We could not believe it! The photos turned out beyond what we had imagined. He was so easy to get along with, professional, and very knowledgeable about poses and photography. We are VERY happy with our photos and experience! We definitely recommend Melvin! read more

Melvin was amazing! We loved our pics he was easy to work with and most important has great communication. I have heard horror stories about photographers that have horrible turnaround and poor communication skills; BUT not Melvin. Man he would answer my calls, text, or emails within the hour. He was also able to provide our pics ASAP! That is something couples would really appreciate during engagement and wedding time. Thank you so much for the experience, Melvin. read more

Melvin is hands down the best!!!! My husband and I were married back in September of 2014 where we encountered Melvin and Jonah. They have practically become family now. I look forward to seeing them at all the Egyptian weddings we attend. Melvin and Jonah are the most kindest people you will ever meet and not to mention their outstanding, amazing work that's absolutely breath taking!!! From our wedding photos to our wedding video, I can't pinpoint my favorite piece from them because they are all so beautiful. I am beyond blessed to have met Melvin and Jonah. They will forever be my go-to for every event that I need pictures for, God wiling for my maternity photos in the near future. I highly recommend Melvin and Jonah to everyone, don't settle for others, you will never be disappointed with their beautiful art work. Thank you Melvin and Jonah you both are truly the best!!! We love you both!! read more

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I just shot my engagement photos with Melvin and they were absolutely beautiful! He did a great job of keeping us relaxed and having fun, making it possible to capture the true essence of who we are. Melvin even got the photos over to us the next day! I can't wait to have him shoot our wedding! read more

Melvin Gilbert Photography is the best photographer we have came across during our wedding hunt. You can tell that Melvin takes extreme pride in his work and delivers such impeccable quality. Melvin always answered any questions me and my fiance' had. Melvin was really professional, but a pleasure to be around as well as very personable. The value of his work is very reasonable and cost-effective. It was a real pleasure to work with him on our engagement photos and I look forward to see what our wedding photo's will look like. Our engagement photo's came out AMAZING and I am extremely satisfied at the quality and attentiveness to detail during the photo shoot. I will and HAVE recommended Melvin Gilbert Photography to my friends and family. read more

Melvin was incredibly awesome! The quality of his pictures are outstanding, he was very flexible with us and willing to do whatever pictures we wanted, and on the day of our wedding he was able to take charge and place people where they needed to be placed in order to get the pictures taken under a time crunch. We flew him to Durham, NC for our wedding - he has no problem commuting across the country and is very flexible about it, even though we put him on a red eye flight! The value of his services is awesome too - we were able to pay for his flight plus the photography wedding package for less than the price of high-quality photographers in Durham! It was truly a pleasure working with Melvin and I would recommend him hands down to everyone I know getting married. read more

Melvin did the photography for my wife's friend and my wife fell in love with the way the pictures came out. We both really liked how his photos come out very natural and he has a great eye for angles and opportunities most other photographers don't see. After meeting with Melvin we discussed his different packages and decided to include an engagement shoot as well as the wedding. I recommend doing this because it gives you a chance to get to know Melvin. It also gives him a chance to get to know you in order to know how he will shoot on the big day. I also recommend bringing some props or something to liven up the shoot and make things fun. He's really good at improvising with external surroundings and giving the pictures more character. You can check out our photos from our shoot on his website here: http://melvingilbertblog.com/2012/12/los-angeles-engagement-photography-park-nature-romantic-balloon/ Melvin gave us a great deal for the day of the wedding and brought 3 assistant photographers with him. They were all very professional and were a pleasure to work with... and PARTY with. :) Melvin and his assistants were on time for everything and were always there to shoot the important moments of the day. You can check out some photos from our wedding day here: http://melvingilbertblog.com/2013/04/anoush-glenoaks-ballroom-glendale-wedding-photography-by-new-york-city-wedding-photographer/ We received our photos very promptly after the wedding - which was totally unexpected because most people told me they waited 6 months - 1 year to get their photos back. The edited photos were fantastic and Melvin even offered to edit more photos if we wanted anymore done. Overall I would recommend Melvin to any bride who wants to have her wedding day photographed by a professional who will work his butt off to make sure your wedding is done right. read more

Melvin Gilbert!!! He's the absolute best! I had my engagement shoot with him and he made us feel so comfortable and gave us great direction! Our photos came out so beautiful!! I'm very picky and I'm my worst critic he did such an amazing job I can't decide which photo to use on our save the dates!! I'm so excited to see how beautiful my wedding photos will be! read more

I met Melvin last year just to hang out and after saw his portfolio, I immediately introduced him to my cousin so he can hired Melvin to shoot his wedding. I love his work so much! All the pictures from my cousin's wedding turned out amazingly!!!! He sent us the link to see a sneakpeek only couple of days after the wedding day and deliver the photos within couple of weeks!!! Great work!!!! read more

I first met Melvin at my friends wedding and after seeing him in action, I knew he was the photographer I would want at my own wedding someday. He is truly talented and clearly his pictures speak for themselves. The day of the wedding he was right on time and so relaxed and easygoing; he would occasionally show me a shot he was excited about which made me even more excited that it was all actually happening and looked good on camera! I know my husband was a little anxious at first about all the wedding pictures but once we got started, Melvin made it fun and it didn't feel like this serious thing that had to be done perfectly. We were able to be ourselves and he captured so many perfect moments that I didn't even know had happened until we got the photos back. Melvin sent us 1 photo the day after the wedding which was really special because we didn't expect to see anything for weeks. (I was also glad to have the first photo posted to FaceBook be a professional one instead of a blurry walking down the aisle shot from a guest...that was my only bridezilla fear... I know how shallow it sounds) He was able to get us all our photos in just a few weeks which was way before his contracted deadline and was so accommodating the whole way through! Melvin really worked with us to make sure we got what we wanted. He is a very busy man and there was only one time that I called him and didn't hear back right away but that was because he was overseas. When i emailed him I heard back in a few hours so I was never worried. I only mention this because if you are a bride with a tight schedule that has a tendency to change things around, you might not have that luxury with Melvin because he gets booked up so quickly. But his talent is hard to come by so I had no problem making whatever days he was available work. Thank you Melvin!!!! read more

Melvin was the exact photographer I always hoped to have at my wedding. He was personable, easy to talk to, and listen to my preferences (and it goes without saying that he's very talented, anyone who looks through his portfolio can see that for themselves). I asked him to give everyone a lot of direction, as we are not very photogenic, and he did exactly that. The result was a batch of magnificent photos to remember the day. If I ever have another event that I need a photographer for, Melvin Gilbert will be my #1 choice, hands down. read more

We booked Melvin for our wedding in Flagstaff, AZ in June and we couldn't have been more happy with him! I looked at many other photographers and there was always something I didn't like....price, style of pictures etc. but once I found Melvin I stopped looking and booked him immediately! He was fun to have around and be apart of your day but very professional and wasn't trying to steel the show (like I've seen the photographer do at other weddings). My husband does not exactly like to have this photo taken and Melvin was great in getting him to loosen up and relax. Still, 2 months after the wedding our guests are still talking about Melvin and how great he was and how amazing the pictures he took were that they've seen on Facebook. Book Melvin....you won't be disappointed! read more

Melvin did an outstanding job on our engagement photo shoot, really made us looks like superstars. This guy knows his stuff. Had a great mix of instruction and patience. He did a wonderful job framing the shots, really took our suggestions well, took great care in setting up the lighting and props. Really impressed with his post-processing and editing. The final session photos he delivered looked like they were out of a fashion mag. Anyone looking for a photographer, this is your man. read more

Melvin was so accommodating and helpful. He eased my stress level greatly! Thank you so much! The photos turned out more beautiful than I anticipated and he has a real talent for capturing all the little moments and nuances. read more

Where do I start? First, Melvin drive far to meet us at the location of our choice. Second, he helped us get comfortable with our poses (he KNOWS what will look amazing) and, third, HE TAKES FANTASTIC PHOTOS! The ALL-CAPS is necessary trust me. Not only is Melvin great at what he does, he's also the nicest person and so easy to talk to. So far, he's only taken our engagement photos but I'm SO glad we have him booked for our wedding, too. I can't wait to see what he captures at our wedding. I'm more than glad I found Melvin Gilbert for our photos! read more

I received an unsolicited email , and decided to call since it was a great deal. I called the number, he said he could meet me in 1/2 hour and to bring my checkbook. I brought another bride to be to consider using him. He was extremely pushy, didn't yield on any suggestions or negotiations we wanted. If we didn't book him then, the deal was off. I gave him a $500 check to hold the date, I wanted to discuss other options Melvin was offering to his package with my fiancé. We went over adding an album, texted Melvin about the particulars, then texted him, no thanks. Just proceed with the original deal. He kept texting me up to 1:37a telling me the additional savings would be lost if I didn't book it today! I informed him the next day, his texting tactics were unacceptable! But then I found out he cashed my check, without a contract! WHAT! He informed me he needed to in order to hold the date. He stated he needed the contract signed by bride & groom. He set up a payment plan to pay him immediately, another pushy move. I changed it to pay him 6months before my wedding and mailed it to him. He contacted me again & stated both signatures are needed. Why? You cashed my check & are dealing with me??? He proceeded to harass me about both signatures, he would text me, then 10minutes later, call me. " I need the contract signed". After 3 days of this I finally picked up the phone &informed him I'm in bed with the flu, his response, "How long have you had it, I need the contract signed.." O...K... So I finally got my fiancé to sign it, and I emailed Melvin, why do you need both signatures? His reply "Why are you making this so hard? I need it for my paperwork, I will refund your money & you can find another photographer!". THANK YOU! No more dealing with an overly aggressive, tackless, pushy, desperate person! When he did send me my money, he informed me I had to wait 3 days to cash it, otherwise it would bounce. I never got to experience his pictures, but based on my interaction, I would never want to! Word to the wise, if a deal is too good to be true, it probably is... read more

Bad business practices, he doesnt have the expertise to charge these prices. Will tell you one thing and do another. AVOID THIS BUSINESS

Melvin was awesome with my fiance Rebecca and I, he was very helpful and made us feel comfortable doing something completely out of our comfort zone. Rebecca and I both love the pictures and are looking forward to him capturing our wedding. read more

Melvin is an amazing photographer and wonderful guy. He made our wedding day as stress-free as possible, which was a big plus. Our pictures came out great. Highly recommend him. read more

Melvin was a great and professional photographer. He made us feel special, he was always on time, and flexible to work with. If you get the pleasure of working with him you will be able to tell that he truly enjoys & loves photography, and his pictures are a vivid statement. He was always trying to make us feel comfortable and always was asking us what we liked or disliked. He is also very funny, I really love that. He is super patient and he is always looking for the perfect shot and the client best interest. I will definitely work again with him. His pictures will make me relive those special moments on my wedding!!! read more

We cannot say enough about Melvin and his outstanding work on our engagement photo shoot in San Jose! He was very patient with his two completely novice "models". Thankfully, Melvin was very good with instruction, posing us and getting great picture ideas as we moved from location to location...(in the rain...and wind...and cold!). We were impressed how he took our playful suggestions during the shoot and made them work. He has an exceptional eye for how to use colors, lighting, and angles. The dock pictures, indoor hallway pictures... just fantastic. Melvin was professional throughout our long shoot, but he also managed to show great enthusiasm. His excitement about the pictures he was capturing was very contagious; it really helped us relax and kept up our energy throughout the photo shoot. When it appeared that we were going to lose the evening light, Melvin even offered to meet us a few days later at a new location to capture a few more shots... right before he was to head back to LA. However, he was able to work with the lighting conditions and got some awesome shots by the boats on the dock and with the Christmas lights (and he kept us from falling in the water!). We hope we can get him for our wedding, and we are highly recommending him to all of our friends. Thanks again Melvin! read more

Melvin was very easy to work with and walked us through the whys and hows of the best posing techniques by showing us his photos as we went along. He's also very sweet and responsive which helps when it comes to getting your picture taken! We loved him! read more

Melvin was simply amazing. He made us feel so attractive and made us look like models. I am not ever gonna look back on our engagement pictures and think that we weren't amazing looking read more

Melvin was extremely professional in our session! Great communication with us throughout the entire process! Look forward to seeing the final results of our shoot. Thanks Melvin for the great experience for our engagement photos read more

We had our engagement shoot with Melvin and had an amazing experience! He gave us great tips on posing and explained exactly what he was trying to do. He is extremely detail oriented, and showed us how much of a difference one tiny thing can make in a photo. I have only seen a couple of unedited sneak peeks, but I have no doubt that Melvin will take care of us! Can't wait to see the rest! read more

We chose Melvin Gilbert as our wedding photographer because of his talented artistic images, affordability and professionalism. After working with him we knew we made the right decision to hire Melvin Gilbert Photography to be our wedding photographer. His fun loving personality, professionalism, and willingness to go and above to make sure that we have unique and special images to last a lifetime. I highly recommend using Melvin Gilbert for all of your photography needs. He is awesomely talented and great to work with! About Melinda and Tim... Tim and Melinda met through a match maker (aka E Harmony) last summer. After nearly month of phone calls (lasting into the wee hours of the morning) Tim asked Melinda on their first date. An evening of dinner and laughter at Crystal Cove's Beachcomber in Newport Beach, California turned into talking until just before Tim's Sunday morning shift at his restaurant. And as all good romance stories go, somehow they both knew that they were both about to begin something very special. In December Melinda returned from a family Christmas in Sisters, Oregon with plans to spend New Year's Eve with Tim. She had a sneaking suspicion that he might pop the question but had already ruined the chances of that by guessing earlier that it would be that night. Or so she thought. Tim showed up from work with an hour to spare before the clock struck midnight. Melinda was finishing the touches on a New Years cake she made (A Tiffany Blue Box cake, but of course) and Tim asked her to come join him on the couch to watch the countdown from Times Square. He said, let's both close our eyes and when we get to 2011 we'll open them and the first thing we will see is each other. Unsuspectedly, Melinda (for reals.... she thought it might happen on a "picnic" on New Year's Day) obliged. And the second that 2011 arrived Melinda felt Tim grab her left hand and slip a ring on her ring finger. Girly screaming ensued as Melinda buried her head in Tim's chest. Tim waited for the squealing to die down and said, Wait! Wait! I need to ask you a question! Melinda lifted her head off his chest and was speechless (for. the. first. time. ever) as Tim said, Melinda Marie Hughie, will you be my wife? It was really happening! The answer she squeaked out was, YES! On 1.1.11 Melinda and Tim became engaged to be married. Melinda and Tim had a beautiful wedding on 9.9.11 filled with the love of their friends and family. They became pregnant with their first child in October of 2011 and will welcome Baby Blalock July 2012. read more

Melvin is awesome! We are so lucky to have had him be our engagement photographer! He is not only professional, talented photographers, but he is just simply nice people. It was a pleasure meeting up with him. He genuinely wanted to do quality work for you and it came through when you talked with them. We had our engagement photos in alamo squre san francisco. Melvin did a great job capturing the beauty of the sun set view as well as the affection between me and my fiance. It was the first time my fiance and I took professional photos, but because Melvin was so real and friendly, it felt less like photographers taking our pictures, and more like friends. Because of this, we were more relaxed during our session, and our photos came out more natural. Melvin had some great ideas for story telling during our engagement photos. The idea of storytelling had never occurred to me, so I was pleasantly surprised when he brought it up. It was definitely something he didn't have to do (since I would never have been the wiser), but it definitely added so much fun to the photo session and energy to the pictures. Thank you Melvin! read more

Hey Yelpers! I will be honest...this is the very first time I've ever written a Yelp review, despite the fact that I have used Yelp a million times before. That should say something about the fact that I am writing now. I am a bride-to-be, getting married November 2, 2013. Early on in the planning process, my mom and I attended a bridal show where we met Melvin. His photos were beautiful, and his demeanor matched, so we decided to book him for our wedding. My fiance and I had our engagement shoot with Melvin last weekend, and it was - in a word - FANTASTIC! Melvin has such a fun and easy going personality, which really helps when you're trying to take natural looking photos in an unnatural situation (unless you're a model or a paparazzi loving celeb, having someone follow you around taking pictures is anything by natural). Melvin made the process fun for us, but you can tell that he is taking his photography very seriously. He had so many great posing tips and tricks, and always let us know when we did something that looked good. And, as others on here have said, he has a truly keen eye for capturing not only your surroundings, but your emotion in the moment. I can't say enough good things about him, so if you're thinking about hiring Melvin, DO IT! read more

lets start off with the fact that im not a fan of having my picture taken. i feel that i am not photogenic, and just have never really felt comfortable in front of a camera. its not like that at all with melvin. this guy makes it seem so easy. me and my fiance recently did an engagement shoot with him, and right off the bat, he was super friendly and very kind. he didnt just start shooting and hoping we were going to like what would come out. he took the time to get to know us and learn a little about us. he wanted to know what we liked and didnt like and followed that up by asking if maybe this pose was okay, or something different. he was very attentive to our needs. im on the bigger side, so he did a very good job of... i guess you could say "hiding" my bigger side. kind of slimmed me down. lol. before every meeting him, i saw his work through a partner of his. thats what turned me on to hiring him. his work was easily the best we saw out there. he will be doing our wedding as well based off his work alone. go through his album and blog. you wont be dissapointed. overall, melvin is top notch and will take the time to make you feel special for your event or big day or whatever the occasion may be. dont pass over him. he books up pretty fast. read more