I decided to do this as a Christmas/Birthday gift for my husband. I told him it was a gift for…read moreboth of us and that is exactly what it turned out to be. When he opened it, tears sprang into his eyes and he said something like these pictures are so beautiful and I hope you can now see how I see you. Wow. As everyone else has said, this was an extremely empowering experience. I recently gained some weight and have been feeling bit down about my body. Melissa makes you feel so special and SEXY! Natalie did my hair, which was perfect. My make-up was beautiful and I'm so sorry I've forgotten her name! I opted to do a massage afterwards and that was also amazing--I don't remember her name either and I feel terrible about that! If you are thinking about doing a boudoir shoot and are on the fence, just do it! I felt so sexy and the pictures were so beautiful (I seriously didn't know my butt could look like that!). And the response from my husband just sealed the deal ("I'm going to need some time alone with these").

I had a wonderful session with Melissa! I went in very meh about taking the pictures because I felt…read moreI don't take good pictures. Melissa proved me wrong that's for sure! I would highly recommend this experience for anyone wanting to feel pampered and beautiful.

I needed an updated headshot for my company website. I called a few places on Yelp and decided to…read moremake an appointment at The Refinery Studio after having a conversation with Jessica. Her passion for photography really came through over the phone. In addition, she seemed very easy going and personable -- which I appreciated because for me, getting my picture taken is about as much fun as going to the dentist. Prior to my appointment, Jessica sent me a contract to sign digitally. My company lawyer asked for a revision to one of the clauses in the contract for privacy purposes, which Jessica was willing to accommodate. On the day of my appointment, I was 30 minutes late due to traffic + construction so I was a bit out of sorts by the time I arrived. However, Jessica immediately put me at ease. Before we started the photo shoot, she took the time to pin my shirt and tape it to my blazer to ensure a crisp, clean look in the photos. She also fixed my hair (I have long hair with beach curls) to ensure it was lying well against my blazer. Needless to say Jessica has an insanely good eye for detail. Before the photo shoot, we also discussed what type of lighting we should use (studio vs. natural). She recommended natural lighting because of the current studio conditions but I requested studio lighting because I thought the sunlight would be less forgiving. After taking a few photos using studio lighting, she recommended we try a few using natural light. She then brought her camera over and showed me the difference in the output between the two lighting styles. She was completely right about my photos looking better using natural lighting! The difference was astonishing actually. Trust her judgment people because it will save you time and you'll get a much better result. Not only is Jessica massively talented (the headshots turned out amazing), she also made the entire experience so much fun. I went into Jessica's studio a nervous wreck and came out laughing and feeling like I just visited a good friend. Jessica is truly one of a kind!

I was long overdue for updated head shots and I am very glad that I chose The Refinery for this…read moresummer's session. I was able to book several weeks in advance and lock in a time for an outside shoot. In terms of the studio, the place is very cozy and the "dressing room" area even features R+Co Hair Products which are awesome! Jessica is an excellent photographer and the outside session has fun and nicely paced. Afterwards, we went back up to choose the ones I'd like to keep and have as final products. In under two weeks, I got the link to my gallery and I am quite happy with the array of finalized images. I highly recommend the work of Jessica and Ryan.

We loved working with McKenna! She is so friendly, kind and made us feel better through all the…read morejitters and even more excited through our joy! We did a small micro wedding in an art gallery and she was so flexible in working with us even though all the details didn't come together until right before! I would definitely recommend.

McKenna did an amazing job wrangling even the rowdiest family members for extended family photos…read more She did a wonderful job reminding us to stay on schedule, but was relaxed and flexible enough to let us enjoy every moment. Her attention to detail was spectacular. She was accommodating through multiple postponements due to Covid-19. She brought fun energy to both our engagement pictures and wedding day while still remaining very professional. All expectations were stated and communication was easy. Most of all, our photos are so dreamy- they capture all of the sentimental and funny moments of our big day in a way that is polished but still so authentic to us.

Best person in the world to draw out your inner child, your secret sauce, and make the pictures a…read moretrue reflection of who you are. Stacy plays in her studio, and brings you into calm confidence to truly be you. I've seen it myself, and with others I have referred to her. BRILLIANT!

Stacy Kaat not only knows how to shot a good head shot, but knows how to keep things comfortable…read moreand relaxing while doing it. My headshots - one conventional and one 'dynamic' (to fit the mood of my freelance videography business) - showed the range that Stacy has as a headshot photographer and were exactly what I needed to promote my 'personal brand'. Beforehand, Stacy sat down with me to discuss what I wanted to convey in my photographs and also helped me choose the right outfit to match the vision we had of my headshots. She kept the whole experience calm & fun, and I couldn't have been happier with how everything turned out. I highly recommend Stacy for anyone looking to have a high quality headshot done. On a side note, Stacy is also a great networker and a wealth of knowledge on small business planning and marketing. I learned a lot just chatting with her in between photos.

Listen Yelpers, I am not one for writing reviews except when people make me angry, but I have to…read moregive credit and applause when it is due. I wrote a review about Jaci after the engagement shoot she did for Jim and me. Jaci is wonderful, the photos were some of the most beautiful shots I have ever seen and we did nothing except laugh because Jaci just seemed to "get" us. You can read that review below. Our experience with Jaci was above and beyond any expectation I could have ever set in place which is why I am compelled to write this young woman a second review. I was told by several friends that if there is one area not to cut corners it was photography and I had heard so many horror stories about crappy photography and photographers to last me a lifetime. Jaci was accommodating, patient, professional and if we could have designed our perfect photographer, she was it. Jim and I just happened to get lucky. Jaci met with me to get specifics as to what we wanted photos of, with whom and when which made the day go smoothly. Even when the wedding reception was going on, she grabbed me quickly and said, "I know you wanted shots of your friends and we haven't gotten them yet. Should we go ahead and grab them quickly?" Thank goodness she remembered. Let me tell you that when family photos rolled around it was like herding cattle. Jaci remained calmed, pulled everyone together, took test shots and somehow managed to get everyone done in a matter of 15 minutes. Honestly, I cannot say enough wonderful things about Jaci; I really can't. She did everything and more than I asked for and the photos are the most beautiful pieces of art that I have ever seen! I don't feel that she is overpriced by any means. I hunted for photographers and there were far more who charge double what she does and their work isn't even a quarter of her talent. I can't wait to order our prints, books and canvas art from Gloss. True testament of her talent, there are far too many photos that captured the love that Jim and I have for one another, picking prints is going to be a complete dilemma. Thank you, Jaci, for everything. We cannot wait to have you capture all of our life moments and share those with you. You've been wonderful to both of us. Emily

It was time to get senior photos taken for my daughter but I had no idea where to go. I asked for…read morerecommendations from friends but after reviewing their websites I knew they wouldn't be what my unique & artsy daughter would like. I found Gloss Photography Studio from a internet search and when I looked at the photos on their website, I knew I found the right fit. McKenna was my daughter's photographer. She made my daughter feel so comfortable and found some cool industrial backgrounds per my daughter's request. The finished product is beautiful!! My daughter LOVED the photos and can't decide which ones we'll have printed but we have a couple hundred amazing digital pics to choose from. I'm also very pleased with the photos. I have an enormous selection to choose from with different color filters and black & whites. I highly recommend this business.

We LOVE LOVE LOVE Anna and her photos! We've been through 3 different photographers and have been…read moremost happy with Anna. She's been our family photographer for the past 5 years and my kids LOVE her! After seeing a friend's formal family photos at their house, my daughter (who was 4 at the time) told them, "Anna takes our pictures. Maybe Anna can take your pictures. Anna's pictures are fun." :) If you are looking for fabulous "real life" photos to hang on your wall of your kids being...well, kids, book a session with Anna! The photos she captures are WELL worth the investment!

From the owner: Anna Mayer uses her fun, fresh and somewhat chaotic style to create and capture the beautiful…read moremoments in life that you want to remember forever. She mostly does that really through creating super fun photos of families, kids, and babies and super cool wall galleries she creates with them. You really just need to experience it to know what it is.

Highly recommend Little Giant Photography. My mother spotted Tia's work on the Married in Milwaukee…read morewebsite and we feel so lucky to have been able to work with her as both our engagement photographer and wedding photographer. Planning a wedding from halfway across the country made Tia's timeliness, professionalism, and experience absolutely invaluable. Our wedding ceremony was held with only 25 family members in my grandmother's home and she was the perfect photographer for us. Her work captured the intimacy, love, and laughter that surrounded us all day and we are blown away by her work. Sharing photos with family and friends, they all say the same thing, "Wow! Great photographer!" We couldn't agree more.

Tia was our wedding photographer. She did an amazing job to capture our special moment at the…read moreSchlitz Audubon Nature Center, even before, during and after the rain. Very professional, yet made the photo process fun. Easy to work with throughout the entire wedding planning and event. Photos of planned poses and natural depictions turned out great. Highly recommended!

Erika and her team were AMAZING!! She helped you decide what to wear for your shoot beforehand and…read moremade sure you were all set and ready for your big day with her. I went in feeling nervous and her and her team made you feel so pretty from the second you walked in the door, no judgement zone! Just women empowering women!! I left the shoot feeling like I could take on the world and felt so sexy!! I would recommend this to any women who needs to feel more empowered or needs to realize how beautiful they really are, because you are beautiful, you are worthy and this shoot will make you feel all that and some!! 10 out of 10!!

I had Brittany as my make up artist for my October 11th wedding! I had a large bridal party, 11…read moregirls total, and she did do a good job on the girls. (The girls were disappointed with how their make up came out). She was pregnant, so I did feel bad however she did not make an effort to take the time on the girls. 15 minutes and they were done. My make up turned out AMAZING, and I am very thankful for that! The trial with Brittany was fun and she listened to what I wanted and didn't try to over turn my decisions. She definitely knew what I wanted and was able to reproduce that on my wedding day! Yay! On the downside, she could have acted more professional towards me, the bride, since it was my wedding day. Since she worked extremely fast, she was way ahead of the schedule. This meant that people were showering/getting hair done and not downstairs when she wanted to do their make up. That somehow became my problem, on my wedding day. Again, feeling bad that she was very pregnant, I tried to move along the group, but that shouldn't have been my worry on my wedding day. I tried not to stress about it, and overall, I was pleased but the girls had to re-do all of their make up...which didn't make anyone too happy.

I struggled with the prospect of writing a negative review. I have a lot of empathy for small…read morebusiness, especially during covid, and understand that negative reviews significantly affect them. My SIL posted a negative review on The Knot, and I agree with the content of her review. Unfortunately, Brittany responded with mistruths, which has motivated me to reply with my own review. DO NOT HIRE Brittany for your wedding. When my wedding was postponed because of covid, all of our vendors were extremely accommodating except Brittany. She did not want to allow me to use my $330 deposit toward a new date in 2021. To retain her services I would have to pay another $330 deposit for the new date and forfeit the previous deposit. I clearly postponed the date 2 months in advance, and she responded "OK I will cancel out your contract." She apparently held that date, then blamed me for lost business because of this. I did not ask her to retain my original date. Ultimately, after asking her to reconsider the transfer of my deposit, she relented. She was available for the new date, and sent a new contract to hold it. Before signing the contract, I told her about a revised number of applications - more people now wanted makeup, surpassing her maximum. I had discussed this scenario before signing the first contract. I asked "what is your policy about adding or subtracting people? Does it matter as long as there are 5 people minimum?" and she said "just a 5 person minimum, not going over 10." I was just being transparent, and she was going to do 5 people instead of 8. I hired a second makeup artist, making Brittany very upset. I explained the situation, but that did not assuage her. She demanded another $200 deposit or that I pay for 8 makeup applications (even though she was doing 5). Brittany felt disrespected and no longer wanted to provide her services, escaping with my deposit. I agreed to terminate our relationship. I didn't want her bad juju on my wedding day. I must respond to the review from my SIL. Brittany misrepresented our conversation. Her quoted text "proving" her flexibility was sent to me after we agreed to go separate ways. I did hire her 3 days after my trial; the time allotted before you lose the hold on your date. It wasn't because I "loved" her work. The brows were too dark. The foundation was heavy and settled into the fine lines on my forehead and on the lines around my mouth from smiling. Brittany told me it was because I had dry skin. A peel and better moisturizer would make it look normal. After talking to an aesthetician and a dermatologist she was wrong. Brittany quoted me "word for word" that "I loved my makeup, it lasted all day and I would love to book you," which is false. The text actually is "I would like you to do my makeup...it lasted very well. I'm wondering if we could go a little lighter on the brows and use a lighter face makeup? I felt a little too made up in terms of foundation." Misquoting our conversation proves lack of integrity and disregard for the truth. I would NOT recommend Brittany to anyone. What I got was thick, caked on makeup that settled awkwardly on my face and was then blamed on my "poor skin." Brittany's responses were unsympathetic and untruthful. Brittany, I would expect you to want to learn from a situation like this so you can better your business and yourself. Brides, I hope you choose someone who cares about you as a person, not just as a business transaction. That person is not Brittany.

Sarah was a dream come true photographer! We used a different photographer for engagement photos…read moreand hated the awkward poses and how rigid we felt. Luckily we found Sarah with fresh frame by word of mouth. She really listened to what we wanted for our wedding photos and always made sure that we felt comfortable along the way. She was so flexible and caring. The day of our wedding she made taking photos fun and easy! She has an incredible eye at catching the light and finding the right spots to make incredible photos. Our entire bridal party commented that taking photos was not a stiff or awkward, but rather fun and light-hearted. We just received our photos and I am truly amazed. She was able to catch such beautiful moments to make the most perfect memories. Our photos look amazing. The only problem now Is figuring out which to frame!

From the owner: Documentary Style Wedding Photography, Senior Photography, and Infant Photographyread more