Elegant and exact are words that I would use to describe working with Jessica Van. We met her at a…read moreGay and Lesbian wedding expo where she was representing Sarah France photographers. I told Tim, my husband, that we were using them. Our wedding was still over a year away, so I don't think he knew that our road would lead us right to where we started. I interviewed several photographers for our wedding. All of them were nice. The main differentiators were their experience, photo packages, and cost. I met with Jessica over lunch and we discussed what we were going for. She was on time and was very professional in our first meeting, which is always a good sign. Jessica and I walked the property where we were having our ceremony. We looked different areas and discussed some ideas of where we could take pictures. After our meeting she sent me all of the necessary paperwork, which was thorough and easy to read. We booked Jessica for an hour before our ceremony for some candid shots. She was on time and captured some very fun moments with the grooms and groomsmen. Jessica was great with our group and Rachel; her second shooter that she brought with her was just as pleasant. When we arrived at the venue, Jessica and Rachel were ready for us. Our families were there and we split up into two groups for photos. We also had photos with our groomsmen around the venue. Once the ceremony started, I don't really remember seeing Jessica or Rachel, but I know they were there because there are tons of great photos. She continued to make her way through the crowd over the evening with Rachel at her side to hold a light if necessary, or they would divide and conquer. We were also pulled aside for some candid shots by the water with the San Diego skyline as our backdrop. SWOON! The picture speaks for itself. After we had cake and dancing and Jessica let us know they would be headed out shortly. She asked if we wanted any last shots, we said we were fine. We had photos within a couple of days. I think she asked for a week to get something for us to look at. It was great. We were given a good batch of pictures that were cleaned up; I think there were about 60 or so. Our website went live shortly after that for us to share our pics with friends and family and also order prints. It was at this time that we also were given access to all of our files in digital format. We were able to download all of them in case we want to print them in the future. They were set up in a structured, easy to follow format with each step of the event broken into section for easy viewing or downloading, or selecting for print. We don't print many photos, but Jessica would certainly know how to optimize the image and print quality based on the samples she gave us. Since the wedding, it has come to our attention that we were featured at ExquisiteWeddings.com and we saw ourselves once again framed by Jessica's lens and all of the memories of the day rushed through me again. Jessica has been kind enough to follow up periodically to see if we wanted to order prints, books, or any type of wedding memorabilia. She also let us know that our website is going to be taken down soon so that we could take another look before it was gone. Overall we had a great experience. In hindsight, we would have liked to have had a bit more structure to the evening and a photo of/at each table. With all of the commotion of the evening, my husband and I were easily distracted and didn't get a picture at each table. It was my request that Jessica capture "the most candid moments of the evening without being intrusive"; she and Rachel executed to the fullest. We would work with her again and recommend Jessica Van fully without reservation. Our pictures were elegant and exactly what we requested! Thanks Jessica! Erik and Tim

I came to Jessica under a referral and during our initial meeting she came off as professional and…read morepersonable. Her portfolio stood out to me as she has quite an artistic eye and had shot non-American weddings, which was an important factor in my decision to hire her. We also hired her for our engagement photos. I often dislike taking photos and she made me feel right at ease. Additionally, she took the time to learn about my culture and how the wedding was performed, resulting in lovely photos that will be treasured by my family for generations. I'm impressed with how her and her team worked with us to get spectacular shots of each precious moment. I believe her prices are reasonable and fair for the quality of professionalism you receive. I've also included photos, because hey, a picture is worth a thousand words. ;)

It had been a while since we'd had a family photo so I suggested to my mom that we try outdoor…read morephotos instead of studio photos at the mall. Emily was so helpful, kind and professional from start to finish. She gave me great recommendations for shoot locations, and was flexible with the timing. On the day of, it unfortunately started to sprinkle, but Emily managed to keep everyone mostly dry despite us all being outside. (She offered to reschedule the shoot, but we opted for doing as much as we could since some family had to drive/fly in.) We managed to squeeze in a lot of photos before the real downpour started and we never felt rushed either. She was really kind and patient with my family, and got so many great shots of all of us smiling! Everything felt so easy and she's so great at directing poses, especially since some of us had no idea what to do. The final results were fantastic too, I was blown away by the quality of the composition, framing, and editing. My family's pretty awkward sometimes but she made us all look like a model Pinterest family! I'm so happy we chose her as a photographer, cause now we have some really beautiful photos of our family to look back at in the future. If you usually get your family photos done at the mall, you should seriously consider switching to Emily. She made us look so much better and more natural than Sears or JC Penney ever did! Would love to do another shoot with her in the future and I highly recommend her for any photography needs!

As with many other engaged couples, the pandemic had thrown a small wrench in our plans of a…read moretraditional wedding with a reception. Only the *tiniest* bit bummed, we decided to still get married and scheduled our civil ceremony. But now, I want a photographer to document this event... I think I found Emily on Instagram, after looking around at different photographers' work. I remember really liking Emily's style, how natural everyone looked, and how well Emily captured the moments. I think those were/are the most important things for me for choosing a photog, and it helped that Emily has (solid) reviews for me to go through as well. Emily was prompt in responding via email, and offered to chat on the phone to discuss the details and what I wanted. After talking for a bit, I sent over a deposit and we were set! Or not... because a week or two before our shoot, I looked at my civil ceremony appointment time and it was actually for 8am, NOT 8:30am. Yikes! I text Emily, nervous that she wouldn't be able to make the earlier time, and I would need to scramble for another photographer, but thankfully, Emily is flexible and okay with the earlier time. Phew! I also wasn't quite sure *what* I wanted from the photos (POSES? props!? specific backgrounds?!) but found some pictures I liked and sent them to Emily a day or two before our appointment, so she had an idea what I was going for. I appreciate Emily's responsiveness! The actual civil ceremony felt a little hectic; we did not know what it would entail -- paperwork, of course, and then waiting because there were other couples that were getting married that day. Thankfully, Emily was very patient. Emily is personable, friendly, and professional. She is very easy to work with, and helped the husband (!!) and I feel comfortable. Nothing felt forced, and I think she did a great job of eliciting and capturing our authentic moments. We are super pleased with the pictures and I can't stop looking at them! Lol. I would *definitely* solicit Emily's services again. Maybe for one of her fun mini shoots down the line. What a cute, low pressure and creative way to get some quality photos! Reception/after party TBA in December 2021! Or 2022, depending on how things shake out ;)

I am sooo glad we booked our maternity photos through spotlight studios. Megan was our photographer…read moreand she was absolutely AMAZING. She really walked us through the process made it fun and easy. She posed us was told us all the stops to get great photos, professional and just the BEST. We chose Coronado Beach for our shoot I really wanted to get in the water. She listened and delivered. We got an amazing deal through Groupon for a 1-hr photo session. I'm glad we found this studio through Groupon and will definitely be rebooking! For Groupon customers they offer discounts on all packages. Our package came with 2 prints and we received the photos within the same week! Do yourself a favor and BOOK WITH SPOTLIGHT STUDIO!

We love Spotlight Studios!…read more Kyla is the primary contact person, and she is one of the friendliest, most personable people I've ever worked with! We had to reschedule our session several times, and Kyla was always very gracious about accommodating us. She was also quick to contact me when I had questions about our shoot or photos. Kari, our photographer, is an absolute saint! She went above and beyond in trying to get my 6 month old daughter to look at the camera and smile. She was so good with my daughter and the rest of my family. We had such a fun shoot with her! Despite my daughter's very best efforts to be uncooperative, Kari managed to capture many gorgeous photos for us! I was ecstatic when we received our online gallery. We feel blessed to have so many beautiful family photos. Sending a HUGE "thank you" to Kari for her hard work and dedication!

A colleague once told me, "...when you feel the urge to take a leap, jump!"…read more With this future venture into private practice, I had been eyeing Rachel McFarlin Photography. One day in May, I decided that it was time to "jump" into scheduling a head shot photo appointment. I was pleased with the quick response (same day!) and Rachel's willingness to meet with me prior to leaving out of town the following week. There was no rush for my request. I was open to meeting with her upon her return. At the head shot photo appointment, Rachel was easy to speak with. She was open to getting to know me and my upcoming business journey, which I really appreciated. I felt at ease and a sense of trust and confidence. She was great with giving me direction and helped with fixing my bangs/hair when they wanted to go their every-which-way. I was impressed with the quick turnaround. I viewed and downloaded my photos the following day! Overall, I highly recommend Rachel for head shot photos! You won't be disappointed!

Rachel was a great family photographer for our group of 20! She was so easy to work with and was…read moregreat with young kids. I would definitely recommend her.

Amazing photographer!! I booked her for our first family photos with our 8 month old. I wasn't sure…read morewhat to expect. The day we had the photoshoot it was 100 degrees. Yrsina was so amazing and considerate of the weather with our baby. She was so fun and energetic. She almost felt like family. She was very professional and FUN!!! I'm so thankful and obsessed with our photos! Great price for the quality and the amount of pictures you get... oh and she edited them all within a week! Amazing!!!!

We had such an amazing experience! The pictures turned out absolutely beautiful, and Yrsina did…read moresuch a wonderful job capturing my daughter's personality. She was kind, funny, and made the entire experience so much fun. I especially loved how she teased and joked with my daughter to bring out those natural, candid smiles. You can tell she genuinely loves what she does and knows how to make people feel comfortable in front of the camera. I couldn't be happier with how the photos turned out and would highly recommend her to anyone looking for senior pictures!

I cannot sing enough praise about Rachel!…read more We are SO glad to have found her. Her photos are stunning. My husband & I are so glad to have found a local artist to take our family photos. She took a few family photos on my son's first birthday, and ended with a cake smash session. We were blown away with the final product! And she's incredibly patient as well. Our son was uncooperative and cranky nearly the entire session (until we got to the cake), but you wouldn't be able to tell by the beautiful photos she took. Thank you!

We have had the pleasure of working with Rachel photographing our family for the past five years…read more Rachel is extremely talented and professional and her work is excellent. Each year she finds the most amazing place to have our session with gorgeous light. Rachel has created beautiful framed and canvas art as well as our recent album, all are just gorgeous! We highly recommend Rachel Manning Photography!

Zariah is seriously an amazingly talented photographer. I am blown away by my experience with her…read moreand my photos. She made me feel so relaxed, special, and comfortable! She went above and beyond to make sure my photos turned out nice and I'm just speechless. Cannot wait to work again with her!

My (now!) fiancée and I had Zariah do our photography for a surprise proposal at the Japanese…read moreFriendship Garden at Balboa Park. I first started looking into getting a photographer for the proposal around 2 months ago right from the get-go after contacting Zariah she was incredibly personable, friendly and professional. I could tell she was interested in making this memorable for us. She actually even met me a few weeks prior to the proposal to do a dry-run through the garden and we picked out the best spots for pictures and where she would be sneakily hiding when I popped the question. The day of I was nervous, but everything turned out as we planned! The pictures turned out wonderfully and we had such a great time taking photos with Zariah. I highly recommend Zariah.

Not only were the photos amazing, but when I lost them years later, she was able to resolve that…read moreissue without missing a beat. Yaro Photography is the Best

Yaro took photos for me the night I proposed and I couldn't have been happier. Yaro was recommended…read moreto me by the concierge at the Hotel Del and at first I was a little nervous using someone for something so Important that I've never met but after my first phone call with Yaro I was confident. Yaro was a complete professional and knew the area very well. She was able to show us her favorite spot in the area to take our photos and they came out absolutely perfect. I've never been professionally photographed before but Yaro made it super easy to get incredible shots. I would recommendation Yaro Jane Photography 100% to anyone in the area.