When my husband and I were looking for a photographer for our wedding we reached out to our local…read morecommunity on the app NextDoor to find someone to fit our style and vision for our day. Boy, did they come through for us. After looking through a few portfolios of local photographers we came across Barbara Naso. I was immediately drawn to her style. There were real smiles! No posed, awkward grimaces. She is a documentary style photographer and that is exactly what she did, document my family how we were on our wedding day. I wasn't sure what to expect at first but included in our package was an hour "pre shoot" (which I would absolutely recommend) at my house with friends. This shoot made me comfortable with Barbara and her style. She completely blends in with the surroundings. By the time she was done I knew I had a friend shooting my wedding. At first we were a little nervous about the price of the day, but I will honestly say it was worth every penny. And compared to other photographers were offering she was there for much longer and captured much, MUCH more. After the wedding when I checked in with my family about the day, every one of them raved about how Barbara was kind, warm, and a part of the family. My nephew deemed it necessary to chase her with a frog (an obvious initiation to our family.) I very rarely enjoy pictures that are taken of me, I get uncomfortable and make silly faces. I was nervous waiting on the "preview" photos from Barbara. When I received them a few days ago, I was overwhelmed. They are simply perfect. My husband felt the same way. If anyone is hesitant about this type of photography, take the chance. It is so worth it.

From the owner: Documentary Family Photographer in Atlantaread more

ETA: 4 years later, Stephanie is still the best family/portrait photographer I've ever found. Her…read morepictures speak for themselves. We have a 6 year old and a 16 month old, so we've been to plenty of professional photographers, and take a lot of photographs of the kids ourselves on our digital SLR. I have to say that for us, Stephanie absolutely reinvented the wheel in terms of the way she approached our holiday photo session and the results. I've never been happier with photographs taken of my kids, and I can say that hand on heart. When I took our holiday card photos in past years, they never turned out quite right. Other photographers would take pictures of my daughter on similar backgrounds, in similar poses.. But nice pictures, no flubs or weird expressions - which is what I was hoping for for our 2009 holiday card. Stephanie Howard offers clients the opportunity to buy digital files of their favorite images to use for prints or cards, which was a big draw for us but I mostly just wanted someone *else* to have to worry about posing them just right. After all, we needed a great shot of a kindergartener with a then 6 month old who couldn't do much of anything. In every shot I tried to take, the baby looked like he was desperately trying to stage an escape from his sister's arms! When we met Stephanie at a local park for the session, she was very friendly, but also pretty quiet and unassuming. We expected her to give out instructions on how she wanted to do things, where we should have the children sit, etc. She did none of this, which threw us a little. She asked us to hang out but not interact too much with the kids, so she watched them do their thing and followed with a camera. This made us nervous, because we didn't notice her deliberately posing anything at all. In retrospect, she let the children be themselves and removed them from our expectation of what the pictures would be. She stopped us from trying to stage the pictures, and just photographed what she saw. I guess as parents, and every day photographers of our families, we try to create great pictures, instead of just focusing on the people and letting go of control. When we got in our car after that session, my husband was convinced that we hadn't gotten the shots we wanted or needed. He'd been trying to tell our daughter how to pose for the pictures, but instead, she was off climbing on tree branches, and rolling on the grass with the baby. I don't think either of us realized the moments that we were missing, but Stephanie and her camera caught it all. Waiting for the online proofs was hard, but once we saw them, we were amazed. Instead of the deliberately posed shots we were used to, usually with my daughter smiling and looking at the camera, we got to see beautiful photographs of genuine moments between the two children. Nothing forced, nothing formulaic or contrived. The colors, framing and focus of each shot were all perfect, but what was most striking to us was that Stephanie had managed to capture the unique qualities and energy of each of the kids, separate and together without making a big deal of it. Every picture had a mood or feeling that came through loud and clear and seemed absolutely natural in every way. Shouldn't something so amazing look like it takes a lot of hard work? To me, it was as if she'd worked magic but what Stephanie did was the opposite of what most of us do when we're trying to take a picture. She simply let them be themselves, behaving naturally and instead of trying to direct them to do something, she just waited for it to happen. And took the picture. I wish I could show you my favorite photograph from that session, because I have it hanging in my hallway now. It's of my daughter, hair all over the place, laying in the grass and laughing at the chubby baby facing her and grinning back. It's a lot of joy for one little photograph, and it's unbelievably perfect to me. I'm so glad we took those pictures and look forward to taking more with this photographer as the kids get older.

I met Stephanie about 5 years ago and she's been my go-to photographer ever since. She's done my…read moreheadshots and recently did a fashion shoot for my company. I've never looked elsewhere for a photographer, and here's why: TALENT She's an immensely gifted photographer who breathes life and meaning into her subjects. Her images are always rich and authentic. It's like she recognizes your true self, lures it out and captures those moments when you are most beautiful. More often than not, these are moments you didn't know existed! That ability to recognize the person is so important. If you've ever seen photos where something feels off, disconnected, you'd get what I mean. Some photographers impose an aesthetic that's incompatible with their subjects. The result is a dissonance that's hard to put your finger on but you know it's there and it makes the image not very pleasant to look at. Stephanie relates to the person and makes the camera work for you. The result is meaningful, harmonious images. Additionally, Stephanie's photos carry a depth of visual narrative. She's your person if you want photos that ooze with authentic character and, in my opinion, this is the kind of photography that can genuinely record memories as they really were but in the most flattering light. Which brings me to her next quality- ABILITY TO REALLY LISTEN Nothing is more frustrating than hiring someone to help you do something you don't have the skills to do and they end up ignoring your every request. Stephanie really listens because she actually cares. Now, I'm not talking about issuing micromanaging directives (never micromanage a creative person and expect the results to be decent!). I'm talking about Stephanie's willingness to understand my vision, ask questions and push back when I start screwing up my original plan. It's so rare to find a talented creative who's this capable of collaboration. Stephanie's respect for my vision doesn't mean she withholds her own. On the contrary, she finds a way to complement my vision with hers. The result is a healthy and constructive give-and-take that produces some very fine photography. CUSTOMER SERVICE She guides you from the moment you bounce an idea off her all the way through to the end when the photos are touched up. You're never left in the dark. She's so friendly, communicative and just so easy to work with. Trust me, I've compared Stephanie's work to other photographers' work on the same person and the difference was dramatic. Stephanie's images are always superior. Through Stephanie's lens, you will discover a side of you that's authentically beautiful and worthy of being captured on film over and over again.

Bonnie captured the perfect photo for my business headshot! I was very pleased with how the image…read morecame out. Her studio is ideal for almost any photo you could imagine. Professional, honest and made the entire process very comfortable. Really great experience!

Bonnie makes you comfortable form the moment you walk into her studio to the moment you leave- and…read moreeven after! I got my shots back and was so impressed by how natural the smiles look bc she has a way of making you genuinely smile for her! I immediately had my business partner go get headshots with Bonnie as well bc the photos turned out so great. HIGHLY recommend for branding photography!

In a world where you have to hide all or parts of yourself to fit in, you can let your authentic…read moreself be free in front of Meagan's camera. Meagan's welcoming and kind energy makes you feel like you're meeting up with an old friend the moment you arrive at the studio. She takes the time to chat about whatever with you during hair/makeup so you get to know each other in an unscripted way and it really helps you to feel comfortable and safe when the photo shoot starts. My hair/make up artist Jamecia Bowers from Beauty By Bowers Day Spa was phenomenal! Before starting she ask if there was anything I didn't want her to use like certain colors, black eyeliner, etc. My end result was full glam but still so naturally me and I couldn't stop smiling at my reflection. While shooting Meagan guides you like a hype "man"! She has a magical way of Shh'ing the internal (negative) voices so you can just relax and enjoy the moment. The shoot itself is empowering and you leave feeling so proud of yourself but the reveal is the cherry on top. She is supportive and SO patient in helping you choose exactly what you want without pushing a sales pitch. I basically wanted ALL of my photos in print or wall art. Instead of using that advantage, she acted as a neutral party as I talked through where I envisioned my prints in my home to narrow down my final selection. My experience will forever be a core memory to remind myself of how beautiful and empowered I truly am daily. If you are looking for a reason to do a boudoir shoot...the reason is you and your must have photographer is Meagan!!

Meagan is magic behind the lens. This whole experience for me was a roller coaster in the best way…read morepossible. I was INCREDIBLY nervous the day leading up to and the morning of my shoot. Meagan was welcoming, friendly and super easy to chat with. Once hair and make up was done and we were ready to start shooting, all of the nerves washed away! Meagan is incredibly warm, comfortable, makes the whole process seamless. She always gives concrete ways to move your body for posing- and is so positive and confidence boosting. Highly recommend, this experience is one I will never forget!

Stephanie came to our house and was able to win over my two grumpy post-nap boys and get some…read morebeautiful pictures!! I hope to work with her more in the future- she is so easy to work with, flexible, and laid back- essential for those with impatient little kids. I hope to work with her again in the future.

From the owner: A creative photography collaboration between Stephanie Marlo and Woodrow Mason…read more We believe that a photo shoot should be productive, creative and filled with laughter. The human body is one of the most intriguing creations on this planet with each model bringing a new dynamic to our lenses. We shoot in studio and/or on location. We work with a team of creative artist: Body Paint & Make-up artist, Hair & Wardrobe stylist along with Concept Creation. All depending on your request. We specialize in unique concept creation. Giving our clients the most fitting images for their professional and/or personal needs. For the individuals who are not used to being in front of the camera we are here to help you too! Our goal is to give you the best photos possible, which means making sure you are comfortable and have instructions for capturing the best you. Camera shy...Not a problem when working with us. Beauty. Love. Art. Stephanie Marlo & Woodrow Mason www.marlomason.com

An overdue, much needed thanks to Shannon 3/25/17…read more Shannon was truly a delight. She was personable and very professional. Her photography speaks for itself--fresh, unique, an ode to a bygone era. She was able to capture the unspoken, and that alone holds great significance. While capturing our wedding day was of great importance to my husband and I, we weren't well versed in wedding-photography...at all. We knew Shannon was professional, and we allowed her to direct us, and what she needed of us. She knows exactly what she has to do and when she has to do it (If you have a wedding planner or day-of planner, she can coordinate with him/her as well). A huge thanks to Shannon for thinking outside the norm and capturing our vision, even before we knew what that vision was. If she has an idea, she runs with it. I must commend her on simply taking charge and shooting what she needed to shoot (simple things like rings, flowers, vintage handbags, etc.). The afternoon of our wedding day, I remember standing in the foyer of the house we were living in. Shannon walked in, said her "hello's" and started looking for places to shoot. While we were getting ready, she asked for particular sentimental items of mine and photographed them. I would have never thought to capture such beautiful emotion, and she did it with ease. We are beyond thankful for the memories Shannon has gifted us. If there's anything more I could have asked, it would have been more time with her and her camera. However, time flies when you're so blissfully happy, and there's nothing about that I would have changed.

Whitney and Jesse shot our wedding and made us look like we were straight out of GQ. Unbelievably…read moreawesome work, and they're cool people, too. The only downside was all the aunts and uncles and cousins who kept getting into the shot - we probably would have had 1000 awesome pictures instead of just 600 awesome ones. Can't recommend these two highly enough. If you're getting married and you want some awesome photos, they will do you right. I'm sure they're also available for birthday parties and bar mitzvahs as well.