DO NOT USE BEN VALLEJOS PHOTOGRAPHY. Interacting with Ben has been the single worst service interaction my wife and I have ever had. I have waited over two years to write this review. I delayed, in part, because I believed that Ben would eventually make it right, but I have given up hope, and have lost all respect for him and his work. My wife and I got married in June of 2013. Leading up to the wedding, Ben was mostly attentive, especially until he got paid. We made the mistake of paying him in full before seeing the final product. That was our mistake. His service during the wedding was adequate. His now ex-wife (for what are now obvious reasons) ran most of the show and was instrumental in getting the wedding party and families together for photos. She helped run a smooth photo shoot and her services were helpful. Ben did an acceptable job taking photos during the ceremony and party, but there was nothing special, and we received equally, if not more, beautiful pictures from friends and families who brought their cameras along.
It took almost 3 months before we could see any of the photos, and none of them were touched up. In the days of digital cameras, this time frame is completely unacceptable, especially since many weddings that we've attended feature photographers that share their photos at the reception itself! My wife and I wanted to give photos of family away as gifts over the holidays. However, Ben was not able to get us any photos in time. We instead settled for Father's Day and Mother's Day gifts. Still no photos. In fact, it was about 11 months before we received our wedding album. Surprisingly (again, this could just have been my fault), I falsely believed that we would have access to the pictures he took at the wedding. Nope. I had to pay an additional $500 dollars for a DVD of the pictures. Consistent with the theme, Ben was great about communicating about the DVD until he received the $500 payment. Then, we waited another 5-6 months before we received the DVD, again, with none of the photos touched up. What were we paying him for? Throughout this time, Ben wouldn't return phone calls, messages, emails, or texts. Finally, after seeing the photos and complaining, Ben agreed to return the $500, which included a refund we were expecting for engagement photos that Ben never took. 26 months after our wedding, I am still waiting on this money. About 6 months ago, Ben sent a check for $250, promising to pay the remaining shortly. After a few months, he finally contacted me to say that he's sending the final $250 check. The check never arrived. Concerned that it had gotten lost in the mail, I called him. But he never responded. He had never sent it. Again, he texted me to say that he was sending it that day. Months later, the check has yet to arrive, and he's been out of communication ever since.
Needless to say, this has been an incredibly frustrating experience. He claims that he's had family problems. But it's one excuse after the next. We were patient. Again, it's been over two years and we're still dealing with Ben. And how do you trust a liar? I sleep better at night knowing that soon he'll be replaced by much more talented photographers. My recommendation would be to forgo Ben and hire out one of your friends with a smartphone. You'll save a bunch of money, get an equivalent product from what Ben can offer, and get it to you a whole lot faster. read more
