This review is long overdue - we did a session with Tracey a couple of years ago, and they are some…read moreof my favorite family photos even taken! The weather was not great and we were limited on where we could shoot due to high surf; yet she still made the photos look amazing. Mahalo Tracey, and we hope to see you again when we visit next.

Yes. The answer is yes. Book Tracey!! She is an amazing photographer and you can tell she really…read morecares about work and truly loves what she does. Not only does she take beautiful photos, but she is so fun to work with! She is a beautiful soul inside and out and a wonder to work with! My husband and I are super awkward in front of the camera but she helped us loosen up and have a good time with the shoot. Definitely check out her Instagram @traceylyn for more proof of her amazing work!

I booked a portrait session with Keahi & Kawela as a gift for my boyfriend and his family to…read morecommemorate our trip to Hawaii. The photos we got were absolutely breathtaking! Keahi and Kawela drove to our rented house (well over an hour away) and were able to spend the time to actually walk around the property and scout unique locations and set-ups that would reflect OUR time in Hawaii, and not just the standard "everyone in white shirts on the same beach that 15 other clients were shot on" pictures. Our session lasted about an hour or so, but they did such an amazing job making us feel comfortable in front of the camera, it only felt like a few minutes. They're a very easy-going couple who worked well off of one another, so I knew we were in good hands. They even made sure we had a USB drive of our entire session by the time we left Hawaii a few days later. Keahi captured some incredible moments and gave us pictures that will be cherished for a VERY long time! I would definitely hire them again!

My experience with Jason's photography services was totally amazing. He was very friendly, and…read morealthough we shopped a photographer at the last minute, (we contacted him 1 week before our wedding date!) He gave us good options so we could push thru with the wedding photo coverage. Also, he was very responsive to our emails and text messages and never let us down! He was punctual, very very accomodating, and our wedding photos are very beautiful! 5 red stars is not enough to show how thankful we (husband and I) are to this amazing photographer! And for that, I would give him 10 golden stars! Mahalo Jason!

I would like to proudly share with everyone that Jason Chu Photography is literally a magnificent…read morephotography company to go with when you want someone really friendly, AFFORDABLE, and is really driven to capture beautiful moments for your occasion. Jason Chu was very consistent, driven, assuring, confident, and he was overall patient with me, which I am so grateful for! Also, him & his wife work as a team and really hard to capture the breathtaking shots, and still able to smile and work in a fast, professional manner. Oh! Must I add that he is also affordable? You'll be shock once you find his price to fit right in your budget for all the services and package you want. Anyone would be too crazy to pass him up! Literally the best photographer I would recommend to EVERYONE! So when the question on this page is asking, "Would you recommend this vendor to a friend?" My answer to that is a HELL YEAH!

**First thing first, if you are having a beautiful Hawaii wedding with a lot of beautiful scenery,…read moreno one is going to get a better shot than Reed.** Having five stars Photography to shoot our wedding was one of the best decisions we made during our whole process! Reed is just so fantastic and easy to work with. Reed is the BEST photographer for the job. His passion for photography. I really liked how he wants to capture the photo in the moment, rather than using "photo-shop" as a crutch later on. He also does a very good job at time management throughout your wedding day and really keeps things moving. we were a little nervous that our families and wedding party would be all over the place, but Reed did an AWESOME job at wrangling everyone together and snapping photo after photo. honestly feel like Reed entire goal and commitment to every couple is to deliver amazing photos that capture every fabulous moment of your special day!!

The highest compliment I can pay James and Bev is our house is like a gallery for his artwork. We…read morehave hired JRP on two separate visits to the Big Island-- I mean, you've seen his shots on the Internet, they're amazing. And, each time, we get an amazing moment (or three, or fifty) in time of our family in our happy place. Bev is super-responsive in setting up the shoot and James lets us know the best place to head to to get the shot. In this day of smartphones, it has become harder to sift through the professionals who have an eye and the people who just have a camera that takes pictures. James is certainly the former, and we can't wait to keep returning to JRP to keep getting those great moments captured as our family grows older. Thanks, James. If you head to the Big Island (or anywhere in Hawaii) and you need to hire someone who knows how to handle a lens, call James. Use someone else? I certainly... SHUTTER at the thought. ;)

How does James Rubio only have a handful of reviews here?! He is the BEST! We have had 3 sessions…read morewith him so far - once for our engagement (2013), once when we visited with our 1st daughter (2019), and again once our 2nd daughter was born (2022). We live in Seattle and it is now a thing that whenever we make a trip to the Big Island we book a photoshoot with James! He is extremely kind, and always makes us feel welcome with his warm smile and conversation. He is very good with kids and for family photography too! As a long-time local he has a very in-depth knowledge of the island and photoshoot locations. Each time I've been easily able to email with his wife/business partner to sort out details for our session, and they've always been so helpful in suggesting locations based on any "look" we wanted. All the photos that we get back have been stunning and I always purchase the entire album. We have several very large prints of our photo with James hanging in our house. In my opinion, he could be charging a lot more for his superb quality work. I just LOVE Jame's style! Try him out, he won't disappoint!

Highly recommend this extremely talented duo! We came across @alohazoephotography work on Instagram…read moreand knew we had to book them. Their aesthetic and vibe was exactly what we were looking for and they seemed like genuine people we wanted to adventure with! Planning our wedding on the Big Island from SoCal in less than 6 months was easy breezy with the help of Ryan and Corrine. They were wonderful to work with from start to finish- getting to know us and getting a feel for our dynamic, and hearing us out on our vision. I feel like we bounced ideas off each other and it was a great creative space! Their project management is efficient and their communication is so on the ball. They have it very much together. Our big day and adventure session was captured so beautifully by them. We think a big part of their talent comes from their ability to truly connect with their subjects. Their warmth and excitement for us made us feel so grounded and light and it radiated in the pictures! My family and I are obsessed with our phenomenal photos and the team behind the cameras. Such lovely people. We are overwhelmed with gratitude for getting to work with Ryan and Corrine!

Since getting married + having kids, we have had our share of professional photography done. I…read morehave loved all our experiences throughout the years and (dare I admit) have become accustom to some pretty high standards. Needless to say, Corinne + Ryan blew it out of the water! From the very moment I contacted Corinne + Ryan, they were very responsive and flexible given our limited time on the island. Typically they specialize in weddings and intimate adventures with couples, however they were excited to take on my request for family photos. We shared/brainstormed ideas regarding location, logistics with kiddos, and capturing my overall "vision." On the day of our shoot, they went as far as scoping out the location an hour beforehand just to make sure everything was good to go. Due to some challenges we faced, they provided other location options to ensure a better outcome. I'm so glad they did!!! Upon meeting them in person they were just as amazing as I thought they'd be. They were great at directing us, made my kids smile, and created the perfect experience for my family and I. Even after the shoot, they continued to communicate timelines and shared some incredible sneak peeks. The images they captured were absolutely stunning!!!! These are photos I will truely cherish forever. The overall experience and finished product were the best!!!! Thank you Corinne + Ryan....you are such special people with amazing talent and I'm forever grateful for your service!!!

Demian Barrios did an exceptional job photographing my wedding and since then I've enjoyed watching…read morehis success grow as a lava chaser. DB was on the front line during the 2018 Leilani eruption! I have heard since he even opened his own photography gallery at 112 Ponahawai Street.

Ridiculousness and Disappointment: How I Had to Chase the "Lava Chaser," Demian Barrios, to Get My…read moreMoney Back. I am posting this as a 2-star review because I think a lot of 1-star reviews are dismissed as being vengeful or not credible; I want people to read this and actually consider my experience before potentially doing business with Demian Barrios/Primary Focus Photography. This is not a malicious post; I'm not going to disparage Mr. Barrios, or give him any other reason to have this review deleted for libel or false facts. I will stick to the facts of my dealings with him, and how I had to recoup the money I paid him when he had not delivered the agreed-upon product after four months. I am itemizing my largely one-sided communications with him beginning in May 2018, until I was forced to finally seek third-party assistance to recover my money in late August. Here is the timeline of how the whole mess unfolded: * I initiated a conversation with Mr. Barrios via Instagram (@dbphotogallery) on May 9, 2018, asking to have a print made of one of his photographs which my girlfriend loved, but which was not offered on his website (primaryfocushawaii.com). * He did not respond until May 17 - that should have been red flag #1. * I reached out and asked him if he was interested in continuing on June 27. 40 days to respond -- red flag #2. * He responded on June 28, and I asked him if we could communicate via text or phone to make it easier and more expeditious. He did not respond. Red flag #3. * He got back in touch on July 11 to say he had been busy and was trying to locate the photograph. * We agreed to print size and price on July 18. * I paid him via PayPal on July 19, per an invoice he sent from Primary Focus Hawaii. * I sent a status request on July 30, and he answered August 1 that he was checking on the order. * I sent another status request August 3. * A local third party also intervened on my behalf on August 3, urging him to respond to my inquiries. He sent me a long series of messages via Instagram the next day, apologizing and explaining that there had been a delay at the printer but he had been unaware because he does not check his email, messages, etc. He cited the volcano eruption as having been a preoccupation, but those events were largely over during this time; however, he HAD been busy promoting himself and his media to news agencies (I was also told that this is how he normally conducts his affairs, picking and choosing when to communicate with people because he has a bit of an ego). * I answered him the next day (ironically, he actually hit me with a second message and asked me to answer him), acknowledging and thanking him for his response. I told him I was interested in continuing, IF he would make the resolution of our deal a priority. He did not respond. His message the morning, August 4, asking for a response was the last communication I ever received from him. * I called (got his # from Facebook) and left a courteous but firm voicemail on August 16, asking him to call me immediately; it was never returned. * I called and left a second, less-cordial voicemail on August 17, demanding an immediate call back; it was never returned. * I sent a text message on August 20, asking for a status update and a response to my numerous inquiries; it was never answered. * I posted a comment on his August 21 Instagram post the next day, hoping to spur some sort of response; it went unaddressed and is still on the post as of the writing of this review. * I sent him an email via PayPal in error, intending to report the problem but unintentionally ending a direct message; although it detailed all of my bad experience to date, it still went unanswered. Realizing just how ridiculous it was that I was trying to make someone answer me who was not going to, I initiated the refund request process with PayPal on August 24, 2018; thankfully, Mr. Barrios stuck with his usual pattern and didn't respond, and I was refunded my money by default on September 1. It had been three months and three weeks since I contacted him - six weeks since I had paid him and four weeks since my girlfriend's birthday had come and gone. Now of course I do recognize, in hindsight, how many red flags there were in trying to communicate with Mr. Barrios, and how ridiculous the situation was even before I paid him; I bear some blame for this mess. It was obvious from the start that I was not dealing with a professional, but I still tried to make things work. I should have done a little more research before contacting him (had I simply Googled his name and the word, "scam," those results alone would have kept me from ever reaching out to him. By his own admission, Mr. Barrios isn't the best at communication; he told me (see Instagram conversation screenshots) that he doesn't check his email very much. Every text message and voicemail I ever sent him went unanswered.

Very attentive & professional. My business partner and I are so happy with our photos and will be…read morereturning to work with Sterling again. We highly recommend his work.

From the owner: Sterling Batson is a professional photographer based in Hawaii, specifically on the Big Island…read more With over a decade of experience, he specializes in headshot, portrait, and fashion photography. Sterling has a keen eye for capturing stunning and artistic images that showcase the unique beauty and personality of his clients. Whether it's a professional headshot, a captivating portrait, or a striking fashion shot, Sterling's expertise and passion shine through in his work. If you're looking for a talented photographer in Hawaii who can deliver exceptional results, Sterling Batson is the one to call.

I can't rave about Michelle's work enough! She is an absolute artist! She made magic happen with my…read moreprecious little girl! She has a fantastically clean and professional studio set up and goes above and beyond to make her clients comfortable. She is so very good handling babies! She held my sweet newborn with so much love and care. Even washed her hands as soon as we walked in, and I didn't have to even ask! She swaddled her, dressed her, and posed her with the upmost patience. We passed her back and forth for feedings and she gave my family memories to last a lifetime! Another reviewer mentioned she is a baby whisperer....this is SO true!!! If you are looking for a phenomenal photographer on the big island, look no further! She is conveniently located and is very flexible!

From the owner: We specialize in maternity, newborn and child portraiture.read more