Beyond the Lens: What Truly Defines a Good Wedding Photographer?
In my two-decade journey as a wedding photographer, I've come to realize that my profession is not just about capturing moments; it's about creating memories, building relationships, and understanding the deeply personal narratives that each wedding brings. As I look back, I find myself asking: "What makes me a good photographer?" Is it the 5-star reviews I've garnered over the years or the enthusiasm, experience, and personal rapport that I've built with my clients?
Reviews vs. Reality
Reviews are a helpful benchmark, a yardstick that clients use to gauge the quality of my services. They have been a testament to my hard work, my dedication, and my skill. But they are only part of the story. Each review is tied to a unique individual with unique expectations and perspectives. The same service can elicit a 5-star review from one client and a lukewarm response from another.
Reviews don't capture the nuanced understanding that is required to connect with clients on their most special day, or the intuition that tells me when to capture a fleeting moment. Reviews don't tell the tale of the long nights spent perfecting an edit, ensuring that each photo is a piece of art that the couple would cherish forever.
The Core of Wedding Photography
The essence of being a good wedding photographer lies not in achieving a perfect review score but in the enthusiasm and dedication I bring to my work. Every wedding is a new story waiting to be told, and my role is to narrate it through my lens. This enthusiasm is what drives me to continually improve my craft and push my creative boundaries.
My experience, too, is an invaluable part of my journey. Each wedding, each interaction has been a learning experience, subtly refining my technique, honing my instincts, and teaching me the art of being a part of the celebration yet maintaining enough distance to capture it objectively.
Building Relationships: The Unseen Skill
Lastly, personal rapport with my clients is a critical, yet often overlooked, aspect of being a good wedding photographer. It's about more than just being personable. It's about understanding their vision for their big day, sharing their excitement, and sometimes, managing their anxieties. This rapport is what allows me to capture their moments in a way that feels personal and authentic to them.
The Art and the Artist
In conclusion, the measure of a good wedding photographer goes beyond a 5-star rating. It's about the enthusiasm that drives us, the experience that guides us, and the personal relationships that ground us in our client's vision. In the beautiful chaos of a wedding, we are not just photographers; we are narrators, artists, and sometimes, confidants. And each of these roles adds a star to our invisible rating, a star that may not be visible on review platforms but shines brightly in the memories we help create.
Sean Webber
20:55 26 Dec 24
Joseph and Marina were extremely easy to work with, communicative, and the photos turned out absolutely wonderful!Joseph's style allowed him to professionally capture candid shots of my proposal and added a whole other level of "surprise" to the whole thing. I couldn't be happier with how it all turned out!Also, she said yes 🙂
Marco Dayrit
01:31 24 Sep 24
We had a great experience working with Joseph! Very clear process and communication, so it was not hard to follow the plan on the proposal day itself. Very capable direction for the extra photos, and super quick turnaround. Highly recommended.
Anthony Malik
22:53 02 Sep 24
Joseph at IQphoto was such an amazing person and a true pro! His vibe was full of energy and put us at easy the moment our surprise proposal was over to take some posed pictures. His communication, attention to detail and very informative video overview of locations, timing and positioning which are vital to the process made everything go so smooth and I was at easy knowing that in advance! I highly suggest and recommend IQphoto and especially Joseph he is first class all the way!
Ian Chin
03:35 10 Jul 24
When I was thinking of proposing to my then girlfriend, I already knew of Joseph's reputation, skill, and experience as he is one of the top San Francisco proposal photographers and has been around for over a decade. It was a no brainer.And knowing that this guy has been doing it for so long tells you he is consistent in his work, he does great work, and his clients love him (obviously he has 5 stars everywhere!)When you want someone to photograph this once in a lifetime moment, you know you need the expertise of someone like Joseph, who has photographed hundreds of proposals himself.I knew of his reputation as one of the best San Francisco wedding photographer companies, but can wholeheartedly recommend him for all photography needs as he puts a lot of care and time into all his clients.
Maria-Ines Carrera
23:08 04 Jun 24
We are absolutely thrilled with our City Hall wedding photos from IQphoto! Joseph was amazing to work with, helping us feel so at ease despite both being a bit camera-shy. His knowledge of all the secret photo spots in city hall made the photoshoot such a fun adventure. The photos are just stunning and we're so grateful to have our wedding day captured so beautifully! Thank you Joseph and IQphoto! 💜💐💒
G S
15:01 19 Apr 24
They are amazing at what they do - cannot recommend enough. The best part is that they went above and beyond what most photographers would do to make sure we got a great moment.Boris (our photographer) helped me plan, stage and execute my proposal to my fiancee in front of the bay bridge. A non-exhaustive list of things he did to help me (but didn't have to) were:- Came up with a location, and restaurants nearby where we could stage the proposal and take pictures (most restaurants don't allow this)- Planned the step-by-step approach to the proposal (where I exit the restaurant, where I walk, where to position myself and my fiancee, how long I should stay kneeling, etc.)- Checked the weather on the day of; went to the location ahead of time to confirm; spoke with the restaurant before we got there to prep them; and signaled to me when we started walking- Took actual pictures of the proposal, took more pictures reenacting the proposal, more pictures of us walking around, more pictures of us inside the restaurant and of the ringAll of the above, and they delivered the photos (perfectly shot and edited) well ahead of time.Again - cannot recommend them enough!
Jing Han
00:14 14 Apr 24
We absolutely loved working with IQphoto! Joseph is very talented, professional, and fun to work with. He did a fantastic job capturing our wedding at SF City Hall and afterwards at the SF Botanical Gardens. We usually feel awkward in photos, but somehow he knew exactly what to do so that we look beautiful while looking like us. The results are stunning and we received them super quickly! Thank you, Joseph and Marina, for making this such a great experience. Highly recommended!
Kenny Vaswani
02:52 13 Apr 24
The IQPhoto team was absolutely fantastic, from start to finish! Professional, prompt, and accommodating! We had Ondrej as our photographer, who supported both the Deluxe package and Drone session, and all products came out great! He was professional, polite, engaging, and made our whole experience even more special. The same day sneak peak is definitely worth it, for those who want to see their images as soon as possible.Marina provided great administrative support in the initial set up process and Boris provided the diligent, professional, and prompt correspondence post photography session. I believe Boris did the edits, so kudos to him for his editing skills.Highly recommend! My fiance and I are extremely thrilled with the final products and the overall experience.
Ren Du
15:56 13 Mar 24
An update after 10 years:Boris took our photo session for our 10 year anniversary. It was great to work with him, he has been very accommodating as we had some unexpected hiccups on our way to the city hall. My family took yearly photos, and the one with IQ Photo is one of the most relaxing, recharging, and fun sessions I've been to. Thank you for capturing the best moments of my life, and twice :)Original review:IQphoto team is gorgeous! Masha is extremely responsive in terms of coordination. Alex is so good at capturing the best moments from the best and unique angle. Thank You IQphoto for giving us gorgeous photos to remember and cherish this once-in-a-life-time event.
val marquez
05:36 28 Nov 23
Very grateful for Joseph, he capture beautiful photos of our family, friends & loved ones on our wedding day. My husband and I are camera shy & felt incredibly comfortable and guided throughout the photo taking process. Joseph has an incredible eye and is truly gifted in the art of photography. We are so grateful! Thank you Joseph!
Patrick Salli
22:00 20 Nov 23
I booked for a proposal photography and the experience was wonderful. They helped with the planning and provided great suggestions. Communication was great the day of the shoot and they were able to capture the magic moment without my fiancée even seeing them. The photo shoot afterward captured so many wonderful photos. I would I highly recommend and plan to use IQPhoto again personally in the future.
Kelly Yung
22:31 03 Nov 23
We had such a great session with Joseph and both him and Marina were very responsive throughout the process. They were flexible and willing to work to accommodate us even on the day of the pictures. I have always been awkward with pictures but Joseph made it so much fun and we loved the results! I would highly recommend IQPhotos for any of your photography needs!
Shawn Hanshew
13:07 31 Oct 23
Joseph shot my surprise proposal to my Partner on 10/21/23 and the experience was absolutely PERFECT! He is a very talented photographer and I can see why he is one of the top rated photographers in the Bay Area. From the moment of arrival, to him getting amazing shots of our private beach concert from Maddy Hudson, to him using his creative talents with getting stunning drone footage, we couldn’t be happier with the end result. I was very nervous because I put a lot of planning into this proposal but Joseph and his team made me feel at ease and promptly answered questions leading up to this special day. The photos are beautiful and the drone reel he created is one of the most stunning works of art I have ever seen. Thank you so much Joseph, we will forever cherish our engagement day and the memories you helped create will forever be in our hearts! BRAVO!
Adam Jefferies
21:34 22 Sep 23
Couldn't be happier with the results and whole process! Even though we had an unexpected wave come in and soak everything we had as I was proposing, Joseph captured the essence of the moment perfectly and it made for a funny story and memory. The angles/etc were all perfect and I'm glad to have chosen them to capture the special occasion.
Tanner McKean
21:51 01 Sep 23
I highly recommend IQphoto as a proposal photographer! Both Joseph and Marina were always quick to respond to my emails and answer my questions. Joseph also provided great ideas and helped make my proposal even a bigger/better surprise than I had originally planned. Our photos turned out fantastic and we absolutely love them. Overall, I am more than happy with how everything turned out and am glad I chose IQphoto as my proposal photographer.
Brooke Schara
01:59 17 May 23
Our experience with Joseph and IQ will stay with us for a lifetime. Joseph immediately put us at ease and knew exactly how to navigate the operations and intricacies of San Francisco's City Hall to give us a memorable and beautiful experience. We could not be any happier with our photos and once in a lifetime experience. Thank you SO SO much 🙂 !!
Angus Chan
18:24 17 Apr 23
My husband and I hired Joseph as our wedding photographer for our City Hall ceremony and we could not be happier about our decision. He was very experienced, provided very clear directions, and even helped us navigate through the check-in process before the ceremony. We very much appreciate that he was very assertive while accommodating our requests, as well as having a keen eye on details. Prior to our wedding day, Marina was also very helpful administratively, providing detailed instructions about what to expect about a City Hall ceremony and not just focusing on the photography. We highly recommend IQphoto if you are looking for a wedding photographer if you are getting married at the City Hall - they really go above and beyond to make sure you're happy.
Erin Vasquez
00:34 11 Apr 23
IQ photo was exceptional! To have someone so familiar with City hall and to direct us in such a comfortable way. The finished product brought me to tears and I will forever refer them for any future bride and groom for a city hall wedding. I will forever cherish these sweet moments with my groom.
Meghan Green
17:22 03 Mar 23
This is well overdue (sorry Alex!!), but my husband and I got married at San Francisco City Hall in September of last year and we had a great experience with IQ Photography and Alex, our videographer.He has a lot of knowledge from doing San Francisco City Hall weddings and was able to help us navigate the day and guide us through what he needed to create our video. We also had a photographer separate from IQ Photo and they were able to work well together.It was beautiful, we watch our video all the time, and we will cherish it forever. We were able to pick out the song for the video and the video footage he used was beautiful and exactly what we were looking for.Thank you for the beautiful memories, Alex & IQ Photography.
ocean petersen
14:55 24 Feb 23
David is an amazing photographer. He spent his whole life surrounded by nature and in the elements, this has givena deep understanding of what is needed. In any situation. We have used many photographers in the past, but we always go back to David because of the wonderful customer service and the overwhelming stunning pictures. Can’t recommend this guy enough. You won’t be disappointed.
Millie Leguizamon
03:36 18 Feb 23
Our experience with IQphoto was absolutely amazing. Our photographer Joseph was so fantastic. We loved his personality, professionalism, and humor! I was amazed at the turnaround on receiving our photos after our wedding - it was super speedy! The images are incredible! We got all the pictures we could have wanted and then some! I cannot stop looking at them. We got married at SF City Hall and he knew all the beautiful and best places to get the perfect pictures. We also have family out of town and they were able to stream our ceremony for us and then immediately airdrop the video to my phone. I was so impressed and so happy with their work. Thank you so much Joseph!!
Prabha Ravi
18:24 14 Feb 23
We had our engagement photography with the IQ team and got the most dreamy and creative photos in the end. They were so flexible with our outfit changes and multiple locations. The quality and outcome was so amazing, we will cherish them for years to come.
Jonathan Ayres
06:12 23 Dec 22
Extremely helpful, patient with last minute venue changes and other details. Straightforward with what it sounds like the client may want in terms of options. But let's be clear, posting because... absolutely great photographer!
Krista Granen
21:31 16 Nov 22
Highly recommend! It was wonderful working with Josef, both for his readily apparent skill and his dry sense of humor. My husband and I have received multitudes of compliments on the photos Josef took of our wedding at SF City Hall, and he was worth every penny. Also a pleasure working with Marina, the studio manager, who was very responsive and thorough in clarifying information needed to make our day go seamlessly.
Ronnie Lau
03:00 10 Oct 22
I would highly recommend Alex! He was our videographer for our SF City Hall wedding in September. He was easy to work with, easy communication, timely, and made us feel comfortable. The reel and longer video was perfect. Thank you for documenting so many special memories!
Brawni Isbell
03:09 04 Oct 22
Joseph was so helpful with the entire surprise proposal for us. I am from Texas and have never been to San Francisco before, and Joseph helped throughout the entire process! He was very responsive when I was trying to decide the best place to pop the question and gave his honest opinions on everything. Very knowledgeable of every place around and what would be the best times for the photos. 10/10 all around!
Andrew McAlister
13:07 28 Jul 22
Great experience with IQphoto capturing my San Francisco proposal in Ina Coolbrith Park. The booking process was super easy despite not being local to the area and Joseph's location guide was amazingly helpful. If you need a proposal photographer in San Francisco use IQphoto!
Tarah McCoy
01:08 26 Jul 22
We had the best experience with IQphoto studio when we got married at SF City Hall on the Mayors balcony. The attention to detail, direction and overall attitude of the team that day was incredible. We couldn’t have asked for better photographers and intend on using them again in the near future. Look no further and book them!
Chanakya Valluri
20:45 19 Jul 22
I was looking for a San Francisco Proposal Photographer and IQphoto did an exceptional job from scheduling, rescheduling, communication, suggestions and guiding us through the shoots. The entire crew is super helpful and very quick to get us our pictures and initial reactions from friends and family has been great!
Terrie Adams
02:09 10 Mar 22
Joseph is top notch! He knows City Hall very well and he knew exactly what to do to capture the best images for my shoot. I chose him because of the artistic expression his images captures. He went above and beyond my expectations. I absolutely love my images. I’ve been in awe ever since I received them. Communication with Joseph and Marina was very easy, laid back yet always professional. I highly recommend!
Louise Fontillas
20:53 22 Jan 22
Joseph was great at communicating before, during and after the actual session with us and his photos/video look incredible. Instruction during the whole shoot after the surprise engagement was very helpful. His expertise was able to create an incredible moment for us and family to look upon for years to come.
Swagata Chakraborty
23:54 01 Jan 22
My husband and I had been searching for our pre wedding / engagement photoshoot for a while and looking through several portfolios. When we came across the IQphotos portfolio we knew that was exactly what we wanted because we found it standing out, artistic and unique. Seeing the quality of work by Joseph we were ready to push our photoshoot budget up just because we absolutely wanted his way of capturing moments and details. Seeing the pictures now we are so happy that we came across this portfolio that day and decided on this.Communication with Joseph and Marina Kohn was very easy and quick. We actually had to do a last moment rescheduling because of covid scenario and they were extremely supportive with working on new dates and even extending the duration of photoshoot. Joseph also got our pictures ready before the promised timeline and surprised us. We would definitely recommend IQphotos to anyone looking for photoshoot of special moments and days!Thanks!
Samantha Poon
19:41 08 Nov 21
My Fiance proposed to me at the top of Ina Coolbrith park and Joseph was casually taking photos without any suspicion, I thought he was just taking cool pics of the beautiful scenery. Little did I know, he was hired to take AMAZING PHOTOS!!! to capture a very special day! He was super professional but was also very personable, funny, and made us feel comfortable with taking the pics (although we were obviously awkward). I would highly recommend him, the turn around time for the images were quick and I couldn't believe how awesome they came out. They are also very responsive to emails and friendly. Thank you so much Jospeh and Marina!
Julian Pulido
06:32 06 Nov 21
My experience with Joseph at IQ photo was phenomenal. I did extensive research looking for the best photographer in the Bay Area and I was glad I went with IQ. Joseph was super easy to work with and really helpful. My pictures all came out amazing. I highly recommend them!!
Jonathan Miller
17:49 19 Oct 21
From the 1st communication with Joseph, I knew I was getting top notch service. Every step of the way he made the process smooth, easy and user friendly. Planning a proposal shoot from over 1000 miles away can be a little stressful. Joseph removed that stress with above bar professionalism, different location suggestions and insightful collaborative ideas. We couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. Even after multiple emails, edit and change requests Joseph made sure that we got exactly what we wanted. Our photos and video are exactly what we asked for and we are 110% satisfied. I would highly recommend Joseph for capturing any moment you want to live forever. He is a master of his craft and the best in the business.
Rahul Sharodi
18:43 29 Sep 21
My fiance and I recently commissioned IQ Photos for an engagement shoot, and they were fantastic! Coordination to schedule the shoot was smooth, and Joseph and team were fantastic photographers. He made the experience fun, creative, and special.I would highly recommend them for special shoots like engagements or other occasions. We also have friends who used them as their wedding photographers and similarly felt great about the experience
JL Mitra
20:13 26 Aug 21
I had an uncommon, indoor proposal idea that, in many ways, was not ideal for good photo quality. Many photographers cautioned me regarding the lack of good lighting, but I stubbornly insisted the moment happen as planned. Joseph worked with me to make the best of the situation, offering his input every step of the way. Our photos turned out phenomenally well! His expertise and professionalism were top-notch, and I would highly recommend IQphoto to anyone insisting on quality.
Jeff Heppert
03:50 11 Aug 21
I hired Joseph to capture my proposal. I was nervous about the planning part, but Joseph had great advice & put me at ease. The moment went off without a hitch, and the photos he captured were beautiful! My new fiancé absolutely loves them! The moment itself goes by so quickly, I felt it was very important to capture it. Mission accomplished!
Vini Malhotra
22:27 27 Jul 21
One less thing to worry about in your wedding is booking IQPhoto. Right from the initial phone conversation to the email exchange to the day of the wedding, it is a seamless process.His amazing work on the website motivated me to connect with him, then the process for booking to getting to meet Joseph at the wedding day was a very smooth process.He is very friendly and shoots awesome pictures!! He can turn a camera shy person into a camera friendly person.The time passed by so quickly and we did not need to think about poses or anything. He is so accustomed to the SF city Hall, that he got us so many great pictures in about 2 hours of time.We especially love the photographs on the Rotunda. He clicked multiple stunning shots in about 5-10 mins, as far as I remember.He was on the venue before time and didn't mind staying even after the time of the booking was done. That was a nice gesture.I will definitely love to book IQPhoto for any future events.
Courtney Swink
05:59 25 Jul 21
We were referred by a family friend to have IQ Photo for our City Hall wedding. Joseph and Kate photographed our wedding and we couldn’t be happier!! All the pictures are incredible and exactly what we wanted for our little one hour wedding at City Hall! 10/10 would definitely recommend and all of our guests agreed!
Shelley Li
18:10 07 Jul 21
Joseph is such a talented photographer who knows every little details that makes a photo session a successful and pleasant experience for all, including the LOs.Love the way how he played around with different lightings and angles while capturing the most vivid and precious moments.Maria also helps a lot, she is so responsive and easy to work with!Would definitely recommend!!!
Kristy Patel
18:20 14 Jun 21
Josef has shot magazine grade pictures and beautifully captured all emotions in the picture. Evening shoots are particularly difficult as light settings play an important role. Such an amazing photographer and he makes sure your session is filled with humor and fun. Its very easy to connect with Josef and I would forever remember Josef for capturing such amazing pictures which will live forever in my life. In addition to technicalities of photography, there is art in picking colors, angles, light and physical features of people to make a picture worth millions! Josef is that photographer who will click the million dollar picture for you for reasonable pricing!
Tatyana Mikhaylova
23:16 26 May 21
Joseph took photos of our family and captured us perfectly. He suggested a location, was extremely professional, and was great with kids! However most importantly, he is extremely talented and the images are beautifully composed and perfectly lit. He has a great eye and skill. I am excited to have another family photoshoot with him.
Harkamal Gill
20:44 20 May 21
Joseph and Kate did a phenomenal job of not only taking some of the best pictures of our proposal but were very helpful in providing direction during the entire process. Photography is not an easy task and it takes a lot of skill and intuition. I’ve already recommended Joseph to several of my close colleagues/friends.
Evan
04:56 11 May 21
My experience with IQ was awesome. I worked with Jospeh who was very responsive and helpful, considering it was a last minute proposal. Not only is the customer service on point, but Joseph is extremely talented. I wanted my fiancé to have no idea she was being photographed and he went above and beyond in making sure she had no idea, while also capturing every moment. Couldn't be happier with the results. Thanks Joseph.
Karla Readshaw
01:19 27 Apr 21
Joseph was absolutely incredible in capturing our wedding day in the San Francisco Botanical Garden. Planning a small, family ceremony outdoor during Covid was a challenge, and Joseph’s experience, attention to detail, and thoughtfulness resulted in the best possible experience. Would highly recommend Joseph for any and all wedding events.
Jessica Z
22:30 05 Apr 21
My fiance and I had our (my) surprise proposal with Joseph and as the person who was surprised, I did not see it (or Joseph) coming! Joseph was super discreet and my fiance mentioned that he was also very responsive and easy to work with. Joseph stayed for about 10 mins after our proposal to take pictures and then let us have our time. Within a week, we received our pictures and THEY WERE AMAZING. I've done done a couple of photoshoots before but the pictures from Joseph were so much better. He has an eye for this kind of stuff and a great camera to capture many pictures to get your perfect candid photos. I would definitely recommend IQphoto. We are inquiring about engagement/wedding photos with them because of our experience.
Josh C
22:17 01 Mar 21
Joseph shot our proposal and was absolutely wonderful: given the park where I wanted to propose, he was a great partner in helping find the optimal location given lighting constraints, etc. On the day of, he and his daughter were hidden and captured the moment beautifully. After the initial proposal, we walked to a couple more locations and got additional great shots. Highly recommend!
Andrea Garcia
23:50 08 Feb 21
I found Joseph when I was searching for a San Francisco wedding photographer that would be able to deliver beautiful, candid photos. I looked at his website and called him immediately. His photos are creative, candid and gorgeous! When I spoke to Joseph, he was friendly, professional and accommodating to my busy schedule. He arrived to the shoot early and with an assistant that helped him capture different shots/angles at the same time. We had never had professional photos taken before and we were just winging it but to our delight, we found that with the right photographer, we didn’t have to worry about a thing. During the shoot, he directed, took charge and made us feel so comfortable. It was so great that he has so many ideas and strategies that result in photos that look effortless. Seeing him work, it’s obvious that he has extensive experience in his field. Joseph is constantly moving to different shots and different locations, giving you so many options of completely different photos. When we received our photos, we were so happy with the results! Joseph will definitely be our family photographer going forward.
Liza N
03:48 24 Jan 21
This our second time having Joseph as our photographer and we are so happy! He suggested a great location in San Fran to do our wedding photos and they turned out amazing. The shots are beautiful and he came up with some really creative picture ideas. He really uses the scenery wisely with buildings, nature, etc. I would definitely recommend this group and would do another photoshoot with him again in the future of there's ever an occasion for it!
Sarah Tran
22:55 02 Jan 21
Joseph’s work speaks for itself (@kohnbrothers via IG). It’s rare to meet someone who is a master at their trade and is not only passionate about their work but also has a genuine appreciation for cultural diversity. This is one of many factors that sets Joseph Kohn apart.During our search, we made it a priority to find a photographer who could capture genuine moments and emotions from our special day in a “photojournalism” style (not too posed/staged). We were fortunate to be able to book Joseph for both our engagement and wedding in 2016. Almost 5 years later, we can still re-visit those moments/emotions from our special day with our children without too much explanation because the photos simply speak for themselves. The work of a true artist!Our family and friends still, to this day, talk about Joseph’s wonderful energy and work ethic that they experienced at our wedding. I give Joseph Kohn/IQ Photo my highest recommendation.
Mark Lee
05:18 17 Nov 20
I called Joseph to capture a surprise proposal. Joseph was super responsive and professional. After meticulously planning, he executed our plan and captured the shot perfectly. The photos turned out great and was super straight forward to download!
Alison Nelson
18:55 20 May 20
Joseph and his brother Alex were professional and responsive from the start. My daughter had a 10 person garden wedding during Covid. Joseph captured every special moment. The photos were exceptional, creative and the process was super fun with no stress. I highly recommend hiring Joseph!
Baelaya Berendsen
02:56 14 May 20
Joseph was wonderful throughout the entire process! From when I first met him at his studio and we talked about his work, his creative thinking behind photography, and I walked him through what I envisioned for our wedding day to the day-of when he followed through on everything we talked about. Our pictures were so great, we've been asked to be featured in a wedding mag! I've already recommended to a few friends, and would highly recommend to you 🙂
Arnetta Conde
21:57 02 Jan 20
Joseph is an amazing San Francisco City Hall wedding photographer. He was so funny and just knew what to say to help me relax.He has a great eye and knows how to give you direction to capture the perfect shot. I couldn't have found a better City Hall photographer (note: I did contact some in SF Bay Area but wasn't impressed).My friends and family all raved about the quality of the photos, which we surprisingly received in less than three weeks! Not to mention the slideshow preview they sent, a week after the wedding, was a nice touch!Thank you so much for the memories and making my special day extra special!
Ashlene Olineck
18:13 31 Jul 19
Joseph did an amazing job capturing our April wedding. I was beyond happy with our photos and he made the day enjoyable and calm with his sense of humour and personality. His knowledge and professionalism made our photos and video perfect and very much appreciated. I would love to use him again!
Kasandra Blaho
17:43 18 Jun 19
My husband and I live in NJ and traveled to San Francisco to get married at City Hall. We found IQphoto via Google and booked them because of their experience with SF City Hall. They not only took beautiful photos before, during, and after our ceremony, but they also helped us understand the process for getting married at SF City Hall. We wanted a wedding that wasn't stressful, which is why we chose City Hall, and they helped that dream come true. We recommend IQphoto.
Winters Lu
00:23 17 Jun 19
We are so lucky having Joseph to be photographer through our short, sweet civil ceremony at City Hall! He is so nice and knowledgeable, and giving many professional guides about process as well as perfect moment of photographing! Both my better half and myself love his photos, the tone, the scene and of cuz ourselves in those photos! Easy 5 starts!!!
Michelle Chan
05:15 07 Jun 19
I hired IQphoto after seeing their gorgeous work on Yelp. Our photographer was Joseph and I can’t say enough great things about him. It was obvious upon meeting him that he’s the best at what he does. Our photos turned out absolutely stunning!!! I can’t thank Joseph enough for going above and beyond for us and making our day super special. If you are looking for a San Francisco wedding photographer, hire IQ!
Peiyan Zhao
18:22 28 May 19
Joseph is just AMAZING! He is super experienced and know how to take really really good photos! He is also super funny and super friendly. My husband and i had a great time with him at city hall for the one hour package. The quality of the photo and video are also super awesome. I definitely think it is worth the money and time. I have recommended him to many of my friends and will continue to do so.
Phuc Tran
18:59 21 May 19
We booked 1 hour City Hall package + fusion video for our ceremony at the City Hall. The whole process was smooth from start to finish. Joseph replied to our email quickly and answered all the questions. Once we confirmed the date, he sent us a questionnaire to get to know our background, preferences, etc - that was a nice touch. On the day of the ceremony, we met Joseph at the city hall, and he pretty much guided us from there. He really does know the place like the back of his hand, and it was amazing how much he got done in a little over an hour. Working with him was really easy, like hanging out with a n old friend. He just let us be ourselves, but at the same time made sure to pick the best spot, best lighting, and the best angle.Our photos and video were ready an about 3 weeks, earlier than expected. They were absolutely beautiful. There was a good mix between candid and staged portrait-like shots. Joseph managed to catch a few very intimate moments and turn them into artful photos. Most importantly, we felt that the photos look like us, as if the essence of our love was captured and presented in a truthful and beautiful way. Same with the video - it turned out great! Thank you Joseph and IQPhoto!
Melissa Rivera Torres Moir
16:46 21 May 19
Joseph was a fantastic photographer! He was on time, professional and also helped make our photoshoot a very unique and special fun experience. You can tell he cares about his work and went beyond what was asked to get some neat shots for us in City Hall. I would definitely recommend his services to anyone looking for a San Francisco City Hall wedding photographer!
Jesse Gross
06:06 21 May 19
Joseph and Boris did a great job with our wedding!We planned our wedding ourselves and while it was not last minute, we certainly didn't give ourselves as much time as is often recommended. We thought that booking a great photographer might be a challenge but IQphoto, while popular, was very flexible and open to what we were looking for.Joseph offered to do an engagement session photo shoot, which wasn't something that we initially planned but were very happy we did as the photos came out great. And on the day of the wedding, both Joseph and his assistant Boris worked very well with our family and fit perfectly into our wedding. Our wedding was held in a restaurant so this required the photographers to be adaptive to the somewhat unusual situation. They were very creative and all of the pictures turned out even better than we hoped.After the wedding, Joseph was quick to process the pictures and when the wedding album arrived, we were delighted to see that he had also included some additional pictures and albums for our parents as well!
Rick Balwani
05:13 21 May 19
Joseph was an incredible part of our wedding. Joseph and his crew were very friendly and kept us laughing all along the way. We really enjoyed their company and professionalism. Photos were amazing and delivered quickly. Couldn't have asked for more on our wedding day. Thanks!
danielle torrez
21:05 20 May 19
My experience with IQPhoto was nothing but positive. Photography was top of my list when it came to wedding planning and for that I’m grateful to have found IQPhoto. From the initial contact, Joseph was extremely responsive and answered any and all questions I had. The day of the wedding we met Alex and he was amazing! He definitely knew his was around city hall and captured incredible shots. Since we didn’t know where our second location for our photos should be, we asked Alex make a suggestion. I’m so glad we put trust in him to suggest the location because it resulted in the most beautiful images. Thank you Joseph and Alex!
Muhib Haidari
04:57 19 May 19
There will never be enough words to express my gratitude to IQphoto, especially to Joseph for our wedding photography! We were fortunate enough to get Joseph for both of our nights (after begging of course haha). It was the best thing that could have happened! He was extremely professional, kind, and artistic as heck! He also offered us a free City Hall session (mini engagement session) which was not part of our contract at all! Joseph truly has an eye for photography! I hope he enjoyed our company as much as we enjoyed his. The photos came out great (far better that we could have imagined). Mark, the second photographer, was also very sweet and talented!Honestly, do not think twice about going with Joseph! He will capture all of your special moments in a very unique way! Love seeing our engagement and wedding photos!
Ashley John
20:38 18 May 19
We are so happy with our wedding photos from IQPhoto. Joseph was our photographer he was professional and knew SF City Hall well! We did the one hour photo session and ended up with sooo many photos. He also acted as our witness. Our photos were ready quickly and we have had many compliments on them. We definitely recommended their services !
Jeffrey Liang
03:17 28 Mar 19
Joseph is amazing! He's super professional, and easy to work with. He is the master of lighting and a local guide of San Francisco city. He really knows what he's doing, and we're so glad that we had him as our photographer.We had our engagement photo session in Palace of fine arts, Legion of honor, Japanese tea garden, Baker beach, and SF city hall (without reservation). Joseph told us we can get good photos at the city hall if we go there at the right time, although we didn’t reserve with SF city govt (we started planning too late, so it’s booked out) and we are sharing the place with other visitors.
Ramesh Singa
17:47 21 Nov 18
The experience with IQphoto was spectacular from the beginning. Marina Kohn responded to my initial request for a wedding photography very quickly and answered all my questions. There was excellent communication between the time of scheduling the date of the photo session and the day of the ceremony. Joseph, the photographer, went above and beyond to ensure we had wonderful photos. The benefit of using him for City Hall is that he knows all the ins-and-outs of the property, as well as all the people there (including their personalities). We were able to obtain photos in many different settings because Joseph was very efficient with our one hour. Our photos were then available in about 4 weeks after the event for download or printing.If you are planning a ceremony, no matter how big or small, contact IQphoto!
Angela Fan
23:48 11 Oct 18
It was amazing to have Joseph take the photos for my wedding at City Hall. He was so creative and fun. We got a large variety of different shots and he delivered the photos so quickly. It was a privilege to have him as our photographer. He knew City Hall so well, and we followed all of his advice and got the entire place basically to ourselves on Tuesday morning.
Catalin Nemes
09:00 06 Jun 18
Our experience with the team at IQPhoto was perfect from start to finish.Since we were flying in from Europe to have our San Francisco City Hall wedding, our entire planning process was based on online research and bookings.This is where the easy communication with Marina proved invaluable. She was not only patient to address all our concerns regarding booking them and what package to chose for having them photograph our wedding, but also kind enough to provide us tips and tricks to help us better organize and make our marriage at City Hall the experience of a lifetime.The booking process was handled quick and painless and the excellent communication continued also beyond us booking them, assuring us we made the right choice.On the wedding day itself, Alex was amazing. He is not only a master in photography but also knows how to make the happy couple forget the stress of having everything go perfect on their great day. Alex know City Hall inside out, he is easygoing and funny and made us forget all our worries, got us smiling and relaxed in no time and in the end delivered photos well beyond our expectations.A big fat thank you to Alex and the entire team at IQPhoto for providing us lifelong lasting memories of this amazing day. Booking them for your wedding will be the best decision you will ever make!
David Šabata
10:31 15 Nov 17
Joseph was simply amazing! He knows the place very well and knew exactly when and where to go to get the best shots. Thanks to him, we don't have any tourists in our shots and it looks like the whole City Hall was just ours!
Amber Kani
19:07 21 Sep 17
Joseph and the IQ photo team were fantastic at navigating City Hall, wranging family members for difficult shots, and making our ceremony memorable. His photos were unlike other wedding photos' I've seen before, and our photos were straight out of a pinterest board. He was funny, worked well with family members and guests of all ages, and his ability to take beautifully lit architectural shots were astounding.For our ceremony, Joseph used multiple areas of City Hall, including those I didn't know existed, to take interesting photos, play off of the available sunlight, and produce great shots.More importantly, we received our photos in a week and the process was absolutely painless. It is clear Joseph and his team are passionate about what they do, absolutely talented photographers, and genuinely enjoy what they do. The proof is in the amazing photos you'll receive.
Pam Thow
16:13 22 Jun 17
My husband and I are beyond thrilled and thankful that we chose IQphoto to capture our wedding day at SF city hall. From the moment we begin our email exchanges with Marina to the day of our wedding being capture by Joseph was just amazing and flawless!Marina is very knowledgable and was a great guide helping us choose our wedding package. It was very easy to communicate with her as she was very efficient at responding to my questions and emails. We definitely recommend getting at least the two hour package and the slideshow.After deciding that we just wanted to have a simple, intimate wedding at SF city hall, we were excited that we had hired Joseph as our photographer! BEST DECISION EVER!!! After researching a bunch of different photographers in the SF area, we were hoping to work with Joseph because he brought a different artistic side to capturing wedding photos compare to the boring traditional wedding poses and pictures. His photos are all so unique and different in its own way, and the way is he is able to use lighting is incredible.What I love was even though our wedding day was gloomy and rainy, he was able to produce some really breathtaking, dramatic and romantic photos of us. My husband and I are just in awed with how Joseph even captured some of our photos. After four weeks, we received our photos plus an added slideshow, which we ended up purchasing. Our final edited photos from Joseph was exactly what we were hoping for and beyond what we had excepted in the short two hours that we had with Joseph. We LOVE our photos!!!Lastly, thank you to Marina and Joseph for our wedding fusion slideshow and for capturing some beautiful and timeless photos of our wedding day at SF city hall! It was amazing and brought tears to so many of our family and friends who weren't with us on our special day. They loved it! We couldn't have asked for a more professional, talented, and great photographer to work with than Joseph. We definitely look forward to working with him again when we are in SF for our next photo session! Thank you IQ!
Cherlyn Tan
08:07 17 Apr 17
We are so fortunate to have found IQPhoto through Yelp, and engaged Joseph for a 4-hour photo shoot in San Francisco. Joseph was extremely helpful and responsive, and gave us ample advice on what to expect on our wedding day at City Hall. On the day of photo shoot, Joseph was proactive and efficient, and ensured no time was wasted while waiting for our turn for solemnisation. He made us feel comfortable and natural in front of the lens. Most importantly, his work was absolutely stunning and we received overwhelming compliments for the photos he had taken for us. Thank you IQPhoto for making our wedding a sweet and memorable one.
Angela June
01:48 19 Jan 15
Sublime.I do not use this word often, but it is the only word that comes close to describing our gorgeous wedding images from Alex at IQ. They are so beautifully composed, lit, and imagined that sometimes I forget to breathe while I'm looking at them.We chose a San Francisco City Hall wedding, and it was just the two of us. Alex was warm, professional, kind, funny, helpful, and unobtrusive. It was important to me to feel close to the person I was getting married to, to experience the day from moment to moment, and, indeed, I felt that way the whole time. The photography seemed to follow us like a soft mist at the periphery of our enjoyment of each other.We shot some photos at City Hall, which were beyond lovely, and truly enjoyed the chance to take additional photos at our favorite bookstore and Italian cafe area in North Beach. The images from these secondary locations made our wedding feel truly unique to us, adding an element of playfulness, color, and whimsy that will be part of our treasured history every time we come back to visit.I cannot speak highly enough of Alex, Joseph, Masha, and all of the staff at IQ. Every interaction, both in person and via email, was professional and exceeded my expectations. It is a bit unnerving to choose a wedding photographer when you are from out of town, but choose IQ and fear not! Your photos will be spectacular!
Kathleen Hayes
18:12 13 Oct 14
My husband and I are still blown away with the awesomeness of our SF City Hall wedding photos, courtesy of photographer extraordinaire, Joseph, and the entire team at IQ.Leading up to our wedding and subsequently afterward now that our photos are processed, coordinating the logistics pre- and post-wedding through Masha has been seamless. Any follow-up questions I had was promptly and thoroughly answered at lightning speed. When planning a wedding and having to coordinate with multiple vendors, not having to stress about anything related to our photography was a huge blessing.Now onto to the photos…. oh my goodness! They are simply breath-taking, and Joseph was great to work with on the day of. His sense of humor put everyone at ease very quickly, and his keen eye led to some amazing shots throughout City Hall before, during, and after our ceremony. What my husband and I love is that the photos tell the story of our ceremony so well that people who weren’t present at our wedding felt as if they attended, and we’ve received SO many compliments on the photos.Lastly, for anyone researching photographers for an event, I would say that IQ photo is competitively priced, especially for the quality of photos you’ll get.
Lei Jiang
22:27 28 Sep 14
I like the service of this studio very much. Quick and detailed response for answering all your inquiries ahead of time; nice service on the day and on-time delivery of final photos. They even gave you a sneak peek of photo slideshow before the final photos as a surprise. They were actually kind enough to give you extra time for shooting at a second site during the wedding day, as the fact is that the time you spent in city hall is usually unpredictable (you have to be in the line with many other people there). More importantly, the photographer really knows how to capture your best moment! So, I strongly recommend this studio.
Tesia Blackburn (Acrylic Diva)
18:42 04 Jul 14
IQphoto is just the best! From the moment we contacted them, to the day we saw our photos online it was just amazing. Masha communicated quickly and clearly, every time I had a question. Even on the weekend. I even accidentally clicked the payment twice and they refunded the double payment the very next morning. Super customer service! I love the fact that the prices are on their website. Not having to have emails back and forth made that so easy! And no hidden costs either.And then, on our wedding day at San Francisco City Hall, we met the amazing Joseph. I do believe he has wizard blood! He not only knows all the ins and outs of the process at City Hall, he takes photos and gets shots and I don't even remember him being there! He's like a ninja photographer!He was on time, funny, professional, and so so talented! The cropping of the shots, the soft focus, the action shots...I could go on and on. I am a professional artist and I know good design when I see it. Joseph has an amazing eye for composition. His attention to detail was top notch.Getting married at San Francisco City Hall was our dream. The architecture is so beautiful, it could steal the show. Joseph took photos of us and somehow made the architecture a beautiful backdrop, keeping the focus on us. Unbelievable photos without anyone but me and my sweetie. How did he do that? City Hall was crawling with people and he made it seem as if it was just the two of us.Thank you IQphoto for making our special day even more special. I would get married all over again, just to have you as our photographer!Don't hesitate to use them....they will make your day just wonderful!
Martha Brawner
07:19 04 Jun 14
My wife and I got married at SF City Hall. It was just the two of us so we wanted a photographer to capture the moments of our day. Masha and Josef were amazing!! They captured beautiful photos as well as goofy and sweet moments between us and every time we look at the photos it brings back the memories from the day and how we felt. They were very easy to work with and knowing city hall were able to capture some amazing photos and moments... thank you guys for capturing our day, our moments and us. ~ Martha and Teressa
Erica Gonzalez
23:59 26 May 14
After attending three family weddings in the past two years, my husband and I decided on a low key wedding at City Hall in San Francisco with just immediate family in attendance. Even though it was a small ceremony, we still wanted professional photographers to capture the moment. After going through IQPhoto's website, seeing their beautiful photographs, and learning about their City Hall package, we asked them to be our photographers. And let me tell you, it was the best decision!Communications with Masha prior to the wedding were great - she responded to emails quickly, answered questions thoroughly, and gave great advice. A few weeks before the wedding, we had to change the date. I reached out to her in a panic to see if they would be able to accommodate the change, and she made it happen.And then, on the day of the wedding, we met Joseph. And we fell in love! I cannot imagine a more perfect person to photograph a ceremony. First, he knows City Hall like he lives there - he was so helpful in leading us through the process. City Hall is a gorgeous building, and in addition to the obvious locations, he knows all these secret beautiful shots. He was a pleasure to work with - he was funny, creative, provided direction, and made us feel relaxed. We had so much fun that day running around City Hall and posing!My husband and I joke around about how un-photogenic we are, and despite how wonderful our experience with Joseph was, I was still nervous about how we would look in the pictures. Why did I even worry? Joseph works miracles! There were so many great shots to choose from, and looking back through all the shots reminded me of how special and fun that day was.I highly recommend the team at IQphoto. They are professional and a pleasure to interact with. And their resulting photographs are a testament not only to their technical skills, but also to how comfortable they make their subjects feel - bringing out the best!
James Mackenzie
07:58 08 May 14
Al the way from London, UK to San Francisco to get married. It could have been a nightmare, but IQ helped more than they know. From the moment we found their website, which had a full guide on how to get married at City Hall to the tantalisingly glorious gallery of previous weddings the website put us at our ease and made the whole thing more simple. There was only one choice.Masha and her team were prompt and clear on email, which at distance was a great help. Everything seemed straight forward and simple.On the day Alex and Alex (videographer) met us and couldn't have been better. Happy for us, discreet and not bossy. How they managed the shots they did when City Hall seemed so busy we will never know. They produced a wonderful record of our special day and it seemed so easy.We can't thank them enough.
Paula Teoh
22:44 09 Apr 14
Amazing!! We booked with IQ Photo (and later IQ Video too!) and were amazing by how well Alex and Alex captured us on our wedding - catching the serious moments, the laughs, the family moments, everything. We had a small ceremony with under 10 people at SF City Hall and so our big splurge was photo and video so we could share with with our family and friends. Seamless process from booking with Masha to getting our images less than 3 weeks after our big day.We actually stumbled upon IQ not through reviews or yelp, but when we were looking for intimate wedding venues, and I happened to find IQ photo before I even looked at City Hall. Their photos convinced me that not only did I want a city hall wedding, but that I would only do it if we had them capture our day.Loved the creativity, how easy going they were and how wonderful everything turned out! Would absolutely recommend them to every I know!
Hannah Dykehouse
03:47 26 Mar 14
INCREDIBLE. We had so much fun with Alex on our wedding day. He is a very talented photographer with a lot of experience, but it seemed like it never gets old to him. He was excited about every good photo or few minutes of amazing lighting that he got to shoot. Photography was #1 on our list of important things to have on our wedding day, because we eloped to San Francisco and needed artistic documentation to share with our families back home. Thank you, Alex, and the whole IQ team for making our day the best. --Hannah and Clinton Dykehouse
Alexandria Cohen
03:02 30 Dec 13
"A memory is only as good as the photographs"You only have so many times in your adult life where you can howl at the moon. Your wedding is one of those few occasions.So many decisions have lead you to that moment, and whether you are a traditionalist who plans something elaborate with a lot of people, or are thinking of something more intimate with just your closest friends and family, photos are instrumental on helping you remember just how special it was.My husband and I decided to elope in San Francisco, just the two of us. Originally from NY and overwhelmed by all the nuances of a big wedding, we decided to get hitched in the city where we got engaged. Not knowing San Francisco well or having anyone else there with us, it was important to have those moments to keep, and to have them to share with our friends and family so they too, could feel as if they were. Months of Googling/Yelping lead us to decide on City Hall and IQphoto, who not only has an abundance of information on the process of getting married at City Hall, but they are experts at turning wedding photography into an art.Alex was our photographer and was an absolute pleasure to work with. He is very friendly and very humble. To say I'm not photogenic is an understatement but, understanding this, Alex was very helpful on how to pose, where the best locations were, and the results were incredible. The entire set was natural and beautiful. My husband and I remembered the morning of the ceremony in a blur but after seeing the photos, all of the feelings came back, this time in full color. It really does help to see things from an outside perspective and it takes an enormous amount of trust in the person capturing those moments for you to do them justice.Anyone and everyone who has seen the photos and the beautiful slideshow they put together has been beyond impressed. I am immensely thankful to IQphoto for their talents and their ease. The entire team is wonderful to work with. I would refer them to anyone looking for talented people to not only capture a meaningful moment but to create beautiful memories.
Heather McFarlin
15:05 26 Dec 13
Our wedding day went very smoothly and the photographer did an excellent job organizing our families and keeping everyone on task for the pictures. He was very thoughtful and thorough the entire time. The photos came out perfectly and were beyond anything we could have ever hoped! Thank you IQphoto for helping to make the memories of our wedding day something we will treasure forever.
Gillian Heller Deinoff
22:17 18 Dec 13
We had an absolutely fantastic time with Alex at our City Hall wedding on November 25th. We could not be any happier with how our photos turned out and we had a ton of fun shooting with him. Arranging things through email was super easy too, great experience with IQphoto from start to finish!
