Daniel + Margaret
We were incredibly lucky that our original photographer referred us to Brandon…
He was easy to work with. We wanted to set up a video call to get to know him, and he immediately put us at ease with calm confidence and an easygoing, understated sense of humor. He explained to us the plan that he would be the "boots on the ground" while our original photographer would still do the editing, talked us through plans for the day, and asked us questions to get us thinking about the kind of prep we'd need to do for the shots we'd want.
On the day of, he arrived on time and quickly got to work. He did a great job of taking our ideas and feedback and synthesizing it with his own professional knowledge of photography and experience with weddings to get a variety of really excellent shots. And more than that, with such a small guest list of immediate family only, as you can imagine, everyone was juggling at least a couple of responsibilities, and Brandon rose to the occasion, helping us coordinate shuttling me around to avoid seeing my bride-to-be or her dress before the appointed time. He even hopped on the task of restarting our jury-rigged audio setup - a Bluetooth speaker hanging from a tree - when it had gone to sleep during the ceremony and failed to activate for our recessional. This small act - just quickly stepping over and fiddling with a button - nonetheless is indicative of the kind of value Brandon brings: he takes responsibility onto himself to ensure your day is a success. At the same time, he's not pushy or domineering. For example, we wanted some photos with specific things in the background, and he let us know that the lighting conditions would be challenging, but he worked with us to find the angles to everyone's satisfaction.
Now back to the quality of the photos: we couldn't be happier. I'm not sure to what extent he had to modify his own photography technique, given that he knew someone else would be doing the editing. But I'm certain that this is more of a challenge than taking photos that you know YOU will be the one to edit. For photos that Brandon both takes and edits, his website has some very nice galleries. I'm happy to report that his ability to take high-quality base material and his ability to work in a team with other photography professionals resulted in an outstanding final product.
If you're considering hiring Brandon as your wedding photographer, I would wholeheartedly recommend him. His skill and adaptability will leave you with a wonderful record of your special day. Though we would not have been directly affected, we appreciate that his philosophy is that love is love, and he photographs all weddings without concern for the gender makeup of the spouses.-Daniel + Margaret