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Weddings

About

Toby Hoogs Photography is based in Kailua-Kona, on the Big Island of Hawaii, and has been voted the Best Photographer in West Hawaii for the last seven years in a row! Toby has over 20 years of experience as a photographer and during his career, he has had the privilege of photographing more than 1,800 weddings!

Toby and his wife of 11 years, Renee, specialize in high-end weddings, portraits, and lifestyle photography, all with an emphasis on outdoor settings and the natural beauty of the islands. Toby Hoogs Photography also provides videography and a full complement of related services.

Toby was born and raised in Kailua-Kona. Developing a natural aptitude from an early age, he shot his first wedding at just 17. He then studied photography in New York City, before returning to the islands in 1992 to continue building his photography business.

Toby uses the most advance and state-of-the-art-equipment. Combining a vast and diverse array of experience, with an organic flair for capturing sponteneous instances as they transpire, Toby brings a refined, yet comfortable, photojournalistic approach to each project.The consensus from Toby's many clients is that his laid back, friendly, and unobtrusive personality relaxes his subjects, so that the energy of the present flows with ease. The magical moments that unfold are thus real, not contrived, and are recorded as they truly happen.

Toby's creative skill produces memorable photos tailored to the style of every event, and each couple's unique vision and personality.

Although based on the Big Island of Hawaii, Toby regularly shoots weddings on the other islands, the mainland United States, and has traveled to Australia, Central America, and Africa. His past editorial and commercial clients include: The New York Times, National Geographic, The Food Network, The Outdoor Channel, Martha Steward Magazine, Grace Ormonde Wedding Style Magazine, Pacific Weddings Magazine, etc.

Contact Toby Hoogs Photography for more information:

photo@tobyhoogs.com

808.345.5320

  • Pacific Islander-owned
illustration popular

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Frequently asked questions

Which of the following are included in the starting price?

High-Res Images
Digital Files

What primary photographic style do you identify with?

Contemporary
Photojournalism
Traditional

What photography services do you offer?

Boudoir Shoot
Engagement Shoot
High-Res Images
One Event / Day
Second Shooter

What photography items do you offer?

Albums
Digital Files

Reviews of Toby Hoogs Photography

M
Mariko Sent on 12/09/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Great experience, beautiful shots

Toby is awesome, takes great shots and is super personable. You won't go wrong hiring him.
B
B Jay Sent on 09/15/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Truly grateful for Toby and his beautiful spirit of aloha

It's taken me far too long to share with others how amazing Toby is!

When you hire a photographer you "hope" for the best but what we received was so much more than we ever expected. Yes, Toby is an incredibly talented photographer but even more important to us was his beautiful spirit of aloha. A true artist, he was able to capture the emotion of aloha and the love of family in the photos. The posed photos look so natural as if we weren't posing and the candid shots were stunning. We didn't even realize he was taking many photos because he blended into our family so beautifully during the wedding.

We are so thankful that we have one of a kind shots to remember our perfect day for a lifetime and we have Toby to thank for that.
Lancelot
Lancelot Sent on 03/07/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Lock-up Toby now - he's a can't miss add-on to your wedding!

Toby Hoogs brought a positive and enthusiastic personality to our ceremony, and that energy was only topped by the surreal and ‘once in a lifetime’ photo captures he took on our perfect day! He masterfully coordinated family members and wedding party alike, ensuring we always matched the best background, with impeccable lighting, timed in such a way that you never felt rushed, rather, we enjoyed striking poses and the moments as they happened. Our extended family was large, we had small children, paired with a few grandparents – but Toby was professional, energetic, and extremely polite, in that no one who was being asked to do a certain pose or stance was ever embarrassed or felt put out – everything he asked the wedding party was done seamlessly, including the children when reminded they needed to smile once more. We could not have imagined having anyone else documenting our moments with the people we love the most! THANK YOU for your patience, and willingness to snap unplanned photos when the opportunity presented itself – because of YOU, we will have an anchor in time where we enjoyed the perfect day! Forever thankful – Lancelot & Britni Elarionoff
Y
Yasmin Sent on 01/08/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Can't believe I am posting a review!

We’ve recently received my mom’s wedding pictures that were taken in October 2018 at the Fairmont Orchid. I cannot stress enough how spectacular the photos turned out! Toby was not only gracious by staying over the time to continuing taking pictures but he was also able to capture many heartfelt emotions. We honestly can’t stop looking at the pictures and have already made hardcopies. Thank you Toby for capturing memories that’ll last a lifetime.
A
Ashley Sent on 08/09/2017
5 out of 5 rating
I can't recommend Toby enough. He was absolutely amazing as our wedding photographer. You can see how absolutely passionate he is about what he does. It definitely shows in his work. I couldn't be happier with our wedding photos. Not only did he take amazing photos at our wedding as well as the reception, but he went above and beyond to make sure that everything went smoothly and that I was comfortable. Because we had a destination wedding, it can be hard to choose vendors. Before we even booked Toby, we asked if he would FaceTime with us so we could "meet" and get to know him. Talking to him through FaceTime, you could feel how passionate he was about his photography. He answered any and all questions that I had and never pushed me to book him. I felt that he knew what he was doing and I could tell he truly loves what he does and that won me over. I booked him and after that, it got even better. He met with us once we got to the island and talked with us about everything that would happen on wedding day. He truly put me at ease and made me very confident in my decision choosing him. I was worried about him being a male, would he pay attention to my hair being out of place, or an unflattering position. I was blown away! Every time he took a picture, he would make sure my veil and dress looked absolutely perfect and that there wasn't a hair out of place. I couldn't believe how perfectly he paid attention to every detail, and I couldn't have been more comfortable with him taking pictures. I pretty much forgot he was there (no offense Toby!). He took so many pictures and I couldn't be happier with the result! I wish we lived in Hawaii so he could photograph all the important moments in our life. Thank you so much Toby! You are truly amazing at what you do!!!
D
Davawn Sent on 04/07/2014
5 out of 5 rating
Toby Hoogs was very professional and personable the entire experience. He honestly did more for our wedding then being just a videographer and photographer. He helped plan the set up and location planning since we had no idea of where we should go, being that this was our first trip to the Big Island of Hawaii. I would STRONGLY recommend Toby and his team to help with your wedding. Our photos came out flawless. Toby helped us to get in the perfect poses, captured our emotions and made us feel at ease. Toby met us at our hotel, took photos there and followed us to our wedding site. The day was perfect and Toby helped to make it this way. Our photos came out perfect and the flash drive that Toby sends your pictures on has a very unique and creative touch.
J
Jo Anne Sent on 12/18/2013
5 out of 5 rating
We found Toby by searching on line when we started planning our wedding. When we also finalized our wedding planner, she raved about Toby so we knew we were on the right track. We ended up meeting Toby to shoot our engagement photos and we knew we made the right choice. He is an incredibly talented photographer and such an easy going guy. Our engagement and wedding photos was such a blast - he made everything flawless. Recently we received the link to view our photos and we cant wait to get a hold of our album and they are truly amazing. Toby, words cant describe how thankful we are for making everything possible for us. We will cherish these photos forever! Remember what we told you in Hawaii, you guys are welcome to visit us any time! It may be Peru now...but who knows where we end up next :)
S
Stephanie Sent on 10/08/2013
5 out of 5 rating
Tobby Hoogs was very professional and easy to work with. He had creative ideas for pictures and his expertise shined. I highly recommend Toby Hoogs Photography for your next wedding, corporate event, engagement party or birthday. You will be delighted by his work and confident that you will have beautiful memories captured in photos and/or video to always remember your special day!
U
User1285868 Sent on 08/13/2013
5 out of 5 rating
Our videographer was Todd and he and his assistant did a great job! They were on time, friendly, and professional. We ordered a full length video and short version. We are so glad we did the short version! It's totally worth it - you'll watch the full length wedding video only a handful of times (if that!) and friends/family want to see something shorter. They did a great job - very beautiful video. They used modern equipment (all digital) and spliced in sound perfectly. Would definitely recommend!
S
Stacy Sent on 06/29/2013
5 out of 5 rating
I recently got married on the 16th of June in Hawaii and used Toby at the recommendation of the Four Seasons. My husband does photography for the movie industry and was in charge of picking our photographer. Pictures were incredibly important to us so we could look back and remember our wedding. Based on the framing, lighting, and creativity he saw in Toby's pictures we selected him. We were blown away by how awesome he and his wife were on our wedding day. Toby was extremely professional and did a great job at coaching two nervous about to be married people into smiling and "relaxing" for the camera. He periodically let us review the pictures he took to ensure we saw things we were happy with so we could adjust if necessary. Shortly after the wedding we had proofs in hand. We only had him for about 2.5hrs which in hind sight, I should have added more time. But he got every picture we wanted. His wife was great at helping me throughout the wedding as well. I can't say enough good things about Toby and his crew. We are incredibly happy with our pictures! Would highly recommend them to anyone.
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Awards

32
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2014 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2013 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2012 Winner

Professional Network & Endorsements

3 Endorsements
Tiger Jones Productions Tiger Jones Productions Wedding DJs

As one of the elite photographers in the State of Hawaii, Toby and his team demonstrate a remarkable commitment to their clients. Aside from his wonderful personality (which everyone loves), friendliness and ability to put his clients at ease, he goes above and beyond at every event we work on together on a weekly basis. Having known Toby personally for over 13 years he has always been professional, consistent and reliable. His work stands out and speaks for itself. We highly recommend Toby and his team.

Hawaii Sound & Vision Hawaii Sound & Vision Wedding DJs

If James Brown was the hardest working man in show business then that makes Toby Hoogs the hardest working photographer in the event photography business. He is deeply committed to his trade and it shows in how he approaches each event. Toby is rarely seen resting. Instead he is constantly searching for the perfect photo opportunity. This dedication translates into absolutely beautiful work. We have had the honor of working with Toby dozens if not hundreds of times of the years and it is always an absolute pleasure. We would highly recommend him for your next wedding or special event.

Vintage and Lace Vintage and Lace Wedding Planners

I highly recommend Toby Hoogs Photography for all your photography needs on the Big Island and throughout the world. Toby and Renee both are excellent photographers that go above and beyond the call of duty to get you the absolute best photos possible. Despite their now 20 years of experience in the photography business, they treat every single job with professionalism and passion that continues to produce high quality shots every time! Their photo-journalistic style captures the natural moments of your event giving you authentic and beautiful memories of your wedding, engagement or family portrait every time!

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Toby Hoogs Photography frequently asked questions

Toby Hoogs Photography includes the following photography services in the starting price:
  • High-Res Images
  • Digital Files
Toby Hoogs Photography offers the following photography styles:
  • Contemporary
  • Photojournalism
  • Traditional
Toby Hoogs Photography offers the following photography services for weddings:
  • Boudoir Shoot
  • Engagement Shoot
  • High-Res Images
  • One Event / Day
  • Second Shooter
Toby Hoogs Photography offers the following photography materials for weddings:
  • Albums
  • Digital Files
Toby Hoogs Photography is recommended by 92% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.6 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 4.6 in quality of service, 4.6 in average response time, 4.6 in flexibility, 4.6 in professionalism and 4.6 in value.

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