Deborah Sent on 05/24/2020

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Fun and magical

This review is long overdue. My husband and I got married last October at South Coast Botanic Garden, and John helped us take some amazing pictures of our wedding. We also had him take our engagement pictures for us. My husband and I are not particularly comfortable in front of a camera, but throughout both the engagement shoot and the wedding, John made us feel so comfortable and relaxed. Dare I say we even had fun! He was accommodating and always timely in his responses. He even got our pictures ready for us earlier than anticipated. We're very happy to have worked with John!

Peter Sent on 01/22/2020

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

An ABSOLUTE UNIT....of a Wedding Photography Artist that is.

Make no mistake, you get what you pay for in this world and John Yao is NOT your average, budget friendly, run of the mill, volumes mentality, wedding photographer. If you allow yourself to listen to John and are flexible with the vision of how you want your photos to turn out for your special occasion, you will not disappoint. It's almost like entering a relationship in my opinion because the way John handles your needs and inquiries makes you feel like you're in really good hands and yet he does not force himself or his opinions on you. Give him a free rein and he won't let you down (like Rick Astley). This guy's THAT GOOD. And humble. And caring. He's just a superb human being with a camera that captures magical essence of anything he points. My wife and I met him on 2011 and we're happy to say not only did we find an AWESOME wedding photographer, but became really good friends after that. He also gave us a beautiful session of our 1 year old daughter and that was phenomenal. I feel like the amount he charged us wasn't enough for the sheer dedication and professionalism he brought to the table.

Jennifer Sent on 10/13/2019

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Great Photographer, Amazing Wedding Pics

Working with John, from start to finish for our wedding, was a great experience. He is very easy to contact and responds very quickly! John has great passion and an amazing eye to capture the beauty of our wedding. He was so fun to have around, and really helped to make sure we got all the meaningful and fun pictures to remember our big day. John is easy to work with, very professional, super talented, and we would highly recommend him!

Lauren Sent on 04/20/2019

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

A 5 star legend of a photographer

John from SimplyTwo Photography is ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!! Seriously the best photographer out there. Hiring him for your wedding is the best decision you can make. For us, getting a good photographer was the most important thing in terms of vendors, and we are SO glad we went with John. He has a natural ability to make you feel comfortable in front of the camera and is so good at directing you on how to pose. We absolutely loved our engagement shoot with him, where we were able to go to many different locations and wear multiple outfits, and really just get as many awesome photos as possible. The photos turned out amazing of course, and were just a small teaser of what was to come for the wedding. For our wedding, John far exceeded our expectations. He has an eye for knowing what type of scenery and lighting will look good in photos, and he was able to pick out the best places for us to do our first look and bridal party photos. We also did dusk and night time pictures during our wedding and they turned out so incredible. John knows all the tricks of how to make photos turn out amazing thanks to his many years of experience and hundreds and hundreds of weddings he has done. He is seriously a magician of a photographer. He was very accommodating to our schedule and requests, while at the same time giving his professional advice on what would look good in photos. Not to mention he is incredibly fun to hang out with and has a fun, witty sense of humor that we and our bridal party loved. Do yourself a favor and go with SimplyTwo Photography!!! I promise it is the best decision you can make for your wedding!!!

Andrew Sent on 10/29/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Extremely talented with fun attitude!

John is fantastic at his job and is just overall a pleasure to work with. He sets a very fun, positive vibe and just lets us be ourselves while he works his magic. Another great quality was his work ethic and efficiency. Photo sessions always went by smoothly and at a quick pace, but without feeling rushed. Communication - whether via email, text, phone call, was always responded to and usually within minutes.

Amy Sent on 10/27/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John is amazing!!!

This review is long overdue...but simply put, John is awesome!!! We asked John to shoot our wedding and engagement photos after seeing him in action at a friend’s wedding as well as following his blog. For our engagement shoot, John worked with us to capture the locations that were special to my husband and me. In the process, we found him to be engaging, creative, and a strong listener. He took our ideas, blended them with his artistic abilities, and created photos and memories that we’ll take with us for a lifetime. On our wedding day, John came prepared, and more importantly, he made us feel comfortable on what could possibly be the most nerve-racking day in our lives thus far. His photos were remarkable and guests later complimented us on John’s personable demeanor and engaging presence during the wedding. He was not just a vendor...he helped make the wedding come alive for us and our guests, capturing pictures and maybe more significantly, memories and emotions. Administratively, he was very responsive and prompt. In short, John is fabulous!! We highly recommend John to anyone seeking a top notch photographer who goes above and beyond to capture the experience of your very special day. Thank you so much, John!!!

Zongwei Sent on 10/21/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Creative, professional, fun photographer

John is a wonderful photographer and true professional. If we had to do it over again, my wife and I would choose John again in a heartbeat.

We initially looked into John because my wife's sister was a huge fan of John's work (via Instagram). If you haven't seen John's portfolio, take a look and you'll be blown away by the epic shots he manages to create. After video chatting with him, my wife and I both felt comfortable booking him.

Throughout the months before the wedding, John was always very flexible and responsive. It's true that he becomes a friend along the way. When we finalized our day-of schedule a few weeks before the date, we realized we would need an extra half hour from what we had booked to capture all of the getting ready shots. We offered to pay for it, but John graciously came by earlier at no charge.

On the day of the wedding, John was the ultimate professional. He stayed on schedule and was able to magically come up with great shot ideas on the fly. Our entire wedding party had a lot of fun taking photos with John, and they came out *amazing*.

Thank you for doing such a phenomenal job capturing our big day!

Yuanqing Sent on 09/14/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John was one of the very first vendors we booked (pretty much at the same time as the venue)! I've followed his work for years on his website/blog and I've always known I'd want to use John as my photographer. He is an absolute professional and captured gorgeous shots. Most importantly, he made everyone feel comfortable. My husband and I are not the camera ready type but John was able to make it work! He put everyone at ease so that the photos come out natural. John is also great with wrangling all the family members for the family shots. He speaks Chinese so that made it easier for my side of the family. My husband's family had to re-do one of the large group shots since one person had missed the first shot, and John was just super patient and accommodating. I would highly recommend him and SimplyTwo for your wedding and engagement photography!

Luke Sent on 07/23/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John is an awesome photographer: he produced very high quality pictures at our wedding, made our life very easy on wedding day, and was very personable with us. From our engagement shoot to wedding day photography, he made us feel very comfortable in front of the camera. Our wedding party, family members and a number of our guests raved about him throughout the night. We feel that not only did we receive good work from John, but also made a friend in the process.

We highly recommend his photography services!

Emma Sent on 06/07/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

STOP LOOKING! John has the finesse, experience, and talent like no other photographer (evidence: his portfolio). I’ve been following John’s work since my undergraduate years because we happened to be from the same university. I loved his pictures even before he started his SimplyTwo business. I knew from the start that I wanted him to be my wedding photographer HANDS DOWN. So that was like…8-ish years ago?? I kept him in the back of my mind all those years and it was totally worth the wait. He was the first thing I booked in terms of wedding items (that’s right…even before I had a reception venue). And praise God that it all worked out. We had one meeting over video chat to talk about any ideas we wanted to use for our pictures and places to shoot. We were worried about the timing of getting all our ideas and when was the best time to take the pictures (e.g. time of day). With John’s experience, he was able to help us develop a timeline and it made things so easy. During our engagement shoot, John was totally down to take the photos my fiancé (now husband) planned with the props that we made. He even threw in his own ideas and they turned out awesome. Even for the pictures where we didn’t have props, John basically led us in positioning us and tell us to try out different poses. Everything went smoothly and we both felt comfortable during the entire time. He even would tell me when my bangs had an awkward part in them so I can fix it (you girls know what I mean...MAJOR POINTS FOR THIS!) The pictures for the wedding day were also just as awesome. We were tight on schedule but John made sure he had a good amount of pictures of my husband and myself. I can definitely tell that his priority was to spend as much time as possible with us so we could have a good library of pictures to look back on. I’m so glad that I was able to work with John and would 1000% recommend him.

Bri Sent on 03/21/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John is an incredible photographer. I have been following his work for over 15 years. He has always had a wonderful eye for great shots and continues to get better with time! I always thought, "It would be super cool to have him take my pictures when I get married...." When the time finally came to find a wedding photographer, I wasn't sure if it would work out, but was so happy it did.

Our engagement shoot was so much fun, and we were so at ease with John. I loved so many of our pictures! But most of all, what stood out from our engagement shoot was how kind and considerate John was in scheduling. We originally were going to have to leave CA in the evening after our shoot and get back to AZ in the middle of the night, but John graciously rearranged his schedule to get us back at a reasonable hour.

When our wedding weekend came, he was a pro and did a great job scouting out a spot to take pictures with our wedding party. John worked well with all of our friends and family. I was never worried about the quality of our pictures and knew with John that I would have great and incredible shots for us to share with our family and remember our wedding day! Without a doubt, I highly recommend John, but his photos speak for themselves!

Patrice Sent on 02/17/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Newly engaged? Hire John Yao as your wedding photographer!

I came across John’s work since he and my brother are college buddies and he ended up shooting my brother’s wedding. Not only did I admire the artistry and quality of his photos, I was also impressed by the way he professionally and tactfully handled my photo eager (aka pushy) relatives when they tried to get their own photos in. Fast forward a year and a half, once A and I were engaged there were two things that we knew. #1: A wanted milk tea catered at the wedding. #2: I wanted John as our photographer. We had our priorities.

We first contacted John 10 months before our wedding and luckily were able to book him for our wedding date! He first initiated a video chat with us to get some input on our personal style and then would promptly respond to all of our email inquiries. Come engagement session photos, John kept A and I at ease with his fun and quirky personality…though be sure to budget extra time for dog encounters as John will greet every dog that comes his way. He does not need any micromanaging: We had a general location (Golden Gate Park and Sutro Baths in SF), and John was able to make the most random path into an artist’s set.

When it came wedding time, John was not just prompt but came AHEAD of schedule to get some extra shots. He is efficient when directing our group photos and guides us into authentic poses. Following the wedding, I asked John for a couple photos for thankyou cards and he sent over 20! We got our full wedding photo set about 4 months after the wedding and I couldn’t be happier with the product. The pictures speak for themselves – they’re clean and vibrant and capture A and I looking relaxed and joyful. I have no regrets hiring John – he’s a professional, photo nerd, artist, and friend.

Elizabeth Sent on 02/13/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Simply put, John from SimplyTwo Photography is beyond amazing. I'll admit I was hesitant at first because our wedding was taking place in Michigan. I imagined it would be a logistical nightmare, but my husband-to-be had worked with John before in his sister's wedding and, with his steadfast trust in John's work, convinced me to choose SimplyTwo. Our first conversation with John immediately put my fears to rest. He was charismatic, passionate about his work, and his refreshingly original personality was evident from the very beginning. We knew the added logistics of getting him to Michigan would be well worth it. After working with John for our engagement session, we couldn't imagine having any other photographer. The photos were stunning and beyond our expectations. Now, with the wedding pictures in hand, I can honestly say John from SimplyTwo Photography was the best decision we made throughout the entire wedding process. His love for weddings, photography, great lighting, and golden retrievers sets him above and beyond the rest. Thank you, John! You made a special day even more perfect!

+3 photos

Joanna Sent on 12/21/2017

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John is a master of his craft. As an amateur photographer, I wanted someone who could go beyond the "standard" shots. We hired John for both our engagement and wedding photos and he did not disappoint. He knew how to handle tricky lighting situations and was incredibly creative with his composition. I nearly had a bridezilla moment during our engagement shoot when my dream sunset shot in Malibu was threatened by a thick layer of fog. The sun never did appear, but the mysterious feel of the photos made that set one of our favorites.

Hau Sent on 12/15/2017

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John is a true professional. He was punctual and communicative from the start and made the whole process very smooth and easy. My wife and I are camera shy but John's great personality helped put us at ease. I would definitely recommend his service to other couples who are looking for a wedding photographer. On a side note, his ability to speak Chinese and English really helped with my older folks. Thanks John! you did an amazing job for Dannelle and I.

Tammy Sent on 11/24/2017

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

SimplyTwo should just be named SIMPLY AMAZING!!!!!

Planning a wedding, as you all might come to find, is a pretty stressful thing. You might find yourself reading review after review and visiting website after website to find THE photographer (not like finding THE ONE isn't hard enough). Well, I can assure you that you can stop your search now because you just found THE photographer, JOHN!!!!

John, John, John, where shall we start. John is just amazing. We knew from our initial email that John was our guy. We're very impatient people and need answers right away and John could not answer our questions any faster. He never left us hanging and always always ALWAYS responded within 2-3 hours, which is AMAZING since other vendors sometimes took days to respond. John made the whole process super easy and stress free.

We booked John for an engagement and full day wedding service. Due to our busy schedules, we had to reschedule our engagement session multiple times. John was super cool about the rescheduling and worked with our busy schedules. He never gave us a hard time for changing dates and times on him. Our first time meeting John was at our first engagement session location. John took the time to explain to us the whole process, which made it more comfortable and way less awkward. I loved how we were able to be ourselves in front of John. Felt like we knew him for a long time, but merely 30 minutes went by since we met.
Skipping to the BIG DAY....
As the actual wedding day started, I felt a huge relief when I saw John out of all the people that we're there. I knew John got my back and I trusted in his vision. He was a vendor that we definitely did not have to stress about that day. He made it fun for us and our bridal party during pictures. He allowed us to be us and encouraged us to go outside of the box.

We highly encourage you to email John NOW! Can't wait to see the rest of our pics! Thank you John for helping us capture our big day!

Alice Sent on 11/12/2017

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John is freaking amazing. We're usually so awkward with attention and taking pictures but he made the photoshoot experience so fun and easy. We only had a location in mind for the engagement photos but had no idea what exactly we wanted to do. John was down to travel out with us to the desert and just help us capture the moments as they happened. He had a methodological approach in his photo taking that somehow still felt spontaneous. He would find inspiration in the most random things and turn it into photography magic. John was also fantastic at helping us create some artsier shots aside from the traditional cute couple poses. During the wedding, our wedding party and families had a blast working with him as well. He even handled our amateur photographer uncle like a champ (we forgot to warn John about him). We initially thought we were just getting a photographer but now we also have a friend for life! Book him early as his schedule fills up fast! Bonus: he's a dog person!

+2 photos

Giang Sent on 09/30/2017

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

WOW! Is all I can say about John. John may seem very laid back but he is nothing but professional in his work. He is easy to talk to and his work is amazing. My wife and I were probably John's least comfortable couple in front of the camera but by the end of our engagement session shoot he had us functioning like professionals. My wife and I just had our wedding this past weekend with a few hiccups in the day but John was calm and collected and just rolled with the issues and made them work. From my mother in law not being back in time from the makeup artist to start the tea ceremony or having one of our locations being unexpected closed for renovations, John was able to fill in the lost time with meaningful pictures and was able to find the beauty of any spot work regardless of literally a moat of water blocking us from our ideal photo shoot location. Simply Two is simply the best!

Michelle Sent on 09/23/2017

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

I don't know where to begin with John...
From the moment we contacted him to the moment we dropped him off at the airport after our wedding, we never felt more relieved and at peace. My husband and I never had a single worry that our photos would not be "up to par". Photoshoots are definitely not in our everyday lifestyle, so we knew that we would be difficult to work with. However that didn't stop John! He definitely made us feel so comfortable that by the time the photoshoot was done, we couldn't believe how fast time had flown by. In simpler words, it wasn't a photoshoot but purely hanging out with a friend who loved to take photos :)

Wedding Day:
As a bride, you want EVERYTHING to be PERFECT! After 13 months of strenuous planning, I was determined to make sure that nothing went wrong on the day-of. Being able to have John there by our side to assist in making sure that we got all the perfect shots at the perfect locations took a HUGE burden off of our shoulders.

Not only did we get lucky with an incredible photographer, but we ended up gaining an incredible friend! John, until the next time we meet (hint: conversation about babies).

Karen Sent on 08/02/2017

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John Yao is literally the best thing that happened to our wedding, besides us actually getting married, no joke. He completely surpassed every expectation we had and is worth every penny and more. He is skilled and passionate about his work. We could not stop saying “wow” when he gave us a sneak peek of our photos.

Working his magic:
John is truly a master of his craft – turning ordinary trees into enchanted forests and the happy, photo-awkward couple into supermodels. He is also a photographer that puts people at ease. Hubs (a.k.a. husband) is so camera shy that we barely have any nice, normal pictures of us while we were dating. However, he had a blast taking pictures when John was behind the camera.

A true friend in him:
The best thing about working with John is that he really becomes a friend, one that you can count on having your back always. We never had to worry about him as a vendor with his timely responses (a few times past 1AM) and experienced evaluation of how to realistically accomplish our photography goals. The backstage of the wedding day felt like a hot mess, but John remained calm amongst the chaos and helped me and Hubs see past all the craziness. We did not realize how much time we would be spending with the photographer on our big day, much more than most of our friends and family. Being able to spend it with a photographer-friend who truly cares about us made it that much more special.

Lynn Sent on 06/19/2017

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

This is such an overdue review since we got married in 2015..but finally getting around to it :0)

We are so happy that John was our wedding photographer! He is so easy to get along with and made being in front of the camera a breeze! We shot our engagement photos at Disneyland and I've always hated "being center of attention" and people staring..but John was able to talk us through the shoot and basically I completely forgot about the people around us and was able to focus just on the hubs!

I would wholeheartedly recommend John to anyone who needs a photographer! He's amazing at what he does..and great company too! Can't wait to work with him again!

Ian Sent on 04/22/2017

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John is a master at what he does. A true artist with a huge dedication to his craft. He is super friendly and accommodating and shot some masterful pieces for our engagement and wedding. I would definitely recommend him for his craft! He's a real stud and you won't be disappointed!

Angel Sent on 03/27/2017

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Awesome quality for the value, would highly recommend him! John is really good at capturing the moments that are important and can get amazing shots out of what seems so ordinary or would be difficult to get a good photo. It shows how he is really good at his trade. Also he's very personable and great to work with!

Chris Sent on 02/15/2017

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We met John at our friends wedding in Lake Tahoe back in 2015. Right off the bat, I could tell there was something pretty special about the guy and it wasn’t his fancy camera gear or good taste in watches. What captured my attention was the amount of knowledge and passion he had for photography. He truly understood that photography is not just “point and shoot” but should be more about story telling. We could have hired any photographer in the world but his easy- going personality and artistry were some of the main reasons why we hired him for our wedding in Bali.

Since we were having a destination wedding, I wanted to make sure that the photographer was someone not good, but great. He was extremely professional and fun to be around. This guy was willing to be away from family for about a week, and was willing to fly over 20 hours around the world to be our photographer. That tells you something about how dedicated he is to his clients and work. We spent 4 days with him and not once did we hear any complaints. As expected, the guy did an amazing job. His high attention to detail and relaxed personality made everything a lot easier for us. He’s definitely someone who would go above and beyond to get the job done. I would definitely hire him again.

Stephanie Sent on 12/10/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We are very happy to have had John be our photographer on our special day! John is keen to detail and really pays close attention to his clients' vision. He was able to capture the most beautiful pictures in just the right lighting. I highly recommend SimplyTwo for engagement and wedding pictures! Thanks, John!!

Connie Sent on 12/07/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John John John... what can I say about you except that you are the funniest, more quirky yet professional photographer I've ever met? You helped keep things light-hearted and organized, despite my crazy family taking forever to get in the shot you needed. You even broke out your mandarin and I was duly impressed. Thanks for all your hard work and witty self! Can't wait to see the final products :)

Albert Sent on 11/08/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Just go with SimplyTwoPhotography! John is an absolute pleasure to work with and just plain 'ol relaxing and fun. After the first engagement session we were pleasantly surprised by his keen eye for lighting and just overall framing of every single shot. When I say every single shot... i MEAN every single shot. It was amazing. So we booked him for our wedding as well as for an additional white dress shoot the day after the wedding! His personality makes him so easy to work with. He was able to make us both feel comfortable enough to hop out of our comfort zones for some fun shots as well.. John is also a creative genius working with landscapes, wind, and even a full on night shoot (which came out crazy awesome). We love John's work!

Tina Sent on 10/24/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

This review is long overdue but let me start off by saying how glad we are that we had found John as our photographer. He made the whole process very easy and was able to deal with a very indecisive bride who didn't give him much to go on. John was able to give us great shots that captured our day perfectly that was also creative. I have to say that the day of the wedding goes by so quick that it is such a blur. I am so glad he was able to capture all the moments from the wedding day that I remembered and didn't remember.

Jane Sent on 10/17/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

I’ve been following photography websites/blogs for the past few years, so when time came to pick our own wedding photographer, I had a few lined up in mind already. However, my fiancé strongly recommended John because many of his friends hired John and highly recommend him. So, we went with John & I AM SO HAPPY we did. His down to earth personality quickly put us both at ease and his eye for light and beauty is amazing. At the end of our engagement session which was over 100 degrees, we both felt like a million bucks after spending a few hours with him. He is very encouraging, uplifting and you will just go wow after wow when you see the photos. On the wedding day, again, he blended right in with all our family/friends, making everyone comfortable and did an absolutely beautiful job. He got to see some of his friends/clients and i am so thankful we could become one of them! :)

Susan Sent on 10/16/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Pictures speak for themselves right....well behind every picture, there is a photographer. For my wife and I, we were very fortunate to have the most amazing photographer on board for our wedding...John of SimplyTwo Photography. I'm writing this review not only to speak about Johns eye for detail, his understanding of composition, framing and lighting, and his ability to produce stunning photos, but I'm here to speak about John's responsiveness, his organizational skills, and his ability to make the couples, families and kids that he is photographing feel comfortable. He has a way with his words and his character really comes out in the photos...Lighthearted, Fun, Natural, Cool, Composed, Intriguing, Professional...just to name a few characteristics. My wife and I enjoyed interacting with him prior to, during, and after the wedding. We enjoyed seeing him work and we really love the work he produces out of it. If his main purpose in being a photographer is to capture the most memorable moments in a very organized and easy going fashion, while still producing stunning photos, than he has accomplished that...plus some....plus some more. Thanks John.

Phi Sent on 10/13/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John Yao is more than just a guy who takes your photos. He is an artist who can work in any situation. Working with John, his philosophy seemed to be that the happier we were, the more fun we were having, the better the pictures will look - and the pictures look great! During your most stressful, chaotic times, John is a calming presence, reliable, fun, and professional. A few hours with John and he becomes one of your buddies. So many of our guests have complimented John's personable qualities and photos. He knows how to achieve the "wow" effect, which is pretty much everyone's reaction when seeing his photos. He is great at navigating through different personalities and difficult situations in order to make you feel comfortable and happy with your special day. When you go with Simply Two, you're going to have a good time, you're going to look good doing it, and when it's all said and done you'll have your most cherished memories captured by its full beauty

Liana Sent on 08/16/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

About 5 years ago, John was the photographer for one of my best friend's wedding and I had the honor of being in it. As soon as I saw John's work from that day, I knew I would want him to be my own wedding photographer one day.

Fast forward 5 years to when we got engaged, we didn't even bother looking up other photographers because we knew immediately that we wanted to book with SimplyTwo Photography. Since we live in SF, our correspondence with John was primarily through phone and email - he was so quick with his responses and follow-up it was as if he was just down the street. Not only that, John was very flexible in working with us around scheduling and the logistics of booking his flights up to San Francisco.

Engagement photos - John worked with us on multiple locations throughout SF. He has an incredible eye for detail, depth, color, lighting and everything else in between. He made us feel comfortable through it all and we never felt awkward or forced. John could immediately envision certain types of shots upon arrival to a new location and from that point on it was smooth sailing. Once we got the engagement photos, all of our friends and family raved about how incredible they looked and it got us even more excited for what was in store for us on our actual wedding day.

Wedding day photos - John worked with us for the entire day. He made our entire wedding party, family and friends feel so comfortable and at ease. John's ability to quickly identify amazing shots in every new location resulted in the most unique, creative and memorable photos that no one else would be able to capture. The photos truly captured the magic of the day.

We are so glad we were able to have John for both our engagement and wedding photos - he is hands-down the best decision we made amongst all the craziness of wedding planning. Do yourself a favor and book him as soon as you get engaged!!

Tina Sent on 08/11/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

I highly recommend John to be involved in your engagement/wedding photography. From the start, before we even signed our contract, he was so quick and helpful in responding to the millions of questions we had for him! We received so many compliments from our guests about how charming and friendly John was as he worked at our wedding. He arrived early, without charge, to get a head start on taking photos for us and was so easy and fun to work with throughout the entire wedding. He helped everyone relax and did an outstanding job of making everyone smile and laugh. Not only that, his photos stand out among other photographers as being simply magical. Our wedding was a fairy tale for us, and he captured it exactly like it was. We are so happy with the memories we are now able to see and have in our home forever, as well as the friendship we developed with him throughout the whole process. John is the best and if I had to go back again, I would hire him again. If he cost double of what he charged us, I would still hire him again. He is worth it!

Ana Sent on 07/10/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John is so unbelievably talented that it is actually difficult to find words that fit his abilities. When we started the wedding planning process, we looked at more photographers than we can remember. A friend of ours used SimplyTwo for her engagement/wedding photography and we were blown away by the photos. Once we saw John’s work we knew our photographer search was over. We first spoke to John via Skype and he instantly reaffirmed our suspicion that he was the perfect photographer for us. John took the time to get to know us as a couple and as people and worked to incorporate our personalities into our engagement and wedding photos. It never felt like we were posing for photos or “in front of the lens.” John made us feel like we were old friends hanging out for a day. He is adventurous and even a bit daring with his attempt to get the perfect photo. If you’re willing to go for it, so is John. SimplyTwo far exceeded our wildest expectations. The photos are spectacular and the professionalism and warmth that John brings is even more spectacular. Finding John was a blessing and we are so incredibly thankful that he lent us his talented eye for our sacred day.

Dorothy Sent on 06/11/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Qualities I look for in a friend: Thoughtful. Kind. Trustworthy. Caring. Patient. Dependable. Encouraging. Supportive. Funny.
Qualities I look for in a professional: Respectful. Passionate. Confident. Personable. Dedicated. Equally technical as creative.
Qualities I found in John Yao: ALL OF THE ABOVE.

First of all, it was truly amazing to watch John work; it was captivating to see the passion pouring out of him through every move he made, every word he had to say about each shot, and every time he took in a new surrounding presented to him. I could pinpoint the very moment his creativity would run wild; the moment I knew when all the images of lighting and timing, placement and angles would flash across his head like a film reel and his eyes would light up like a little boy at Christmas. I can promise you, nothing reassures your choice in a photographer than seeing the passion and dedication behind one's work unfold before your eyes.

The next thing that sealed the deal for me? Comfortability. See, there are those who love the camera; those who know how to engage the camera; those who come alive in front of the camera...and then there are those who get anxiety just thinking about ever having to be in front of a camera. Hi. Of course, John reassured me as any photographer would (even after I shamelessly told him how to do his job just to accommodate my fears) but I still had my doubts about being awkward, walking funny, and flashing a smile worth turning into a meme. Yet all these were quickly negated about five minutes into meeting John. It truly takes a lot to make someone feel comfortable in their most vulnerable moments. It's not a skill you can learn; it's not a degree you can major in...it's a characteristic you must possess. John embodies this and more in life and his work is a living testimony to it.

So keep searching for a photographer if you don't want to be disappointed...but STOP searching if you want to BLOW YOUR MIND WITH AWESOMENESS.

:)

User2586663 Sent on 04/24/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John was our photographer for our wedding and it was awesome! Our photos turned out beautifully and we were able to relive the day when looking through them. It was so fun to look through the photos from a different angle than we had experienced. He was great to work with and helped everyone feel comfortable throughout the whole day. He has an upbeat and fun personality which made working with him easy and enjoyable. When we first met him, it was like we already knew him and he was a great friend! Everyone from ourselves to our families, friends and vendors all enjoyed working with him. He has a great eye for detail and capturing the perfect frame. He is also creative which resulted in a stunning last shot of the night with a glowing arch and the beautiful San Diego skyline in the back! We highly recommend John for his work! Just do it.

Thank you, John! We love our photos! :)

User2569898 Sent on 04/06/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We got married on Feb 2016. There is a reason he has so many wonderful reviews. John makes taking pictures fun and relaxing. Even my husband, who didn't like taking pictures felt comfortable and had fun when we did our engagement pictures and wedding pictures. Our bridal party said that it was one of the most enjoyable bridal party photos they had ever taken. John has a wonderful way of explaining the shots he wants and have us execute them without us feeling awkward. John's editing skills are also top notch and the wedding previews we have received have gotten great responses from us and from all our friends. Lastly, both my husband and I had busy schedules and John was very accommodating in scheduling meet ups, communication, and our engagement shoot.

User2561426 Sent on 03/25/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John is exceptionally excellent! For anyone who has planned for any type of photoshoot (engagement, wedding, etc), it can be a wonderfully exciting, nerve-racking and blink-of-an-eye fast paced experience that we all hope can be timelessly captured in these memorable photos. And, in the midst of the hustle and bustle surrounding you and your loved ones, John Yao is that calming buoy in the sea of energy that provides steady direction and guidance. John is professional, respectful and skilled. During both our engagement and wedding shoots, it was easy to see how passionate and invested he was in us and our families. He was responsive in his communication with us during both these shoots as well as in the months in between. His empathy and understanding of our important day allowed him to anticipate our needs in such an easy-going manner. And, when the day was over and there was time to digest all the events of the day, we were so thankful for John's generosity and flexibility in his time and energy to creating such a smooth experience. John is a good man, and we are so happy to have had him be part of our special days.

User2548502 Sent on 03/07/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John is super flexible and easy to work with. He's really quick over email and was able to accommodate pretty much most of our needs. He makes everyone involved in the photo process feel really comfortable, which is key to great photos! He was even able to accommodate a rush request for some pictures that we needed earlier and instead of just sending us a few pictures that we asked for he sent us even more! Appreciate the extra effort he puts in!

Della Sent on 01/10/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John Yao = A.W.E.S.O.M.E.

People told us photography and videography are important for your wedding day (they are the actual artifacts you will have decades from now). We did so many comparisons before deciding that SimplyTwo (our photographer) was definitely worth it!!

What we looked for:
1. Quality and recentness of portfolio: A full time & dedicated professional who take awesome pictures.
2. Quality of pictures with people in it: Natural and recognizable faces – seeing people for who they really are (no forced smiles/poses), without any body parts (e.g. foreheads, hair, arms, feet, dress) being cut off.
3. Quality of pictures with the environment: Pictures that are proportional, balanced, aligned correctly, and centered especially with other vertical/horizontal lines.
4. Quality of pictures: Natural and real – not photoshopped. Light balanced and professional.
5. Quality of wedding portfolio: Tell the story of the whole wedding timeline and show the guests too. We want a lot of pictures. =)
6. Reference: We want to know that our vendors will not run off with our money without providing the products we paid for. Our friends had good experiences with SimplyTwo.
7. Albums: The quality of the albums (materials, quality of pages, quality of cover, longevity, actual pictures, alignment, spacing, etc.) matters.
8. Style: Our photographer has to have his style that also matches ours.
9. Personality: Someone with a great personality and who knows how to make people feel comfortable, smile, and have fun! Punctual, hard-working, and responsive.
10. Price: We spent a bit more than expected, but John Yao also went above & beyond our expectations! Worth it!!

We can’t wait to get all of our pictures and album! We know we will be WOW’ed again!! Book SimplyTwo and John Yao will WOW you too!!!!!

Amy Sent on 12/29/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

It's true what they say about weddings... "If there's one thing you splurge on, make sure you're happy with your wedding photos." Without a doubt, we knew John Yao would have us covered the moment we chose him to be our wedding photographer.

PHOTOS:
John has an eye for angles, lighting and backdrops. He knows his locations well and is able to work in almost any environment. He makes pictures look flawless through a lens. He suggested a great location for us to snap some sunset shots before our reception that turned out magical. When my husband and I saw some of the highlighted pictures John featured on his blog, we couldn't stop looking at them. Each one was near perfection and our wedding party loved the photos.

PERSONALITY:
John's got a positive spirit about him. He's down-to-earth, easy to work with and yes... a dog-lover. Some photographers give a unique vibe where it may be uncomfortable as you shoot photos throughout the day... But not John. He makes it feel like you've known him forever. We knew that was important and wanted to be comfortable with our photographer.

PROFESSIONALISM:
John earned our trust from the get go. He was very quick to respond to our emails, text messages and phone calls. There's something about a quick response that builds reliability and trust. He made us feel comfortable each step of the way leading up to the wedding and the day of. On the day of our wedding, John showed up earlier than the time he said he would and stayed until the very end with us. This is something I appreciate because it shows he really cares about his work and not about watching the clock. He sent us a preview photo 2 days after the wedding and we were featured on his blog 4 days after. His quick ability to develop, edit and post highlighted photos from our wedding kept us on our "wedding high" for days.

Thank you John for capturing our special day in the South Bay!

Xuan-Binh Sent on 11/18/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Outstanding. Professional, courteous, fun. Amazing eye for lighting. People constantly rave about our photos and the shots that he got.

Ian Sent on 10/26/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John is simply amazing. From the interview process to now, he has been far beyond succeed our expectations. His creativity and unorthodox methods allows him to be unique and efficient. His passion speaks for itself and it provides the marrying couple with ease even when everything else goes wrong. He deserves to be applauded.

Christina Sent on 10/25/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We <3 John. We used John for our engagement shoot and for the wedding. John's chill vibe is what you need on a crazy wedding day. He puts everyone at ease amidst the craziness. John was flexible and professional while wrangling unexpected amateur self-appointed family member videographers & photographers. Thank you so much!

Yun A. Sent on 10/23/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We had John from SimplyTwo Photography do our engagement photos and wedding photos. He was very professional and friendly at the same time, very easy to work with. He figured out great spots to take pictures and gave us just enough direction. At the wedding he made sure to get all the family pictures and took lead to make sure we got all the pictures we needed in a timely fashion in order to keep the flow of the wedding going. The engagement photos he took were awesome and all our friends and family loved them. We haven't received the wedding photos yet, but are sure they will turn out great too.

We would definitely recommend John to anyone that is looking to have a great experience with a photographer.

Eric Sent on 10/05/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

one of the best in his industry

Grace Sent on 10/02/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

You've already seen the his work; it's elegant, unique, and downright awesome. Now you're trying to decide, can my photos come out like that, and what's the experience going to be like?

Fears
1) I'm awkward and am not a model, what can John possibly do to make it look natural?
This is his kicker and what makes him special, divulged early just in case you don't read-on. It's his personality. He's the type of guy that anyone can get along with and act natural around. He uses what the couple enjoys most and their individual chemistry to capture moments that are fun, intimate, and crazy all at once. While you're hanging out with your boo, doing what you do everyday...enjoying each others company, he's shooting like mad giving guidance here and there to maximize the shot. This, in addition the care he shows towards his couples and passion he has for the craft will give you photos that are straight up FIRE.

2) I don't like pictures and have no ideas
He's as hands on or off as you'd like. Come with a slew of ideas and he'll refine them and execute it to make it work. Come with nothing and you'll feel safe and secure knowing he has the experience to exceed your expectations. A completely tailored experience.

3) Is John going to be all up in our face the day of the wedding obstructing everyone's view?
No, he's definitely very respectful of personal space and incognito. Someone else said he's a ninja. I would also agree and probably add Sasquatch.

4) Creative people like to play it by ear, is he going to be hard to plan and communicate with?
John is laid back and flexible but he's an excellent planner and on point when it comes to communication and response time.

Do yourself a favor and book SimplyTwo. It's the best wedding gift you could give yourself and will take away so much unneeded stress prior to, and the day of your wedding.

Love, Ryan + Grace

Lily Sent on 09/10/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John is such a talented photographer, plus our dog Patches loved him! We had both our engagement photos and wedding photos taken by John. Kudos to him because we were probably one of the more difficult couples to work with in regards to not having a single clue as to what we wanted. Both my husband and I are not what we would call photo people. We both don't like getting our photos taken and are super camera shy. We had no idea what we wanted out of our engagement nor wedding photos. Luckily, John was able to guide us through the photo shoots and get us more comfortable in front of the camera (or at least as comfortable as it'll ever get for my husband). :P

We received so many compliments from our engagement photos! All of our friends and family loved the photos, especially the ones with Patches. John was very patient in working with Patches during the engagement shoot too, because he isn't always the most obedient dog. But somehow John made it work and captured some of the most amazing shots ever that we will cherish forever.

It was also extremely easy to work with John. He is super flexible in multiple areas:
- The day before the engagement shoot, we decided to not drive down so far to Palos Verdes and so we changed the location up on John last-minute. Luckily John was ready with recommendations on the day of the shoot and was able to guide us through the location for some amazing photos.
- John was very flexible when traveling to San Jose, CA for the wedding. He ended up staying at our place with my husband's family.
- John was very flexible in allowing us to remove the slot for a dedicated couple photo shoot leading up to the reception in order to get some much-needed R&R after the tea ceremony. Despite that, he still encouraged us to take some couple photos at the venue during set up, which I'm really glad he did.

John is amazing and I wouldn't hesitate to work with him again. I can't wait to see the wedding photos!

David Sent on 09/10/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Our experience with John Yao/SimplyTwo Photography was fantastic. We really appreciated all his effort and time he dedicated for our engagement and wedding photos. Whenever my wife and I had questions leading up to our engagement session and wedding, he was very responsive both by phone and email. I tend to ask a lot of questions and he was kind enough to answer everything. For us, we noticed that he responded to emails in the middle of the night which I found very amusing. As we got to know him, we understood why as he logs many hours personally editing photos for his clients. On the day of our wedding, we didn't have to worry about John and his colleague, Chris, as they arrived to our hotel early. With everything going on the day of, you really don't want to worry about your vendors so it was great that he was professional, courteous and spontaneous to every moment. As we are not the most natural in front of the camera, John guided us during our engagement session and wedding day so that we are in the right position, light, etc...We really appreciated John taking the time to get to know us as well. For the wedding day, we hired a videographer and John worked seamlessly with him throughout the day capturing the days events. John, we want to thank you for everything!!!

User2290026 Sent on 08/28/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John is the best! Talented and professional! I enjoyed every pictures that he took! He is definitely the one you shall have to be your wedding photographer!

Loan Sent on 08/04/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John Yao of Simply Two Photography is a true visionary in the realm of wedding photography. He is passionate, focused and imaginative. He can capture amazingly beautiful photos in any setting. He has unlimited ideas and is always open to suggestions. We wanted to shoot with a motorcycle as our prop and John jumped into the idea with full excitement. He even somehow got us jumping into a refreshing water fountain and then splashing in the ocean waves at night.
The pictures came out beyond what I expected and I was in awe at his talent.

He is so easygoing, funny and has a great ability to bring out happiness and love in all his photos. Even if you are nervous in front of the camera, John has the ability to make you feel at ease. You will actually sometimes forget that there’s a huge camera in front of you and instead embrace the feeling of being in love.
He truly cares about his clients, and takes his time to get to know them on a personal level. He is so likeable that you just want to give him hugs and feed him Boba.
I have been a long time admirer of John’s work for years since we knew each other through mutual friends. Even before we were engaged, I dreamed that one day John would be our photographer. John and my now husband definitely made that dream came true and made me the happiest bride ever.

We were so fortunate to have John shoot both of our engagement session and our wedding day. Every time I look at the photos, it still takes my breath away and puts a huge smile on my face. Thank you John for the everlasting memories and friendship, which we will cherish forever.

Love,
Loan & Eric

User2249509 Sent on 07/30/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Do it! You know you want him!

Despite the drought here in California, all the momentous events of our relationship seem to be associated with a little sprinkle, starting from our very first date. This has been quite unfortunate for 2 people who hate getting wet. After all, who doesn't enjoy blue skies and sunshine?

That being said, I am so glad John Yao talked us into doing our engagement session in the rain. We had such a great experience with John and his flip flops, yes, flip flops, out hiking Eaton Canyon and downtown LA through an intermittent down pour. He was personable and made us feel at ease the entire time. Our photos turned out even better than we expected. It was exactly as he said, the rain brings out all the colors and reflections that you can't capture otherwise.

The day of the wedding was also wonderful. John was so professional and prompt. He kept shooting even though some of his camera lenses were stolen halfway through the day. All my friends and family were impressed with the photos. I could not be happier with him as our photographer and would recommend him 100%.

Thanks, John!

Yvonne and Martin :)

Junmin Sent on 07/29/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

I am extremely picky when it comes to photography due to my profession, so naturally I had a difficult time deciding on a photographer. I reviewed dozens of portfolios, but somehow I kept coming back to John's website. His work is not only clean, sharp, and vibrant with amazing lighting, but the couples' important emotional moments and fun times are well captured through John's lenses as well. Every photo is well composed with perfect skin tone.

Communication with John was prompt and easy throughout the whole process. When we met up with him, he was like a long lost friend - very easy going, funny and patient. I was surprised that he remembered all of his clients' names when I randomly mentioned a few of his previous shoots. His personality reflects in his work. He made us very comfortable in front of the camera during both our engagement shoot and wedding day. He came early and stayed late for our wedding just because he wanted to try out a few creative night shots. He is a true ARTIST! We had numerous compliments on our engagement photos from our family and friends. We've seen part of the wedding photos so far, and all we can say is "WOW! AMAZING!" We can't wait to see the rest!

Hire John for your big day! You won't regret it!

Grace Sent on 07/23/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

NUTSHELL: HIRE JOHN!! *** This is coming from someone who does a lot of her own photography and was tempted to clone herself and shoot her own wedding. ***

I have been following John's work closely for the last ten years. Being a photographer and artist myself, I have seen a lot of different styles out there, and John's is the only one that stuck with me this long. This is the essence of John's work that truly makes it special: it's clean, elegant, and timeless. You will love his work the first time you see it, but you will love it even more over the coming weeks, months, and years. Some photographers' work dazzles you at first glance but fades away in memory; not so with John's. You will want to look at his photos over and over again for their flawlessly bright colors, brilliant creativity, and authenticity of emotion.

John is a true Artist in every sense of the word, and he knows his craft so well that he accomplishes nothing short of magic. We had the pleasure of doing an all-day engagement shoot with John, and he somehow made a pitch-dark park look like a fairy tale kingdom, just to name one example. John is a wizard with his camera, and my single piece of advice is to trust his vision completely. We printed many of our engagement shoot photos to use at our wedding reception, and our guests loved them so much that a few even stole our photos to take home without our permission! In this age when everyone seems to have nice engagement photos, it really attests to the unique quality of John's work that people so desperately wanted to keep those prints.

John is a ninja on the day of the wedding. I seriously can't remember seeing him once during the entire ceremony, but later in our guests' photos, I saw John in practically all of them, working to get the best shots from every corner and angle. He blends seamlessly into your day and makes everything as stress-free as possible. He was worth every penny.

Don't worry about the money. You won't regret it.

Melissa Sent on 06/28/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

SimplyTwo is A.W.E.S.O.M.E. Planning for the biggest and most expensive party of your lifetime is soooo stressful, but John takes away that aspect for you. Photographs are arguably the most important part of the wedding, though you can argue with me whether the dress or the flowers are ;) But think about it – the whole day/night passes by very quickly as you are caught up in the moment. As well, you may be obsessing over every detail of the logistics, and you can miss seeing some people or certain parts of the party. I actually didn’t get to see my guestbook/escort card table setup because we were on a time crunch! Having these photos helped me relive it all from my guests’ point of view. Even better, John edits each photo “by hand” (none of those fancy photoshop filters “applied to all” or whatever). Plus, communication is prompt and easy – he is willing to communicate by any method you prefer.

Bonus! - He's featured in magazines! Who wouldn't want the bragging rights associated with that?
Another bonus! - Since dealing with vendors is primarily about "business", there is often a lack of a personal touch to it. Not with John - by the end of it all, you may just want to make him part of your wedding party!

Daniel Sent on 05/21/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We recommend John Yao of SimplyTwo for the fantastic experience he fashions and the memorable photos he creates. We scheduled an engagement session with John in early March of 2015. The planning process was extremely fun and John was on board from the start with all our hare-brained ideas. When a rainy day threatened to jeopardize our shoot, John showed himself as the man with a plan in any situation! He strategized to move the majority of our shoot indoors, and once the rain let up, he took us outside to some spectacular spots.

Throughout the session, John is your best fressional = best friend + professional. He keeps the mood fun and his mind in constant motion, resulting in no dull moments. We were impressed with his ability to direct our movements and poses, all the while keeping us feeling very natural. Additionally, John possesses a (metaphorical) 3rd eye in seeing the beautiful in something incredibly mundane. For example, as we were driving to the airport for a shoot, John asked us to pull over to a seemingly random gravel and grass patch. We looked at our surroundings and thought, "We look like we're in a dump!" But lo and behold, as John clicked away on his camera, he turned the scene from drab to fab when he gave us a peek what was on his camera screen. We enjoyed watching a master work his craft.

When deciding on a photographer, we wanted to choose someone who would produce photos we would be proud to show to our grandchildren. We can confidently say John's work fulfilled this hope. Thank you John for a wonderful day and many precious memories.

User2133742 Sent on 05/15/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

How John Amazed Us:

1) Mastering light - John can see the unseen and shoot beyond the world in front of us. It was 10pm, so dark we couldn’t see our feet, but John assured us that the brown building behind us will look great in the crappy street lights. I gave him my crazy person eye stare, but secretly trusted him. Yup, it mysteriously lit up like the white house. I soon realized that John was so one with his camera, he had the darkness under control. Despite horrible lighting conditions, our night photos were incredible. What you see is not what you get, it’s better. I once made the mistake of asking him why he didn't have a fancy umbrella thingy, to which he politely answered that as long as you understand the science of light, you don't need tools to manipulate it. The force is strong with this one.

2) Committing to his work - Speaking of late night photos, John spent ALL DAY with us on our engagement shoot. I greedily wanted to hit up 6 locations but was ready to give up on at least 2. Nope. Got all 6! Our wedding venue was a challenge, it was a yacht at noon; harsh sun, moving vessel, constant changes, confined spaces, yay! My wedding coordinator suggested that John meet up with her to go over scenic places and the nooks and crannies of the yacht. He got on the next appointment and knew the yacht inside & out. WHO DOES THAT!?!? This is going beyond the call of duty.

3) Capturing real moments - My wedding day went by so fast I felt like I missed out on the important details. Thank God John was there because he caught what we missed. John was also the reason why we did not get a videographer because there would have been split seconds of awesomeness that the video would have zoomed past; tiny, stolen glances, awkward and crazy poses of the garter catch, and the way your sweet old dad looks at you from afar as you embrace your husband. I missed those moments, and i even missed them on the home videos, but I found them in John's photos.

Jerry Sent on 04/21/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John is the epitome of a professional photographer. From initial communication to finished product (pictures turned out awesome), he was always helpful and flexible. The great thing about John isn't that he just takes great pictures for you, but you really get to know him as a friend and brother.

Joby Sent on 04/01/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

My wife and I were extremely blessed to have John Yao do our engagement photo shoot and capture our wedding. The first thing that struck us about John as we worked with him was his creative genius. He would scan the location we were in to get ideas for different shots. As he explained what he was seeing, I often found myself surprised because I just wasn't able to see what he saw. But once he took a few shots, he would show us what he had captured, and it absolutely blew us away. He quickly gained our trust. We also loved that so many of the shots that John took were so unique from what we were used to seeing from engagement or wedding photos. We've had so many people tell us that our wedding photos are the best that they have seen. John is also extremely personable. We hit it off right away and that helped us to feel more comfortable and natural during the shoot. He knew exactly when to give us cues to help us figure out where to put our hands or which direction to look, but it never felt forced or awkward. More than anything, what blew us away about John was his commitment and dedication to us. Our wedding was in Chicago, and there happened to be a situation the day before our wedding that forced both airports in Chicago to cancel all flights. John's flight was affected by this which needless to say, was a stressful situation. Without going into all the details, John spent the whole day at the airport trying to find a alternate flight, several of them which got cancelled, until he was finally able to find a flight to St. Louis that arrived at midnight. He took that flight and drove a rental car up to Chicago to get there the morning of our wedding on absolutely no sleep. Despite all of that, he was just as enthusiastic and professional about his work as he always is. If it's not obvious at this point, John Yao is the guy you want to hire for your wedding. Seriously...you won't be disappointed.

C Sent on 02/07/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John Yao of SimplyTwo Photography is a man of respectable talent. Having been an avid follower of his work for many years, I knew that his calendar fills up quickly so I booked him months before I even got engaged (without telling my fiancé!).

My fiancé and I were very nervous for our engagement session but with John’s guidance, we warmed up and started to feel more comfortable and at ease so our shots became more natural. We spent the whole day shooting in different locations and we were both amazed at how much fun we were having. It felt like we were hanging out with an old-time friend. One thing I've learned during the shoot is that John possesses an ability to capture raw, brilliant shots. He'd show us the most recent shot on his camera screen and it would blow our minds. He has a keen eye that can find beauty in the most ordinary spaces (like making a playground look like a backdrop in Napa) and his composition skills are exceptional. As an artist, he is always pushing his limits and continually experimenting. That's mainly the reason why all of his sets are unique to his clients no matter how many times he's shot those same locations.

John has a very relaxed personality about him and his motto is that not only is he your photographer, but also your friend, and I couldn't agree more. On our wedding day, John arrived early to scout the area for the best locations (something I had not expected but nevertheless appreciated!). He brought with him a kind and lighthearted demeanor that made our wedding party feel very relaxed. But he also had a sense of professionalism that kept us on schedule. He was on top of everything!

Our family and friends have complimented us tremendously on our photos. We know that hiring John was the best decision we made for our wedding. Without hesitation, we give John our highest regard and recommendation. You will not be disappointed!

Isabelle Sent on 01/22/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

I would highly recommend John Yao at simplytwo.com. I met John from college and have watched him grow as an artist and getting published at big-name magazines like The Knot. He's very down to earth and makes being in front of the camera comfortable. We live in San Francisco Bay Area, and we like him so much that we flew him up twice! John went way above and beyond for both our engagement and wedding photo shoots. We had a cooking and picnic theme for our engagement session, and after many hours of taking photos, he searched around the trail area and ended up finding a spot, where one of my very favorite photo with my husband was taken! Classy and timeless. On our wedding day, I rested at ease knowing that he was going to take care of us without missing special moments. Our wedding photos are amazing, and I am grateful for everything John has done for us.

User2234677 Sent on 01/16/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We highly recommend Simply Two Photography. You can trust John Yao to produce unique and beautiful photographs for you. You can also look forward to a photography experience full of laughter and joy- qualities that will not only come out in your pictures, but will help to make your engagement/wedding day unforgettable.

A few things that made John Yao stand out:

1) He addresses all concerns in a timely and detailed manner: After the initial email contact, John Yao continued to answer my questions over emails and phone calls (75+ correspondences). I appreciated just how friendly and encouraging he was whenever I brought up a concern.

2) He is personable, and listens to your needs/wants: Once we got to meet for our creative engagement session, John Yao took charge by giving us specific instructions with how to stand, where to look, etc. To help us relax, he would give us feedback so we knew what worked. Once Sam and I got the hang out if, the creative session began to flow naturally. Like a team, we all came up with ideas for poses, and managed to create some on-the-spot ideas to make the shots unique and fun.

3) He believes in creating beautiful photos, and is open to trying new/inventive things to make it happen: In addition to having strong technical skills and a strong work ethic, it was clear that John Yao had a lot of fun with this work. We were both willing to try new ideas, and this made both sessions (engagement and wedding day) enjoyable and exciting.

The final products blew away our expectations! Aside from great technique, we believe the distinguishing quality that made the photos stand out is John's ability to capture our emotions of joy and love. John understands how uncomfortable taking photos can be (just as we were in the beginning). He works with you so that you can relax and ultimately have fun. The results are priceless.

5 star rating, no regrets! Thank you John for memories that we will treasure for a lifetime!

Tracy Sent on 01/06/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

If you want AMAZING and WORRY FREE photography, then John @ SimplyTwo will not disappoint!!! I was one of those really indecisive brides, don't know which theme, what to wear, which venue, what favors/flavors/flowers etc...but when we met John at our initial appointment...by the end of the meeting, we left a deposit to secure our wedding date. That is how professional, but yet very familiar he made us feel. We loved our engagement photos, something that I kept going back to look at again and again. Our wedding day came and went in a flash, John was there throughout the whole time never in your way, but you will catch a glimpse of him off the side or on the floor to try and capture all the moments . We haven't seen our wedding day photos yet, but base off our engagement photos, there is nothing for me to worry about as I know he will deliver nothing but stunning photos. Cannot thank him enough on how easy and comfortable he made our big day.

Ann Sent on 01/06/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John was sooo much fun to work with. We definately made the right choice in investing in a good photographer. For the brides who are still searching for the perfect photographer, your search ends here. He is amazing!!!

Our engagement and wedding photos were absolute perfection. John really has the "eye" for photography and always manages to get the best angles and shots. We spent an entire day with him for our engagement shoot starting at our condo in Anaheim to San Juan Capistrano to Dana Point to Laguna Beach to Fullerton. His energy, willingness to go along with all our ideas and laid back personality made the day so much fun. It felt like we were doing a day trip around Orange County chillaxing with John. We had coordinated a list of shots I had wanted for our wedding day and John captured everything we asked for. He was punctual and always responsive to questions we had. My whole wedding party felt at ease with him right away and they all enjoyed taking pictures with him.

After looking at all my engagement and wedding shots, I can honestly say there is not one picture that I dislike. Our biggest challenge was picking the ones we wanted to print and make into a book since every shot was awesome. All of our friends and family love the pictures and praised John for his attention to detail. Their first reaction to the pictures was usually "WOW!!!" When comparing my pictures to friends who hired less expensive photographers, you can totally tell the difference in the quality and shots that you get. Yes its definately an investment to have John as your photographer but hes worth every penny! Pictures last a lifetime and I'm sooooo happy we were able to have John capture our special moment. I highly recommend SimplyTwo!!!

Lucy Sent on 01/06/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

I first fell in love with SimplyTwo Photography 3 years ago when one of my friends shared her engagement pictures with us online. The pictures were vibrant with color (but not so overdone that they came out tacky), focused on the couple (at times and on objects when it was appropriate) and just overall gorgeous. In the three years after I was exposed to those pictures, there were no other engagement/wedding pictures from others (in magazines and from friends) whose pictures even caught my eye. I knew John's work was special and exactly what I wanted as my keepsake for my once-in-a-lifetime life event.
When we started planning our wedding, we made sure to have SimplyTwo as our first vendor (even before choosing our venue and picking our wedding date--weird, right?). John is super responsive (he'll even respond when you're brainstorming late at night), incredibly easy to work with (it felt like we were having pictures taken by a friend), and he made sure he got EVERY shot I wanted and as well as the ones he wanted. I have no complaints. Even my parents were very impressed with his work (and it's not easy to impress them). If I could compensate him more for his work, I would.
Wedding photography is not cheap, but it's what you get to keep forever so you should definitely invest in a photographer whose work is to your liking. SimplyTwo Photography is simply the easiest decision to make for your photography needs. You won't regret it.
Thank you for everything, John!

Alison Sent on 12/25/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We first heard about John and SimplyTwo Photography from our friends. Many of whom had worked with John for their engagement shoots, and absolutely loved his work! We followed his blog for months, and couldn't agree more! John's attention to detail, and focus on natural lighting really brings out the fullness in everyone's expressions. John was amazing to work with, and his patience knows no bounds. He literally spent the entire day with us as we drove from LA to San Diego, and he went along with all of our ideas (and we had a LOT of ideas!). Always open to new locations and various poses, John is extremely flexible, providing great feedback and coordination. My fiance and I aren't typically photogenic, but John really made us feel comfortable and be ourselves in front of the camera. John is a true professional, and knows how to capture the magic of every moment. These are by far, the best pictures I have ever had the privilege of owning, and I will definitely recommend SimplyTwo to everyone I know. We can't wait to share these pictures with all of our family, friends, and wedding guests! You will not be disappointed!!

Tricia Sent on 11/25/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John is not only a terrific photographer, but a lifesaver!

When I was first planning my wedding, I let my fiancé handle the photographer since I was more focused on finding the perfect venue. He opted to book with a friend of a friend who recently moved to LA who also ended up cancelling on us before our wedding. I then took over and thought of John since he shot my sister's wedding, and I LOVED his style and his cool yet professional attitude.

So glad we booked with him! Looking back, I think having a great photographer is probably #1 on the list. This person spends the entire day with you from morning until night, and after all is said and done, the photos are the items you cherish forever.

We booked our engagement session only a month before our wedding, and John saved us again. He helped us find poses we liked and unique shots that just highlighted his true talent (ie. ocean waves crashing into us and night shots using only surrounding lights). He also worked his magic and got us back our photos in time to have some printed for the wedding.

Our wedding shots were just AMAZING! John followed us around all day and captured every perfect moment as I could have only dreamed. As a DIY bride, I am so glad that John took photos of our reception décor (and we had both a lunch and dinner reception). Looking back on the photos made me so happy because all the planning I did for MONTHS were captured so beautifully from the hand painted/drawn chalkboards to the succulents I grew on my balcony and delicately placed in containers for centerpieces. It was perfect.

I highly recommend booking John for you wedding and engagement shots. His is extremely talented and also a real pleasure to work with. He makes having your photo taken fun.

User1927391 Sent on 11/17/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Before I started any wedding planning, I knew photography was the main item I wanted to splurge on. Memories get fuzzy after a while, great pictures will last forever! After much research, I went with John- and I'm extremely glad I did. The reason I chose to go with SimplyTwo is pretty simple: a lot of wedding photographers I looked at have photos where the couples are placed in awkward positions, and a lot of "candid" ones seem very staged and not natural. In all of John's photos, the couples look relax, shots look natural, and he captures the happiness and love beautifully.

John was very responsive- from the first email we sent, to scheduling our engagement shoot (because of bad weather conditions, he took the time to do our shoot the weekend before his own wedding!), and to the wedding day itself. He was able to answer all our questions and listened to all our suggestions. I'm not a very creative person when it comes to posing for pictures, and was worried about the engagement shoot. John gave us a few pointers at the beginning and put us at ease, and we can definitely feel it get easier by moment. Within a week, we had a handful of edited previews to share with family and friends, which was awesome!

On the wedding day itself, he was with our wedding party the whole day. Both bridesmaids and groomsmen enjoyed hanging out with him. He's cracking jokes and making conversation during down time, and all business and professionalism when it's go time. He was on top of everything, and definitely took the reins very well when it came to directing both shots and people.

One awesome power (among many) that John possesses is the ability to find a location I wouldn't glance at twice, and manage to get beautiful pictures out of it. He also utilizes lighting extremely well. He is full of tons creative ideas too!

If you can budget it, I would highly recommend going with SimplyTwo!

Rob Sent on 11/05/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John is simply the best. In my line of work, I've had the privilege of working with a lot of different photographers on a variety of marketing, print and web jobs. My, now wife, brought Simply Two to my attention for our wedding and I was blown away by the quality of the work. On our first meeting we really nerded out of photography, lenses, technique and approach. We both knew he was our guy and signed a contract on the spot. Fast forward a year after an Engagement and Wedding shoot and I am even more impressed with John both for his technique and how much love he puts into his work. He may be the most talented of all the photographers I've ever worked with. Best of all was John's personality. He really works hard and does so with an incredibly positive and infectiously optimistic attitude. John shoots weddings for a living but during our two shoots I could tell that he was constantly trying to push the envelope and shoot things in new ways with different techniques. I can tell he is the type of person who constantly strives to do more and shoot better and that makes him both a great photographer and equally great person.

As a business, Simply Two is all John. He admittedly tries not to shoot wedding week after week so he can give his clients a lot of time and attention. So when you book Simplytwo you get John and only John. His site is full of his work and that of his usual second shooter Chris, who was equally delightful to work with. On a technical level, I was very impressed with a lot of the compositing and layering affects John did, in particular for our engagement shoot. For a lot of the sparkler and lighting effects he did required a lot of compositing and photoshop work that I wasn't expecting. Again, this is beyond what your typical wedding shoot would do, very impressive. The day after the wedding, he sent over a teaser of a shot from the wedding. Amazing...simply amazing!

Michel-Ann Sent on 10/30/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Having John Yao as our photographer made a huge difference for our wedding! When groomsmen and bridesmaids were acting awkward John helped break the ice and keep things running. Not only does he have an eagle eye for taking good shots, John excels at managing the wedding party and families. He has an amazing ability to effectively organize and instruct a group AND keep it fun and upbeat. We fell in love with SimplyTwo for the photo quality, and could not have had the same wedding without his managerial prowess. In the end, we will remember our wedding not only by the great photos from SimplyTwo and John Yao, but also the excellent experience.

Anna Sent on 10/17/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John is one of the best in wedding photography industry. He's been featured many times in wedding magazines for his awesome work. We knew John Yao for many years and the day we got engaged we knew who our wedding photographer was already going to be. Mr. John Yao from SimplyTwo Photography.
We had John shoot our engagement photos and our wedding day, both times John was very professional and punctual. John was very fun to work with because we were able to give him a few of our ideas and he was able to help us refine and execute those shots to make sure it was exactly what we wanted. He made us look so good that we never thought we could look so photogenic in our pictures. We got many compliments from all of our friends and family about the pictures that he took. He doesn't photoshop the pictures to the point where it looks fake and unreal, what he does is that he captures the perfect picture at the right time.

Everyone knows how stressful a wedding can be, especially being the bride. Fortunately, John was able to make our day more relaxed and carefree. He was funny and very professional at the same time. I will not hesitate to recommend John to any of my friends, although he's a little pricey, it's well worth it!!

Thanks John for your services!

Aaron Sent on 10/13/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Working with John (SimplyTwo) was one of the best decisions we made. I was a bit nervous going into our engagement shoot but John’s extremely friendly and relaxed attitude put me completely at ease and it went wonderfully. As for the wedding day, it was exactly the same…. With everything feeling like it’s moving at a million miles a minute and you just can’t catch your breath, John’s calm and professional attitude was a lifesaver. Overall, on a day as stressful as our wedding day, it was good to have John in our corner.

Kevin Sent on 10/06/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John Yao was an absolute pleasure to work with. He was extremely professional but also super fun. We really felt like to took the time to really get to know us as well as our families and wedding party. Words can't describe how amazing the pictures turned out. He has a very special style of photography that we had not seen before and we are so grateful to have John capture our special day. Every special moment was captured by John and we cannot say enough good things about him. 5 stars are simply not enough!

Ivan Sent on 09/20/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

My now wife and I have frequented SimplyTwo's blog for a few years now prior to us getting married, and were floored by what we saw. John Yao's work is the perfect blend of artistic ability, talent, and awesomeness. With that being said, my wife and I made up our minds early on during the early stages of the wedding planning process to make it a priority to book John for our big day ASAP. Clearly one of the best decisions we made!

John's incredible ability to instantly built rapport with not only the bride and groom, but also the wedding party, made our wedding photo session so much fun and enjoyable! When you have groomsmen and bridesmaids alike fall in love with John in a few short hours, you know you've hired the right man for the job. Looking back at some of our wedding photos, I'm still in awe by John's pure skill and how nice our wedding photos turned out. Even to this day, I'm constantly raving to my wife about what a superb job John did on our wedding day.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that such a photographer like John Yao existed, but HE does. God's gift to mankind in the flesh. Thanks John for everything! It was truly amazing to work with you. You truly made our big day special!

Christin Sent on 09/15/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

I heard about SimplyTwo through my friend. She told me this photographer gets booked up fast! So I looked through John's portfolio and I was very impressed. He even shoots for wedding magazines - wow! I was very happy he was available on our wedding day. He replied to our inquiry the same day and every email thereafter, he responded quickly. John was flexible as well. He worked with us to customize a package to fit our needs. It was more than what I originally wanted to spend, but wedding photos are worth the investment. They stay with you forever!

On the big day, we had so much fun with John. He was personable and professional. We could tell he's an expert at what he does. He knew if the lighting was too harsh, he guided us to be natural in our poses and I think he helped out our videographer too! So far we have only seen some photos on his camera display and a couple on Facebook and they are just breathtaking. We can't wait to see all the pictures!

Jennifer Sent on 09/09/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We just had our wedding this past Saturday, and John was so awesome! Although we haven't gotten our full set of wedding photos yet, we are already SO impressed with his work that I could not wait to write this review. John also did our engagement photos which we were also very happy with and used at our own wedding. As for the wedding photos, he has shared some of the shots he took right off of his camera, and he also shared some sneak peak photos both edited and unedited. If our unedited wedding photos already look that stunning, I can only imagine how gorgeous the edited photos will be. John truly has an artistic eye, and has the ability to find the light in the most beautiful and spectacular way. It's kind of amazing when you see the images on his camera and then look back to the spot you were just standing to see a completely different perspective. Not only is John a truly talented photographer, but he also has the ability to make you feel super comfortable as if you have known him for years as an old friend. We really liked how comfortable he made us feel, and appreciated how he would show us the shots after he took them so we knew what adjustments to make (and just to satisfy our curiosity). My husband is definitely camera shy, and John was able to crack him open which says a lot! So a BIG thank you to John. To anyone looking for a photographer, look no further, because John is it!

Joseph Sent on 09/04/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John Yao? More like, John "Wow"

John is like that old friend you haven't seen in a while- trustworthy, easy to get along with, and brings with him a sense of ease. But don't let his mellow attitude fool you - He is a strict professional that takes pride in his craft and oozes passion in everything he does - Look at his portfolio and you'll see what I mean.

To sum it up, he made us feel comfortable that he would take care of what needed to be done (and then some). He was responsive to our emails, and most importantly, made the engagement photos and the wedding shoot fun! I have no reservations with recommending John.

Carlton Sent on 08/11/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

TL;DR – John Yao is quite possibly the greatest wedding photographer in the western hemisphere.

Long version:

We hired John to be our wedding photographer in August 2013, and we couldn’t have been any happier. We found him to be professional, personable, and creative. Choosing a photographer can feel like one of the most stressful decisions during wedding planning. With so many variables in style, personalities, and levels of experience, it feels like you’re playing the lottery. We must have hit the jackpot!

Right from the very beginning, John made us feel relaxed and comfortable. His friendly, down-to-earth personality quickly lightened up the typically awkward first conversation. It was obvious that he knew his stuff and clarified all of our questions and concerns. He was honest, flexible and worked with us to stay within our budget.

The first thing we noticed about John was that he had an uncanny ability to put you at ease in front of the camera. We were not familiar with being photographed prior to the engagement session. However, after just a few minutes, John made us feel like he wasn’t even there! We also really appreciated that he encouraged us to "be ourselves" and didn't force us to be in awkward and unrealistic poses.

John looked for creative ideas to capture our unique personalities. We also loved his clean, simple style that makes photos look ridiculously epic and breathtaking. You could tell right away this isn't some amateur taking pictures with his iPhone - this guy is a pro!

Basically, John is everything that you’d like to have in a wedding photographer. He’s very good at what he does and is very easy to get along with. He’s just an all-around nice guy to be around and you could tell that he cares about you like a friend! We would highly recommend him to anybody who asks.

Linnea Sent on 07/28/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John Yao of SimplyTwo Photography is, to say the least, an amazingly talented artist. Not only does he know how to use light to capture brilliant shots that just make everything look stunning, he has a unique ability to build a rapport with people that makes the day go easier and flow more naturally. Having done both our engagement and wedding photos with John, I can say with complete certainty that he was the best person for this job. We are extremely happy with his skill, timing, and professionalism, along with his flexibility and creativity throughout the photo shoots. We also appreciated his light-heartedness and humor, and were so comfortable with him that he felt like a part of our wedding party! We give John the highest recommendation to be the photographer of any event you are having - you won't be disappointed! Thank you, John, for capturing the most important moments of our lives so far! :)

Quinn Sent on 07/07/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

My wife and I first heard of John’s work from a good friend who had nothing but good things to say about him. After my bride and I checked out his website, simplytwo.com, we instantly fell in love with his work and knew we needed to find out his availability asap and book our venue according to his availability.

Prior to scheduling any photo sessions, we met with John via Skype to become familiar with each other. Instantly, my wife and I found John easily relatable. He was so easy to talk to; we felt like we were talking with a friend than a vendor.

During our engagement photo session, John showed a high level of excitement and was able to make my beautiful bride and me comfortable. He makes it so easy for you to just be yourselves during the photo shoot. There was never an awkward or dull moment. It was amazing to see him at work, recognizing certain lighting and angles that we would have never noticed.

And let’s just say, the photos turned out freakin’ awesome! You can tell that he cares about the details and makes sure to capture each precious moment as though they were his own. He demonstrates exquisite care to produce each image in its best condition. The quality of his work is unparalleled.

After the session, John was extremely responsive to any questions my bride or I had. Also, we received the DVD containing our photos in the time frame he had promised.

Leading up to the wedding, John was very flexible in meeting with us and planning out our ceremony schedule. John definitely made us feel as if we were his top priority and he would do whatever it takes to get that beautiful shot that perfectly captures the moment.

And yes, the wedding photo highlights that we have seen so far are much better than my wife or I could have imagined. We almost cannot wait to see the rest.

We are so happy and thankful for the superb work John invested in our wedding and we would be more than happy to use him a thousand times over again.

Emily Sent on 06/17/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John at SimplyTwo is the absolute BEST. My husband and I have been fans of his work for years and love reading his blog and checking out his photos. We booked our engagement photos as well as our wedding photos with SimplyTwo and John has NOT disappointed us, not even a little. He was professional and put us at ease so that the photos captured our personalities and dynamic as a couple. Wedding photos are the one thing from the wedding that will be shared with friends and family over and over again - you want them to be the best. My husband and I relive our wedding through John's photos and all the happy/giddy feelings rush back each time. You will NOT be disappointed if you book with SimplyTwo. We can't wait to shoot more creatives with John in the future!

Annie Sent on 05/30/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John is simply AMAZING. He is so good at putting an anxious bride at ease to get those amazing shots. I knew from the moment we met him, we were going to have EXCELLENT photos. He is so willing to take on suggestions and making them more than we ever hoped they would be (i.e. our sparkler shots for our engagement). LOVE, LOVE, LOVE all that you do and I would recommend him to EVERYONE.

Jimmy Sent on 05/19/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

SimplyTwo was very professional, laid back, fun, and the pictures were great! It should be difficult to find all these attributes in one business, but SimplyTwo provides it all! John makes sure you are very comfortable in front of the camera, and he is able to capture very natural moments. I picked SimplyTwo because I've seen John's portfolio, and nothing compares to the quality and uniqueness of his shots. As a bonus, he is just wonderful to work with!

User1602873 Sent on 04/29/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Hands down, Simply Two Photography was the best vendor choice to capture the big and small moments of both our wedding day and engagement shoot. John Yao produces high quality images that combine priceless emotions with the soft touch of beauty in every detail of each photo! Whether via text, email, or phone call, John responds within 24 hours or sooner. He is easy to work with and flexible to accommodate any sudden changes. He also gave his input when working with planning the overall flow of the day. John's many years of experience and beautiful talent behind the lens makes him the best wedding photographer!

Best pictures are always the jumping ones!

Tiffani Sent on 03/31/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Du nu nu nahhhhhhh!!! Herey Herey JOHN is seriously the most amazing photog in all the land!! It does NOT get better than this fella. From the moment we met with John his chill demeanor and artistic swag shone through! We had a vision for our engagement shoot and John made it look straight out of a magazine! It was so easy to be natural around him and trust he knows what he is doing. Our wedding day was perfect and John made sure to capture each moment ......he was so sly we never saw him around but he caught every moment and moments we had no idea were being watched. The product looks soooooo crazyyyyy good its overwhelming. I have never seen another wedding photog take such artistic pics before. John we are so grateful for you and your talent!

Lillian Sent on 02/24/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We met with several photographers for initially and decided on John as we thought his sample pictures were exceptional and his personality was very easygoing. Throughout the entire process, John was extremely responsive, flexible, and just wonderful to work with. We did an engagement shoot as well as the day-of photography. My husband and I are kind of awkward in front of the camera and not very photogenic but John put us right at ease and the engagement session was great practice for the big day. He has a brilliant eye for poses and settings that look natural and worked well for us.

For the day of, John was on time and professional (and funny!). We got many comments from our friends and family about John's great personality. He put us right at ease. The pictures went quickly and smoothly. We were eager anticipating how the pictures would turn out.

A short month later, we received the pictures in a beautifully packaged CD, and they looked great! There are so many wonderful shots that I can't wait to print out. They definitely look like they're from a professional photographer. We shared the pictures with our friends and family and they raved about them as well. We would recommend John to anybody looking for a wedding photographer with our highest recommendation. Thanks for a really great job John and for documenting our day beautifully!!!

Leslie Sent on 01/13/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Awesome guy and an even awesomer photographer!!! Very professional and flexible! He made my husband and I very comfortable in front of the camera. Our engagement pictures turned out amazing! And we can't wait to see our wedding photos!

Megan Sent on 11/15/2013

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John is an awesome photographer. He is talented, creative, and works really well with people.

Our engagement shoot took a full day traveling around LA (including being in LA traffic), but John never complained. He was professional and patient throughout, capturing the exact pictures and locations that we wanted and adding his creativity into the mix for some of our most memorable shots.

On the wedding day, John arrived about an hour before our scheduled time for photos, and when asked why he was there so early, he replied, "An hour early is on time." (That made my mom happy.) During the family photos, which I expected to be pure chaos, John was funny, engaging, and got everyone's attention directed to him.

My only advice to brides is to book early--we booked him over a year before our wedding. His 2013 calendar was booked before the year even started!!

Sylvia Sent on 11/05/2013

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

A long overdue review! I have nothing but compliments and praise for John's work. He is extremely creative and has a way of using mundane props/settings to your advantage in every shot. He also listens to what you want and does his best to deliver. With John, you can simply relax and enjoy yourself because he makes it very easy to forget that there is a camera in front of you. On our wedding day, i was concerned that we wouldn't have enough time for pictures but John managed to squeeze in a ton of shots without pushing us over our schedule. All in all, both our engagement and wedding photos turned out great and I am more than pleased with the result. Would I choose SimplyTwo if I had to do it all over again? Absolutely!

Niti Sent on 10/11/2013

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

I first saw John's work when my (now) sister-in-law showed me her Engagement Session & immediately, I fell in love. I told my (now) husband then, if we were to get married, we will use him!
Fast forward a year later, my husband proposed and as soon as the excitement wore off, we contacted John. We knew that he only does 19 weddings a year, and I wanted to make sure that my wedding was one of the 19 for 2013! We wanted him as a photographer so bad that we actually worked around HIS availability to choose our wedding date and was it totally worth it? YES!!
From the moment you meet John, he immediately makes you feel comfortable and its like you've been friends forever. My husband is definitely camera shy and does not like taking pictures, but on our engagement shoot and wedding day, my husband was totally into it because of how comfortable John made him feel.
We get compliments on our pictures ALL the time and it is because of John's talented vision. You may take 10 pictures at the same spot, but the product will be 10 different set of beautiful pictures. I can't say enough good things about him! I highly recommend to any bride who would like to capture the big day in a BEAUTIFUL way. :) Thank you John from the bottom of our hearts! We couldn't have chosen a better photographer to capture our moments. Expect a call in a few years when we are ready for our first family pictures. :)

James Sent on 10/10/2013

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John is a master photographer. When you first meet him, he seems a bit shy and coy, but once the gloves come off, he is a whiz with the camera. He notices things that novices and experts alike don't take into consideration. His imagery captures the very soul of the moment.

The first thing you'll notice about his photos is the lighting. His daylight pictures stream through and make the subject matter seem something out of a Robert Frost poem or a Renaissance painting. However, his best pictures have the rich colors he captures at twilight. It took only one look at some of these pictures for us to pick him without a second thought. He also works with you to incorporate props, dinosaurs, and whatever you want and can think of into your pictures. John's cool demeanor belies his youthful humor and he will keep you smiling throughout the process. From your engagement pictures to your rehearsal and finally to your wedding day, John gets all the shots you want and those special pictures that every bride and groom envisions at their wedding.

Unknown to us, a friend of ours also hired John as their photographer after we hired him, but before we got to meet him in person. We had the opportunity to see him in action and he did not disappoint. Several people made passing comments at both our friend's wedding and our wedding that John "doesn't look out of place. He was dancing with the crowd while capturing shots. He was a part of the party." And to us, this is the best way to capture candid pictures of your friends and family.

Weddings are supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime event. These pictures will provide a wonderful vivid reminder of that special day years to come, so you might as well go with the best.

And for the bridezillas out there, John takes many pictures for wedding magazines - although he will be too humble to tell you that in person.

User1370863 Sent on 10/09/2013

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John is an awesome photographer! He truly follows his motto: owner. photographer. friend. John treats you like he would his actual friend and throughout the whole process of working with him it's quite apparent how much time, commitment, effort, and most of all care that he provides his clients. John is super personable and always tries to make you happy and comfortable throughout the whole process. He gives you advice and coaching to make you feel comfortable during the photo sessions. John always does not only what you ask him to, but he goes above and beyond even when the tasks you ask him to do aren't part of his job. Besides being super easy to work with John needless to say, takes amazing photos! I have gotten numerous comments on my engagement photos as well as my wedding photos. One of my guests even commented at the wedding that she wished her photographer thought of some of the poses and settings John chose to take for us. I highly recommend John if you are looking for someone really personable, caring, and takes awesome photos! :)

Seth Sent on 10/03/2013

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We can't even begin to describe what an amazing experience it was to have John as our wedding photographer. As a Hawaii bride and groom, we were desperate for a high quality photographer at an affordable price. What we found in John was so much more. Not only was he by far the most talented wedding photographer we found, but he also worked out a great “destination” package for us. Moreover, he listened to and cared about our story, and became our dear friend and not just our photographer. He attended the bachelor party, wedding rehearsal and rehearsal luncheon, and made it a point to connect with people and make them feel at ease. He has a way of making even the most camera shy person comfortable in front of the camera and look photogenic! He was also super flexible - we asked if he would be willing to do an engagement shoot for us straight off the plane three days before the wedding, and not only was he willing but he brought so much creativity and adventure to our shoot. He didn't stress when wedding day preparations weren't running on time, but found ways to take all the shots he needed and make sure we were all still having a great time. We love his photojournalistic style - we just got our 1000+ wedding photos, and they are beautiful and full of emotion. John went out of the way for those too; I (bride) had pinned favorite shots of his on Pinterest and when he heard this he looked up my profile and took note of all the shots I wanted and made sure I got all of those at the wedding (raining flower petals and all!), and even looked at other pins just to get to know me more and what kinds of things I like. On top of all that, John is wacky and FUN – many of our favorite memories from our wedding are times we spent with him! Now we just need another excuse to hang out with him again…

Sheryl Sent on 09/27/2013

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

What can I say about this guy!?

After seeing his work from a few of my sorority sisters' weddings, I thought to myself, "this guy takes great photos and for my friends to use the SAME guy for their weddings... I think I am going to have to snatch him up!"

Contacting him was so easy! he's quick to respond and easy to keep in touch throughout the whole wedding planning process! In my case, I had to plan everything when my hubby to be was in town because he's a military man so of course i needed someone to be flexible whenever I needed him and John was Great!

I used him for my engagement session and wedding day and he went above and beyond what we expected. Of course it was awkward having someone take our pictures and helping us pose but it didn't take long for us to feel comfortable in front of John's camera. He's got great people skills. Literally, his personality is great to get along with and his humor was well fit to ours and soon enough it felt like he was part of the family :)

It also helps that John's photos are greatly inspired by location, angles, and lighting. Neither my husband or myself had any idea how to pose, where to go, and what to do during our engagement session and wedding day. But with John's talent and experience, I LOVED how he was able to take our locations and help us capture AMAZING photos.

On our wedding day, we had him the WHOLE day and it was great having not to worry about time restraints. Also he was great dealing with my large bridal party. He got along with everyone so well and made taking photos fun and creative, rather than a chore. I had no complaints :)

I'm sure I'll be working with John again! I definitely recommend him!

Jennifer Sent on 09/25/2013

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

I first met John Y. (SimplyTwo Photography) when he shot my MOH's wedding a year before ours. Immediately, I knew I had to book him even before I was officially engaged! I was immediately sold on the way he connects with the bride, groom and wedding party, and told my now husband (then bf at the time) that we have to book John when we get married!

So fast forward a few months, we got engaged, and pretty much picked our wedding date accordingly to John's availability. John met my husband, David for the first time when we had an initial meeting at a local boba shop in West LA. David immediately liked his laid back attitude, creative ideas and work with you as a friend approach.

We spent a whole day with John for our engagement photos and felt so comfortable with him taking our photos. We toured around LA, shot in the rain and got drenched at some point, but it was so much fun thanks to John's creative and fun style. We absolutely loved our engagement photos and received endless compliments from our family and friends.

Now, for the big day. By the time, September 15th came around, we felt like we've known John for years. When he showed up at the hotel to shoot our wedding that day, it felt like seeing a good friend right before the wedding. He helped plan and coordinate a lot of the schedule so that we would maximize our time. He made both David and I feel comfortable and most importantly, special. You don't get the feeling that this is the 2374820078th wedding he's shot, but rather he is a good friend that genuinely wants to capture all the special moments of our big day. As the wedding day continued, and things got hectic, he was always there to keep everyone calm. He also works very well with all of our vendors! We felt like one big happy family. We couldn't be happier with John Yao at SimplyTwo and would recommend John for shooting all your life's biggest moments!

Brenda Sent on 08/23/2013

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

I really don’t know where to begin when it comes to John’s character and professionalism. After many recommendations and looking over other photographer’s portfolios, nothing compared to John’s work. After viewing and speaking to John we knew he was the one we wanted to hire for our wedding. We were worried we wouldn't be able to afford him because of our tight budget, but he worked with us and made it happen. I’ll admit even then we were still worried, but my husband and I were so impressed by him and the quality of his work that we said, “Forget it! We are keeping him!” and it was the best decision we made. He delivered beyond our expectations. He is truly gifted in capturing candid, intimate moments, your best angles at the best time. If you feel unsure on how to pose or position yourself, don’t worry . . . With his experience he will guide you and make you feel comfortable and look natural in any setting! Believe me when I say, you will NOT regret hiring him. He is helpful in every way. We truly enjoyed every moment working with him!
Part of our package included the engagement session and we were blown away! We loved our engagement photos so much we used them as mini Polaroid favors for our guest. We got tons of compliments on our pictures. Everyone asked us who our famous photographer was! Our entire party adored him for the simple fact that he is easy going, relaxed, kind, patient and extremely talented. We definitely plan on using him for future events!
Our wedding day felt like a blur so being able to go back and look at pictures is the closet we get to relive our wedding day. It’s been exactly two weeks since our wedding and we already have tons of pictures to look back on. John is prompt and will not keep you waiting like most do. My husband and I are open to speak to anyone who wants to know more about what is like to work with John. We give John permission to use us as a reference

Thank you, John for all your help! You rock!

Brandon Sent on 08/22/2013

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John was such an awesome photographer for us on our big day! As we were thinking about the many things that go into planning a wedding, we definitely wanted to hire a photographer that would allows us to relive and enjoy our wedding day years later; this is why we decided to go with SimplyTwo. We knew that hiring John to shoot our wedding was a no-brainer because he is so flexible to any ideas that you may want for engagement shoots, bridal party shoots, etc. On the other hand, if you're someone that find it hard to envision what kind of shots you want, John gives wonderful suggestions and guides you through the entire process so that your shoot will be fun, amazing, and memorable. I also appreciate the fact that he communicated things really well with us, and he knew exactly where he needed to be and when he needed to be there. His fun, easy-going, yet professional personality made our time with him enjoyable. Thanks again for all your hard work John :)

Kelly Sent on 08/05/2013

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We knew we wanted John to be our wedding photographer, YEARS before getting married! He was the easiest and best vendor we booked for our big day. We didn't have to worry about anything. John really cares about each couple he works with and has the professionalism and quality to boot! The hubby and I are in love with our engagement and wedding photos. John really goes above and beyond a wedding photographers' duties and adds his personal flair and expertise in all of his shots. He gets to know every couple he works with, and knows what they're looking for in their photos. John is very efficient, responsive, caring, and great to work with.

C Sent on 07/16/2013

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

John is SO talented! He has really fancy equipment, but that only does not make a good photographer. A good photographer must have the creativity and the skill to be able to capture the moments, and John has both the eye for the creativity and the skill for getting that perfect shot.

We also can't wait to see what all the final pictures look like! John was so speedy with giving us a preview of the shots he took with his teasers and favorites and sharing some photos that he captured as quickly as the day after the wedding! I don't know of any other photographers that can make that fast of a turnover to let you preview what your wedding looked like.

Also, John was such a trooper! Our wedding day happened to be during a heat wave and he never once complained about the heat despite the fact that he was wearing a suit AND carrying all his camera equipment.

All in all, My husband and I are both so satisfied with working with John, we would definitely recommend him to others.

User1284267 Sent on 07/02/2013

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Best decision ever! Really.

We contacted John immediately after we got engaged (even before deciding on a venue!). I (the bride) had been stalking Simplytwo Photography for a few years before I got engaged and absolutely loved everything about his work.

Fast forward a year..we finally got to meet the famous John Yao for our engagement shoot. He was super friendly, down to earth, and CHILL! Our engagement shoot was not rushed at all and John took the time to explore the location prior to the shoot. He made us comfortable from the beginning and it just became natural.

Fast forward another 5 months..our wedding day. John arrived early and entertained the crazy and loud bridal party. He worked so well with our videographer, wedding coordinator, and everyone else who helped us with our wedding.

We just can't say enough awesome things. My husband cannot stop talking about how awesome you (John) are and how your work is amazing :).

Thank you Simplytwo Photography for making our wedding process absolutely memorable. We can't wait until we get to work with you again!!

SimplyTwo Photography Reviews

Reviews

SimplyTwo Photography