Chugach Peaks Photography Reviews
Reviews
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
Awards
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![Danielle]()
Danielle Sent on 07/05/2026Helicopter Elopement
We did a helicopter elopement with Outbound Helicopter and Chugach Peaks Photography. We could not have had a more amazing experience. Joe booked the helicopter and kept us up to date as the day approached. Our wedding day was perfect. We had a ton of fun hanging out all day with Joe and Logan (our pilot). Everything was incredibly easy while getting to see the most amazing topography. Would do it over and over again.
Could not speak more highly of the whole experience. Our photos are beautiful, natural, and capture our personalities. -
![Julie]()
Julie Sent on 11/19/2025Captured a once in a lifetime opportunity!
We couldn’t have asked for a more magical experience with Joe from Chugach Peaks Photography! From start to finish, he captured every moment of our wedding day with incredible artistry and care. The photos are breathtaking — from the intimate details to the big, emotional moments, every shot feels alive with warmth, love and authenticity.
The highlight of the night was when the northern lights appeared, and Joe somehow managed to capture them perfectly above us — it looked straight out of a dream! Their ability to balance the natural beauty of Alaska with the emotion of our day was truly exceptional.
Beyond the stunning images, the Joe was professional, fun, kind, and made us feel completely at ease in front of the camera. We’ll cherish these photos for the rest of our lives. If you’re looking for a photographer who can capture both the magic of your love story and the beauty of Alaska, Chugach Peaks Photography is the one.
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Mari Sent on 09/29/2025
Amazing Wedding Photography
I had heard about Chugach Peaks Photography through social media. I was drawn to them because of their ability to capture beautiful moments with nautral scenery in the background.
They have multiple photographers to choose from and after looking at their portfolios, we decided to work with Shannon. She did an amazing job taking our photos, giving us direction with our poses, and also listening to what we wanted. She was so nice and attentive! We especially liked her attention to everyone at the wedding. We felt so relaxed and had so much fun!
We also worked with Joe on our contract. He answered our questions right away and we connected with him over our initial phone call. He is very friendly and professional. We knew we were in good hands!
I cannot recommend working with Chugach Peaks enough! They captured our wedding day perfectly and I'm so happy with how our photos turned out. -
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![Andrea]()
Andrea Sent on 09/03/2025My photos broke the same week as Taylor Swift's engagement; mine were cooler
Chugach Peaks where to begin?! In short: The Dream Team. Perfection.
From the very beginning, their communication was unparalleled. Every detail was thoroughly planned and communicated flawlessly via email. Joe had great expertise and made sure we got the absolute most out of our day even though we wanted to do so much. He seamlessly organized a once-in-a-lifetime experience that included multiple glacier stops via helicopter where we went to deep blue pools, cliff edges, and climbed up boulders. We had an absolute blast, had zero safety concerns, and even got to see baby goats!
We also had a traditional wedding ceremony at a separate venue, and the transition between these two very different parts of the day was effortless. All on the same day if you’d believe it, and not one part felt rushed. Our reception was a blast and they captured most amazing candid shots where you can feel the energy and happiness. They simultaneously caught the big picture and the little details.
The result? A perfectly orchestrated, epic day and a gallery of stunning images.
P.s. Zero hate to Taylor Swift, but I got all my photos the same week she got engaged and I think my photos are way cooler. Just sayin’.
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![Allie]()
Allie Sent on 11/24/2024Wonderful Wedding Experience
We can't recommend Chugach Peaks Photography enough! Joe was very attentive and helpful from the planning process to photographing our small Girdwood/Turnagain wedding day. We received a ton of very helpful information and advice from Chugach Peaks well before our big day. At one point we considered booking a helicopter and received excellent recommendations and contacts from Joe, and, when we decided to pivot, he was full of wonderful ideas for how to best celebrate and photograph our day. He was so kind and comfortable to work with, and took us to some really lovely places. He truly helped make our day exceptional, all in a professional and personable manner. When we received our photos, it took us WEEKS to narrow down our favorites, as there were so many beautiful photos to choose from. Joe did a great job of capturing us and who we are. He also took some of the best family candid shots ever. Thank you, Joe!! We 10/10 recommend Chugach Peaks Photography! -
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![Laura]()
Laura Sent on 11/03/2024An Unforgettable Wedding Experience with the Exceptional Joe Connolly of Chugach Peaks
My husband and I had the absolute pleasure of working with Joe Connolly, the incredibly talented owner of Chugach Peaks, to photograph our wedding in Juneau this summer, and we couldn't be more thrilled with the entire experience. From the very first moment we reached out to Joe at the start of our wedding planning, through to the day of our wedding, every aspect of working with him was seamless, professional, and truly exceptional.
Reaching out to Joe early on in our planning process was one of the best decisions we made. His wealth of knowledge and thoughtful recommendations—whether it was suggesting vendors or providing details for our helicopter package—made a world of difference. Joe and his team were always organized, prompt, and incredibly helpful in their communication, both before and after the wedding, which took so much stress off our plates.
On the day of our wedding, Joe went above and beyond to make the entire experience unforgettable. He guided our helicopter pilots to breathtakingly beautiful locations on both the glacier and the mountaintop and even coordinated the positioning of the helicopters to ensure they were perfectly framed in the shots. His skill at directing us and making us feel comfortable allowed us to capture some of the most stunning and intimate moments of our day. After our helicopter adventure, Joe continued to surprise us by taking us to more incredible spots around Juneau—beaches, forests, fields—to ensure we had a diverse range of amazing photos.
Joe didn’t just make our day unforgettable; he made it genuinely fun. His adventurous spirit and easygoing nature made the day feel relaxed and exciting. My husband and I loved chatting with him throughout the day, and he made the whole experience feel personal and special.
As if that wasn’t enough, Joe created an unexpected Instagram video for us on his flight back to Anchorage that same evening! It was such a thoughtful surprise, allowing us to share a glimpse of our day with friends and family while we eagerly waited for our full photo gallery. And speaking of photos, Joe delivered them much faster than we anticipated, since our wedding was earlier in the season. The quality and beauty of his work left us completely blown away.
Joe is more than just a photographer—he's a true professional and a master of his craft. It's no wonder he's such a highly regarded wedding photographer. If you're looking for someone who genuinely cares about making your day extraordinary and preserving those memories for a lifetime, look no further. Hire Joe—you won’t regret it! -
![Kalie]()
Kalie Sent on 08/25/2024What a wonderfull day !
We couldn't be happier with our decision to work with Chugach Peaks Photography for our wedding. From start to finish, their team exceeded all our expectations. They were professional, attentive, and genuinely cared about capturing the essence of our special day.
The photos are simply stunning—full of emotion, beautifully composed, and perfectly capturing the breathtaking Alaskan landscape. The entire experience was seamless, and their team made us feel comfortable and at ease throughout the day.
If you’re looking for a photographer who will go above and beyond to make your wedding memories last a lifetime, we highly recommend Chugach Peaks Photography. We are truly grateful for their incredible service! -
J Q Sent on 07/16/2024
World's greatest heli adventure photographer? YES
WOW! Beyond impressed with Joe's knowledge, guidance, resources, tips and the PHOTOS! Joe was so wonderful in guiding our adventure elopement, was so fun the day of and the actual photos are OUT OF THIS WORLD. Joe is THE EXPERT here. You would have to be crazy to go with anyone else for an Alaska elopement or wedding. Joe is so personable and he went out of his way to scout for us the day before and tailor the day to our dreams!!! So grateful that we found him! -
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Mark Sent on 06/22/2024
A Perfect Day
My wife and I had a perfect wedding experience thanks to Joe Connolly from Chugach Peaks Photography! Joe has been a life long photographer and exceeded our expectations for capturing our wedding day on Knik Glacier. His experience and knowledge of the area gave us the most incredible photo opportunities and made the search for unique photo spots effortless. We couldn’t be happier with our photos! -
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![Alaina]()
Alaina Sent on 09/26/2023Amazing!!!
Chugach Peaks Photography made our special day extra special. Nick, our photographer, was awesome and very easy to work with. He knew the area and knew where to get the prime shots. As for the overall process, from start to beginning, it was very organized. The instaproofs were available online and available to all those who you want view. All communications/instructions were very clear and honestly conveyed. -
![Katelyn]()
Katelyn Sent on 09/26/2023Professional, Talented, and Awesome.
My husband and I recently got married on a glacier and Joe was our photographer. It was more awesome and beautiful than we ever could have imagined in our wildest dreams, and we could not have planned it alone. Joe helped curate the experience from day one, and he went the extra mile in so many ways. He helped us book the helicopter company (shoutout to Outbound Heli Adventures), included a list of vendors, and even provided a list of things to do in the area. He made sure we were prepared for the weather as well. He is an incredible artist who is experienced with navigating the terrain, and he ensured our utmost safety throughout the day. His portfolio speaks for itself, and we are so blessed to be a part of it. If I could give 10 stars, I would. -
![Christine]()
Christine Sent on 09/22/2023Best Wedding Day Decision
We are so happy with our photos from Chugach Peaks! Monica was lovely to work with and helped us with posing. She included a diversity of scenery and was flexible enough to go to three locations with us. She assisted with getting our very large family coordinated for group photos rather quickly and she captured several amazing candids of us and our guests as well. Monica really listened to the type of photos we wanted and captured every moment perfectly. -
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![Magdalena]()
Magdalena Sent on 09/06/2023Highly recommended!
Joe and Nick were amazing!! So, my husband and I had this idea to get married in Alaska with grizzly bears in the background. Joe suggested a spot, shared some pictures of it, and gave us some helpful tips. He was always very honest and didn't beat around the bush. On the actual day, Nick was our photographer, and he was super patient with us, paid attention to small details, and we're totally in love with the awesome photos he took.
Also, our elopement had to be delayed for two days because bad weather stopped us from flying. Luckily, Nick was still available, and we're so thankful for his professionalism and flexibility.
Lastly, we were expecting to get our pictures within 10-12 weeks, but we received them just two weeks after our elopement!!
Thanks a bunch, Joe and Nick, for making our elopement so memorable! -
Cori Sent on 02/28/2023
Beautifully crafted wedding photography!
Chugach Peaks was definitely the best decision we made with our entire wedding planning. We opted for a destination wedding in Alaska in February! YES, February. As a former photographer myself, wedding photos ranked priority #1 for me. The majority of our budget went here. As I would tell past clients when I was shooting weddings - its the only tangible thing you have after the day has past. I came across Chugach Peaks Photography on weddingwire.com and after looking at the portfolios of all the shooters, we decided on Joe Connolly. His images were beautiful, spontaneous moments that really captured the emotion of the day. Joe's style of shooting was amazing - he captured moments - many without me even realizing he was there, and even the posed portraits were relaxed and spontaneous. We braved the winter temperatures and held our ceremony outside - (I highly reccommend The Inn at Tern Lake) and I'm extremely pleased that we did so! Our wedding was a magical Winter Wonderland! My husband and I were so thrilled with the images that Joe was able to create for us, that we are also doing a helicopter wedding photo session this summer! I simply cannot wait as I know those images will be breathtaking!! Joe's easy going demeanor made us immediately comfortable and it reflected in our photos. He was very responsive to every text and email I sent.
For someone who appreciates good photographs and is critical of quality, Joe Connolly of Chugach Peaks Photography does not disappoint! Thank you so much for giving us cherished memories of our wedding day! Looking forward to Part 2 on the glaciers! -
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Ciara Sent on 10/12/2022
Such amazing talent!
I found Chugach Peaks Photography on Instagram and was immediately captivated by their profile photos. I spoke to my fiancée and contacted them right away! Even during the initial inquiry phase, Joe was very patient in helping me and my significant other navigate our helicopter wedding planning at Knik Glacier. We really wanted to capture the fall colors since it is our favorite season and Joe took the time to not only explain the timeline for that but also spent over an hour chatting about various topics pertaining to the intricacies of having an adventure wedding. After chatting a few times, we decided to proceed with the booking and do not regret it at all! Our timeline was tight, about 6 weeks, and we spoke multiple times on the phone, texted and emailed. Joe not only is an amazing photographer but is also a great business owner who prides himself in quick responses, transparency and attention to detail. We booked Joe to take photos at the AirBnb for a first look, gift exchange, getting ready photos and for the helicopter wedding for 6 hours total. Joe recommended the 5 landings that we explored and each location was so amazing. He taught us about the geography of Chugach State Park, told us many fun stories, and helped us with posing which made us feel very comfortable and welcome. We just received 999 edited photos less than one month after our wedding which is an amazing turnaround timeline (we were expecting them back in 10-12 weeks). This will vary depending on wedding schedules but we were very pleased with the quick turnaround. The final photos are AMAZING and we are very happy with the final product! I would highly recommend Chugach Peaks Photography to capture your special day. Also, we ended up choosing Joe but all of the images from the team of photographers are amazing 😊 If you are doing a heli wedding, do not forget to tip and offer to buy the photographer and pilot a lunch! They really appreciated the kind gesture and went above and beyond with everything. It truly was a day to remember! -
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![Sarah]()
Sarah Sent on 09/04/2022Beautiful wedding photos!
Joe was our wedding photographer, and he did a fantastic job. He made the most of the time he had with us and took us to get photos in some of his favorite places around Girdwood before the ceremony. During the reception he interacted with guests and captured photos of almost everyone. At the end of the night, he took some absolutely incredible photos of us in the rain. We couldn’t be happier with Joe; he’s an amazing photographer. Highly recommend! -
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![Kayla]()
Kayla Sent on 07/23/2022Accomodating
We've hired Chugach Peaks for our wedding next March and the package we selected includes an engagement shoot. They came out fantastic! We are out of state and they were very accommodating in getting our shoot in while we were visiting AK for a short period over the summer. We even got to do two locations, making all of my AK engagement photoshoot dreams come to life. At ease getting to know my photographer, Monica, ahead of time, knowing the photos will come out great for the wedding. -
Steve Sent on 07/02/2022
Best experience ever!
My wife and I got married on Knik glacier with Joe as the photographer. He over exceeded our expectations and we trusted him with all of his recommendations with places to go to. When we were booking with him, he always answered/responded immediately and provided detail about the wedding day and things to do in Alaska in general. He took his time and genuinely wanted us to experience the best of Alaska. We got married on the glacier, flew to the mountains and then the ice wall. He gave us background on the glacier by explaining the history and made it also feel like it was a tour. He captured every moment beautifully and gave us advice on how to pose. He was truly an amazing person to work with and I trust him with anyone’s wedding day. -
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Sydney Sent on 10/11/2021
Above & Beyond
Joe from Chugach Peaks,
I cannot thank you enough for photographing our wedding. You were so personable, friendly, and made us completely comfortable. I am so happy you were just as optimistic as we were about the weather. The wind and rain just made it that much more special in our eyes. Thank you for capturing all of the beautiful raw emotions of not only Cole and I, but our friends and family. We are in love with all of these photos! We are so thankful we'll be able to relive that day through these photos forever. Lets talk about that turn around, less than 4 weeks, I am stunned. I was fully anticipating 8 weeks minimum after that crazy summer. I was in disbelief when I got your email last night. You've gone above and beyond. We're going to look at the album options and turn in the questionnaire. We will definitely be booking with you again if we need any photography and recommending you highly to people we know.
Thank you again for a spectacular experience and service.
Sincerely,
Sydney Kenney -
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![C P]()
C P Sent on 08/17/2021Absolutely Stress Free
From the first time we contacted Joe, he made us feel at ease about planning a Helicopter Glacier Elopement. We were so pleased to find out that he was not only interested in being our photographer, but actually helping plan out the whole day including transportation (helicopter), lodging, and even dining logistics. He even recommended some vendors for your typical wedding day needs (like flowers).
Joe (and his team) made the entire process seamless. I can’t express how important this was to a stress free elopement. He’s not a wedding planner, but I’m confident that with just a few exchanges with him, you’ll have everything you need for a perfect wedding day if you’re not interested in getting into the nitty gritty of your wedding day details.
As far as the quality of his company’s work, the photos speak for themselves. They’re going to come out spectacular. We were thrilled with the quality, quantity, and variety of photos.
Joe is also an officiant (no need to take up an extra seat) and a commercially trained pilot. This made us feel a bit more safe knowing that between him and the pilot, there are two people onboard who can fly the aircraft. We also hired a videographer, and they worked really well together (like a team, not stepping on each other’s toes).
We didn’t have our family around (we eloped), so it was nice that Joe was pleasant to hang out with for the day, as well! -
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![Thomas]()
Thomas Sent on 07/23/2021Best Photographer, Period.
Chugach Peaks Photography is beyond amazing! Joe's photos speak for themselves, absolutely perfect and stunning! However, beyond the photos, Joe is absolutely a ton of fun, and the nicest person you could have involved in your wedding. We had to change plans a few different times because of the pandemic, and he worked with us through it all, finding a time finally in 2021 that would work out. Beyond that, he even gave us a lot of tips of things to do and see while in Alaska and even tips about moving there since we fell in love with the state! Wouldn't do photography with anyone else! -
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![Brent]()
Brent Sent on 10/06/2020Amazing expereince
We are very grateful to have retained Joe for our wedding elopement in the Chugach Peaks. Prior to our big day, his open lines of communication via telephone and email promptly resolved any concerns we had. On the big day, Joe's pre-trip preparation and knowledge of the ideal wedding photo spots in the Chugach Peaks along with his decisiveness maximized the time we spent collecting memories and photos at multiple locations. His relaxed manner kept the bride and I at ease and made for a relaxing day - we can see it in our photos. He also officiated our unforgettable ceremony on the glacier! Joe and his team worked diligently to process and deliver the photos in a timely manner. They are incredible and capture the emotions and scenery of the day. Joe deserves the five star rating and we recommend without fault his photography services for whatever event you may have. -
![Jeanette]()
Jeanette Sent on 10/02/2020Would definitely hire again!
Excellent services! We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our wedding photos. These are the best quality photos I have ever seen and Joe took us to some amazingly gorgeous sites around the Girdwood area. We provided him with a brief description of the kind of scenery we wanted in our photos and he knew exactly where to go. I wish we would have done the helicopter option, but, even without it, very happy with the results :)!! -
![Amanda]()
Amanda Sent on 07/15/2019Unbelievably Fun Experience!
We booked Chugach Peaks at the wedding fair in Alaska in Jan/Feb 2019 right away because they sold us on their packages and their quality of photography. Shannon and Joe were so friendly and approachable, listened to our requests and made suggestion of their own, because well they ARE the professionals! Shannon was our on-site photographer for our beautiful July 5, 2019 wedding, and we cannot have been more impressed with her professionalism, advice, and keeping a timely schedule for a very busy day! I was able to text/call her personally if I have questions leading up to the big day. Thank you Shannon!! -
Natalie Sent on 05/12/2019
Joe Connolly and Chugach Peaks Photography are superb!
Where do I begin? Joe Connolly is the easiest person to work with. I got married 9 months ago and he is still assisting me right away when I need him. I have been a pain in the butt when it comes to ordering prints before the deadline, photos, and non stop questions. Life happens and my husband and I didn't order prints right away and were about to miss our deadline and Joe extended our photos countless times. Joe responds immediately when I am panicking about wedding photos and needing assistance on his site or concerns.
The day of my wedding, Joe and his staff were completely professional, calm, and improvised on a location due to the rain. I was nervous how the pictures would turn out with the rain but they came out BEAUTIFUL! Don't ever stress if it starts to rain at your wedding because Chugach Peaks Photography will do an amazing job capturing your photos. My husband and I both agree the rain really added to our pictures. Who would of thought? I HIGHLY recommend Joe Connolly and everyone at Chugach Peaks Photography as they're one of the bests photographers in Alaska. Also, comparing to other photographers in town, you get the best quality without putting a damper in your wallet. Chugach Peaks was one of the best deals we had for our wedding.
I look forward to working with Joe and Chugach Peaks Photography in the future!
Natalie Wolgemuth
Kenai Wedding 2018 -
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![Megan]()
Megan Sent on 03/18/2019The Best Wedding Photos Ever
Joe was simply amazing. He made us feel comfortable and relaxed. He was responsive and professional. The photos are simply stunning! I couldn't be happier and would highly recommend Joe and his team of highly skilled professionals -
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![Julie]()
Julie Sent on 10/26/2018Excellent Photos. Unforgettable memories.
I hired Chugach Peaks Photography based on their booth at the wedding fair in Anchorage. I had read that if you have a limited budget, don't skimp on the photos. This was excellent advise. I rarely like pictures of myself, and being a 60 year old first time bride (yeah, I waited, and it was so worth it - select, don't settle, ladies). I love my pictures so much. Joe and his crew know a thing or two about wedding photos and what looks good etc. I left most of the decisions to him and I could not be more pleased. Joe is extremely professional. He kept me informed all the time. We did an engagement session as well as the wedding, and we both are completely in love with so many of the pictures. So glad I listened to that advise. The party, although wonderful, is over. The pictures will be around forever. -
Kayla Sent on 07/19/2018Joe is a very talented photographer! My husband and I came out to Alaska from PA to elope in girdwood and Joe helped us so much planning our special day! Our wedding photos are absolutely spectacular and I would recommend his photography in a heart beat!!
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![MrsHulet]()
Desiree Sent on 09/10/2016So much love for Joe! We traveled from Oklahoma to Alaska for our elopement and he was so helpful and super fun to work with. There's certainly no awkwardness with the whole photo process as they make you feel super comfortable with whatever type of pictures you're trying to capture. Laura was also an incredible help throughout the day and sweet as can be. Even if it had nothing to do with wedding stuff, Joe was always able to give a second opinion on where to eat and what the best spots were to check out. We're very lucky to have found Chugach Peaks! -
![Becca]()
Becca Sent on 12/30/2023Phenomenal
We were so fortunate to work with Joe for our Alaskan Elopement. He helped pick all the right places with the most stunning views and provided pictures that truly do speak more than a thousand words. Joe is friendly, full of knowledge and incredibly talented. We are grateful for every moment of our experience. He completely matched what we wanted, a calm but beautiful day full of Alaska scenery. Thank you, Joe for helping make our dreams come true. We can't stop looking at our photos to relive our special day! -
![Alexandria]()
Alexandria Sent on 10/01/2019Flexible Communications
Heather with Chugach Peaks was fantastic! She was flexible with our communications and our slight location/time change. She took charge when we didn't know what to do and made great suggestions. I haven't seen the photos yet, but I expect she did a beautiful job! The only slight issue I had was that she wasn't dressed appropriately for our very formal wedding, but it wasn't a huge deal. -
![Rebekah]()
Bekah Sent on 11/27/2019Beautiful photos, but...
Joe takes beautiful pictures, but taking pictures is just one part of the experience of hiring a photographer. His people skills and attention to detail are severely lacking. We got off on the wrong foot within an hour of meeting him, after he said we were ‘making it awkward’ by kissing too much. This felt odd to us, as this was our wedding day.
We also did not feel like Joe gave us adequate posing guidance. We are not models and, based on past experience with professional photographers, we anticipated that Joe would be able to give us directions. At a few points, I asked Joe for specific guidance on how to position ourselves to get a better picture and he would just shrug and impatiently say “I don’t know.” At one point, he told my husband ‘you don’t know how to pose your body,’ and then said he was putting my husband in “time out,” sending him to stand off to the side while he continued taking solo pictures of myself. Joe made this ‘time out’ announcement while taking a video to share on his public Instagram page. This sort of criticism, especially shared on a public forum, made us feel even less at ease.
Another issue was that we felt Joe did not take our picture requests into consideration. We took a helicopter to Knik Glacier in order to take a dip in a glacial pool. Joe had mentioned that his goal was to get some sexy, steamy shots to submit to an online site, however, we were not interested in sexy, steamy photos. We said we wanted fun, goofy photos of us, but Joe seemed more focused on his vision. This was frustrating for us, as what we wanted felt unheard and unimportant. Once we had stripped down into our underwear, Joe told my husband to put his pants back on because his (plain black) underwear were “lame.”
We had also made sure to bring a small bottle of Prosecco from our wedding to make a toast on the glacier, but Joe forgot about this until we reminded him, and then he proceeded to take photos of our toast with one hand while also using his phone to take a video for his Instagram page with the other hand. This happened at several points throughout both days we shot with him, where he chose to multitask by taking our photos while also taking videos for his Instagram at the same time. We felt it was unprofessional that Joe juggled the time we paid for with posting on his social media page.
Joe’s lack of focused attention also resulted in several photos that are awkwardly framed and feature unsightly details. We do not have any shots facing directly down the center of the aisle, as Joe was standing slightly off to the side as he took photos throughout the ceremony and afterwards for our portraits and group photos. In our group photos, Joe neglected to tell us we were not centered under our arch. On the glacier, Joe left my veil in a messy bunch by my feet rather than asking us to take the time to fan it out. These are details we feel are par for the course for any wedding photographer, but seemed to either go unnoticed or were purposely overlooked by Joe.
In our conversations about our shot list we told Joe that we were happy to defer to his expertise but that our only stipulation was to have natural, candid shots over posed “say cheese” style shots. Ultimately, 75% of the photos we took and received are the kind of yearbook style photos we specifically said we did not want.
Lastly, our package included a $250 print credit for photos. During the two week period between receiving our photos and receiving the print credit code, we used an online service to have several photos printed at a very low cost. When we received the prints from Joe, we were surprised to see that they were indistinguishable from the prints we received from the online service - same photo quality, same photo paper, even shipped in the exact same packaging - despite the fact that Joe charged over 12 times as much as the online service. Also, the online service delivered our photos within three days of ordering them, whereas Joe’s photos took 7-10 business days to be delivered.
Overall, we feel there was significant room for improvement on the photographer front.Chugach Peaks Photography's reply:
Thanks for taking the time to write an honest review, Bekah! Sorry we didn't meet your expectations. I would encourage anyone to read all our other reviews as well. While we always try our absolute best, we do make mistakes and sometimes our approach or vision does not align with that of the client.
This was one of our favorite weddings of the year, with some spectacular imagery, and we never received a single indication of unhappiness or dissatisfaction from the clients until this review was posted. In fact, they even gave us a very generous tip at the end and thanked us many times! The atmosphere seemed (to us at least) playful, casual, humorous, and chill. At no time were there any (outward) indications of problems.
Any comments we make throughout the day are intended to be playful in nature to loosen the clients up. When we say something like, "ok.. ok! That's enough kissing.. lets try something else," ... it is not a judgement on our brides and grooms. We are not actually outraged by your kissing. :) ...we just need to get some variety! In fact, we've been told by other clients that we asked them to kiss too much.
Regarding creating Instagram Stories throughout the day - we do this throughout the day, yes, no question. On occasion, we have people ask us not to - for privacy reasons generally. Had Bekah asked us not to do that at any point, we would have stopped immediately. Ironically, Bekah lists Instagram and Google (and her officiant) as how she found out about our company. Over half of our business comes from our Social Media presence, and in order to maintain that, we do create video content throughout the day. If you want to see examples, check out our Instagram story highlights and you'll see exactly how this is implemented. We joke around with the people, poke fun at them, poke fun at ourselves, and get a lot of laughs and smiles. We did the same with these clients and after reviewing the videos again, are bummed that they do not remember the experience positively. Looking at their videos again, they seem really happy and are having fun and laughing and joking with us. Regarding "Tim in Timeout" comment on the video - yes, that was said, and then the next line was, "No, just kidding. Tim's a good guy. And look at that beard!.. that's a legit beard!" - with Bekah and Tim both laughing and smiling. Even Tim was poking fun at himself in that clip. I think that if I sent the videos to Bekah, she might actually reconsider some of these views, as they clearly show her laughing and having a good time and joking around about things she now is unhappy about.
Regarding posing and directing - no, we don't like to micro-manage people's bodily positions. It's stated on our website, and in our contract. We prefer to let people be into a more natural state with some guidance along the way to generally position them in flattering light and with beautiful backgrounds. This usually results in more organic images without everything being too forced. Her veil and dress were very long - probably the longest veil we've ever seen, and sometimes we fully splayed it out, and other times we let it go where it wanted to go. It also kept falling out of her hair - multiple times, so we (Bekah and photographer) actually discussed maybe not fussing with it too much so it would stay in place longer. There's also instagram video of this. After reviewing the photos, there is a diverse mix of looking at camera, looking at each other, looking away, laughing, smiling, serious faces, and romantic. Close ups, wide views, side views, back, front.. a pretty big mix. In regards to the glacial pool photos, yes, there are some "Steamy sexy shots" - there's also them laughing and smiling and being playful.
In summary, these two were awesome to work with, we had a great time photographing and spending a couple days with them, and hope that they find some enjoyment in the photos we took. We can't always make everyone happy, but we promise we will always try our best. -
![Madelyn]()
Madelyn Sent on 01/29/2022Did not prioritize the Bride
I’ve thought long and hard about this review and I wish I wasn’t as disappointed with my wedding photos as I am. The ones we have captured the scenery beautifully but despite planning our entire wedding timeline around Joe (doing a first look early, three hours of pictures before ceremony, and modifying our space so the views were unobstructed) there were virtually no bridal photos of me or close ups with me and my husband and he left early without asking the bride. Joe took many close ups of my husband and his friends shooting and relaxing before the wedding and even some great close ups of guests, but he took less than three of the bride getting ready and no bridal portraits at all, despite being in the room with me while I was getting ready and the fact that I was ready early. The photos he took during the first look I can’t even see my face (the bride) and the photos of my husband and I during our private photo time with joe capture the landscape but there are less than five close ups on us where we are the focus of the picture. Joe also didn’t take close ups of us with our families, close ups during the first dance, or any shots of me and my husband at the dinner table. I’m really sad to write this because Joe came highly recommended, but I’m heartbroken because I will never be able to redo those photos of me on my wedding day and get the close ups I’ve seen from his other weddings. Joe also left early without even asking me (the bride) he went straight to the groom. This meant he didn’t capture a beautiful part of our reception where the guests and band gathered by the fire for a beautiful concert. Not sure if this was a day where Joe was busy, or distracted, or he had too full of a 2021 season. But I wouldn’t suggest hiring him because he qualify of service was not great for us.Chugach Peaks Photography's reply:
This is a response directly to Madelyn as she never contacted me after the wedding. (Her husband did text me and said he wanted to talk about things on the phone and would call me when he was free, but never followed up on that)... Hey Madelyn, sorry for not taking more close ups of you! I just looked at your gallery and it seems there are 44 images of you getting ready, 16 of which are pretty close up. We certainly had the time to do more and I never realized it was a priority of yours. Sometimes people tell us they don't want any closeups, sometimes they ask for a one hour session of just the bride including closeups of eyes and ears, sometimes people don't say anything at all. We took lots and lots of great photos all day in multiple locations and had I known it was a priority, it would have certainly been something I focused on. If you look through any of our website galleries, you'll see a wide range of wide angle portraits, mid range, and closeups - but some days there are more of one than another. This isn't necessarily a reflection of the mood, whether we like or dislike the clients, location quality, lighting, etc.. it's just the natural flow of a wedding and we try not to force a style or approach to the day unless we're given specific instructions from the clients. We've done that in the past and been criticized - it's hard to find a "one size fits all" approach to wedding photography! One of the reasons most people hire us is our focus on keeping "Alaska" present in the photos. This day and location were exceptionally beautiful - perfect weather on a gorgeous fall day, and the images reflect that. The family photos are some of the best-background'ed photos you could ever dream of, but if you would like them to be more zoomed in, we can easily crop much closer, lose the scenery, and gain more "people" in the frame. If you'd like me to re-crop/frame everything, I would be happy to do that. On the other hand, had I zoomed in and cut out the scenery the day of the wedding, I think I would have been at a greater risk of being in trouble for missing the scenery that you came to Alaska for. Still plenty of file size available to tighten things up. The same can be done for any of the bride and groom photos. Many are already waist-up, so cropping to head and shoulders isn't an issue. Regarding leaving - I wasn't distracted or busy. I was actually a little bummed to leave because I was hoping for more campfire photos, but the reason I left was it appeared as though things were dying down - when I left, lot of guests had gone inside or were elsewhere on the property and the band had stopped playing. It seemed like things were entering the phase of the night where it's dark, and there's not much to photograph anymore as it's an unlit outdoor space. I had been around the fire getting photos of the musician and a few guests chatting for awhile, waiting for something to happen and for people to reappear, before finally heading over to the groom to see if I should take off. I didn't know where Madelyn was, and I asked if anything else was going to happen and if they needed any more photos and he said I was free to take off. As I was packing up, Madelyn found out I was leaving and asked for a few more group/friend shots, which we did. Obviously in hindsight, sometime after that, the bride and her friends/family re-gathered at the fire-pit and I missed that. Super bummed. Moral of the story, communication is important! As photographers, we can never communicate enough. If you're a bride and groom, you can never ask us enough questions or give us enough pre-wedding requests. We'll keep this in mind for all our up-coming weddings and try to do better. -
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