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Weddings

Dave Medal Photography Reviews

Dave Medal Photography

Dave Medal Photography

Santa Cruz, CA
5.0 out of 5 rating, 10 Reviews
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Reviews

5.0 out of 5 rating
5.0 out of 5 rating
10 Reviews
100% recommend it
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Awards

10
  • V
    Victoria Sent on 10/15/2023
    5 out of 5 rating
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    Truly an outstanding talent

    My wife and I got married two months ago in Ben Lomond and we still find ourselves talking about how outstanding of a job Dave did and continually receive compliments from our guests. We chatted with Dave before our wedding and he described his focus on exactly what we wanted: capturing “in-between” moments, so to speak, like members of our respective families meeting for the first time, or friends from different spheres of our lives dancing together. My wife and I recently recalled several moments at our wedding where we appreciated a special moment we were having with a guest and thought to ourselves, “you know, it would be really cool to have a photo of what’s happening right now.” Every single time, right after having this thought, we heard a click followed by a flash. He must be a wizard or something. We recently got our finished photos and we were delighted to see countless other priceless snapshots we had no idea happened until now. While these in-between moments were obviously incredibly important for us, Dave is top notch when it comes to posed group photos as well. He’s incredibly skilled at wrangling the necessary people into photos and being considerate of time, and if we ever felt like one segment of photos was going too long, we just told him so and we’d move on. Dave is an incredible talent and just an incredible guy too. We’ll never forget him and can't recommend him highly enough.
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    Abigail S. Sent on 09/26/2021
    5 out of 5 rating
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    Wonderful process and day-of with Dave!

    Bottom line: Dave is a fantastic photographer and wonderful to work with throughout the whole process!

    Detail: We found Dave through searching wedding vendor websites (including Wedding Wire) and reached out cold. From the very beginning, he was a pleasure to work with. We had specific concerns about the lighting at our venue, so he sent us examples of his work in similar conditions to evaluate. Dave was responsive throughout the entire process, adjusting all the details to suit us and our day's schedule/needs. It was the opposite of a cookie-cutter approach; Dave created a plan specific to us and what we wanted. He was clear, communicative, and responsive from our first email onward. The actual day-of was exactly as Dave promised: guidance when needed, but otherwise, he captured the moments as they flowed. He even made the posed shots easy and fun to do. I can't say enough good things about Dave -- he is the best!
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    Holly Sent on 04/20/2016
    5 out of 5 rating
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    Dave went above and beyond my expectations for my wedding day. The wedding was a destination for us, but I was able to meet with him for coffee when I was up in the area to discuss what I wanted the day to look like and the types of pictures we wanted taken. We wanted candid shots more so than the traditional posed pictures and he was happy to oblige us with this request. On the wedding day, he went through my list that I had provided of certain pictures I wanted and then also asked me if there were any others that I had thought of or wanted. Brian, his assistant, was excellent as well and super helpful. They both were relaxed and easy going throughout the day which helped with my overall emotional state. They checked with me throughout to make sure I had what I needed and if there was anything that they could do. It has only been 5 days since the big event, but he has already emailed and included a picture, which has me excited to see the rest of the day! I would recommend Dave's photography to anyone.
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  • F
    Fariba I. Sent on 08/03/2013
    5 out of 5 rating
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    Dave is amazing! He took our engagement photos and our recent wedding photos, and he has such an incredible eye. He is constantly taking creative photos and is just incredibly talented. And besides his incredible skills, he is a wonderful and kind person. I was stressed when Dave showed up to begin photos as many Brides tend to be on their wedding day, and he was just so calm. He put me at ease and got right to work without me having to tell him what I wanted. Dave just knows what to do and he is the absolute best. Thank you Dave for capturing all the special moments of our wedding! If you are looking for a photographer with fresh ideas, a calm and kind demeanor, and who is constantly there capturing all the moments of your happy day and doing an amazing job in the process, hire Dave Medal!

    Thanks for everything, Fariba & Adam 07.19.13
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    Jenny Sent on 12/05/2012
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    While planning our September wedding, we were referred to David Medal on the advice of another excellent photographer for whom David had once apprenticed with. That photographer had shot a friend’s wedding many, many years ago, but the beauty of his work had stayed with me. His referral to David led to my recognition that much of the beauty I had admired had been captured that day by David’s hand. Completing the circle, our wedding photos are now inspiring admiration and awe (and aww’s) in friends and family.

    David Medal was the photographer every bride searches for: skilled, comfortable, respectful, and caring. David is present without imposition, relaxed while maintaining exceptional focus, care, and proficiency. David, as a photographer with a great eye, possess every ability to capture people and moments. What sets him apart is his ability to deftly create a space for great photography. David captured our wedding day from start to finish, and was open to doing even more: on the morning of our wedding day he met us at our home and walked with us, shooting constantly for those few blocks, to our venue in Pacific Heights (San Francisco), and was even ready to roll out with us after the party had ended, in case the skies were clear and the full moon offered an opportunity for moonlit photographs along the route to our hotel. David cares about his craft and, exceptionally, recognizes the client as part of that craft. He has my complete confidence, respect, and gratitude, and will forever be the photographer I call on to capture the most special and precious celebrations and events in our life. He is priceless, and cannot be recommended highly enough.
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    Ashley Sent on 01/03/2012
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    Dave did an amazing job for both our engagement and wedding photos. He was creative and traditional depending on what we asked of him. You barely knew he was there and yet got some amazing shots. He was easy to work with and we are so happy with our photos!
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    Rebecca Sent on 02/16/2010
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    Dave took our engagement and wedding photos. He is a pleasure to work with and really makes you feel comfortable during the process. He really went above and beyond during our wedding. We could not be happier with the photos he took.
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    Birgit Sent on 01/29/2010
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    Dave is absolutely amazing! He has such a great eye - the way he can capture special moments is wonderful. The compositions of his pictures are so artistic and mirror the emotions just perfectly. We love the pictures of our wedding and could not have asked for more. On top of that, Dave is great as a person. We had so much fun "working" with him on our wedding day. I can highly recommend Dave as your photographer. You won't regret it!!
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    Joan Sent on 01/19/2010
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    Dave was a pleasure to work with and made picture taking a lot of fun. He brought some new ideas for pictures that turned out to be amazing shots! I would definitely recommed Dave as your wedding or any special event photographer.
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    Elizabeth Sent on 01/18/2011
    4.9 out of 5 rating
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    Dave was referred to me by another photographer. I checked out his website, but I was really impressed by his blog because you can see his most recent work and his impressions of the people he worked with. I still check it every once in a while because I really enjoy his photography. I was a little nervous at first because Dave had never been to my venue before the wedding day, but he managed to find really beauftiful spots for our individual photos and group photos. My husband and I were really happy with the results. Our wedding was in a mission, where they have strict policies about using flash photography, and Dave was able to adapt. The pictures from inside the mission were fantastic. I gave Dave a 4.5 on responsiveness because he was super busy in the summer, due to wedding after wedding, and I wasn't able to get in touch with him whenever I called or emailed. Sometimes it took longer than two business days.