Derek Halkett Photography Reviews
Reviews
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5.0 out of 5 rating
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5.0 out of 5 rating
113 Reviews
100% recommend it
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![Alyssa]()
Alyssa F. Sent on 09/19/2024In Love With Our Engagement Photos !
We booked Derek because we loved his portfolio and we were even more impressed when we received our engagement photos back. As someone who has never taken professional photos and had a lot of anxiety going into it, Derek was able to make the process fun and not stressful. He was professional yet we also loved his personality and felt comfortable the whole session! 10/10 would recommend and we booked him for our wedding in 2026. -
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April Sent on 07/24/2024
The best person to capture your day!
Derek was amazing! As someone who doesn’t love being photographed he made us feel incredibly comfortable and confident. The few teasers I’ve received so far are breathtaking. Could not recommend more! -
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Brittany F. Sent on 09/16/2024
The best of the best!
Derek has been the most professional, most qualified and the most responsive photographer I have ever had the pleasure to work with. He not only captured all of my requests, but he also went beyond what I could ask for. He captured every single perfect moment and provided me with a gallery I will forever be thankful and blessed for. I seriously have the highest standards for photographers after working with Derek. I look forward to having him capture my family in the future! -
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Emily S. Sent on 09/08/2024Highly recommend!!
Derek is AMAZING! He was personable, professional, and made us feel comfortable while taking our pictures. We highly recommend Derek and LOVE all of our photos! So glad we chose him! -
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Anna P. Sent on 05/30/2024
Wedding photographer
Derek was PHENOMENAL! He was professional and prepared! He did an amazing job at getting all the shots we requested and all the shots we didn’t know we needed! He was extremely easy to work with and honestly made the whole experience awesome!! -
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![Cortney]()
Cortney H. Sent on 12/05/2023Derek is unmatched in photography
This guy freaking nailed it!! He was a little out of budget but his work was so good I just had to have him be our photographer. And let me tell you, he was worth every penny and then some!!! His editing is so good, his personality is awesome, he was so friendly and knowledgeable. I wish we lived closer because I would recommend him to everyone I know! But if you’re reading reviews that means he’s an option and you need to BOOK HIM AND DONT LOOK BACK! You’ll will not regret it!! -
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![Sara]()
Sara S. Sent on 08/04/2023Hire Derek Halkett! You won't regret it.
Derek is the perfect engagement and wedding photographer. He was easy to work with during the entire process, highly professional, and I could not be happier with our wedding photos! My husband and I were initially worried because we are so awkward in photos, but Derek made us feel extremely comfortable during both our engagement session and at our wedding. He clearly knows what he is doing and captured amazing couple, family, and wedding party photos. I had a hard time choosing my favorite wedding photos to share because I love them all! He even let us add on a drone footage package about a month out from the wedding. Believe me when I say there is no better way to capture the beauty of your wedding/venue, especially in the Smoky Mountains. Derek accommodated my busy residency schedule during every step of the process and was easily one of the best decisions I made with our wedding. Hire Derek! You won't regret it. -
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![Cassie]()
Cassie C. Sent on 05/01/2023The best there is
Derek is one of the most talented photographers I’ve ever seen. We still don’t know how we got so lucky to have him photograph our engagement and wedding photos. His photos speak for themselves, but he has such an eye for how to get great shots. Our photos all turned out stunning. Every time we show them to others they are amazed. Not only were the photos great, but the turnaround time was insane. We had sneak peaks the day of/day after, and our entire album was ready in a week. On top of being very skilled, Derek is just a fun person to be around and work with. He makes people who aren’t very comfortable in front of the camera at ease. He also is a dog lover and captured shots with our dog at the wedding too. We highly recommend Derek to anyone, as he is truly the best. -
Kyara M. Sent on 04/18/2023
Hire Derek!!
Derek is a phenomenal photographer! He does not only make you feel comfortable but also makes you laugh to get some actual candid shots. He has such a talent for lighting and amazing shots! On top of that he is extremely professional and will not keep you waiting to get your pictures back! We got our engagement pictures back less than 48 hours and our wedding photos back in less than a week!! You won’t find that anywhere else!! Hire Derek for your next event, I promise you won’t regret it!! -
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![Shea]()
Shea L. Sent on 10/09/2022Amazing experience with an even greater person!
I have nothing but amazing things to say about Derek. He made the day so special and truly captured everything we wanted. If you’re looking for a photographer. He is the one! -
![Mary]()
Mary E. Sent on 09/26/2022Awesome beyond words!
If you want the best, Derek is definitely your photographer!!! He made Jenna and David’s day so special!!! -
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Lyndsay J. Sent on 09/04/2022Wedding photographer
If you are looking for a wedding photographer, stop right here and pick Derek. He was the best possible choice for our smokey mountain wedding. He worked so well with us and with the on and off rain on our wedding day. My husband and I were absolutely blown away when we received our wedding gallery and all of our friends asked who took our photos. I will recommend Derek time and time again. He is also the NICEST guy!!!! -
Liz M. Sent on 10/08/2022
Seamless Experience- Incredible Shots
We were thrilled to have Derek as our wedding photographer for our June wedding at The Magnolia after seeing his work, and we had a great experience with him from beginning to end. He is highly responsive, personable and made our wedding day relaxed, natural and very enjoyable. He captured many amazing shots and is a true professional that is very familiar with the Magnolia venue. Our close friends and family are blown away by how many different incredible shots he captured. He also sent us our entire album before we returned from our honeymoon. My husband and I would highly recommend him to anyone. -
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Nikole Sent on 05/20/2022
Best of the best
I spent countless hours browsing photographer portfolios and reviews before I came across Derek’s website. His photos weren’t like every other wedding album you see and that is exactly what we wanted. Not only is his work gorgeous, but he is easy to get along with and made the whole experience fun. If we had to do it all again, Derek would still be our number one choice! -
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![Amber]()
Amber Sent on 04/14/2022Amazing Photos
Derek is a true artist. He takes the most amazing photos. We got married at the Magnolia and he took some incredible photos. We couldn't be happier with how they turned out. He was a lot of fun to work with and gave us great direction. If you want some incredible photos, hire Derek!! -
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Lauren O. Sent on 02/08/2022
The most talented photographer ever!
Derek is incredible. I don’t even know how to describe it but it’s so clear that he is doing what he loves and is meant to be doing. He sent me these the morning after our wedding and I just want to scream: “LOOK AT HOW TALENTED HE IS!”
A little context: we booked our wedding at The Magnolia completely sight unseen. We never met a single vendor in person until the day of our actual wedding. I saw Derek listed on the preferred vendor list for The Magnolia and instantly fell in love with his work. I reached out to see if he was available, he said yes and we signed a contract and paid in full.
Given the circumstances, we had no idea what to expect when meeting but it was instantly clear we made the right choice. Derek is one of those people you feel like you’ve known for years. He is fun to chat with and honestly just a really positive energy to be around.
Throughout the evening, Derek balanced taking advantage of when the lighting is best at different spots in the venue while also making us feel like we weren’t missing out on time with our guests. When he took our photos we felt lost in our own world.
Derek we can’t express enough gratitude for documenting the most incredible experience in the most stunning place. I’m in awe of your talent to capture the people in the photos every bit as much as the scenery. You are a magician. -
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![Kathryn]()
Kathryn N. Sent on 10/23/2021In love with our photos
We loved Derek’s portfolio and knew when wanted to hire him but it was no match to how much we adore our photos and are so in love with them! Scrolling through them is like reliving the day all over and the love leaps out of the pictures. He did a phenomenal job. -
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Marissa B. Sent on 10/07/2021
Derek is all around an incredible photographer!
My husband and I are so grateful we hired Derek for our engagement photos and wedding day. He captured the most beautiful moments of our love, and we could not be more grateful. Derek was professional and personable from the first day I spoke to him up until our wedding day. Our wedding was postponed due to the pandemic, and Derek was very accommodating throughout the process. Our wedding party and guests complemented how personable Derek was at our wedding, and how in awe they were seeing our wedding photos. We received our photos back in less than a week for both sessions! He is very knowledgeable in his field and has a beautiful eye for lighting. We felt comfortable and confident throughout all of our photography sessions. Derek’s artwork will cover our home forever, and we cannot wait to work with him again in the future. Derek, we truly cannot thank you enough. You will always come highly recommended by us. -
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Johnny Sent on 08/01/2021
Derek captured the perfect moment
From the first email to the day of our session, Derek was a phenomenal person to know and to help us capture our special day. He was always professional, honest and straightforward with his directions. I was a bit nervous since I didn’t have everything planned out and had never been to the smokies, but Derek was able to offer his advice and had a back up plan just in case. This made me had a lot more ease the day of our session. When it came to our session, Derek was awesome! He was super conversational, funny and was up for capturing our vision at every stop. The photos he captured exceeded our expectations and we couldn’t ask for anything better. If you’re looking for a rock-solid photographer and human being, definitely hire Derek! -
