Shines Photography Reviews
Reviews
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
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Lauren Sent on 08/12/2025
Best photographer ever!
We hired Steph for our July 2025 wedding and from the first phone call, we knew she was the perfect person to capture our day. Her energy is so warm, welcoming, kind, and laid back. She has an amazing eye for detail and her style is beautiful- she captured the natural beauty of our venue as well as the true emotions of every moment. We LOVE our album and will cherish these photos forever! Steph is so great to work with, very responsive and soo helpful throughout the planning process. If you’re searching for an amazing photographer Steph is the exact right person- can’t recommend enough! -
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![Kristin]()
Kristin Sent on 08/10/2025Steph was a DREAM
We could not have been happier with our decision to have Steph photograph our wedding day. After considering 3–4 photographers, we chose Steph not only for her fair pricing and flexible packages, but also because she came highly recommended and had already photographed at our venue. From the very start, Steph struck the perfect balance of fun and professionalism. She met us exactly where we were, brought a wealth of expertise, and even did her own research to find the best photo spots around our venue.
Communication with Steph was smooth, easy, and—truly—the least stressful part of our entire wedding planning process. On the day itself, taking photos with her felt like spending time with an old friend. My husband and I are not naturally comfortable in front of a camera, but Steph put us completely at ease and encouraged us to be ourselves. We were even ahead of schedule the entire day (something I didn’t think was possible!), and Steph happily embraced the opportunity for extra creative stops and spontaneous moments, making the most of our bonus time together.
In an impressively quick turnaround, she delivered stunning photos that have received nonstop compliments from our friends and family. If you’re looking for a photographer who will capture your day beautifully and make the process a joy, book Steph—you will not regret it! -
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Taylor Sent on 08/04/2025Our Day Shined Brighter with Steph
My husband and I feel so incredibly lucky to have had Steph as a part of our wedding day! Even though we only booked her a few months before the big day, it felt like we had known her for years. Before the wedding, I did a Fempowerment shoot with her, and from that moment, I knew she was the real deal. Steph has this amazing ability to make you feel completely at ease, even if you're not someone who loves being in front of the camera.
On our wedding day at Tannenbaum, she worked absolute magic with the outdoor scenery. Her eye for light, angles, and posing was everything we had hoped for and more. Even when one of my bridesmaids was significantly late, Steph remained calm and professional.
Multiple guests commented on how stunning her photos were and how beautifully she captured the natural light. Since my Fempowerment session, several of my bridesmaids are now seriously considering flying in from Connecticut just to shoot with her, that’s how incredible she is!
Steph made our day so special and captured moments we’ll cherish for a lifetime. I got married on June 26th, and not a few days go by without me looking at our photos; they bring me so much happiness every time I look at them. Beyond her incredible talent behind the camera, Steph is also incredibly thoughtful throughout the process. She sent sneak peeks along the way, kept us excited, and even delivered our full album ahead of schedule. With Steph, you’ll never have to worry about when your photos are coming. Booking Steph was one of the best decisions we made! -
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Brianna Sent on 07/16/2025Shines Photographer is the MOVE!
We truly lucked out with our photographer—Stephanie was freaking awesome in every way! From the moment we met her, we knew she was something special. She’s charismatic, kindhearted, and genuinely invests in building real relationships with her clients. By the end of it all, she didn’t just feel like our photographer—she felt like a forever friend. On our wedding day, a wild hailstorm and unexpected rain could’ve thrown everything off, but Stephanie handled it like an absolute pro. She stayed calm, creative, and somehow managed to capture the most stunning shots in the middle of all the chaos. And then—she got our photos back to us so quickly and with such incredible quality. Every image felt thoughtful, vibrant, and full of life. Stephanie went above and beyond to make sure our memories were captured beautifully, no matter what the weather threw at us. We’re already planning to book her again for our next shoot in Tahoe—because when you find someone this talented and genuine, you hold on tight. We’re so, so thankful for her! -
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Julia Sent on 09/19/2023
Steph is amazing!!!!
My husband and I can’t thank Steph enough for shooting our engagement photos and our recent elopement! Kyle and I are a little camera shy and she made us feel so comfortable with her. She really goes above and beyond for her clients! When we told her we were interested in doing our engagement shoot in Alabama hills, she packed up the camper van with her family and took the trip out to meet us there! Our photos turned out amazing and we had such a good time. Steph is now a good friend of ours and I’m sure we’ll stay in touch! Kyle and I both highly recommend Steph!! Book her! -
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Beth Sent on 06/30/2023Steph is incredible!
My husband and I hired Steph to do both our engagement photos last summer and photograph our wedding this June. We cannot say enough amazing things about her and her incredible work. Steph is wonderfully professional, confident in her work, and makes the experience feel like you are working with an old friend. She has an amazing way of making her couples feel at ease and knows exactly how to get the best picture every single time.
I will be singing her praises forever and will recommend her as a photographer to anyone I meet. Her sense of adventure, playfulness, and love for her craft shows through in all of her photos, and I'd say you'd be very lucky to work with her on your wedding day. -
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Jenna Sent on 11/01/2022Steph is Amazing!
We loved working with Steph! She is so fun, creative, and she helps you feel at ease. The photos turned out so beautifully and she perfectly captured the day. After the wedding, Steph gave us sneak peeks to keep our wedding vibes high. She also gave us access to the wedding album in a great turnaround time and a really easy platform to view, download, buy, and share. Thank you Steph. We are so happy to have chosen you as our photographer!! We highly recommend Shines Photography! - Zack & Jenna, 10-22-22 -
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Alan Sent on 10/16/2022Steph ROCKS 10/10
Steph is amazing! We were looking for someone who had a great eye for capturing both the intimacy between the couple and the natural beauty around them. We chose to work with Shines for both our engagement photo shoot and on wedding day and we could not have been happier. It felt like we had been friends forever and we had total trust in her to capture our special moments. She’s easygoing yet efficient (we had large wedding parties and were able to finish all the shots before the wedding so we could enjoy the party without getting pulled away), super professional, and will do anything for you to get the perfect shot (including climbing and standing at awkward angles on uneven rocks… she really is incredible). If you have the chance to work with her, DO IT! You won’t regret it. -
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Eddie Sent on 07/15/2022Wonderful Wedding Photos
Steph was amazing and we love our wedding photos! Working with Steph was wonderful and she got beautiful pictures of us. She really captured the beautiful outdoor area where we got married, she was the perfect photography for the in the Truckee/Tahoe area. She also got so many unique pictures that we didn't even ask her to shoot.
We highly recommend Steph! -
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Sabina Sent on 06/27/2022Steph is spectacular. A no brainer for your event!
Steph photographed our engagement photos, and we couldn't have been more pleased with the entire experience. From the clear and swift communication, to her warmth and energy on the day of the shoot, and of course the amazing photos that we received were all above and beyond. She really spent time to get to know us, and I feel that allowed us to feel so comfortable in front of the camera. We shot outdoors, and she has a talent for capturing the beauty of the surroundings while keeping the subject (the couple!) thoughtfully composed within the shot. Furthermore, Steph went the extra mile to find an amazing second location for us, and spent extra time with us there. In the end, her turnaround for edited photos was so much faster than expected, and we absolutely love the results. Thank you so, so much Steph! We look forward to having you capture more moments in our lives in the future! -
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Carrie Sent on 08/22/2021Steph is the best!!
We had the pleasure of working with Steph for our engagement photos and wedding. She helped capture all of the beautiful moments and people on the happiest day of our lives. She is so talented - we couldn't have gone with a better photographer. We particularly love that during both sessions she encouraged us to be ourselves and relax rather than doing lots of planned poses. We highly recommend Steph, you will absolutely love her too! -
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Sarah Sent on 07/21/2021Book steph now!
Steph is truly the BEST! From our initial intro call, my husband and I appreciated her warm and down to earth demeanor, and we knew THAT was the energy we wanted on our wedding day. She also gave us vendor recommendations for day-of-coordination, florals, and bakeries, and those vendors exceeded our expectations too! She went way above and beyond just wedding day photography. Not only did she scope out locations for our offsite wedding party photos, but also, 2 days before the wedding she realized the location we picked was closed due to construction and immediately found a backup vista that was just as beautiful before I even had time to stress. She was so helpful in building out a timeline and keeping us on schedule to get pictures at all of the locations we wanted. We really appreciated how efficient she with our post-ceremony family photos so that we got to enjoy our cocktail hour with our guests. Your photographer is your vendor that you spend the most time with on your wedding day, and Steph brought the relaxed energy that we needed (and wanted) throughout the whole day. We are so happy that she was a part of our wedding and are already obsessed with our sneak peek photos she has shared. HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND hiring Steph for ALL of your photography needs. She is a gem of a human! -
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Lauren Sent on 07/15/2021Stunning Photos!!
Steph is absolutely amazing! She is an incredibly talented photographer and she is also just a wonderful person to be around. I knew I’d love her from our first chat on the phone. She made me feel completely comfortable and instilled confidence from the beginning. My husband and I opted out of a videographer for our wedding so Steph had the full responsibility of documenting our memories and she has totally delivered. She has an incredible way of bringing out the best in her couples. She was able to give us quick cues without making anything feel posed or forced. Our guests were also thrilled with her. We got so many compliments at how efficient she was during family photos and they were so impressed with her ability to be documenting all the important moments without blocking these moments for our guests to experience as well. We could not have picked a better photographer to share our wedding with! -
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Tiffany Sent on 02/08/2021
Stephanie is a Super Hero
I really can't say enough about how Steph literally Saved. The. Day. My husband and I had been planning our wedding for several months and the one thing I was adamant about was photos. I wanted ONE PHOTO of me looking pretty in my wedding dress (husband in photo - optonal). First a had a friend (a professional photographer) who promised she'd take the most amazing photos I had ever seen - nope,, can't make it after all. So hubby (to-be) and I go in to panic mode. (Steph isn't here yet... remember the hero always swoops in at the last moment to save the day!) We meet another photographer we like, he gets us a a couple, we sign the contract. Whew! And then... tragedy strikes (seriously - tragedy). But he has a friend! Who will shoot the wedding and pass on the $$ to the original photographer's family. Win - Win. Except the new photographer gets injured and isn't sure she can make it. Now I'm not inhuman. Photographers 2 & 3 - I feel for them, I really do. But. Here I am, 6 weeks until my wedding, with no photographer. And then... I remember! I had met a girl, with amazing red hair and 3 legged dog (who has the same name as my husband) . I casually mentioned to some local friends... Find. Me. This. Woman! Thank God for small towns. You guys. Steph was Super Woman. She flew in to save the day - we got married mid-week so she had our date available! She was professional, friendly, and has become one of my favorite people. She met with us immediately. Calmed me down. Had a plan. She organized the (admittedly relaxed) wedding party. Made us laugh the whole time! And, most importantly, gave us the most amazing photos ever! The whole process was painless and, despite the rocky beginning, the photography is my favorite souvenir from the best day of my life. -
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Chelsea Sent on 10/29/2020Authentic, fun, and polished
Steph was such a joy and so much fun to work with! We were drawn to her for her warmth, positive energy, and authenticity she brings to her photography. She is able to really nail candid, natural photos that show personality and are simultaneously very polished and beautiful. We’re so happy we chose her for our wedding photography for our intimate covid backyard wedding in the woods. Even though it was a small and relatively low key event, we were so happy we went with such a high caliber photographer like Steph to capture the moments with such beauty and grace - we will always treasure her photos of our wedding. -
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Diana Sent on 10/27/2020Don't keep searching ; it doesn't get better than Steph!
Steph's contagious smile, exceptional eye for lighting and attention to emotion and details are like no other. You will have every previous moment of your session truly captured with no descriptions needed to feel all the feels of the moment. I cannot say enough wonderful things about Steph. We are so thankful to have had her capture our special day! -
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Emerald Sent on 10/12/2020Ah-Mazing!
Steph is not only professional but truly the best, she went above and beyond to help us scout a new location for our elopement when things kept changing on us. She captured all of our raw emotional moments while still incorporating the landscape which was a big request from us. She listens to you and makes sure she can give you everything you're looking for. From the moment we met Steph, we were comfortable and felt at ease as she snapped away. She was quick to deliver the photos and sent so many good photos! We literally love every single photo! We can't say enough good things about Steph. Do yourself a favor, stop looking around and book her! You won't regret it! :) -
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Kelly Sent on 08/24/2020
Exceeded expectations in every way
I can't begin to summarize how incredible this experience has been. This is the most expensive service I've ever paid for and both my husband and I feel that it was worth way more than we paid. Neither of us are big picture people, but wanted someone we felt comfortable with to capture our wedding. Stephanie was willing to travel to Mount Rainier, WA and due to the pandemic ended up in KY with us after a last minute change. Every time I thought Covid would interfere, Stephanie made it work out better than before. The day of my wedding it was raining so hard we couldn't see, and she made the experience SO MUCH FUN. Our pictures are incredible, beyond our expectations and I've only seen previews. Many who attended the wedding reached out to comment on how genuine and warm of a person Stephanie was and later were blown away by her talent. If you are questioning whether it's a worthwhile investment, it is. -
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Lisa Sent on 07/26/2020Shines is AMAZING! 100% recommend!!
Steph (Shines Photography) goes above and beyond in every way. We found Steph via a friend when COVID changed our original East Coast plans. We wanted to get married in Yosemite, but weren't sure if the park would be open in time so had 3 other backup plans—Steph was extremely understanding, flexible, and down for whatever plan we needed to land on, which was a huge relief during an already complicated time. On the day of our wedding, she could not have been more fantastic—enthusiastic but calm, and crawling all over rocks to get the perfect shot. And it paid off—our photos are incredible!!
I can't say enough great things about Steph. I would trust and highly recommend her for any wedding or occasion! -
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Katie Sent on 07/26/2020
Hands Down Best Photographer!!!!!
Don't look further for your wedding photographer! Steph was truly the BEST vendor to work with for our wedding from our original big event to our re-vamped "elopement". She was completely flexible with everything, willing to work with us in so many ways. We had spoken to Steph on the phone twice prior to our wedding - she was instantly warm, friendly, easy going, and willing to do work researching locations for photos/elopements. Although we didn't meet Steph until our wedding day, it was like we had known her for years. She made us so comfortable during all of the photos and captured sooo many perfect photos of our love, our families, the scenery, and the emotions of the day. She asked us what scenes we wanted photographed and brought so many of her own creative ideas! Not to mention, she trudged through sticks and thorns, AND climbed a tree to snap some unique, beautiful photos. We received sneak peeks as early as our wedding night!!!! Also, more sneak peeks a few other times before sending all of the photos less than 2 weeks after our wedding. If you are looking for a photographer who is genuine and truly wants to make everything best for you, Steph is the right choice! -
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Jaclyn Sent on 07/01/2020Absolutely amazing!
Stephanie was amazing! Seriously, there aren't enough words to describe her amazingness! We got married on June 13th during all this crazy uncertainty and she remained calm and optimistic the entire planning time. Her calm and relaxed demeanor made our experience run so smoothly. Not only did she take our photos, she went above and beyond during the planning process. She help us find the spot for our ceremony, scouted locations, found our first look spot, and was available when I had random questions. During the first look and the ceremony, we didn't notice she was there or taking photos which made our day so much more intimate. She made it so easy to just be ourselves and feel comfortable. I cannot recommend her enough. She truly is an amazing human being! -
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Jaclyn Sent on 07/01/2020
Absolutely amazing!
Stephanie was amazing! Seriously, there aren't enough words to describe her amazingness! We got married on June 13th during all this crazy uncertainty and she remained calm and optimistic the entire planning time. Her calm and relaxed demeanor made our experience run so smoothly. Not only did she take our photos, she went above and beyond during the planning process. She help us find the spot for our ceremony, scouted locations, found our first look spot, and was available when I had random questions. During the first look and the ceremony, we didn't notice she was there or taking photos which made our day so much more intimate. She made it so easy to just be ourselves and feel comfortable. I cannot recommend her enough. She truly is an amazing human being! -
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Maria Sent on 01/01/2020So fun to work with
Working with Stephanie was such a treat, it was like having a friend there rather than someone we'd hired. She made us laugh, we made her laugh. She's low key and provides a beautiful product with a lot of attention to detail in the little trinkets she included as well. Thanks Steph!! -
Grace Sent on 09/22/2019
Her experience shines through her confidence
From the first conversation through the final photos & hugs on our wedding day, Steph has been an amazing support/photographer/resource/friend every step of the way. The photos she took are exquisitely framed, edited, and promptly shared, and her energy and enthusiasm for the work that she does radiates from her. It is clear that she loves her work, and that made us feel comfortable and confident in having her be a part of our big day. As someone who tends to take awkward photos, I was concerned about having my picture taken throughout the day. Steph has a relaxed, comfortable, “chill” demeanor that helped us feel at ease, while at the same time remaining professional. Watching Stephanie at work, it is clear that she has a broad understanding and appreciation of the art of photography, and her experience shines through her confidence. Steph came in with a plan of what she thought would work best, but at the same time allowed us the flexibility to personalize the experience.
After the first time we met Stephanie, we were confident that we had found our photographer. What we hadn’t yet realized is that by the time the wedding was over, we had also gained a friend. She is warm, passionate, and heartfelt about the work that she does. Take a gander at some of her photos, talk with her on the phone, and you will quickly realize you’re in good hands.
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Lauren Sent on 09/05/2019Steph needs to be your photographer!
Steph was amazing!!! We originally found her through WeddingWire and loved her pictures. We had an on the phone interview/chat, and she was so down to earth and easy to talk to. From there, she was great to work with every step of the way. We were a “destination” wedding, and she was able to help refer us to other vendors she trusted- we ended up hiring them as well!
We hired her to photograph our Friday night rehearsal dinner/meet and greet party as well as our wedding day. Both days she was like a photographing ninja, unobtrusive when everyone was emotional or partying it up, but so friendly and kind when taking one on one shots. The Friday night pictures were wonderful to have- she took so many photos of our loved ones from all walks of life mingling together. For the wedding, we loved every picture- the colors were amazing and she captured a down to earth feel that we really wanted- nothing felt or looked staged, and we have never looked better in a photo!
Steph sent us sneak peak pics straight away. It’s only been 3 weeks now and we have all of them! We would recommend Steph over and over again for your photographer for any event.
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Kayla Sent on 08/02/2019Steph is amazing!!
Steph was hands-down one of the best vendors we booked for our wedding!! From the initial phone meeting through the wedding itself, Steph was incredibly professional, knowledgable & quick to respond to any email/call. She exudes such positive, fun energy & is very easy to work with! The photos she took are absolutely incredible!! I highly recommend hiring Steph for your future event! -
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Ashley Sent on 05/23/2019Absolutely incredible!
Stephanie is AMAZING! Not only is she kind and completely down to earth, she has an incredible eye and a pure passion for her work. She was almost invisible as she snuck around capturing the emotion behind our special day! She is worth every penny!!! I truly cannot say enough wonderful things about this incredible woman and her beautiful work! -
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Megan Sent on 05/19/2019Intimate April Wedding
Do not hesitate and book today! After looking at several photographer websites and obsessing over the decision, all it took was one phone call with Steph and I knew we were making the right decision. She is professional, a pleasure to work with, and incredibly fun and laid back. We were lucky enough to meet her in person two days before our destination wedding and we had the best time. The day of our wedding was so relaxed and easy with her there. After our dinner party, we received three sneak peeks that just blew us away and we couldn't wait for more! For the weeks following our wedding day, we continued to receive little sneak peeks that brought us back to our perfect day. Once we received our full gallery of photos, we couldn't believe how lucky we were to have such beautiful keepsakes of our wedding day - even the packaging was so special! Hire Steph for your wedding and you will not be disappointed! -
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Brittany Sent on 12/07/2018This woman is truly the best there is. She traveled across the country to capture our wedding day and there’s not one bad picture.
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Jenna Sent on 11/14/2018AMAZING photographer!
Honestly, there should be a 6 star rating for Steph! She is the epitome of an amazing photographer. She is kind, professional, upbeat, engaging, flexible, and TALENTED! She captures love and nature in a fluid way, which is EXACTLY what we were searching for. We figured anyone could take a photo of us smiling and kissing, but it takes real talent to find someone who can capture love and nature in such a beautiful way. For our engagement photos we went on a hike in 20 degree weather and had the BEST time. Steph made us laugh the whole day and the photos were incredible. The wedding was equally as amazing. It was also awesome watching her work with a new team of videographers, again she was professional, kind, and flexible...all of the things you want around on your wedding day! After the wedding I was worried I wouldn't look good in the photos (normal self-concious girl, I guess), and Steph brought me out of that mindset with her kind words and her TALENT! She loves to send sneak peeks and I swear she sent the most amazing photos at all of the right times. When I told her how grateful I was that she captured those photos in such a beautiful way, she lifted me up with her positive energy and kind words. My husband even said, "did you really think Steph would let you look bad?" He was right!!! She makes you look amazing and you don't even realize she is doing it! We love Steph and would recommend her to anyone looking for a photographer for any event! We will definitely be using her in the future. Thank you Steph! -
Ashley Sent on 10/12/2018Look no further, you’ve found her! Stephanie is the best! Not only did she take the most beautiful shots of my family’s 10 yr vow renewal, but she became part of the family while doing it. I couldn’t recommend her enough. Our special day was so perfect and she captured every beautiful moment. Thank you Stephanie!!!!!!!
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Casey Sent on 09/13/2018Oh I don't even know where to begin!! We actually scheduled our wedding date around Steph's availability...that's how excited we we're to have her as our photographer for our big day. Our wedding was in the Napa/Sonoma area...it was an intimate immediate family only event. We booked two airbnb's (unseen) one for the ceremony and one for the dinner. When we arrived to our airbnb which was the ceremony location - I was actually disappointed and unsure if we wanted to do it there as I had no idea where on the property we would have it (thinking photo-wise.) I should have known the moment Steph arrived, she would take me and go look at the property and choose the most gorgeous location that I never would have even thought of! I will attach a photo so you can see how gorgeous this spot was - right under a big, beautiful tree! Steph captured SO many moments throughout the day that were SO special. I don't know how she did it but I feel like she was in every single place at once and seriously got everything I could have possibly wanted and WAY more on camera for us. Between my brother, sister and I, we have 6 kids - they were all running wild all day and Steph was INCREDIBLE with every single one of them and caught the BEST photos of each child's personality. We also had our dogs there and this amazing human took photos of our puppies. She's seriously just unreal. She came to the winery with us and took amazing photos there - then my Husband had an idea to go to the racetrack and get some pictures there on a time crunch as he races at this particular location. Steph of course, zero hesitations hopped in her car and was excited to take photos at a place that was special to us. As I mentioned above - it was an intimate family only wedding and Steph was exactly that...family. It was incredible how well she blended in with everyone and the entire family LOVED her. She is one in a billion and we can never have another photographer...this girl is the one for our family!! Xo
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Olivia Sent on 09/12/2018Stephanie was AMAZING! From the first time we contacted her she was incredibly professional. She responded quickly, had answers to all of our questions, and guided us through things we hadn't even considered when planning our wedding. On the big day, she maintained her professionalism but brought a fun, energetic personality that made the "photo shoot" some of the best and favorite moments of our wedding. Looking back, our wedding day was perfect and we wouldn't have had such a wonderful day without Stephanie there. P.S. The photos are stunning! We couldn't be happier with how they turned out. We love them!
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Monica Sent on 08/29/2018Steph was beyond amazing during our wedding planning process and the day of our wedding! When we booked her, she answered all our questions and even checked in with me throughout the year to see how the planning was going. I live in San Diego and was little worried about planning a destination wedding in Truckee, but she was very responsive! She even emailed me/texted the week and day before to see if I needed anything. The day of the wedding Steph captured our picture, bridal and family portraits, and candid moments and the ceremony/reception perfectly. It is really is apparent that she does what she loves and is an artist. We love our wedding photos, thank you! :)
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Jess Sent on 07/17/2018Stephanie was a dream to work with! I was a little nervous about finding the perfect photographer for our big day and she absolutely blew it out of the water! She is so easy to work with and really captured the most perfect moments through out our day and she is so incredibly passionate about what she does. After the wedding we got so many fun sneak peaks and a really fast turnaround for our photos. I cant imagine using any other photographer, we will definitely be using her for future events!
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Danielle Sent on 06/20/2018Where do I start with Stephanie?! She is an absolute DREAM to work with!! We originally hired Steph to take our engagement photos and instantly fell in love with her fun, laid-back and positive personality! She oozes passion, kindness, talent & creativity. Steph immediately took an interest in REALLY getting to know us. Talking to Steph is like talking to a long lost friend! I’m pretty sure our initial “quick” meeting extended much longer than either of us anticipated, but she never once made us feel rushed or badly for asking a million silly questions. Going into the shoot we were both nervous & totally clueless about what to do in front of the camera. Steph’s professional yet laid-back & fun personality instantly had us feeling comfortable & even having fun during the shoot!!
Then we got our photos, many within hours! All I can say is WOW!! Somehow, barely knowing us, she was able to capture US better than I could have ever imagined! Our love, our personalities, our feelings...she captured them perfectly! We now have those memories to share with our current & future family forever. What a special gift!! Not just the photos, but our newfound friendship with this incredible human being too!
After our initial experience with Steph we couldn’t imagine anyone else shooting our big day. To our surprise, not only was she willing to travel cross country...she was STOKED to do so! She wasn’t just the top notch photographer we had come to know, she quickly became a bridesmaid, wedding planner, problem solver, nerve calmer, and family appeaser all at once. She is simply amazing and we are so blessed to have found a photographer and friend for life.
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Glendee Sent on 06/01/2018Steph was great! She captured so many precious moments! The photos turned out amazing!
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Veronica Sent on 05/27/2018Stephanie is by far the most amazing photographer anyone could ask for. Her photos are incredible. She is so easy to work with and gives very clear instructions. There wasn't a second of confusion with her. She is extremely professional and you can tell how much love she puts into every shot she takes. I can't believe how beautiful my photos are. I am so happy I went with her I will always suggest her as photographer to anyone. Plus, she handled my husband very well (who tends to mess with who ever he can, as often as he can) so she has bonus points in my eyes. Thank you so much Stephanie. -
Kirin Sent on 02/23/2018Amazing!! Amazing!! Amazing!!! Love Steph!! Passionate, energetic, flexible, and exceptional are just a few of her many qualities!! I was referred to her through a mutual friend and am so lucky! Reliable from the start. Patient and quick throughout the whole event capturing images and special moments...Waiting with my husband and I for the perfect lighting! Couldn’t have dreamed for a better photographer to capture our special day!! Sneak peaks immediately with an amazingly quick turnaround of all images!! Can’t say enough!! Thank you, Steph!!
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Emily Sent on 01/31/2018From the first day I met Stephanie, almost two years ago, I knew she was someone special. She carried a light and a quality that was captivating and inspiring—pairing that with her expertise and skill, her photography is unmatched. I’ve now used her for all of my professional photos as well as our recent wedding photos when we did a “family elopement” in San Francisco. We have two kids who are 8 and 10 and Stephanie made a point to constantly include them in the moments, even when they weren’t in the shots. We made the decision to elope because it was stress-free and intimate and Stephanie made sure to create a space for us that captured that intent completely. She guided us on our timing and photo opportunities to maximize our wedding day and gather as many shots as possible while also having complete autonomy and flexibly. Emily really wanted to get some shots from Marin Headlands over the Golden Gate Bridge and although we hadn’t totally planned on this in our timeline (the sun was setting!), Stephanie effortlessly made sure to make those shots happen and they turned out absolutely perfect. Stephanie is a master and has such a beautiful balance in her work, accommodating her clients and the unique goals they have for their “special day” while managing to keep everything on track. There is no photographer I would ever recommend ahead of Stephanie and Shines Photography...from professional to family to wedding photography, she is the BEST!
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Gabriela Sent on 01/05/2018We had such an amazing experience with Steph! Our pictures turned out better then we could have imagined! She was so flexible with our location and went on a little adventure to our favorite hidden gem spot to take our incredible pictures! We are so incredibly happy and hope to work with Steph again in the future!
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Maggie Sent on 11/07/2017Simply put, Steph is outstanding at what she does. She worked with us on our engagement shoot - which took place at 7am on a Saturday between thunderstorms in late October, I have no idea why I decided on that but she was still stoked about it- and our wedding. She is flexible and so easy to work with, and has an amazing eye. She made us feel comfortable, and gave us direction because we had no idea what to do. I love that the posed shots don't look super set up, she is so great at moving around to create that look of 'trying but not trying'. I am so thrilled with how all of our photos turned out, she's a pro!
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Stephanie Sent on 10/20/2017Stephanie is the kindest, most easy going photographer! She was a joy to work with and took all the stress and awkwardness out of the shoot. The pictures are beyond gorgeous and her prices are beyond reasonable!
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Lindsey Sent on 10/15/2017Our officiant recommended Steph to us and we are so glad she did! Steph was incredible to work with from beginning to end. Very laid back and so talented. I hate taking pictures and she really made us all feel so comfortable. We didn't want to spend a lot of time taking pictures as we wanted to enjoy our event. Steph really listened to this request. She was efficient with her time and I can't believe how many amazing pictures we were able to get! My favorite part was she sent me sneak peaks almost every day starting the morning after our wedding! Our wedding was 8/11/17 and I had gotten all of our photos back within a month. I promise you will not be disappointed. I couldn't be happier.
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Susan Sent on 10/12/2017Steph is not merely an incredible photographer. She's a sprite and a magician, managing to invisibly be in 3 perfect places at once to capture each moment, then catching not just what you look like, but how you feel in that most perfect instant. I can't possibly imagine anyone with more skill or enthusiasm, simply longing to catalog the beauty, emotion and spirit of those moments that float in thin air. Steph has a perfect eye--and a huge, warm heart. Both of these helped to make our wedding day a thorough delight, and now something we can remember with every bit of magic it held.
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Emily Sent on 09/26/2017It's incredibly difficult for me to put into words what Stephanie's work has meant to me, my husband, and my family. My husband proposed to me last September, and I messaged Stephanie about her availability THE VERY NEXT DAY! Aside from my husband, she was the only other MUST have about my wedding day. I originally met Stephanie when she photographed a good friend's wedding. And, y'all, to say I fell in love is an understatement. You can easily see that Stephanie's work is breathtaking. She has a vision and an eye for capturing light-- and even emotions-- that is simply unmatched. Her ability to see something beautiful in a seemingly ordinary setting is extraordinary. But beyond that, Stephanie's passion and love for her work is what really sets her apart. For an entire year, Stephanie sent me sweet messages and thoughtful gifts to let me know that she was thinking of me and that SHE was excited about MY upcoming shoots! She went out of her way to make me feel comfortable, special and beautiful. I was not just another client. My husband LOVES her because she is incredibly quick, efficient, and absolutely go with the flow. My family adores her because she has given them precious treasures that will be passed down to future generations. My bridesmaids joked that the part of my wedding they were most looking forward to was the photos Steph would take. It's true! She is a superhero in our eyes. Stephanie shot my engagement photos, my bridal portraits, and my wedding. My only regret is that I don't have enough picture frames to fill my house with her incredible work! I wholeheartedly guarantee that you will not only walk away from this experience with more spectacular images than you know what to do with, you will walk away with a friend.
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![Patrick and Julie]()
Julie Sent on 09/30/2016We are so glad we found Shines Photography not only because we have made a new lifelong friend, but because of the stunning engagement photos Stephanie took!!! She was quick to respond to any and all of my question. She made it an extremely comfortable experience to be photographed in front of someone you just met. Stephanie has an eye for beauty, you cant got wrong with choosing Shines Photography, I know we couldn't be happier.
Patrick & Julie -
Molly Sent on 07/13/2018Omg were we start !! Stephanie was extacly who we need for our special day. Her thoughtfulness and care for our special day showed as soon as we booked with her. She sent us a lovely letter and adoreable luggage tags. We met with Steph about a month before the wedding to go over our vision. She was super flexible btw on dates that we could meet. Anyways my fiancé , now husband and I didn’t really have a vision , so we wanted her to take the reigns, thank goodness she did!! Where do I start she was amazing day of the wedding. The day before I had to change a couple times and places she was going to take pictures and that wasn’t a problem for her at all. Also Stephanie being the pro she is offered a different location for our wedding party/ couple photos. We were originally going to do them at our reaction spot, but she on her own found an amazing park near by our venue to do pictures out. This worked out perfectly , not only was it more private and also had a beautiful scenery. Stephanie is very quick with her shots and can direct any wedding party, especially my wild crew! Overall Stephanie’s laid back yet assertive personality was exactly what we needed on our day! Also we got our photos back within a couple weeks!! I could go and on ! She is the best !!
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