SimplyTwo Photography Reviews
Reviews
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![Deborah]()
Deborah Sent on 05/24/2020Fun and magical
This review is long overdue. My husband and I got married last October at South Coast Botanic Garden, and John helped us take some amazing pictures of our wedding. We also had him take our engagement pictures for us. My husband and I are not particularly comfortable in front of a camera, but throughout both the engagement shoot and the wedding, John made us feel so comfortable and relaxed. Dare I say we even had fun! He was accommodating and always timely in his responses. He even got our pictures ready for us earlier than anticipated. We're very happy to have worked with John! -
![Peter]()
Peter Sent on 01/22/2020An ABSOLUTE UNIT....of a Wedding Photography Artist that is.
Make no mistake, you get what you pay for in this world and John Yao is NOT your average, budget friendly, run of the mill, volumes mentality, wedding photographer. If you allow yourself to listen to John and are flexible with the vision of how you want your photos to turn out for your special occasion, you will not disappoint. It's almost like entering a relationship in my opinion because the way John handles your needs and inquiries makes you feel like you're in really good hands and yet he does not force himself or his opinions on you. Give him a free rein and he won't let you down (like Rick Astley). This guy's THAT GOOD. And humble. And caring. He's just a superb human being with a camera that captures magical essence of anything he points. My wife and I met him on 2011 and we're happy to say not only did we find an AWESOME wedding photographer, but became really good friends after that. He also gave us a beautiful session of our 1 year old daughter and that was phenomenal. I feel like the amount he charged us wasn't enough for the sheer dedication and professionalism he brought to the table. -
![Emma]()
Emma Sent on 06/07/2018STOP LOOKING! John has the finesse, experience, and talent like no other photographer (evidence: his portfolio). I’ve been following John’s work since my undergraduate years because we happened to be from the same university. I loved his pictures even before he started his SimplyTwo business. I knew from the start that I wanted him to be my wedding photographer HANDS DOWN. So that was like…8-ish years ago?? I kept him in the back of my mind all those years and it was totally worth the wait. He was the first thing I booked in terms of wedding items (that’s right…even before I had a reception venue). And praise God that it all worked out. We had one meeting over video chat to talk about any ideas we wanted to use for our pictures and places to shoot. We were worried about the timing of getting all our ideas and when was the best time to take the pictures (e.g. time of day). With John’s experience, he was able to help us develop a timeline and it made things so easy. During our engagement shoot, John was totally down to take the photos my fiancé (now husband) planned with the props that we made. He even threw in his own ideas and they turned out awesome. Even for the pictures where we didn’t have props, John basically led us in positioning us and tell us to try out different poses. Everything went smoothly and we both felt comfortable during the entire time. He even would tell me when my bangs had an awkward part in them so I can fix it (you girls know what I mean...MAJOR POINTS FOR THIS!) The pictures for the wedding day were also just as awesome. We were tight on schedule but John made sure he had a good amount of pictures of my husband and myself. I can definitely tell that his priority was to spend as much time as possible with us so we could have a good library of pictures to look back on. I’m so glad that I was able to work with John and would 1000% recommend him. -
![User2569898]()
User2569898 Sent on 04/06/2016We got married on Feb 2016. There is a reason he has so many wonderful reviews. John makes taking pictures fun and relaxing. Even my husband, who didn't like taking pictures felt comfortable and had fun when we did our engagement pictures and wedding pictures. Our bridal party said that it was one of the most enjoyable bridal party photos they had ever taken. John has a wonderful way of explaining the shots he wants and have us execute them without us feeling awkward. John's editing skills are also top notch and the wedding previews we have received have gotten great responses from us and from all our friends. Lastly, both my husband and I had busy schedules and John was very accommodating in scheduling meet ups, communication, and our engagement shoot. -
![Loan]()
Loan Sent on 08/04/2015John Yao of Simply Two Photography is a true visionary in the realm of wedding photography. He is passionate, focused and imaginative. He can capture amazingly beautiful photos in any setting. He has unlimited ideas and is always open to suggestions. We wanted to shoot with a motorcycle as our prop and John jumped into the idea with full excitement. He even somehow got us jumping into a refreshing water fountain and then splashing in the ocean waves at night.
The pictures came out beyond what I expected and I was in awe at his talent.
He is so easygoing, funny and has a great ability to bring out happiness and love in all his photos. Even if you are nervous in front of the camera, John has the ability to make you feel at ease. You will actually sometimes forget that there’s a huge camera in front of you and instead embrace the feeling of being in love.
He truly cares about his clients, and takes his time to get to know them on a personal level. He is so likeable that you just want to give him hugs and feed him Boba.
I have been a long time admirer of John’s work for years since we knew each other through mutual friends. Even before we were engaged, I dreamed that one day John would be our photographer. John and my now husband definitely made that dream came true and made me the happiest bride ever.
We were so fortunate to have John shoot both of our engagement session and our wedding day. Every time I look at the photos, it still takes my breath away and puts a huge smile on my face. Thank you John for the everlasting memories and friendship, which we will cherish forever.
Love,
Loan & Eric
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![Angela]()
Angela Sent on 04/15/2013My brother first introduced John's website to me almost 3 years ago. Since then, I had religiously followed him with every hot brides shot, engagement session and wedding session. To my surprise, he had also shot a few of my friend's weddings and I thought they were absolutely spectacular; which reinforced the fact that I needed to have John as my photographer.
When it came to my engagement and wedding sessions, I couldn't believe that the majority of the photos that John had taken were done so with pure skill. He made "normal" shots look as if they were photoshopped. I'm awkward in front of a lens and John made it as comfortable, carefree and natural for me. :)
As for the wedding, John was fantastic! He helped keep me (the bride) calm before, during and after the ceremony. John was extremely flexible with our crazy wedding constantly giving us feedback and trying to capture every emotion and detail. I am so satisfied with his work. He is worth EVERY penny! I just can't wait to see the rest of our pictures. -
![Luisa]()
Luisa Sent on 11/07/2012I knew of John’s work through his sister and I’ve been following his work for years. When I got engaged, I already knew that I wanted to hire John as our photographer, but off course I had to convince the future hubby (which didn’t take long). John is the type of person who is passionate about his work, is talented, is spontaneous, gives great direction and is easy to work with. During our first meeting, I showed him a picture of a Hollywood issue of Vanity Fair, and without saying anything he read my mind (replicating a similar portrait to the picture with my wedding party). When we took our E-session, I felt at easy simply because I’m anti-PDA. However, John and with the help of my future hubby, I was able to let go and pretend that no one (besides my future hubby) was around, which made the E-session easy and fun. Now fast forward to our wedding day, all I can say is that John is AMAZING!!! I received compliments on how professional and talented he was. A few days after the wedding I received the teasers from him and all I can say is WOW! One of my favorite pictures is our bar picture (the Vanity Fair inspirational image). The hubby and I showed some of the pictures to our family and friends and they LOVED, LOVED, LOVED them. I highly recommend John to all the couples out there.
Thank you John, I can’t wait to see the rest of my pictures. -
![Vinh & Annie]()
Annie Sent on 08/25/2012Oh where do we begin with our review on John... Well first of all, I have been following John for years prior to getting engaged. I fell in love with his photojournalism & how he is able to tell a story through his photos, the couple's story. After being proposed to, I had to convince the future hubby to hire John as our photographer. John was very quick to respond (& always has) & answered all of our silly questions. Fast forward to our engagement session, we felt so at ease when meeting John for the first time that it felt like we've known him for years. John has ninja skills, too. You don't even know he's taking photos of you both since you're so at ease. He can make anyone feel comfortable in front of the camera. Too bad our engagement session got cut short due to a huge wave killing most of John's gear *insert super sad face here* However, I think that made us come closer. Fast forward again to our wedding, John was helpful in helping me organize my thoughts come wedding day. I was getting slightly nervous, but he made our whole wedding party at ease. He was professional with our guests & especially to our family members. John was also very flexible with guests wanting to have bride/groom time & still getting the perfect shots in the absolute most perfect settings/lighting. I don't think we have laughed so much as when we are with John & that happiness from being married has definitely shown through in the previews that John has already sent us. We also had the pleasure of doing an encore session with John the next day & that was spontaneous & the most fun photoshoot ever! John definitely has a talent that not many possess & you definitely will not find a photographer with more personality & genuine passion in getting that perfect OMG shot for your special day. He goes above & beyond what you expect! Also, he takes photos like a boss! I'd write more but WeddingWire won't let me :P -
![David]()
David Sent on 05/08/2012It was soo much fun working with John Yao. Not only was he a pleasure to work with but his work is AMAZINNG! He not only made us look great in our engagement and wedding photos but we were so happy he truly understand and captured our personalities! And don't let his laid back attitude fool you. He was super professional during our wedding day. Our coordinator (25+ years in the wedding business) even commented on how great he was. Definitely recommend going with John @ Simply Two. -
![Nancy]()
Nancy Sent on 12/10/2010John is awesome. I met him while attending two of my friends weddings where he was their photographer. I loved the bold colors and how creative his pictures were when studying his blog. John is VERY VERY personable. He gives 110% the entire time he is your photographer. For our engagement shoot, he spent over 6 hours with us taking pictures of us and making us feel so comfortable. He made the mood super fun and allowed us to be who we were and that definitely showed in the pictures. He is ALWAYS aware of the lighting in a picture. He is able to capture the best light in any situation. He got the proofs back to us within a month. He was always available through email, phone and text. The day before our wedding, he came to our rehearsal to meet our wedding party so they would be familiar with who he was. On our wedding day, he was amazing! He was at my house way before the time on his contract. He captured moments with ease and everyone in my wedding party told me how comfortable they felt around him. John was so personable they all loved him! You won't be disappointed with John. -
![Christine]()
Christine Sent on 09/28/2010We LOVED working with John. We chose John/SimplyTwo as our wedding photographer based on (1) his photography style (crisp images, bright colors, clean editing, very classic feel) and (2) his work style/personality. From the moment I saw John's work I was interested. From the moment I spoke to John I was hooked. He is seriously every organized bride's dream. I had a MILLION questions, a very specific idea of what I was looking for in our wedding images, and a significant amount of apprehension since they say photography is the one tangible thing you're able to keep from your wedding day. John never ceased to amaze me with his quick and thoughtful responses to questions, flexibility with schedule changes, and overall chillness. We didn't meet John before the day of our rehearsal but when he walked in the room we felt like we were greeting an old friend more than one of our wedding vendors. And that made the experience all the more enjoyable.
Day of the wedding John also impressed. Throughout the creative session he was constantly showing us images, which encouraged us to get excited about the images he was creating and allowed us to see what we looked like so we could adjust as necessary and put our best feet forward. He worked brilliantly with our videographer and wedding party, took control when the situation called for it, and made sure we all had a grand time.
That of course just speaks to what it's like to work with John. In regard to his product... well, we just got our wedding highlights back and we could not be more pleased with the images. My husband is already dreaming up different events we where we might be able to hire John/SimplyTwo to shoot the images for. We would love to work with him again. YAY for SimplyTwo Photography. -
Zongwei Sent on 10/21/2018
Creative, professional, fun photographer
John is a wonderful photographer and true professional. If we had to do it over again, my wife and I would choose John again in a heartbeat.
We initially looked into John because my wife's sister was a huge fan of John's work (via Instagram). If you haven't seen John's portfolio, take a look and you'll be blown away by the epic shots he manages to create. After video chatting with him, my wife and I both felt comfortable booking him.
Throughout the months before the wedding, John was always very flexible and responsive. It's true that he becomes a friend along the way. When we finalized our day-of schedule a few weeks before the date, we realized we would need an extra half hour from what we had booked to capture all of the getting ready shots. We offered to pay for it, but John graciously came by earlier at no charge.
On the day of the wedding, John was the ultimate professional. He stayed on schedule and was able to magically come up with great shot ideas on the fly. Our entire wedding party had a lot of fun taking photos with John, and they came out *amazing*.
Thank you for doing such a phenomenal job capturing our big day! -
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Patrice Sent on 02/17/2018Newly engaged? Hire John Yao as your wedding photographer!
I came across John’s work since he and my brother are college buddies and he ended up shooting my brother’s wedding. Not only did I admire the artistry and quality of his photos, I was also impressed by the way he professionally and tactfully handled my photo eager (aka pushy) relatives when they tried to get their own photos in. Fast forward a year and a half, once A and I were engaged there were two things that we knew. #1: A wanted milk tea catered at the wedding. #2: I wanted John as our photographer. We had our priorities.
We first contacted John 10 months before our wedding and luckily were able to book him for our wedding date! He first initiated a video chat with us to get some input on our personal style and then would promptly respond to all of our email inquiries. Come engagement session photos, John kept A and I at ease with his fun and quirky personality…though be sure to budget extra time for dog encounters as John will greet every dog that comes his way. He does not need any micromanaging: We had a general location (Golden Gate Park and Sutro Baths in SF), and John was able to make the most random path into an artist’s set.
When it came wedding time, John was not just prompt but came AHEAD of schedule to get some extra shots. He is efficient when directing our group photos and guides us into authentic poses. Following the wedding, I asked John for a couple photos for thankyou cards and he sent over 20! We got our full wedding photo set about 4 months after the wedding and I couldn’t be happier with the product. The pictures speak for themselves – they’re clean and vibrant and capture A and I looking relaxed and joyful. I have no regrets hiring John – he’s a professional, photo nerd, artist, and friend. -
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Elizabeth Sent on 02/13/2018Simply put, John from SimplyTwo Photography is beyond amazing. I'll admit I was hesitant at first because our wedding was taking place in Michigan. I imagined it would be a logistical nightmare, but my husband-to-be had worked with John before in his sister's wedding and, with his steadfast trust in John's work, convinced me to choose SimplyTwo. Our first conversation with John immediately put my fears to rest. He was charismatic, passionate about his work, and his refreshingly original personality was evident from the very beginning. We knew the added logistics of getting him to Michigan would be well worth it. After working with John for our engagement session, we couldn't imagine having any other photographer. The photos were stunning and beyond our expectations. Now, with the wedding pictures in hand, I can honestly say John from SimplyTwo Photography was the best decision we made throughout the entire wedding process. His love for weddings, photography, great lighting, and golden retrievers sets him above and beyond the rest. Thank you, John! You made a special day even more perfect!
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Hau Sent on 12/15/2017John is a true professional. He was punctual and communicative from the start and made the whole process very smooth and easy. My wife and I are camera shy but John's great personality helped put us at ease. I would definitely recommend his service to other couples who are looking for a wedding photographer. On a side note, his ability to speak Chinese and English really helped with my older folks. Thanks John! you did an amazing job for Dannelle and I.
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Alice Sent on 11/12/2017John is freaking amazing. We're usually so awkward with attention and taking pictures but he made the photoshoot experience so fun and easy. We only had a location in mind for the engagement photos but had no idea what exactly we wanted to do. John was down to travel out with us to the desert and just help us capture the moments as they happened. He had a methodological approach in his photo taking that somehow still felt spontaneous. He would find inspiration in the most random things and turn it into photography magic. John was also fantastic at helping us create some artsier shots aside from the traditional cute couple poses. During the wedding, our wedding party and families had a blast working with him as well. He even handled our amateur photographer uncle like a champ (we forgot to warn John about him). We initially thought we were just getting a photographer but now we also have a friend for life! Book him early as his schedule fills up fast! Bonus: he's a dog person!
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