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About

On WeddingWire since 2010

Fine Art Wedding Photography – My Vision:

My vision is to create images that capture the essence of my couple: their love, laughter, joy, and style. My desire is to produce authentic, emotive imagery that encapsulate those relationships between the couple and their loved ones. My photography is inspired by natural and timeless imagery that reflect the true personalities and experiences of each couple’s wedding that can be enjoyed for years to come. As such, we specialize in natural light photography. I view my photography as a celebration of life. I strive to shoot the feeling of each particular wedding day so that my photographs will still hold their power decades later. In the end, I imagine that moment in the distant future when my clients are paging through their wedding album with their grandchildren and reliving that same love, laughter, and joy with them.

I prefer to photograph from inside the wedding, rather than as a detached observer. I am discreet and hidden when I need to be yet am directive when necessary, like when I'm gathering family members for a group shot. I like to think that my experience and personality adds a level of calm to the wedding day. My calm, fun, and easygoing demeanor sets me apart from other photographers. I believe my ability to genuinely connect and to get couples to relax in front of the camera allows me to capture real moments and candid images.

Cinematic Storytelling:

Storytelling is extremely important to me, and I film and edit each wedding to reflect our couple’s big day and their unique personalities. I am experienced in capturing sound, motion, and most importantly emotion. I tell each wedding story using the most advanced cameras and aerial equipment. I also use telephoto lenses to capture the ceremony and reception as unobtrusively and discretely as possible.

My Photo Booth:

My photo booth is an open-air style. We can easily fit a group of friends or family into an image without being confined to a small space. My photo booth uses high quality cameras, professional lighting, and an elegant range of backdrops to provide high quality 4x6 prints in a range of customized designs.

About Me:

When I don't have a camera in my hand, you will probably find me at the beach, hiking the mountains, or at home with my fam. I'm married to my amazing wife Jacquie and father to my incredibly talented 6-year-old daughter Valentina. I also have a lazy bones dog named Thunder, the English Mastiff, who prefers to sleep all day and our two Great Danes pups, Hoku and Beau, who keep each other well entertained. Yes, slightly obsessed with big dogs.

Frequently asked questions

What is the starting price for your wedding photography services?

$3,000

Which of the following are included in the starting price?

2nd Shooter
High-Res Images
One Event / Day

What is the price of your most popular wedding package?

$3,500

What primary photographic style do you identify with?

Contemporary
Film
Photojournalism
Traditional

What photography services do you offer?

Additional Hours
Destination / Travel
Engagement Shoot
High-Res Images
One Event / Day
Second Shooter
Video
Wedding Portraits

What photography items do you offer?

Albums
Canvas
Digital Files
Flush Mount
Matted Prints
Prints
Proofs
Save the Date
illustration notebook

Any other questions?

Reviews of Joseph Esser Photo and Video

We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
5.0 out of 5 rating
5.0 out of 5 rating
38 reviews
99% recommend it
  • Quality of service
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    5 out of 5 rating
M
Murphy M. Sent on 07/16/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Joseph is a MUST hire for your wedding day!

Genuine. Talented. Thoughtful. Joyful. FUN. Thorough. Patient. Resourceful.

Joseph is INCREDIBLE! My husband and I hired him early into our wedding planning process and he was the best! Joseph and his team are incredibly kind, thoughtful, professional, funny, and truly masters of their craft.

We got married at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and were assigned many of our vendors but luckily we got to choose our photographer (among others). Our wedding planner, Tessa Gomes of Fred + Kate Events, hosts the Unveiling Paradise podcast with Joseph so after listening to an episode and checking out his work (and Tessa's recommendation!), we reached out to Joseph. Off the bat, he was approachable and friendly which put us at ease and his great sense of humor made us feel very heard. 10 months later on our wedding day, we felt the same way and so much more!

Joseph has an incredible attention to detail (he detangled two pieces of my jewelry in record time!), a contagious and joyful energy, and his style captures the beauty of the moment and location. I put together a pretty aggressive photo shot list and Joseph handled it like a true professional while keeping everyone laughing AND we stayed on time! He captured every last detail (and there were *so* many) with such a positive attitude and made us feel so comfortable.

My husband and I have been in and to many weddings and Joseph truly stands out as one of our favorite photographers. We highly recommend hiring Joseph for whatever your photography needs are!
Christine
Christine Sent on 05/18/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Best. Vendor. Choice. Ever.

Choosing Joseph Esser to be our wedding photographer was definitely one of the best planning decisions we made! From the day we first contacted him to the day of our wedding, he was always so patient and kind to us. He responded to all of our questions promptly and never made us feel like we were asking stupid questions (even though we probably were, ha).

On the day of our wedding, he showed up on time and was so nice to all of our family, friends, and other vendors. Even though I was running 30-45 minutes behind schedule (my florist completely messed up my bouquet and my mom literally had to make me a new bouquet), Joseph was super understanding and kept reassuring me not to worry. Despite the delay, he made sure to get all the photos that I had on my shot list without making us feel rushed. It was also a hot day and he made every effort to keep us in the shade for the photos so we wouldn't be squinting or sweating. Everyone in our wedding party told us that our photographer was awesome and made them feel comfortable, even those who tend to be camera-shy.

Less than a month after our wedding, Joseph emailed us to say that our photos were ready! I had heard from other married friends that their photographers took 2-3 months, so this quick turnaround was such a pleasant surprise! Our photos are all SO beautiful. We did not have a fancy wedding, but Joseph made our wedding look like it belonged in a magazine. I am tremendously grateful to have beautiful photos to keep for the rest of our lives. Joseph is just a super talented, genuinely nice guy who wants to make sure your day is stress-free and that you have gorgeous photos to remember it. Hire him for your wedding - you won't regret it. Thank you so much for everything, Joseph!!!
S
Steve Sent on 07/15/2018
5 out of 5 rating
We booked Joseph a couple months before our engagement photo shoot. We looked at his work through instagram and we both were amazed by his work. He was able to answer all of our questions and give us great recommendations in locations as to what we wanted as a backdrop. We went with his underwater photo session in addition to the land shoot. We were very anxious as to what to expect the day of the shoot. He was great in dictating us how to pose and what kind of shot he was trying to achieve When we arrived he was ready to shoot and with all the previous emails we had with him he knew what we wanted. He was extremely patient, professional and re-did a lot of shots to get that perfect moment. The water session was great. He had his assistant paddle us out to calm waters, worked on getting the perfect shot.
After the photo shoot, he gave us a sample of what we would be getting and the stand alone sample was worth the money IMO by itself. We asked other vendors on pricing and the value we got out of Joseph was so much better off the bat with our initial phone calls and emails.
illustration message review

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Awards

38
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2012 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2011 Winner

Team

Joseph Esser
Joseph Esser
Owner

Professional Network & Endorsements

5 Endorsements
Aloha Bridal Connections Aloha Bridal Connections Wedding Planners

Joseph Esser is terrific at what he does! He makes you feel comfortable around the camera and captures the natural chemistry between each couple. He is very responsive in emails and always professional! We love working with him!!

Savvy Weddings Savvy Weddings Wedding Planners

Brides and planners love Joseph. He is easy to work with, efficient with his time and his photography is amazing!

Blush Makeup & Hair Blush Makeup & Hair Wedding Hair & Makeup

Beautiful photography, very friendly and easy to work with.

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