Colin Lyons Wedding Photography Review

It was an amazing experience working with Colin both for our engagement shoot back in October and for our wedding over Memorial Day weekend.

Colin is very friendly, personable, and professional.  He had wonderful suggestions for shoot locations, but also asked for our input.  Our wedding had a Chicago theme as the majority of our guests were from out-of-town, and I liked how Colin picked locations unique to Chicago to take pictures (rather than the usual touristy landmarks).  Both of us can be camera shy, but Colin put us at ease and made us feel comfortable in front of the camera.  It helped working with him on the engagement photos so we were relaxed and accustomed to him by the wedding.  I liked how he gave us directions, but also let us be ourselves throughout the shoots.

We also had the pleasure of working with his assistant Renny on our wedding day.  Both Colin and Renny were on time (if not early), excited, and worked well not only with the bridal party, but with the wedding guests.  They were also patient with our many family members who also wanted to take similar group photos during the reception!  The weather did not hold up after the ceremony and we ended up having to change shoot locations, but still got beautiful photos.  Also, both of them had a lot of experience shooting at the reception venue.

Colin is a very talented photographer...all of the pictures turned out amazing!!  He gave us all of our photos and the slideshow a month after our wedding.  We received so many compliments from our family and friends about the quality of his work.  His work is timeless...  

I highly recommend Colin and his team to anyone getting married!

182 W Lake St
Ste 309
(between Beaubien Ct & La Salle St)
Chicago, IL 60601
Serving Chicago and surrounding area
Neighborhood: The Loop

(312) 285-4533

City Art Gallery Review

New artists share one problem, getting their work into the public forum. City Art confronts this dilemma head-on...artists pay a small fee to display their pieces, the co-op gets a portion of any sale, and one of the working artists is available on-site. It's a terrific addition to the neighborhood, providing patrons with an opportunity to purchase artists' work inexpensively, before they are "discovered" by mainstream galleries. It also offers artists a chance to connect with each other and share ideas, plus sell their work to an appreciative audience. This simple storefront creates and sustains a community. Open Wednesday-Sunday.

828 Valencia St
(between 19th St & Cunningham Pl)
San Francisco, CA 94110
Neighborhood: Mission

(415) 970-9900

Arthaus Artist Review

I received a gift certificate for this business when I bought my condo. Seeing as I have had van gough and billie holiday posters for most of my life, it seemed like a good time to get "real" art, but I have to admit, I was a little afraid to go to a real art gallery. Art Haus is a great place to buy art. They have an interesting group of artists and have pieces that are actually very well suited to san fran  living and a new property owner's budget. The owner, James, and his partner were incredibly nice to me and even brought over the pieces I liked to see how they looked in my place.

411 Brannan Street
(between 3rd St & Ritch St)
San Francisco, CA 94107
Neighborhood: SOMA

(415) 977-0223

Zenze Design Review

Julian at Zenze was excellent! He helped me in designing a logo for my online skincare business. I had an idea of how I want my logo to look like but lacked the digital illustrator skills to put it together. After many many revisions, Julian remained patient with me and delivered exactly what I wanted. The price was also very reasonable for a small start-up like me that don't have too much money yet wants the solid logo like a big company. Very thankful to have found this place!

San Francisco, CA 94133

(415) 632-8309

Cindy Potter Graphic Design Review

Quite simply, Cindy is amazing. I've contracted her to work on various projects, large and small, over the years. Right out of the gate, it's clear that you're working with someone who is professional, highly skilled, and distinctly creative. For each project, she has sat down with me for a brainstorming session and has helped me consider aspects of the visual look and design that I hadn't even considered. She's so good at the creative aspect, as well as execution which, to me, is what separates an outstanding graphic designer from a mediocre one. Anyone can have technical proficiency, but not everyone has a creative spark. With Cindy, you get both.

I would recommend, without hesitation, hiring Cindy for any project where it's critical that to get your message across with a bang. Her work is slick and savvy. Additonally, she's incredibly easy to work with.

Alabama Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

(415) 254-4498

Diggs Photography Review

The class is great for anyone new to photography or for those like me who have been shooting for years but never really grasped the concepts of what makes for a great shot. I have many pictures I'm proud of but most of my best shots are happy accidents. I couldn't answer questions about how I got a shot, and was never sure if I could make a shot work until I saw the result.

The classes are very laid-back, more of a hands-on chat than a formal course. Peter opens your eyes to what your camera can do, but also makes you open your manual get to know your own camera. He really emphasizes working with the lighting, which is a key aspect of taking great photos. After the three-day workshop I wasn't left feeling like I could take a perfect shot every time, but I do feel like I have a great foundation for taking charge of my camera and improving beyond the those few lucky shots.

2711 18th St
Ste 33
(between York St & Bryant St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
Neighborhood: Mission

(415) 272-2137