My wife remembered Joseph Kohn's work from her best friend's wedding, which was three years ago. I thought it was pretty impressive that my wife would remember his work three years after the fact, so I was immediately intrigued.

Our experience with him was AWESOME. My main concern in picking a wedding photographer was that we would end up spending a lot of money on photos that nobody would care about in two years and that would make our wedding seem like a boring, staid affair instead of a celebration. Instead, Joseph really captured ALL the aspects of the day for me - the solemnity, the mystery, the anticipation, the joy, the party. He has a genius for staging photos in a way that really evokes the feeling of the day for me months afterwards, but he also has a genius for candid shots that are artistically interesting and bring out the human heart of a scene. And by "artistically interesting," I mean he shoots the coolest wedding photos I've ever seen - in fact, he shoots some of the coolest photos I've ever seen, period. If you've never seen wedding photography that you honestly thought was cool without being gimmicky, you need to check out Joseph's work.

Besides the quality of his photography, Joseph was a joy to work with. He was a complete professional - which means he knew when (and how!) to be unobtrusive and how to move post-ceremony photos efficiently without being pushy, but ALSO that he genuinely shared our happiness. Throughout the process I felt like Joseph approached our wedding asking himself not how much money he could talk us into spending but how he could enhance the day for us, and our memories of it. Joseph really blew me away with every aspect of this process.

Lisa and Eric

I tend not to post reviews, but had such a great experience with joseph that i just had to. A couple of years ago, two friends of mine got married, and sent around their wedding pictures. I still remember gasping at those pictures. They weren't like any of those traditional, corny shots we were used to - they captured those elusive emotional moments and really got the feeling of the event.  I made a mental note then that if i ever got married, I'd want that same photographer, w/ that precise yet carefree style, all about the special moments rather than the snapshots. 

So fastforward to this year, when my wedding was fast approaching and I hadn't chosen a wedding photographer yet.  I just wasn't seeing the same caliber of photos - or if i was, they cost tens of thousands of dollars.  So I emailed my friend asking what the name of that amazing photographer was, and contacted him.

And, miraculously, he was able to come shoot our wedding - a destination wedding in mexico. After the groom, it was the best decision i made. We quite honestly spent no time on the photos - we were always running late, didn't want to take time away from our guests, and wanted to ake sure the wedding festivities were going well - but somehow he managed to take amazing shots. My hubby had little interest in the photography, but when he saw the pictures he was a convert. In the 5 minutes that Joseph managed to get us alone during the reception, he took some of the most jaw-dropping shots i'd ever seen.  He would steal us away for a minute at a time and get some amazing pictures in., I still have no idea when and how he did it.

He was completely unobtrusive, yet somehow always there. And he was extremely available both before the wedding (during the planning) and during (and after!), and suggested some amazing shots/ideas for the ceremony. I wanted to do a 'teash the dress' session - he was excited and had some great ideas, and got some amazing shots in the pool and in the ocean!  And the slideshow he put together (without me lifting a finger, mind you) was amazing - people keep telling me it's the best wedding photography they've ever seen. I tend to agree. 

So if you're looking for a top-notch, flexible, reasonable wedding photgrapher who's really willing to work with you - and you want amazing ohotos with very little effort - you can't go wrong with Joseph and his team. (Eliot Khuner was his second shooter, and Eliot was an absolute sweetheart - so flexible, available, amazing photogrpahs, and a great way with people)

Hands down the best photographer in San Francisco.  Look at his pictures!  We looked at many photographers' websites.  All of them, I felt the urge to suggest how I wanted the photographs done.  Then I found Joseph's site. He was the first photographer that I didn't need to worry about.  And I didn't.  I made no suggestions and with complete faith.   Friends and family have all remarked that the photos are the best they've ever seen.  His photos tell our story.  And so, our house if filled with blown up photos.   Thanks again Joseph!

Joseph shot our very small elope wedding back in july, 2008. now a year has passed...i see Joseph as a friend, cause only friend is able to capture such emotions with that level of intimacy...a good pic should tell a story, and Joseph is the storyteller of our wedding, a very good one, indeed...
i wrote a small poem the other day about pictures. here you go, Joseph:

pictures of you
is like a shade of heather grey
cold and warm at the same time
bumping in the back of my mind and lighting the blurry sea of blue

pictures of you
glittery gold fades and your grin that takes me flow
lady bird sings and heavy raindrops fall
after the summer storm

pictures of you
dream is a vision and days have been left hollow and pale
million minutes is a passing fleet
words play in the distance and your flair shines through...

we will see you sometime soon,
love,
Q&D

We got married in 2004. To me, the most important part about the wedding, besides my husband, was the photographer. I pored over tons of photography sites and, frankly, found most of them to be cheesy. 

Then I found Joseph and IQ Photo. Joseph's work is exceptional. There are really no two ways about it. I loved how he approached each wedding with fresh eyes and seemed to capture the essence of what the bride and groom were trying to express. 

I could go on and on about the photos, but, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words... Just look at the work on the IQphoto website. 

Besides the photographs, which are outstanding, I've got to give a solid A+ for customer service. Remember how I said that we were married in 2004 and the photos were super important to me? I also failed to mention that I'm a total slacker and have since been really busy having babies and stuff....

So, we'll have been married 5 years this fall and I JUST got my act together to coordinate with Joseph over prints and the album. Seriously. At this point, he could have totally half-assed it, just put it to the side. I mean, the check has already WAY cleared, you know? 

As time has passed, doing the photos has become this enormous, daunting task in my mind, looming ever-larger on the horizon. Joseph hung in there with me and helped to guide me into getting the right prints and album. I am so grateful. 

So, phenomenal, unique amazing photos + great service... you just can't go wrong.

Hannah Q

For my husband and I , wedding photography was the most imporatnt thing on our list.  We wanted to make sure we booked with someone who could provide beautiful photos that were unique and would last a life time.  We found EXACTLY what we were looking for in IQphoto... 

Joseph Kohn is hard working, dedicated and extremely professional; his artistry is beyond compare.  We enjoyed every photo session we had with Joseph because he made every moment fun and magical!  He helped us feel comfortable not only in the photo shoots, but throughout the entire process; we trusted him completely and for us, that was the most important thing.  Joseph's passion, artistic eye, excellent creative judgment and all around warm personality made him a complete joy to work with... We have had nothing but the highest complements on our wedding album and photos, Joseph made us look like models!  He is the most talented photographer we have yet encountered, and over the past year since our wedding, it seems he has only gotten better.

My husband and I GLADLY recommend IQphoto to any future bride and groom, Joseph's work is worth every penny!

If you're looking for a photographer look no further!!!  Yes, we gave Joseph Kohn 5 stars because he is as good as it gets!!! My sister in law's cousin had used him for their wedding and he came highly recommended so we decided to set up an appointment to check out his work!  We loved his work but we were torn since this was the first photographer we were meeting with and we didn't want to rush and make a decision before weighing our options!   We had an appointment with another studio the very next day so we politely told Joseph that we were going to follow up with him by the end of the week.

But just as we were leaving my husband (of course fiance at the time) and I began to discuss how important it was for us to go with someone we felt comfortable with and someone whose work was original and high quality!!!  So we caught Joseph just as he was leaving and decided to book him that very night and we never regretted that decision!!! 

I can't begin to tell you how happy my husband and I were when we finally received a sneak preview of our photos!!!  His work captures those moments that allow you to relive your momentous event!  We shared it with our family and wedding party and everyone was completely enamored by Joseph Kohn's work!!  My bridesmaids were joking with me saying they all wanted to renew their vows just so they could book Joseph!  He is extremely professional and very responsive which is important when you are planning such a significant milestone in your life.   We can hardly wait to receive our photo album!! 

I told Joseph that he was going to be our photographer for life! And I mean that too!  We'll definitely use him for other significant life events; baby photos; family photos; renewal of vows etc...

Thanks Joseph!!

Joseph and his team were part of our July 2005 wedding in Oakland, CA. 

He's easy to work with, funny in his own "Euro Mafia" way and sees things that only a professional would see as a great photo opportunity. His shots are modern and timeless. He'll work with your personality and take photos that reflect that as well.
The magazine style album he designed was exactly what we were looking for. We love our photos and still look at them to this day. 
I highly recommend him for capturing your important day!

Teresa C

I looked all over the Internet at hundreds of portfolios for the perfect photographer for our wedding. My husband and I had a specific style in mind and knew exactly what we wanted in our photos - street shots in San Francisco including unique pictures with different angles. We didn't want the typical stand and smile posed pictures.

Photography and location were our two biggest priorities for our wedding. Our thought process was - it's a special day, we want someone who knows how to capture us as a couple and the city we met in. We needed to find someone in tune with our vision that didn't cost a fortune. 

My husband and I had a small wedding - only 26 people for what we planned on a Friday afternoon. We only needed 3 hours in a few locations - mostly just the two of us and we only wanted the photos on a website and a photo CD so we could print out what we wanted.

When interviewing photographers my main concerns were: flexibility, fair price and their attitude towards the photos. Through my research I found most "wedding packages" required a minimum 4 hour package with all kinds of extras that I didn't need. And several photographers had restrictions on "their" photos. But if you are paying for a service  shouldn't you own the rights to "your" photos?

When I first contacted IQ Photo with my requests, Joseph responded almost immediately and answered all my questions. He offered me an elopement package and even let me add extra time and locations around the city. I didn't even spend my entire budget!

We discussed my vision and he also made suggestions for alternate locations which was greatly appreciated. He is easy to communicate with, flexible, and answers emails within a few hours.

Our pictures came out better than we even expected! We couldn't be happier with our choice in Joseph Kohn.  Our photos are the proof of his talent. We get compliments all the time on our wedding pictures. I HIGHLY recommend Joseph for your special event. You will be well taken care of - his talent is truly amazing.

Thank you again Joseph!!!

Betsy R

I search for hours looking for the perfect photographer for my wedding and when I found IQphoto my search came to an end - and after seeing the pictures from our wedding, I was not disappointed. There are a lot of photographers out there but only a few a true artists with a camera. All of my memories have been captured by the beautiful pictures captured. Then I worked with Joseph to create a magazine style album which is the BEST wedding gift as it captures the memories, the smiles and love -his albums are AMAZING. I have gotten so many compliments on our wedding pictures!

Fast forward three years and I called Joseph again to take maternity and newborn pictures and again I was not disappointed. The pictures he took were GORGEOUS, they were so CREATIVE -- something only a true artist could capture.

LaSandra B

Joseph is an artist. There are no whens, hows or whys about it. He can take the most mundane moment or backdrop and turn it into the most beautiful photo you've ever seen. But of course your wedding isn't mundane - it's the most important day of your life. And not only will Joseph capture all your special moments (and I mean all of them), and make you look good, he will encapsulate them in such a way that everyone who sees your photos is transported to that day. Even if you were there, viewing his photos somehow heighten the whole experience, capturing all the subtle moments you missed and making the ones you remember even lovelier. 

But Joseph isn't just an artist - he's a professional, and a super nice guy. He's always on time, always responds quickly, and works with you to find out what you need (and he WILL deliver). He really makes an effort to make sure that you are happy. He accommodated ALL my requests for traditional photos with my family throughout the day and for that I'll be forever grateful. He also sent us the link to the preview slideshow within 4 days after the wedding, and the rest of the pictures the day after that! It was unbelievably hard (and painful) choosing only 120 photos for our album, because each one was truly a work of art. Everyone who's seen our photos have been very impressed with them, even people we didn't know have told us how perfect everything looked.

Our wedding day was a magical day that now only exists in our memories, but thanks to Joseph we have tangible images that we can take with us through the years. He really was worth every penny, and I'm truly thankful that we didn't entrust our day to anyone but him.

** We were married Sept. 27, 2008 at St. Francis of Assisi with the reception at Villa Ragusa, if this helps anyone :)

Carmela G

First of all, I have to tell you a little bit about my wedding. It was a very small "east meets west" wedding of 40 people and it was held in our in-law house and vineyard. So, our utmost concern was photography since we did not have a fancy wedding and we were afraid we would not have enough nice photos to keep or perhaps even to make a nice album. I looked around for a long time for a photographer. One day, my brother who is an art student recommended IQPhoto because as he was an artist himself, he could really tell the difference between professional photography and all the other ones and he actually told me, Joseph was a true professional, as well as a great artist. I am not an artist myself, so I have no experience with the little details of good photography, like lighting or positioning. But my brother could actually point out that Joseph is so detailed at those little essences of photography and that is what makes him special. When I reviewed his website, I was so fascinated that I actually went through his calender and CHANGED OUR WEDDING DATE to match his availability just to have him as our photographer. What surprised us more is that not only did he provide high-quality work, he was a delight to work with, and highly-flexible. The pictures for my small wedding turned out to be so special in their own way, I was in tears when I looked at the slideshow after the wedding. Joseph, once again, Nick and I would like to thank you for all you have done for us. Not only are the pictures (both engagement and wedding), so beautiful and unique, but also you managed to put them together in such a way that it tells a story that is so precious and valuable to us. We really appreciate you coming so far out to Lodi even though you were not feeling well, and for all the other accomodations you had made for us. I am really looking forward to my wedding album!!

Vivi & Nick

Joseph is an excellent photographer who combines his artistic ability with a friendly and relaxed personality that we really appreciate. All our photos turned out beautiful - he made us look gorgeous yet natural with his photojournalistic style. We are very pleased with our engagement album and can't wait to see the finished product for our wedding album. We had a traditional Asian tea ceremony in the morning of our wedding and Joseph was able to capture everything while respecting our tradition (and making creative use of the limited physical space)! We highly recommend Joseph

Gary & Thuy

Joseph has such a great eye for light, color, and composition. He is the best photographer I have ever seen, and his work at my wedding has received so much great feedback!

Cindy & Randy

My husband and I were extremely pleased with Joseph at IQ Photo. The pictures we got from him are fantastic. He managed to capture so many "un-choreographed" candid moments. We would definitely recommend him to anyone who wants great pictures of their event without too much staging.

Krishni & James

Joseph is an incredibly talented, hard-working and thoughtful photographer. He'll complete all the classic wedding shots beautifully, then take your breath away by seeing and capturing astounding "moments." His pictures are a visual feast.

Laura and John

Hiring Joseph for our wedding was truly the best choice we made. Not only were the photos unique, artistic and stunning, but Joseph was easy to talk to and fun to work with. He works with you, listens to you, and really takes the time to understand what you are looking for in a photographer. He takes his work seriously and enjoys what he does which are two significant traits in a wedding photographer. You can have the prettiest flowers, the most beautiful cake, the most elaborate dress and all the finest little details, but what good is that without pictures that capture their beauty for years to come. Thats why we believe that choosing a photographer is the most important decision when planning a wedding. With Joseph, you get much more than you pay for. We searched and searched so many web sites and were most amazed with Josephs packages. We were also impressed with how we never felt pressured by him. We told him exactly what we wanted and he worked out a deal for us. Joseph has tons of photos and has no problem letting you view each and every one of them if you wanted. He doesnt pick and choose his best work to show you, he opens ALL his files in front of you and goes through them one by one until you are satisfied. It doesnt take long to realize how much talent Joseph has. He has an incredible eye for detail.

Gina & Julius

We can say with utmost confidence that Joseph Kohn at IQphoto is among the most talented wedding photographers in the Bay Area. We say this because as Joseph knows, we are a very detailed couple who interviewed over nine photographers and talked to countless friends before hiring him. In the end, the decision was an easy one. You will see that Joseph's work is original and imaginative, a refreshing change from traditional "posed" photography. His work is colorful, creative, both lively and elegant, and naturally composed to capture the emotions of the day. He also has a truly uncanny attention for detail, which was unmatched by any photographer we met with. Any photographer will show you his or her best work. Joseph showed us more photos than anyone, his collection of quality work plentiful. In hiring a wedding photographer, personality is just as important as talent - you need to feel comfortable spending the entire day with this person! Joseph exudes a quiet and reassuring confidence, and it really came through on our big day. He was focused yet flexible (which is very important as trust us, timelines tend to run behind schedule). And he was courteous, not at all bossy. His calm and friendly demeanor made our guests - even the ones who were camera shy! - feel right at home! We never thought that anyone could exceed our expectations. Joseph Kohn did far and beyond just that. The photos still leave us wondering "where was he? how did he land that shot...at that EXACT moment?" When you meet Joseph, when you hear him explain his work, you will sense his passion as an artist which shows through his photos and the beautfiul magazine albums that he personally designs. We give Joseph Kohn our highest recommendation! Good luck and congratulations to all of you!

Jason and Che-Chin Chow

After reviewing countless wedding photographer's websites, Simon and I were very excited to meet with Joseph Kohn. His website provides you with not only breath-taking examples of his work, but there is a great deal of information that helped us to understand what we should be looking for in a photographer. At our meeting he presented us with several slideshows of weddings he had recently done to give us a sense of his artistic style and we were quite impressed. I have to admit though that it really isn't until you have gone through process yourself and you are looking at your own completed photos that you can truly appreciate his dedication and the quality of his work. Just a few examples of the wonderful little surprises that we had: - We were floored when we found out that Joseph had been up all night with his wife for the birth of their first child and still showed up for our wedding the next afternoon! - We were still on our honeymoon when we received an email telling us that the proofs were ready for viewing...hundreds of them! - We knew from our meeting that we would be selecting the photos to create our wedding album; that sounded like a great idea at the time, but when you're looking at hundreds of pictures and trying to choose which ones will look good together, it begins to lose its appeal pretty quickly. Fortunately Joseph saved us because within a few weeks he put together 25 double-page photo montages that were absolutely stunning. We ended up choosing them all! We thought the photo montages that he emailed to us looked incredible, but they pale in comparison to the finished album, allowing us to re-live the special feelings and private moments of our wedding day with each turn of the page. We give Joseph Kohn our highest recommendations and we would definitely recommend him to our family and friends. Thank you, Joseph!

With Regards, Ellen and Simon

My husband and I got married in December of 2006.  Since we were both living in socal, it was hard for us to actually go out and meet a photographer to book for our wedding which was going to be taking place in the bay area.  So, what does any normal bride do? She sends her parents to check out the photographer and his work for her :)  Luckily, my parents have great taste, and they called me back after meeting with Joseph saying that his work was really good, that they felt comfortable with him and that they thought he'd be a good choice.  After thinking about it, we decided...why not?

What really got us hooked on Joseph at first was his before & after slideshow on the website.  What awesome work! We talked to a friend who is into graphics and such and he even said, "wow..this guy is good".  So with that, we were set on booking Joseph.

We ended up having a couple of engagement sessions.  One was experimental (both for him and us) because we wanted to do a night time session in SF.  Unfortunately it was a cold and windy one.  He was extremely patient with us and did his best to get great shots of us, even though we didn't really have our photo faces on because we were so cold.  After that session, we decided to do a more traditional session at the beach and Joseph was totally on board with that too :) Thankfully!

Our second session was even better because of the weather and he made us feel very comfortable with being ourselves, silly at times too!  I ended up loving our second session and we used most of the pictures in our wedding day slideshow!

Now..for the actual wedding day.  Joseph was AWESOME.  He showed up perfectly on time with his assistant at my house on the day of.  I remember saying hi to him in the morning..and then the rest of the time getting ready, everything was totally candid.  There were moments where I didn't even know he was around, but he got some amazing shot.  He did a great job doing some more posed/traditional shots later that morning too and those came out fantastic. 

During our ceremony, I knew that I wanted a photographer that would be pretty much invisible to my husband and me and the guests.  I've been to soooo many weddings where the photographers are EVERYWHERE...on the stage, at the front of the aisle, stepping on dresses, pretty much distracting all the guests' attention away from the couple...and I knew that I didn't want that at my wedding.  I don't know how he did it, but he managed to stay invisible during the ceremony, but at the same time, he captured all the perfect moments of our wedding.

Throughout the day, he just really did a good job in balancing the time he spent taking traditional photos and more photo journalistic photos..all of which I was really happy about.  Throughout the day, after getting all the formal pictures taken that we wanted, he spent the rest of the day capturing us and our emotions without us even knowing it :)

Post wedding...I remember that Joseph worked FAST.  Shortly after we returned from our honeymoon, we had an email waiting with our pictures ready to view!  We selected our favorite pictures for him to make our album.

Just when I thought things couldn't get any better...Joseph designs this GORGEOUS wedding album for us!  I'm always so excited to show our wedding album to people when they come over :)  Speaking of which...I think I'm going to go have a lookie at it right now! Thanks, Joseph!

Tracey M

Joseph! Joseph! Joseph! Not sure where to even begin with this review. I was looking to elope for my wedding and came across a wedding board. I saw the most intriguing pictures and wondered where they had been taken and most importantly, WHO had taken them.  Luckily for me as I read through the board, the bride mentioned Joseph's name. I immediately went to his site and fell in love with his work all over again.  I contacted him that same night and set up potential dates.  At that point, I had not even checked to see if the date was available at San Francisco's City Hall. I checked the date at city hall and immediately secured his services.  

Coming in from out of town (Michigan) for a wedding is scary enough, but when you have no idea what your photographer looks like makes it even worse. As we sat anxiously waiting for our number to be called, lo and behold I saw this man with two cameras hanging off his shoulders come around the corner. I knew immediately it was Joseph.  Our eyes connected and it was on from there. From the time we first spoke until the time we left it was magical.

Joseph immediately began taking pictures and capturing our moment. He gave us some direction, but not too much. Then much to my surprise, here comes his assistant Alex with two more cameras.  Alex stood in the background and captured so many interesting moments as well. 

Joseph is one of the most artistic people I have met in my life.  So many people claim to be artists, but Joseph is the epitome of what an artist is.  I feel like I worked with one of the world's greatest photographers. Every moment we had with him was so special. Joseph is very professional and very passionate about his work.  My husband and I were in awe the whole day and even still today. Every time I show someone my pictures they say it looks like it came out of a magazine.  (They really do!) I am so blessed to been able to work with Joseph and let me not forget Alex as well.  The only thing I regret is I did not get a picture of the both of them for my personal album.

Thank you, Joseph and Alex for capturing one of the most special moments in my life. I hope to work with you again in the future.

Your #1 fan!
BPD

My wife and I were married in San Francisco in May 2009 and we reached out to Joseph after seeing his beautiful photographs on his website. My wife called him and was saddened to learn that he was already booked for our wedding day, but they ended up having a lengthy conversation about wedding photography and the reasons she liked his documentary style so much (she's a former newspaper reporter and was turned off by most wedding photography because it looked so staged. Joseph's photos, on the other hand, really capture the beauty and excitement of wedding days). They exchanged contact info because he said he would be happy to pass along the names of other photographers who might be available, but a few days later Joseph called to say the couple he was supposed to work with had a personal crisis and had to cancel at the last minute. He was free! He did such a fantastic job with our wedding. Our friends and family have been completely blown away by his work. One of our friends (who is getting married in a few weeks) hired him based on our recommendation even before our wedding (we told her how great he had been in the run-up to the wedding and how much we liked his work). He was a pleasure to work with, but mostly we will always treasure the stunning, artistic photographs of our wedding. He captured us both so well and produced amazing pictures we will forever cherish.

Mark S

My husband extensively researched Bay area photographers and concluded Joseph is the best wedding photographer available, irrespective of cost.  I wholeheartedly agree.  Joseph came highly recommended by two separate friends who don't know each other.  Both friends are highly educated, have discerning tastes, and both independently gave glowing recommendations of Joseph's work and timely turnaround.   

Joseph first displayed his artistic skill for us in our engagement photo session taken near the picturesque Golden Gate Bridge at sunset and the Embarcadero for night city shots. The engagement session pictures alone are amazing.  We have used many of these pictures for various parts of our wedding and in framed pictures in our house.

For our wedding, we already had high expectations of Joseph, but he managed to blow us away with his incredible work.  Joseph is an artist and his pictures are simply masterpieces. His keen eagle eye combined with inventive artistic flair captures the moments like you would never imagine.  His pictures are gorgeous.  These are the moments that will live forever in your memory artistically rendered in digital photography.  After watching the video (made by a different company) I realized that Joseph's pictures actually enhanced my memory of the wedding.  Our parents absolutely love the pictures and cannot stop raving about them.  The photo album Joseph put together is stunning but mere icing on the cake: beautiful layouts with each page telling a story. Photos are meticulously selected, cropped and organized upon an  artistic photographic background.  

Although Joseph's talent would give him reason to have a giant ego, he is very very hard working and timely (matter of days) in putting together a fantastic online 3-4 minute slideshow. We watched, as tears rolled down our cheeks, the slideshow for the first time during our honeymoon.  The slideshow is perhaps the single most important artifact from the wedding in today's internet age: parents and relatives can easily show friends and colleagues, guests can relive highlights, and coworkers not present can witness and experience the event in a few minutes.   People I don't even know have complimented our slideshow.  

I still, from time to time, watch the slideshow online and I wonder how the room is so dusty... causing my eyes to water.

Aya

Joseph is a fantastic photographer that has a wealth of experience and knowledge on how to capture amazing pictures. When we were choosing a photographer for our wedding, some mentioned that they would rather not shoot indoor portraits at our ceremony site due to the lower lighting, some did not have enough familiarity about the location of our ceremony site, which had strict regulations, but when we talked to Joseph, he was very knowledgeable about the location of both our ceremony and reception due to his years of work. He did not shy away from low lighting and appeared to already have a plan of where to take photos before we even hired him. The photos that resulted from our wedding were spectacular. He has an incredible eye on how to construct a scene with the environment given to him as well as paint a story of the events as they unfold. Furthermore, he is always looking to try new and unique things in his work, so you will see some things you have never seen before. We can definitely state that we recommend him to anybody looking for a photographer to capture a special event.

Where do I begin? OK, a little background: I was looking for someone to do portraits of my baby and Joseph was a photographer for my friend's wedding and she highly recommended him. Although he specializes in wedding photography, Joseph was nice enough to accommodate us. When, during our phone conversation, he asked about baby's temperament, I knew he would be the right photographer for our reserved, camera shy daughter. So, when he arrived with several small toys to win her favor, I was not surprised. Joseph was most patient and professional throughout the entire session. And of course, the pictures were amazing; my mother had tears in her eyes when she saw them. The photos were just what I was looking for candid and artistic, t so unlike the formal portraits of my childhood. Thanks Joseph for a wonderful job!

Dear Joseph,

I wanted to take a few moments to express our appreciation for the wonderful job you did for us during our wedding. But I decided instead to recommend you by addressing this email to anyone who wishes to hire a photographer to document an event of personal significance to them. Choosing a photographer is not easy. In fact, entrusting your memories (and really the only relic of the event) to a complete stranger, can be frightening. You may have no clear idea what you want, or may not know exactly what to ask for. And even if you do know what you want, there's no guarantee the professional you hire will deliver. To top it all off, you need to spend a small fortune on this leap of faith. First of all, let me assure you that there is no simple way to make a choice that will guarantee you great pictures of your event. You probably have to spend a good deal of money and even then, you will only get great pictures if you have a great photographer. If you're reading this review, you're probably interested in finding a photographer who will provide that superb end-product. For our wedding, Joseph did just that. He and his assistants were able to anticipate moments, were courteous, professional, and unobtrusive. They are also very talented on set pieces and candid shots, they use top notch equipment, are on time and offer a good selection of packages for you to choose from. What can you expect from a great photographer? Well, primarily, they must be able to make you look good. Check out Joseph's sample pictures. Examine how he composes them. What
is in them? How they are framed. How vibrant the colors are and how intense the contrasts? Notice how he includes a good mix of close-ups and shots from a distance. Notice also how he varies the angles and the height as well as the lens used for each shot. It's also quite obvious he invests a considerable amount of time in post production. We can also attest to his expertise in using natural light or flash, even in conditions which posed quite a challenge, such as very dim light at the Golden Gate or an evening reception in a room surrounded by windows. We particularly liked his ability to take shots where the subjects are lined up across the depth of the composition, so that the figures in the background look like they're receding, at times sharply contrasting, but often captured softly out of focus. Joseph also does a great job capturing the feeling of the event, probably because his pictures lean toward candid/photojournalism type shots rather than set pieces (although he did a fabulous job on those, too, for us).In the end of course you have to answer for yourself the most important question: do you like what you see? Would you like your wedding to look like Joseph's samples? If you look at Joseph's work you'll see that he exudes a certain mood. Is the mood of the photos to your taste? For our part we took months to make final choices for the album - the pictures were so good it was heartbreaking every time we had to "cut" one. Joseph never lost patience
with us and didn't rush us. He just kept in touch until we were able to make selections we could live with. Everyone wants their own unique signature event. Tastes can differ. But there is one thing all couples want and should get out of their wedding photos. They ought to look like superstars. Thanks to you, Joseph, we did.

Victoria

Joseph is one of the most talented photographers I have ever met. It sounds like hyperbole, but I am being entirely sincere. I hired him to shoot my wedding and he was wonderful - even though my husband is a bit of a wallflower and hates taking pictures. Joseph made us look great and was unobtrusive, professional, and lighthearted. 

But what makes Joseph really stand out is his work. He somehow takes an ordinary picture opportunity and finds a way to make it unique, creative, and beautiful. For example, anyone can shoot the two of you standing there hugging next to a lake, but Joseph will shoot the reflection of you hugging in the water! A lesser photographer might take a standard shot of the bride and her grandmother smiling at the camera, but Joseph will shoot the bride and grandmother's hands intertwined - one hand wrinkled with wisdom, the other full of promise - with both their wedding rings glinting in the sunlight. 

He captures details, emotions and moments in such a unique way. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone more talented and more creative. I wholeheartedly recommend Joseph!

My fiance, David and I are so happy with our engagement photographs!  I am from Los Angeles but since David is from San Francisco we wanted to take our engagement photographs in SF.  We got so luck with Joseph.

It was seriously a FREEZING day but Joseph managed to get beautiful pictures -- that seriously, it is hard to choose which ones we will narrow down to to use at our wedding and frame at our home.  

He captured wonderful moments and definitely had a vision when we told him which places we wanted to visit.  

They are modern and hip and we had a great time taking our pictures around the city!!  The pictures DO speak for themselves and he made us feel incredibly comfortable with him and taking pictures with one another.

Eve

On a last-minute whim, my fiancée (now wife) decided to search for a professional photographer for our civil ceremony at City Hall. Seeing IQ Photos' previous work for other clients, we decide to give Joseph a call and see what he could do for us. Our needs for Joseph's services weren't needed as extensive for most wedding occasions as we only wanted him to shoot some photos of us, family, and friends for just an hour. Joseph worked with us on our needs and he was able to offer his services to us for a very reasonable price. Once the ceremony was over, we were told the wedding photos wouldn't be made available for about 2 weeks. One week after our ceremony, I receive an e-mail from Joseph providing a link to the pictures he took for us. Talk about turn-around time! Before I clicked on the link, I was hoping the photos to turn our good but not great! The quality (and quantity) of the photos that Joseph took were way beyond our expectations considering he only shot for one hour. With minimal planning and not much worrying, Joseph ensured his work would accommodate our needs. Considering this was sort of a last minute decision, we were very fortunate to have locked Joseph's photography services about a week before our civil ceremony. We found Joseph to be easy to work with and he made us feel comfortable around him. From the work he had provided us, we can see that Joseph goes the extra mile in making sure his clients are satisfied with what they're getting and making sure these memorable pictures last a lifetime. I could only imagine what more he could have done for us if we had kept him longer than the one hour we reserved him for. Thanks again!

Glenn

Have you seen Josef Kohn's portfolio?  You could read all the reviews in the world on this man, but HIS PICTURES SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.  Others have said it before, but it is soooo true.  He has that artistic vision and his work is stunning.

We met him for the first time on the morning of our San Francisco City Hall Elopement in September 2008.  I was nervous that I hadn't met him before, but he was there waiting for us when we walked in a few minutes early.  The funny things is that a lot of planning went into our elopement, but we picked Josef based only on his awesome portfolio and because he already had a "City Hall Package" on his website.  I didn't even price out other photographers, Josef was the one we wanted!  So when we arrived at City Hall he showed us where to go and explained the procedure to us.  It was so nice to have someone who already knew the system.  Not to mention he knew his way around building and the best places to take pictures.

We got to choose another location to shoot more pictures after the ceremony and the thing I really wanted to do was a "Trash the Dress" session.  TTD is where you take more artistic shots usually in ways that get the dress all dirty.  Most brides would cringe at the thought of destroying their gown, but I really wanted some artistic photos.  When Josef asked where we wanted to go for the second location, I sheepishly mentioned we'd like to try TTD, maybe in the ocean.  His eyes instantly lit up and he was surprised that I had even heard of it.  He kept reminding us that ocean was going to be cold, but I could see that he was just as excited as I was about it.  So after the ceremony we headed to a beach in Daly City and got some amazing shots!  And YES IT WAS COLD!  Josef was so encouraging and kept saying "You guys are my heros!"  We honestly had such a fun time splashing in the water and laughing at how crazy it was to be in the ocean in Northern California in September!  It was an incredible experience and Josef made us feel like models or celebrities.

But the best part by far was receiving our pictures.  Josef emailed us a few gorgeous shots while we were on our honeymoon, and the CD containing image files was in our mailbox by the time we got back.  We eloped with just Josef as our witness so none of our family or friends got to see it.  The photos Josef took were the only way our families could feel like they were there with us.  We used one picture as our wedding announcement and set up a website with pictures so that our families could see our special day.  The reaction we got from our family was so great!  Everyone loved to photos and told us that they looked so glamorous.  My mother-in-law, who was especially hurt that she didn't get to be there, completely changed her mind when she saw our pictures.  We owe it all to Josef!

Janis

Joseph's work speaks for itself...you must see it to appreciate it and although looking at his photos on the website will give you a good indication of his style, until you see them in an album, you can't fully comprehend how talented he is in his craft. We began a long search for the right photographer for our recent wedding and interviewed and reviewed many photographers and their websites. None of the one's I checked out were what we were looking for until I found Joseph's website...You know when you've found the right one because you just feel like you got hit by a 2x4 and you get very excited about it...Well, working with Joseph was a lot of fun and he makes it fun to take photographs...His creativity comes through in the situations he puts you in and at first you can't tell how this will ever become a great picture but when you look at them afterwards, you understand that he knows exactly what you want and delivers it to a tee...He's responsive, has a great sense of humor and a true professional. Our relatives were really impressed with the quality of our magazine style photo album and the atmosphere of the day that he captured and told us we were very lucky to have such a talented photographer...Many wished their albums were up to this quality ...We'll treasure these photos for the rest of our lives thanks to the hard work of Joseph and his team! You won't regret his services and since it's a once in lifetime moment, you can't recapture it so get the best people for the job.

Bob

Joseph,

We received the photos and as you may have expected, we've been showing them off non-stop to everyone. Needless to say, we are very, very satisfied!  

We have been getting nothing but compliments about our photos.   Somehow, you made our magical day seem even more so!  This was the entire reason why we chose you and you never failed us.  To be honest, you exceeded our expectations. We were also impressed by your professionalism and service.  

Cheryl is very picky when it comes to pictures, let alone her own.  Usually when we're looking at wedding photos, we see about 5 - 10 shots that are great.  Most of your photos are pretty much a work of art to say the least.  It was very hard picking our favorites for the album.

Cheryl especially is soooooo proud of her pictures and has been talking about you non-stop. All of our friends who used to brag about their wedding photos and who told us how great their photographer was now look at our pictures and tell us they're jealous and wish they could've gotten you instead! Haha!  It's great to see the look on people's faces and hear them gasp as soon as they see your shots.  Some of them were speechless. You did a great job! And you've become a friend as well!

Seriously, man. We are right now your biggest fans.

Audie and Cheryl

With over a year to plan my wedding, I had plenty of time to choose the perfect photographer. I found Joseph on the internet, and was very impressed with his work. He was the only photographer I came across with TONS of pics from various weddings/engagements in his portfolio, which game me an opportunity to see his work. I was also particular about finding someone who could shoot an Indian wedding (and who could handle an Indian wedding!), since there are many traditions that I wanted captured. 

From the very beginning I knew Joseph was the right person. I liked the artistry in his photography. Each photo can stand alone, framed. He is great to work with, as well. My husband and I had a fantastic experience, and the photos speak for themselves! Several friends and family commented on how great the photos turned out, which was a huge deal for me!

Shan

Not just wedding photos but works of art!!!

If you want your pictures to be as special as your wedding day (or even more special), look no further than Joseph at IQphoto. 

It all started when my husband (then fiance) and I approached Joseph at IQphoto for our engagement photos. He took us on a tour of San Francisco, made us feel comfortable, and nurtured the inner divas in both of us. The pictures turned out amazing and, though we did not plan to hire a CA based photographer for our destination wedding, we just had to invite him along. 

So, it was not long before he was boarding the Celebrity Century out of the Port of Miami for a 4 day, 4 night cruise to Key West and, finally, Cozumel, where we were married. 

Having Joseph along for the journey was a such a wonderful experience. He truly captured the excitement of the moment. Our friends and family cannot stop talking about the jaw dropping images we took away from our special day and the days preceding it. Just yesterday, a good friend who could not attend the wedding told my husband that these were the best wedding pictures he had ever seen, hands down. 

And it is not just about the final outcome; it is also about the experience. Joseph let us be ourselves and captured the beauty of the moment, the smiles, the laughter, the love. He created images that truly reflect us, our personalities, and the mood of our amazing cruise wedding.

Andrea

For most of us, planning a wedding requires some level of compromise, but there is one thing in your wedding that you don't want to compromise on and that's your wedding photos.   You'll never wear your wedding dress again and your wedding flowers won't last forever, but your photos will.  If you're looking for an experienced documentary style wedding photographer, you should definitely check out Joseph's work.  He has an uncanny ability to tell a story through his lens, capturing all the right the moments.  You'll relive your wedding through his photos -- guaranteed.  One look through his portfolio, you'll notice how his photos convey a lot of emotion and feelings.  

How good is he?  Well, Joseph will make your everyday mundane wedding look like an exclusive fairytale wedding fit for royalty -- he's that good.  Suppose you want to save a little money and decide to have a wedding in a cheaper location, say in the woods in the backcountry (think Fanghorn Forests in Middle Earth)-- no problem, his photos will make your wedding look like it was held in a heavenly garden (think Rivendell).  Looking back, we should have just had our wedding at the Motel 6 parking lot -- it would probably look like the Ritz after Joesph does his stuff.  Now suppose you do splurge on your wedding location, his photos of your wedding will look like masterpieces stolen right off the wall of a museum or some fancy art gallery off Fisherman's Wharf.

There are many excellent wedding photographers around, but if you are looking for photojournalistic wedding photographer, you should definitely check out Joseph.

Betty

"Exceptional work and final product. IQPhoto did a great job and helped make our day painless and easy!!!"

Let me share my experience with Joseph at IQPhoto. So about 3 weeks ago, my finance and I decided to screw all the wedding planning and go to SF City Hall. A week before our ceremony appointment I did a google search of wedding photographer SF and up popped IQPhoto. I checked out the website and saw the $995 City Hall package, clicked on the slideshow and was very impressed by the quality of work. So I had my finance take a look (I learned early that the key to a successful marriage is always check first) because she didn't think we needed a photographer since it was going to be a quick ceremony and that we could go back to Asia and do one of those wedding photo packages one day.....she was quite impressed with Joseph's work and gave me the okay to book.

Our ceremony was scheduled for Thursday afternoon, I emailed Jospeh Monday and asked if he could accommodate our date and a couple of request. He responded quickly and said he was available and we could work out the request. On Tuesday, I left him a message to confirm and again he responded very quickly and said he would send me an email after his photo shoot with instructions to put down a deposit online. As promised, the email arrived and we confirmed our time to meet and I put send a deposit via google checkout.

The BIG DAY....Joseph and his assistant Alex arrived on time. They were easy to spot as the guys with all the camera's. It was a nice surprise that there were two of them to take pics from different vantage points. Joseph knows the city hall routine and many of the people that work there so he was able to walk us through the whole process. He asked how we wanted things to be done, if we had special requests or if we wanted him to just take charge and suggest things. He was very positive, not pushy or directing too much, made us feel at ease. Best of all he know's city hall so well, we were very efficient in terms of time. We got a bunch of pictures done before the ceremony with our families and then still had time to get plenty of shots at various locations in city hall after the ceremony. It's really hard to believe how many pictures we took in the hour or so at city hall.

I am not the most photogenic person in the world...I have a huge head and oily skin but somehow Joseph and Alex got shots where I don't look like a bobble-head with vaseline smeared on it. My wife (since we got married) who doesn't like attention and doesn't like photos, was put at ease after a bit by Joseph and started to follow his instructions and posed. At no point did Joseph or Alex make us feel rushed or pushing us along to get things done.

In less than a week, Joseph had our pictures ready to view online and we were able to easily download them. Communications and email were responded to in a timely manner. Joseph was accommodating to our needs and timelines.

Overall a very positive experience on a day that can be stressful. With the end result that we have beautiful pictures that captured our wedding that we can share with our family and friends. I hope that I won't have to hire IQPhoto for another wedding but would not hesitate hire Joseph to capture other special moment and preserve lasting memories from his fantastic work.

David C

Joseph has that perfect blend of amazing photographer (with great eye and artistic vision), accompanied with an awesome personality that makes anyone feel comfortable in front of the camera. Everyone that has comes across IQphoto, or Joseph (himself) will tell you the same thing. He is talented, responsible, considerate, charming and all around, great guy.

Winnie

Joseph and his team were hired to photograph our December wedding.  Hiring him was one of the best decisions we have made for that special day.  We both wanted our wedding photos to be especially special because it was one of the few keepsakes we'll have of our wedding.  From the time we got engaged to the day of our wedding was only 7 months at most.  My husband (fiancé at the time), immediately rummage the Internet to find the perfect photographer for our day.  Joseph was the first photographer we have met among other candidates and we were sold the moment we left his studio.  We booked with him a week later and didn't even bother to interview the others.

Our wedding photo were post on the Internet not too long after the wedding.  We were happy and amazed at how the pictures had turned out.  We got a combination of traditional pictures of family portraits to photojournalistic pictures that captured the day's activities.  I especially like how he captured the details of the wedding décor and candid shots of our family and guest when they least expected it.  Each picture had an artsy and refreshing effect.  It speaks of modern and yet classic photography that I believe only a talented professional can capture on the lens.  

Joseph also selected a few of our pictures to be photo shopped and the effect of those were even more astonishing.  They were fun, cool and artsy.   We also purchased an engagement session with Joseph and I truly felt that was like a practice run prior to our wedding day.  It allowed my husband and I to get comfortable being captured on the lens every second.  Then we got to critic the results, i.e. did we display the best pose, did we have our best smile because there's always one side you'll like better. . . We love our engagement photos by the way and we were happy to be photographed at the sight where we got engaged.

I highly recommend Joseph and his team of photographers.  They are a talented group of professionals and have won several leading awards as proof of their talent.  I even ran into random pictures that he had taken from past weddings in a nationally distributed wedding magazine.  I highly doubt he had advertised those photos.  Joseph is also quick to respond to any inquiry you may have.  The combination of talent and professionalism makes him gold in my eye.

Being from out of state, we were very nervous about picking a photographer just based on searching the internet and viewing various websites.  However, I was immediately drawn to the images on IQphoto's site - it was just what we were looking for.  We hired Joseph to photograph our wedding at San Francisco City Hall.  But, not having Joseph, we were still a little bit concerned when our wedding day rolled around.  Once we met Joseph, we knew that we had made the right decision.  However, I never anticipated that the photographs would be as good as they were.  And, more importantly, he truly captured the emotion of the moment - rather than just taking a lot of choreographed photos.  Since a lot of our family and friends could not travel out to San Francisco for our wedding, the photos were very important to us so that we could share our moment with all of our loved ones.  Each of them have commented on how appreciative they were of the photos - because they were able to feel the emotion of the moment through the photos, feeling like they were a part of the ceremony.  Joseph's photos tell a beautiful story and evoke great emotion.  We are so appreciative of his professionalism and his artistic ability.  Don't think twice about hiring Joseph to shoot your wedding - you will be so thankful that you made that decision.

 Jason - Oklahoma.

After going through the wedding photographer selection process, I think there are three important areas to consider.  Thankfully for us, Joseph excelled in all three.

PHOTOS: Anyone who takes a little time to check out Joseph's website can quickly see how artistic and imaginative he is.  My wife and I spent more time interviewing photographers than we did all of our other wedding vendors combined, so suffice to say that we were very critical in this area.  When we first sat down with Joseph, we were absolutely blown away by his work.  He is uniquely talented at creating visually stunning images, as well as capturing those critical, unscripted moments.

PROFESSIONALISM: Of course, not every photographer who takes great photos is necessarily going to be an enjoyable person with whom to work.  Thankfully, Joseph was first-class the entire way.  The day of the wedding, he actually demonstrated a rather colorful personality, which seemed to loosen up our wedding party during the formal shots.  I know our venue (V. Sattui in St. Helena) was a little concerned, since Joseph had never shot a wedding there before.  But that was hardly a problem, as Joseph arrived early and worked closely with our wedding planner to make sure he understood the grounds.

FOLLOW-UP: Joseph is apparently in very high demand, likely due in part to his unique ability to build his brand online through search engine optimization and social networking.  I'd heard horror stories from married friends about their photographers taking months and months to provide them with their images.  Thankfully, Joseph took less than two months -- and then delivered everything to us personally.

Of course, price is always very important, and we learned very early that sticking to your budget can be a huge challenge.  I'll leave aside commentary on Joseph's pricing because 1) I have to imagine his rates will increase as he continues to get these sorts of five-star reviews and 2) we admittedly splurged in this area.  That said, we're very glad we did.

Nick

I can't say enogh good things about the work Joseph Kohn and IQ Photo did photographing our wedding.  My wife and I had already taken our engagement photos and seen his work on the blog, so are expectations of him were already pretty high, but I can tell you he surpassed and even exceeded my expectations.  

Two things amaze me most about Joseph's skills.  First, he has amazing range and skill in wedding photography.  For example, we really wanted some group photo shots of the entire bride and groom's relatives.  Despite the fact we both have very large families Joseph helped direct the entire group to line up for some very classy photo shots.  He was able to adjust to the dark room shooting conditions by carefully positioning remote flashes exactly even took the pictures in a way to avoid some of the clutter in the backdrop.  In affect he took 4 fantastic family pictures which we will treasure.  This only describes his formal photography skills and as you can probably tell from some of the photos on his blog, his non-formal  "artistic" shots and photojournalism are just as good.  

My second point about what amazes me about Joseph's photography is how consistently good our photographs are.  If Joesph were a baseball player, I'd say he was hitting above .900.  From the beggining of the day, through the ceremony and reception and the surrounding day's details, the coverage of the event was phenomenal.  Every picture has a point or tells a story.  Some are artistic and classy, others are humorous and emotional...they all add up to tell the story of the day.  In fact the consistency of the photos is soo good that Joseph selected 30-40 photos for his blog of what I presume to be some his "favorite" photos from our set and what surprised me was how many of these great photos I overlooked when I was selecting my favorites for printing...amazing!

While price is one important component of planning your wedding, don't be discouraged from contacting IQ Photo, especially if you love photography and art in general.  Joseph and IQ Photo are very responsive and will work with you to create a reasonable package.  In our case,  we really wanted a copy of the high-resolution photos (highly recommended) but didn't care so much about getting an album done or getting large sized prints immediately.

Tom L

It was a pleasure meeting Joseph and having him as our photographer on our special day. He and his assistant did a fabulous job. I'm extremely impressed with his work and absolutely love the photos. 

Mr. Joseph Kohn is truly an artistic genius in photography. Joseph is creative, imaginative, and original with an exuberant personality. He comes highly recommended. 

My husband and I had the honor to have Joseph as our photographer for our 2009 New Year's Eve Wedding. Joseph and his assistant captured many photos of "Wedding Cover Magazines." The photos are truly a brides dream. I could not hold myself back from shedding a few tears when I viewed the photos. Big Thank You for the awesome work! 

My husband and I decided to marry at the last minute. I mean last minute! We only had four days to make it all happen. On December 26, 2009 my husband coordinates for us to get the marriage license and scheduled the wedding at SF City Hall with a wedding date of December 31, 2009. I live in Stockton, CA and my husband lives in Greensboro, North Carolina. Goodness did I feel lost and pressed on time! I didn't know where I was going to start. 

On December 26, I decided to go shopping at Stoneridge Shopping Center in Pleasanton, CA. I walked through Nordstrom's to exist on the second floor of the Mall. I looked around with misplaced look. I normally start shopping on the 2nd floor but for some reason I was pulled by a force to go down the escalator to begin assembling the wedding of my dreams. As I reached the bottom of the escalator I looked to my left and chills ran through my body. OMG! There staring at me was Blossoms Formal & Bridal Shop. I was overwhelmed with the selection of wedding dresses, but that was fine because my plan was to get a formal simple dress. My choices were not of the best, so I asked the sales representative for her professional assistance. I told her I was looking for a last minute wedding dress for New Year's Eve. She looked at me as if I were insane. With a smile and pleasant look she toured me around. I told her to please help me find a dress that was not too "Fluffy." I can laugh now, but it wasn't funny at the time. I was looking for something fitted. She said; I have the perfect dress for you. It was the only dress she pulled out for me to try on. I put it on and it was perfect! As if I had special ordered the dress. Ladies, when it's meant to be it all happens and it all falls into place. I can attest to it. 

Finally, one of the most important pieces was to locate a photographer. My husband selected the photographer then I went online and viewed Joseph's photo gallery, which was impressive. We both loved it! My husband did a great job locating one of the most fabulous Bay Area photographers. 

With only four days to put it all together. I never imagined our wedding would have had the outcome it did. PERFECT! By looking at our photos it appears as if we spent a lifetime planning the wedding. Few! 

The most important was that Joseph and his assistant captured unforgettable and perfect moments of the wedding. We will "cherish" those beautiful moments for the rest of our lives. I couldn't have asked for anything better. 

If we are ever in need of a professional photographer we would be honored to have him. 

Sincerely, 

Rose

We booked Joseph for 4 hours for our civil ceremony at City Hall based on his experience shooting there. He followed us on a cable car ride after to Palace of the Fine Arts and Crissy Fields and ended his assignment at One Market restaurant where the reception was held. I was very impressed with the results of the photos. They looked amazing considering the day was somewhat miserable. City Hall was a bit chaotic with tons of people setting up for an event and Palace of the Fine Arts and Crissy Fields were so windy and cold that I couldn't even feel my toes. But the photos turned out much more grounded, happy and interesting. It is helping me recreate the memories of that day in a totally new way. Now my only regret is that we didn't take any more photos when he offered. 

One other cool thing about booking Joseph besides his expertise about City Hall and San Francisco is that he brought an assistant along who is also fantastic. I really liked his photos as well and you will not be disappointed.

Just do it! You will "NOT" regret IQPhoto's services. We know we didn't!
In fact, my wife and I are currently fighting who can write IQPhoto a better review than another. 

My wife and I live in Dallas, but all of our friends and family are in the Bay. Obivously, the wedding is going to be in the Bay. After some wedding planning through Google, we found Joseph's website on the City Hall wedding. After browsing through his city hall wedding collections, we decided to have a simple wedding to avoid all the remote wedding planning nightmare. It was Joseph who gave us the idea of getting married in the city hall.

Joseph was very helpful and was very prompt in his responses. He showed up at the city hall on time and was able to get us started quickly. He seems to have a way to calm the bride very well (my wife was having a mental breakdown before the wedding), and he instructed many creative poses for us. We were really pleased at his creativity and results. He captured some of the simple interactions among us and family/friends and was able to portrait them very well in his photos. It seems like every photo was telling certain moment of the story. 

Joseph also has his way to organize group pictures as well. With a party of 10+, it can be chaotic to take pictures. However, his instructions to every group pictures was very clear, and allowed us to get great pictures without people running around all the time.

Finally, he knows the place inside out, and he also know places that are great for pictures. You will need to go to his photo collection to see it, and I can say that only a few people know the intricacy of camera angles and light/shadow. After all, Joseph is the only photographer we know who can shoot photos as he walks....good luck finding someone who can top that!

OH MY GOSH! ... You're soooo GOOD!!!! Why do you have to make me smile, laugh and tear during work, I don't know, but Thank you!

Thank you for letting us relive the joy of all the endless smiles, every exciting detail, and for making me, once again, shed another tear. For a moment in time that’s so personal and surreal, you captured every look, every emotion and all the passion Gerard and I have for one another. As I continually praise you and constantly tell you, “you’re so good,” and you blush and always humbly say, “you’re welcome Hossanah,” please know that everything you’ve done for us, from the beautiful engagement pictures, the breathtaking slideshow, and the priceless wedding pictures, along with your professionalism and enthusiasm, we are grateful and overjoyed you were a part of our special day.

Hosanna and Jerry

I tend not to post reviews, but had such a great experience with Joseph that i just had to. A couple of years ago, two friends of mine got married, and sent around their wedding pictures. I still remember gasping at those pictures. They weren't like any of those traditional, corny shots we were used to - they captured those elusive emotional moments and really got the feeling of the event. I made a mental note then that if i ever got married, I'd want that same photographer, w/ that precise yet carefree style, all about the special moments rather than the snapshots. So fast forward to this year, when my wedding was fast approaching and I hadn't chosen a wedding photographer yet. I just wasn't seeing the same caliber of photos - or if i was, they cost tens of thousands of dollars. So I emailed my friend asking what the name of that amazing photographer was, and contacted him. And, miraculously, he was able to come shoot our wedding - a destination wedding in mexico. After the groom, it was the best decision i made. We quite honestly spent no time on the photos - we were always running late, didn't want to take time away from our guests, and wanted to make sure the wedding festivities were going well - but somehow he managed to take amazing shots. My hubby had little interest in the photography, but when he saw the pictures he was a convert. In the 5 minutes that Joseph managed to get us alone during the reception, he took some of the most jaw-dropping shots i'd ever seen. He would steal us away for a minute at a time and get some amazing pictures in., I still have no idea when and how he did it. He was completely unobtrusive, yet somehow always there. And he was extremely available both before the wedding (during the planning) and during (and after!), and suggested some amazing shots/ideas for the ceremony. I wanted to do a 'trash the dress' session - he was excited and had some great ideas, and got some amazing shots in the pool and in the ocean! And the slideshow he put together (without me lifting a finger, mind you) was amazing - people keep telling me it's the best wedding photography they've ever seen. I tend to agree. So if you're looking for a top-notch, flexible, reasonable wedding photographer who's really willing to work with you - and you want amazing photos with very little effort - you can't go wrong with Joseph and his team.

Ellie & Ari

My husband and me are very artistic ourselves. He studied painting in art school and now is a graphic designer, I write for fashion magazine and love art, fashion and photography to bits!

Having said that, we are very very happy about our wedding album. It beyond description. the first time i saw it after the wedding, I was in tears again. Those moments are just magical, Joseph has captured the emotion so well! every frame tells a story. Those are like silent film, so silent but speak volumes at the same time.

Joseph is truly versatile. we love the modern edginess he adds to the album. It totally us. But how does he know it so well by simply meeting us for the very first time? it remains a myth to us. By viewing his website, we found that he adds personal touches to every couple he shoot. No single album is repetitive and predictable in style, which is simply admirable!

The shooting experience itself is worth writing home to. Joseph is not only an excellent photographer, he a art director at the same time. The way he shoots is like directing a film. When the cut' begins, he becomes totally invisible, but the stimulation he gives before the shooting is just incredible! He stimulates us to be free, spontaneous and playful, which transforms to be the soulfulness and pure passion the photos oozes! All in all, i have trusted Joseph from the moment i saw his photos. I have 100% faith in his ability to make one-of-a-kind wonderful wedding album. I trust him even more now (how can that be possible), which is the reason I would love others to share with me the beauty, artistic integrity, commitment and devotion Joseph Kohn provides the world with...

Qing Qing and Daniel

JOSEPH IS AN AMAZING PHOTOGRAPHER. He photographed our September 13th wedding at the Stanford church, and we are so happy and satisfied with the outcome! From the beginning, Joseph has been a pleasant and easy person to work with. He is very professional and talented. We found that his candid shots tell a wonderful story of our wedding day in pictures and some of the photos we received even look like works of art! We waited 12 years to get married, so getting pictures that would allow us to savor this moment was very important to us. We were very critical of the composition, color, sharpness, and style of the pictures taken by the various studios we visited (we checked out at least 7 and Joseph's portfolio was by far the best). You will get your money's worth if you hire Joseph; he has a great eye for composing a gorgeous shot, and he really knows how to capture the excitement of the day with his camera. This is a skill that we did not necessarily find in the photographers we visited when we examined their portfolios. If you want to see what we're talking about, check out Joseph's IQphoto website and click under Portfolio. The Album and Retouching sections are pretty cool, too. The best part of his website is that it is filled with slideshows of actual weddings he covered, so you get a good idea of the kind and quality of pictures you will get if you book him for your wedding. After our event, Joseph put together a 4-min slideshow with music containing 57 (out of 800) of his favorite photos he took throughout the day. We absolutely LOVE it and still feel a tremendous amount of joy watching it! The full array of photos from our wedding were also on-line for everyone to see in only 6 days. We shared the slideshow and the rest of the pictures with family and friends that came to the wedding and people that couldn't make it. Here's what they had to say about Joseph's work:

Omigod, that was AWESOME! I actually got goosebumps and teared up at how beautiful and wonderfully done it was! These are the BEST wedding pictures I've ever seen!!! -Florence

Wow! That rocked! Thanks for sharing. Joseph did an excellent job! Best, Steve

I just saw your wedding slideshow and it made me tear up! What a beautiful wedding you had! You are a stunningly beautiful couple with so much happiness that you can truly see in the pictures!!!!! Karin

These are fantastic pictures. What a creative photographer Joseph is! Thanks for sharing them with me. Rev. Joanne

I really love the slideshow! You are absolutely beautiful in them! I love how Joseph chose some black and white photos but highlighted certain colors in them. Btw, two of my closest female friends with whom I shared your slideshow said you are one of the prettiest brides they had ever seen! :) They were amazed at how beautiful the pictures are in addition to how gorgeous the church was. They got teary-eyed viewing the slideshow, too! Alina

SIMPLY GORGEOUS!!!! Thank you for including me on the slideshow list - yours was a perfect wedding for a perfect couple! Mary

This slideshow is fantastic and so beautiful. Some of the church ones were really amazing. Thanks for sharing it with us! Jean and Edmund

Only had the time to take a look now and I must say that it is AWESOME. The pics captured perfectly the exciting atmosphere of that wonderful day and you definitely look like the prettiest bride in California... or the whole US! ;-) Nuno

Your wife, her dress, the church, the scenery, your wedding party - all very beautiful. You look pretty good too. That was a great slideshow, and I loved the music too. I can't wait to show my parents. I'm sure they are very sorry they missed the wedding. Congratulations on the marriage, and all the best. Donna

BEAUTIFUL! ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS! I'm sorry I missed it. You guys look so happy together. Helen

Congratulations Steve! Very impressive slideshow. It looks like we missed a wonderful wedding. The church was almost as beautiful as the bride. I'm very happy for you. Todd

I want you to know that your wedding slideshow is the most beautiful that I have ever seen. Diana

Beyond being the most creative photographer we've ever encountered, Joseph is also a genuinely nice person. Being somewhat new to the area, I wasn't sure where I could find a good make-up artist or florist. I looked at some of the pics on Joseph's website and pointed out some photos where I liked the person's makeup or their wedding flowers and Joseph was kind enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to email some of these people to find out for me who did the work. It was above and beyond his call of duty. Thank you so much Joseph!

We highly recommend Joseph's work without any hesitation. We feel so lucky to have found him to be our photographer and that he was available on our wedding day. He is truly the best and has surpassed our expectations!

Audris and Steven