Posts by Joshua Miller18

graniteskipper48 said:I looked him up on Facebook too, and his photos are great... but I haven't been able to get any useful info from people I know, so I'd also be interested if anyone knows anything. Most of what I have managed to find out is about Sinisa Srdanovic, and I've heard nothing but praise from everyone, both regarding his work and who he is as a person. So, for now, it's just him and Papaya on my list, though I guess I'll give myself a bit more time to ask around about a few other names, and Tony is one of them. I also heard that Anthony Gaspar is excellent; as far as I know, he won a top wedding photography award at the European Union level two years in a row, and apparently, he's a lot of fun to work with! Ugh... there are just so many. I think picking a photographer might actually be the hardest part! 🙂

I had some free time to look into those names, and if I'm being completely honest, I think you really need to decide on a specific style first. Looking at the people you mentioned, their styles vary wildly; some have a similar vibe, while others couldn't be more different. Based on your posts, it seems like you're stuck somewhere between "I want everything to be spontaneous," "spontaneity isn't a huge deal," and "I'm not even sure how much spontaneity I want."
I’m telling you this because the biggest mistake you can make is picking the wrong aesthetic. For instance, Papaya and Siniša are polar opposites.
It feels like all these guys are professionals who do great work, yet none of their styles quite hit home for me—except for Papaya's. I knew exactly what I wanted from my photos, and that was the key.

William Lewis8 said:I heard through the grapevine that with Papati, the photo selection at the end can be a total mess. Like, you open your album and it’s just a bunch of random strangers instead of your actual inner circle, and the quality? Honestly, questionable... hm... 🙄 I saw some of their shots online too, and they looked pretty terrible to me. So, I've officially ruled them out. Now I'm stuck choosing between Bonacic, MegaGraph, or California... help me out here! 😳

I actually booked Papaya myself, and honestly, these "he said, she said" comments right before a wedding are just exhausting. It’s not that I don't believe you—since I've seen plenty of their work and have communicated with them much more extensively than you have—it’s just that, frankly, these claims don't make any sense.
How could the photos not be organized correctly? They follow a chronological order; it really is that straightforward. That is how they arrange them.
And as for the claim that there are more strangers in the album than people you know... I truly don't know whether to laugh or feel sorry for you. At my own wedding, everyone present was someone I knew and was welcome in the album. Besides, I don't expect a photographer to just snap pictures of us and ten close relatives, nor do I expect them to instinctively know exactly who everyone is or how close we are. My expectation is simply that they capture fun shots of everyone and everything and weave them into a cohesive story.
Regarding the "grainy" photo quality—that has nothing to do with actual quality. As someone who is quite passionate about photography and knows my way around a camera, I can tell you that what you're describing is photographic grain. Even the most legendary photographers in the world have grain in their shots; I won't go into a deep technical lecture here.

In any case, I think the most practical way to put it is that Papaya's style just isn't for you rather than claiming they are poor quality based on what you heard...

Karen Roberts16 said:Well, everyone has their own taste, I suppose. Personally, I was actually impressed by Bonačić Studio's recent blog posts. They feel full of emotion and capture those spontaneous moments. I went through five or six of their full albums they sent over, and I think I'll definitely book them.

California Photo is off the table for the usual reasons...

Everything you said makes sense, except I wasn't really talking about emotions or candid shots. My issue is more about how unnatural the photos look—the colors feel off and the framing isn't great. That’s more of a technical critique; it’s pretty obvious when the color grading doesn't look natural. We all know what real colors look like.
I've seen plenty of photographers capture emotion and great moments, but it really comes down to how they capture them and whether it looks genuine. Personally, I just didn't care for the Bonačić studio work.
But hey, if you love it, then that's all that matters! 😁

Back when I was looking for a photographer, I remember hearing some pretty notorious stories about California Photo being incredibly rude. To be honest, I can't recall the exact details, just that they apparently gave some young people a really hard time, though I'm not entirely sure what happened.

I hadn't heard much about Bonačić Studio lately, so I took a quick look at their work. It’s quite heavy on color manipulation—not nearly as simple or natural as some people have claimed. I suppose that's just the current trend, which is why it doesn't stand out as much, but fundamentally, it feels rather aggressive. My impression is that all the shots are either overly orange or way too washed out. The framing feels a bit unfinished, too. The whole thing comes across as somewhat amateurish...
My favorite group is Tempo Band from San Francisco; I've heard nothing but great things about them, and I was really drawn to the fact that they incorporate extra instruments! I believe they're touring other cities soon too.😉

Hey guys, I think this might have come up before, but I’m having a hard time digging through all these threads: does anyone have recommendations for florists in San Francisco? The wedding isn't for another year, but I'd love to start doing some research early...

Hey, we actually booked the gastronomy experience too. I’m not sure what people told you to make you feel like you made a mistake, but all we’ve heard are glowing reviews. Anyway, I sent you a DM, so let's just chat over there!