Candid and Timeless - WNY Rochester Finger Lakes
Buffalo Rochester Syracuse Finger Lakes
Travel area: Within 300 miles See details
Videography services available
Billy
MAIN PHOTOGRAPHER
Typically responds within 24h
AWARD WINNER (1X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Hi, I'm Billy from BGF Photography, a wedding photographer based in Buffalo, NY, offering wedding photography and videography services in the Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Finger Lakes regions.
Our specialty is candid natural style wedding photography. For the important moments while getting ready and wedding portraits, I will lightly guide my couples to get the best photos.
The rest of the wedding day, I'm looking for candid moments of emotion. I believe the best photos are taken a few seconds before and after you see the camera pointed in your direction. My favorite images of the wedding day are ones where the couple is enjoying their time with wedding guests, blissfully unaware that their moment is being captured.
We aim to preserve all of the big emotions and precious moments from your special day. From your walk down the aisle to dancing with your loved ones, we will document your memories for you. You will receive your images in an online digital gallery so you can easily share them with your family and friends and order prints and albums.
I encourage doing an engagement session with me before the wedding to get familiar with me as a photographer and get comfortable posing in front of a camera.
In addition to photography, we offer full videography as an add-on to our wedding packages! Choose from 3-6 minute highlights, 9-15 minute featurettes, or 30-60 minute full-length cinematic films. They are a perfect middle ground for couples who want a beautiful recap of their wedding day without the need for a full videography team. Highlight films focus on the most meaningful moments, like your vows, candid emotions, and stunning visuals, blended into a heartfelt, shareable keepsake. Full-length films are produced in the same highlight style but with full segments for the most important parts of the day, like first look, ceremony, introductions, first dances, and speeches.
Details
Destination Weddings
Destination Wedding Packages
Photo Shoot Types
Bridal Portraits
Engagement
Photo & Video
Digital Files
Drone
Film Photography
Photo
Printed Enlargements
Same-Day Edits
Second Shooter Available
Social Media Sharing
Wedding Albums
Photo & Video Styles
Classic
Documentary
Modern
Wedding Activities
Getting Engaged
Rehearsals & Parties
Wedding
Awards and Affiliations
Any questions?
Meet the team
Showing slide number 1 out of 4
- BillyMain PhotographerHello! I'm Billy, a new father, husband and a camera nerd. My passion is simply to bring joy to your wedding day. I started my wedding vendor journey as a DJ in college, helping couples plan their perfect celebrations and ensuring the music set the right mood. Three summers as a wedding DJ showed me that the wedding industry is where I will eventually find my dream job. As a kid, one of my earliest memories was playing with my grandfather's film cameras. Grew older, got a big boy job, and put my dreams on hold to pay the bills as many do. Ten years ago, I picked up my first full frame mirrorless camera, threw on a vintage lens from the 1980's, and found my way back to my lifelong artistic medium. A few years afterwards I shot my first wedding, drawing on my weekend hobby of street photography to capture candid, spontaneous moments. Combining my love for capturing candid moments with my experience in creating unforgettable experiences, I want to document the genuine joy, love, and tears that make your day truly memorable.
- KatieSecond Photo/VideographerKatie is a total boss as a second photographer, bringing creativity and style to every wedding she touches. A mom of two with her finger on the pulse of all the hottest wedding trends, she also runs HPB Studio, where she curates wedding decor packages that's just as bold and fabulous as she is. With her passion and hustle, she's an unstoppable force on our team!
- Kim and DanaContent Creator/SecondKim and Dana are the heartbeat behind Kim Spencer Content, bringing an infectious energy that turns a fun wedding day into a true celebration. This inseparable duo captures behind the scenes moments as they naturally unfold, blending effortlessly into the day. With a sharp eye for storytelling, they transform real, unscripted moments into scroll stopping viral content.
- StephanieSecond PhotographerStephanie is a dedicated second photographer with a worldly perspective that shines through in her work. Hardworking and adventurous, she spends her vacations traveling to Japan and other exotic locales, always seeking new inspiration. Her love for exploration gives her a keen eye for capturing unique moments, making her an invaluable part of the team.
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.013 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help
you make those big decisions with ease.
Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
BGF Photography delivered beautiful, candid wedding photos with fast turnaround and clear communication. The team was professional, adaptable, and genuinely helpful on the day, offering thoughtful extras like printed and film shots. Guests loved their energy and value, and many highly recommend them.Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 9
Brooks E
Highlighted review.
5.0
12/01/2025
To put it simply: Hire BGF Photography for your wedding! Of all of our vendors, Billy and his second shooter, Katie absolutely stole the show. Guests were raving all night! They we...
re professional, courteous, talented, and most importantly fun.
Communication throughout the process, from inquiring about his services at the start, all the way through receiving the photos at the end was always prompt, polite and professional. They were such a joy to work with that it felt as if Billy and Katie were guests at our wedding who happened to be capturing the moment.
The photos turned out stunning, nothing was ever forced, and Billy and Katie were awesome at providing suggestions to bring a moment to life. Billy was even kind enough to surprise the mothers with printed photos and digital picture frames featuring some snap shots the reception!
Weddings...they're not cheap. Some of the process is making a vendor choice and hoping it turns out great on your big day. With choosing BGF Photography you can rest easy knowing that you will receive exceptional value.
Billy and Katie just love weddings. It shows in their work, their respect for their clients, and the way that we walked away feeling. So, to put it simply- hire BGF Photography for your wedding; Billy and Katie will exceed your expectations!
Cullen T
5.0
5/05/2026
Billy and BGF Photography were nothing short of amazing. From our first planning phone call it was evident that Billy was going to be the perfect fit for us. His experience made ev...
erything regarding pictures seamless rather than stressful. We are so happy that the pictures from our special day came out as wonderful as they did. Every shot we could’ve wanted was perfect and the candids from throughout the night are everything we wanted. The video he put together for us was so beautiful and thoughtful. It’s pretty clear Billy has a great handle on wedding photography and we couldn’t recommend him enough to anyone looking for a true professional.
Any questions?
Sarah D
5.0
11/17/2025
We could not be more happy with our choice of having Billy as our engagement and wedding photographer! It was a great experience from day one, Billy responds super quick to emails ...
and texts, and helped us figure out timing for our big day as we didn't work with a coordinator. He thought of everything, including offering quite a few umbrellas for our guests when it rained on our ceremony space. We ended up very quickly moving the ceremony inside our reception space and he took care to make sure that the indoor lighting would work with our space with both digital and film photography. He ran with all our last minutes changes and ideas and we have the most beautiful photos of us and candids of all our guests. Both our engagement photos and wedding photos came back to us quickly, in a couple of weeks, even for our wedding 800+ photos. If you like more natural, candid photo styles we highly recommend Billy, he was worth every (extremely reasonable) penny and was amazing to work with. Our friends can't wait to work with him for their future weddings too!
Alli O
5.0
10/09/2025
There are truly no words to describe how incredible our experience was with Billy. From the very beginning, he was kind, communicative, and made us feel completely at ease. He went...
above and beyond to capture every moment so naturally that we hardly even noticed the camera, yet somehow, not a single detail was missed.
We received our full gallery of beautifully edited photos in less than two weeks, and they are absolutely breathtaking. Each image feels alive, full of emotion and light, perfectly telling the story of our day. Also his second photographer/videographer, Katie, was equally wonderful, warm, professional, and just as attentive to every special moment.
He so beautifully captured the spirit of the day. We are endlessly grateful for his talent, heart, and care throughout this entire process. These photos are treasures we’ll cherish for a lifetime.
If you’re looking for someone who captures not just pictures, but the feeling of your wedding day, look no further. ❤️
Logan B
5.0
9/30/2025
Billy is absolutely INCREDIBLE. I cannot recommend him more. Not only was he incredibly organized and put together, he constantly went above and beyond. He perfectly captured the e...
ntire day. Book him as your photographer, you won't be disappointed!
Everything that Hannah S. said in her review, I echo x1000 – Billy is your man, seriously, book him.
Hannah S
5.0
7/30/2025
If you’re lucky enough to have Billy available for your day, book him immediately!!!
From the moment we met him, it felt like reconnecting with an old friend — the kind who instan...
tly makes you laugh, puts you at ease, and somehow reads your mind when it comes to what you want captured. We were in Niagara Falls for our destination wedding, so we didn’t get the chance to meet Billy beforehand, and honestly? We were a little nervous about that at first! But once the day arrived, we genuinely forgot we had just met him. That’s how effortlessly he blended in and made us feel comfortable.
Not only is he ridiculously talented (our photos are jaw-droppingly good — like, how is this our real life?!), but his creative eye and attention to detail are on another level. He floated around our wedding with multiple cameras like a storytelling ninja, never missing a beat, a tear, or an unhinged dance move.
And the best part? Billy made it all so fun. He wasn’t just our photographer — he was our hype man, our calm in the chaos, and honestly, a big part of why our day felt so joyful and relaxed. His energy is contagious, and his passion for what he does absolutely shines through in every single photo.
Bonus: He has a little surprise he likes to share during dinner — it’s amazing, and I won’t spoil it for you… but trust me, you’ll love it.
If you want someone wildly talented, genuinely kind, and just plain fun to be around — Billy is your guy.
We’re still absolutely blown away by his work, and we’ll be raving about him for years to come
Milo H
5.0
6/05/2025
BGF made our wedding day very fun during the photo process. Very wonderful photos and quick editing and delivery!
Alyssa P
5.0
5/01/2025
Billy was extraordinary! Everywhere I turned he was right there catching every moment. His style is exactly what we wanted and his energy ensured we had a great time during the pho...
toshoots. All of our guests keep complimenting not only his work but him as a person as well. The photos and his beautiful write up about the day were both more than we could have hoped for. We couldn't recommend him enough!
Karina
5.0
4/05/2025
We can’t say enough great things about Billy and Katie! From the very beginning, Billy brought such a personal and thoughtful touch to our wedding experience. He reached out proact...
ively during the planning process to make sure everything was set for the big day, offering helpful input and flexibility that made us feel completely at ease.
On the wedding day, both Billy and Katie were absolutely amazing. They were not only timely and professional, but also worked seamlessly with our coordinator to help keep everything running smoothly. They weren’t just behind the camera—they were genuinely helpful, lending a hand wherever it was needed and making the day feel even more special.
One of the most impressive touches was that Billy had photos ready and on display at the reception for our guests to enjoy, adding such a thoughtful and unique element to the evening. He also surprised us with a roll of 35mm film photos he took during the day, which captured timeless and nostalgic moments that we will cherish forever. He delivered our full set of photos incredibly quickly, and they came out beautifully—we couldn’t be happier with the results.
So many of our guests commented on how great Billy and Katie were—friendly, accommodating, and just a joy to have around. They helped keep the energy up and the timeline on track, all while capturing every special moment. We feel incredibly lucky to have had them as part of our day and would recommend them to anyone in a heartbeat!
Estefany P
5.0
1/18/2025
Working with BGF photography was the absolute best decision we made! Billy was so pleasant and fun to work with from our first meeting to our wedding day. His photography style is ...
definitely unique and it truly shows the raw emotion of our wedding day. I’m not really a photogenic person but working with him really made this process feel so natural and comfortable in which you can see that translate into our pictures. Having a winter wedding we were really nervous to see if we could get a photographer who would want to work in unpredictable weather conditions and if the pictures would look good, and Billy truly showed his talent and ability to adapt to any situation. If you are looking for a great price and quality pictures I would 100% recommend working with BGF photography! Also shoutout to Katie we loved working with you as well, best duo there is!
Wei L
5.0
9/10/2024
We are absolutely so ecstatic with our wedding photos by Billy. Throughout the whole process from meeting him initially to getting the photos back (in a very prompt fashion post-we...
dding I might add) and sharing with our guests, he was super professional and responsive through the whole thing and we are so thankful for all of his advice and help. He is super relaxed as a photographer and doesn't force you to do anything you're not comfortable with, just tries to capture you as you are! Trust his process and he will provide some really great candid photos of both you as a couple and of your guests. During the wedding he was incredible at capturing all the special little moments, we love the candid style of photography as he really caught the essence of our guests enjoying themselves and our emotions throughout the day. As a bonus he does also speak Mandarin and that's super rare to find in a photographer in the Buffalo area, we were pleasantly surprised and it came in handy! He was so pleasant to work with and super nice. He was always professional, patient, and quickly adapted to anything we thought of at the last minute. His prices are very reasonable for his high quality of work and he does a great job of adapting himself to the couple's style. He had some surprises for us that we LOVED. We absolutely highly recommend him for your wedding or any other special event.
Charity C
5.0
9/02/2024
Billy is a true professional and we cannot express enough gratitude for the incredible work he did at our wedding. Billy's passion for photography is evident, and his ability to ma...
ke us feel comfortable in front of the camera was truly a gift. He used his art and photography skills to capture every special moment throughout our wedding. Billy perfectly captured the joy, love, and emotion of our special day. Every image brought back a flood of happy memories, reminding us of the love and joy we shared on that special day. Billy not only captured our wedding day, but also created lasting memories that we will treasure for a lifetime. We highly recommend Billy to anyone looking for a talented and dedicated wedding photographer.
Stephanie B
5.0
7/30/2024
It was a pleasure working with BGF Photography! Billy was reliable, and wonderful to work with. Highly recommend!
Service area & Contact info
Travel area: Within 300 miles
Additional charges may apply
Curious to learn more?
Start the convo
*=Required
Use this secure form to reach out and share your wedding vision.
BGF Photography
Billy
|
Main Photographer
Typically responds within 24h
Wedding vendors in Buffalo
BGF Photography's photos
Why use The Knot to message vendors?
Messaging our verified vendors on The Knot is free, safe and secure. Conveniently track vendor messages and planning details all in one place. Our mobile apps make it easy to stay in touch with vendors while you're on‑the‑go. For personalized pricing and package details, sending the vendor a message is the fastest way to get info.