Craig Dirkes Photography

Craig is an amazing photographer! I highly recommend him. He is great with communication and always responded very quickly. His passion and enthusiasm for what he does really shows through in his photos. He traveled over 2 hours for our wedding day and showed up early to scout areas around the venue to get the perfect shots. Everything ran smoothly and on time for our wedding day thanks in large part to him. He captured everything - including all the little details and candid moments of our family and friends that I had no idea he captured until looking through our photos. He goes all in for the perfect shots and has a real eye for some unique photos! I am so in love with all our photos - he captured our day perfectly. It has been very hard deciding what photos to print because they are all amazing.

Craig did a fantastic job shooting our wedding. He is a hard worker and many of the guests commented on how he was everywhere. He arrived early to scout out the venue and find some locations where we could shoot where there were no guests. We were married at a resort so all of our guests were right on property. Craig was also good at all correspondance which was really important to me. He always responded to my emails and texts and got a few pics to me not long after the ceremony so I could post a few on social media. He really has an eye for the candid shot and we got a lot of great ones throughout our Wedding ceremony and reception. He also provides a ton of photos in color and black and white. It will be difficult to pick the best ones to put in our album because there are so many. I would not hesitate to hire Craig for your special day.

Craig was so great, we hired him as our photographer for our engagement photos and wedding day. He did an amazing job with both events! He battled through our 95 degree wedding day with no complaints, and got some excellent shots. He also got us our wedding photos back to us within 3 weeks of the wedding... SO amazing! I highly recommend Craig for your event!

Craig is such an amazing photographer. He is so easy to work with. He was so laid back and had such a great attitude our entire wedding day. He was there for the whole day and captured every moment we wanted. I would highly recommend him as a photographer for any wedding.

I really really wanted a photographer who would be able to catch some great candid moments, and that is Craig! As soon as my husband and I met with him, we knew he would be a great match! He was easy to work with and only asked for a simple timeline of the day. He scoped out the venue before the event so he knew exactly where to get our photos. On our wedding day, the weather was a problem. He was flexible and called on his way to the venue, to ask if there was anyway we could start the posed photos 3 hours earlier than scheduled to beat the storm. (thankfully we started hair and makeup early) We were able to still get amazing photos outside before the storm came because of that. Our finished photos are absolutely everything we hoped for and more! Craig was so great to work with, we can't wait to use his services for other important life milestones!

Our experience with Craig was spectacular from the start for both our engagement and wedding photos. He was highly recommended by friends who had hired him as their wedding photographer. Craig made the whole planning process painless and very straightforward. We aren’t huge ‘picture people’ but Craig made us feel very comfortable in each session and we love how the pictures turned out! Both candid and posed shots came out great. You can tell that Craig is passionate about what he does from the hours of scouting he does prior to the shoot to the quick turnaround time after the ceremony. We had an awesome time working with him and can’t recommend him enough!

If I could give more stars I would. Seriously, if you are looking for someone who is the perfect mix of casual and professional, incredibly personable, and hands down one of the best photographers of "in the moment" shots I have ever come across, Craig is your man. My husband and I wanted someone who would match our own styles and personalities and get photos that were less staged. The second we looked at Craig's work we absolutely fell in love. We set up an in person meeting just to make sure his personality would mesh with ours and our guests so everyone would be comfortable. After a few seconds of speaking with him we were absolutely sold. With a background of wildlife photography in Alaska, he knows where to look and how to get that single photo of a moment that only lasted a split second. Those amazing moments that make up a wedding that are so easy to miss if you don't have a photographer who knows how to look for them. We couldn't be happier with our photos now and they capture so much emotion that we'll never forget the important parts of our special day.

Hiring Craig as our wedding photographer was one of the best decisions we made in planning our wedding. He exceeded our expectations every step of the way. He spent scouting our site to find the best spots in advance and helped us craft a plan for the day so we could get all of our pictures out of the way. He was extremely responsive to our communication and input, and was a blast to work with. Most importantly -- the pictures are so beautiful!! I can't recommend Craig enough!

From our initial meeting with Craig I knew things were going to go well working with him for our engagement and wedding photography. Craig was always flexible with his time. Communicating with him during the whole process was a breeze and he always responded to our inquiries and questions by the next day, if not the same day. With me being nervous about getting photos taken, Craig put my fears to rest quickly and easily got the shots we were looking for. He scouted ahead each time to get a lay of the landscape or venue and was ready to go early and on time for each of our shoots. Great guy, great attitude and knows what he's doing. My biggest concern was wanting my wife to love the photos and Craig didn't disappoint. She chimed in with "Cuuute!" and excitement at every photo she saw. We loved all of them. Guests at the wedding and reception kept telling us how wonderful Craig was, how hard he worked and how he accommodated them if they were looking to get a specific shot. We couldn't agree more and couldn't place any higher recommendation on using him for your photography needs. Thank you!!

Craig was our photographer for our engagement pictures and wedding, and if I could give him more than 5 stars I would. Craig made our day SO amazing by going out of his way to catch every little detail of it all. We had an exceptionally long wedding day, and he did not have to spend so much time with us but he went out of his way to be there ALL day -which meant so much to us. He is so easy to work with and so creative and patient. I can confidentially say that our day went without error, and Craig was a huge contribution to that. I would recommend Craig to anyone and everyone who wants a stress free, FUN, and one of a kind photographer experience. Craig, you seriously rock and we are SO happy we found you! Thank you for everything!

I feel so lucky to have had Craig Dirkes photograph my wedding. Not only is he a great photographer, he is very laid back and personable. Multiple guests said how nice he was and he was very accommodating taking extra photos. I HIGHLY recommend him. You won't be disappointed!

Craig was so much fun to work with and we absolutely love every picture he took at our wedding! He went to our ceremony and reception location the day before to scout out the best places to do our photos, so on the day of we could move quickly to get the posed photos done. He was efficient while not sacrificing any creativity. Plus he's just a fun, easy-going person! He had the whole wedding party laughing and enjoying themselves during the photo shoot. And he moved around the reception all night long capturing beautiful candid moments. I have gotten so many compliments on our wedding photos. He is a true artist! I would hire him again in a heartbeat!

When my fiancé (now wife) and I got engaged, we weren't too sure what direction to go with photography. We looked at many local photographers that fit in our price range and weren't quite satisfied with them. We asked our married friends for recommendations and through them, found Craig. We hired Craig to do our wedding photos and had a blast! He was very professional and a pleasure to work with. Craig arrived early each time we worked with him and always came prepared with shots pre-selected. He would either arrive hours beforehand or come on a separate day to select these shots. He was very organized and responded to our emails very promptly. The photos themselves were great as well. He does a great job in capturing candid moments and really has an eye for what would make for a great shot. My wife and I joke about how we didn't realize we were good looking until we saw his photos. His pricing package for us was more than fair for the level of quality of his services. We are really happy we found Craig and highly recommend his services!

Craig was wonderful to work with, I really cannot say enough great things about him! If other brides out there are like me, your experience with wedding planning might be something like this: super excited to research vendors, quickly overwhelmed by all the choices/details, finding someone you are excited to work with and calling them for more information only to be disappointed because they aren't that excited to work with you or all that helpful. Throughout much of my wedding planning I often had the same problem of working with a vendor and wanting their advice (after all I had no idea what I was doing) and was met with a blank stare as if to say "what do you mean you have no idea what you want?". It seemed like no matter what detail I was planning I always felt like I was bothering the vendors and that they didn't really want to help me. Additionally, as put-out as I was by this, I never wanted to be "that bride" that went crazy asking questions and planning out every single detail. The result of all of this was that I would start with an idea of what I wanted, and unsure of how exactly to make it work and afraid to trouble the vendors, I would just go along with things and in the end I got something completely different than what I wanted. Why am I telling you all of this? Because Craig was the ONE person that I worked with throughout the two and a half years of wedding planning who didn't let me down. He advertises that he delivers and he does! The very first time I spoke to him I could tell how excited he was. The best thing about working with him is his incredible passion for what he does. He is so down-to-earth and friendly that it felt like we had known him for years. Our engagement and wedding photos are 100% us, not cookie-cutter, posed, over-edited shots like you see everywhere but natural, genuine and unique; we actually look like us in the pictures. If you have a particular idea in mind he will work with you to get the shot but mostly, his creativity guides him to make each session unique and natural. The spontaneity of his shoots are what make the end product so great and I found that for once, I got what I wanted without feeling like a bother and without stressing to plan everything perfectly. Craig was incredibly easy to work with and always made a point of responding promptly even if it was just to acknowledge that he received my email and would write more later which I appreciated so much! Hands down, the value is phenomenal. He claims that you will not find a better photographer for the value he offers and he is right. I can't imagine how much it would have cost us to hire another photographer who put in as many hours as he did the day of the wedding. Best of all, we have tons of photos to pick from and not just a handful. I was truly amazed at how many completed shots there were and I don't think many other photographers would be so thorough. If you want photos that are of outstanding quality, that make you look great without being Photoshopped and edited to the max, and do not to pay upwards of $3,000 to get them-choose this man! If you are lucky enough to book a spot on his wedding calendar, you will not regret it!

If you are looking for an incredible photographer for a good price that is extremely unique, book Craig Dirkes. Craig has an amazing eye for unique wedding photos that are not so staged. We received so many compliments on our proposal, engagement and wedding photos. You will be very happy Craig captured your special day. Check him out: http://dirkesphoto.com/index2.php#/home/

Craig was fantastic! He did our engagement session as well. He did an amazing job of scoping out the best locations for photos for the engagement session and the wedding. He really excels at capturing those little 'moments' throughout the day. I really couldn't have been happier with how all the pictures turned out. And I mean ALL of them. Plus, he's really fun to work with. I would highly recommend him if you're looking for someone who can really capture the best parts of your day. He is very accomodating, and simply takes amazing photos.

We would not change a thing about our experience with Craig Dirkes Photography. From our initial meeting with Craig, we knew we had made the right choice for someone to memorialize the best day of our lives. He suggested that we create a list of photos that we wanted and provide it to him in advance, so that when the big day arrived, we would not have to think about a thing and could just enjoy ourselves. Craig took the time to carefully scope out our venue and completely delivered in every way! His creativity is off the charts. We are so pleased with all of the unique shots he captured of us and our guests! We still look at our album regularly and comment on the memorable moments and funny stories from our special day. Craig is a true professional and an absolute joy to work with; his personality and sense of humor put people at ease in front of the camera, which results in candid and beautiful photos. Our friends and family even commented on how much they liked him! We are so incredibly impressed with the value too. While you really cannot put a price on knowing that your wedding day is in very capable and kind hands, Craig Dirkes Photography charges a more than fair price for the amazing photos you receive. He is reliable and a genuinely nice person who knows how to get the shot and, as he promised, got it every time. Craig even walked through a river for us...but you'll have to contact him for that story. Hiring Craig Dirkes Photography was the easiest and one of the best decisions we made for our wedding day.

The minute we met Craig to discuss possibly having him photograph our wedding, we felt like old friends. He has a warmth about him that makes everyone he meets feel super comfortable and relaxed. This quality really shows through in his stunning ability to capture human emotion. He is the guy you want to create the pictures that help you to relive the happiest day of your life. His ability to evoke the best in his subjects is unmatched. His photography style is natural, journalistic, breezy. We chose him knowing that he would allow us to be natural and silly and awkward all at once while he worked it out behind the lens. He is excited and passionate and it shows. He loves his work and will never make you or your loved ones feel less than beautiful. He spends the ENTIRE day with you and has tons of ideas. If you like to tell him what your ideas are, he loves that too! For the cost, he can't be beat. People say don't skimp on your photography budget and I agree, but with Craig Dirkes Photography, you will not break the bank and will end up with just as many beautiful photos as the people who pay a small fortune for theirs. My husband is somewhat shy in front of the camera and Craig made him feel so comfortable and so was able to get some really great shots of him in his true happiness! We prefer a more relaxed and candid style of photos and that is exactly what we got! Craig was a huge part of our day. He even grabbed us during dinner to take a quick sunset shot that was so perfect. He doesn't slow down or quit all day long. We are so grateful to have had him shoot our wedding. Our pictures are all works of art and I cannot wait to blow them up to hang in our new home! Thank you Craig. You are THE BEST.

Craig shot our wedding at Glensheen Mansion this past October. It was his first time shooting that location, and he did an oustanding job! As part of his prep, he started the day scouting the location, choosing spots to shoot in places that I'd never seen. He then introduced himself to my family so that everyone knew who he was. From there, he followed my bridal party around while we all got ready. Everyone in the room was so comfortable with him, and it really showed in the photographs. He shot all day, and into the evening dance- catching all of the important moments of the day. Definitely my favorite vendor from the wedding! He was laid-back but extremely focused, which kept everyone at ease. Many of our guests, and in particular our families, were very happy with his work, and had a chance to tell him so before he left. I would highly recommend him (and have) to anyone looking for a photographer that is so passionate about his work, that he does not miss a beat. He got the photos back to me fast, and has made himself available for any questions about where to print, etc. Absolutely loved working with him! My husband and I were thrilled with the results!

Quite simply the BEST photographer one could wish for on your wedding day. Prompt and FUN. Creative and eager to capture all of the moments in your perfect day. Every single photo is INCREDIBLE, whether candid or posed! It was worth every single penny we paid and then some! All of our guests have commented on how good Craig Dirkes Photography was and how beautiful the end results are. I cannot recommend this man enough. We even made the Chive's top 10 photo's of the day!! :) HE is amazing!! Highly recommended.

My fiancee and I hired Craig for our wedding on September 20th, 2013. It was at the Enchanted Barn in Hillsdale, WI. Craig did an AMAZING job. He was incredibly easy to work with, showed up 5 hours early to scout out the location and prepare, he got along so well with all of our guests, and took nothing but amazing photos! We personally think he is worth so much more than he charges. You would be a fool not to hire him!

He was a wonderful photographer! He did beautiful work!

If I had to describe Craig's work in one word it would be AMAZING!!! He was absolutely incredible. He had a clear vision and told us exactly what to do and when/how. He was on the ground, in the dirt.... whatever it took to get the perfect shot.... and he got a lot of them! We were blown away by all the photos he took for us. He definitely goes above and beyond. I know he only does a few weddings a year so if you can book him - DO IT!!! You won't be disappointed!

He's artistic yet traditional. All of our pictures turned out wonderful. He even crawled on the floor with the kids to take pictures of them.;Books up fast.