Derek Cookson Photography

Capturing moments and memories - not just photos.

Metro Detroit, Windsor, and all over Michigan and Ontario

Travel area: No travel restrictions See details

5.0

Verified reviews from real couples

Derek did such a fantastic job with our wedding photos! Not only does he have a fantastic eye, but he’s great with organizing guests for photos, and keeping the little ones focused and smiling! He’s super easy to work with and reasonably priced. I highly recommend Derek and will definitely work with him again!

Christie S.

5.0

Derek and the Derek Cookson Photography team were simply amazing to work with during our multi day Indian wedding weekend! From the beginning, Derek made it a point to capture the important moments no matter what. He arrived early and stayed late to make sure we got the moments that were important to us and our families. Derek was sure to get plenty of shots of the traditional Hindu rituals that were important to our families throughout the weekend. He understands the value of these important moments and blended into our families so seamlessly. His personality was laid back and he was super easy to work with. He knew exactly how to guide us to pose to help us get the best photos. He was flexible with our timeline when unforeseen circumstances came up and always checked in with us before leaving for the day. He was more than willing to go off site with us for photos before the ceremony. Derek gave us the most wonderful surprise right before our reception- printed Polaroid shots of us in our wedding outfits because as he told us, “I believe that couples should get to enjoy these memories on their wedding day”. I am forever grateful that we picked such a sincere and humble photographer and cannot wait to see how the rest of our photos turn out!

Nilam T.

5.0

Derek Cookson Photography

OWNER

Metro Detroit's Premier Modern Lifestyle and Portrait Photographer, specializing in Weddings, Engagements, Events....and making you look awesome!! Proudly serving both the US and Canada, and anywhere you want to have fun!

2+ years in business

Speaks English

Just me

Details

Destination Weddings

Destination Wedding Packages

Photo Shoot Types

Bridal Portraits

Engagement

Photo & Video

Digital Files

Online Proofing

Photo

Printed Enlargements

Printed Proofs

Second Shooter Available

Social Media Sharing

Wedding Albums

Photo & Video Styles

Artistic

Classic

Lifestyle

Modern

Wedding Activities

Getting Engaged

Rehearsals & Parties

After Party

Wedding

After Party

Any questions?

5.0

out of 5.0

17 reviews

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Christie S

7/24/2026

Derek did such a fantastic job with our wedding photos! Not only does he have a fantastic eye, but he’s great with organizing guests for photos, and keeping the little ones focused...

and smiling! He’s super easy to work with and reasonably priced. I highly recommend Derek and will definitely work with him again!

Nilam T

6/05/2023

Derek and the Derek Cookson Photography team were simply amazing to work with during our multi day Indian wedding weekend! From the beginning, Derek made it a point to capture the ...

important moments no matter what. He arrived early and stayed late to make sure we got the moments that were important to us and our families. Derek was sure to get plenty of shots of the traditional Hindu rituals that were important to our families throughout the weekend. He understands the value of these important moments and blended into our families so seamlessly. His personality was laid back and he was super easy to work with. He knew exactly how to guide us to pose to help us get the best photos. He was flexible with our timeline when unforeseen circumstances came up and always checked in with us before leaving for the day. He was more than willing to go off site with us for photos before the ceremony. Derek gave us the most wonderful surprise right before our reception- printed Polaroid shots of us in our wedding outfits because as he told us, “I believe that couples should get to enjoy these memories on their wedding day”. I am forever grateful that we picked such a sincere and humble photographer and cannot wait to see how the rest of our photos turn out!

Any questions?

Alyssa J

11/04/2022

Derek was amazing!!! He photographed our wedding at the Emerald Theatre and I couldn’t have asked for a better photographer to work with. He was fun and stayed during most of the r...

eception to get fun shots of us, the guests and late night snack. Working with him was a blast and our party thought he was great too. He was great with the kids as well.

Katie M

5/10/2021

Derek was our wedding photographer and he was amazing!! He is so much fun to be around, makes you laugh and had awesome picture suggestions. My husband and I are not photogenic bu...

t makes you feel comfortable and is able to capture each moment. He was also amazing with our flower girl and kept doing magic tricks to keep her entertained. All of our guests loved him and I highly recommend!!

Lindsay G

11/24/2019

Where do I even start?! Derek is an AMAZING photographer but that’s not all. He is so personable with the camera and made us feel incredibly comfortable. He knew exactly where to g...

o in Detroit for beautiful photos, helped us loosen up a little, and made sure to get all the family photos we wanted. We even left with sneak peeks that night- which was an awesome surprise for us! If you are looking for a photographer for your wedding or event -seriously there is no reason to look any further than Derek. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for capturing such an important day for us!

Claire C

9/17/2019

Derek is an amazing photographer, who will make your day special not only in pictures but from his amazing personality. I will recommend Derek to anyone and everyone who needs a ...

photographer for any event. Thanks Derek!

Christa G

10/03/2018

Derek is an amazing photographer! He is very good at giving direction and adding an extra special touch to your photos! Highly recommended!

Megan C

7/30/2018

Derek was our wedding photographer and he truly did an amazing job. I would recommend him without any hesitation. From our engagement photos, to the beautiful guest book he created...

for us, to shooting our wedding day, everything was perfect. Throughout the day, he reminded me not to worry about a thing, and I truly didn't have to because he was a step ahead of me, a calming force, and an amazingly fun photographer. He made everyone feel at ease and was so accommodating to any requests . He even helped with some logistics the day of; he was the one I called to figure out where the groom was when I arrived at the church (to ensure we wouldn't cross paths), because he was the only one who answered his phone. ;) Anything we threw at him, he was right there making everyone laugh and capturing the moments of our special day. We never felt even a little bit rushed or like we were on a timeline; Derek was with us from when I got ready in the morning until midnight. We have had several friends/family members mention that they LOVED our photographer. Do yourself a favor and book with Derek!!!

Brandie N

10/09/2017

We couldn't have been happier with Derek! He did our engagement photos and wedding photos! Both times he was great to work with and went along with all of my crazy requests for mor...

e pictures! We had a destination wedding and he got up with us the next morning to go down to Lake Michigan and take a few more pics in the water...........YES in Lake Michigan!!! I cannot wait to see our pictures, I know they're going to be amazing! All of our guests also mentioned on how great he was!

Alissa M

7/14/2017

We couldn't be more pleased with our decision to choose Derek as our wedding photographer. Derek goes above and beyond for his clients. Not only is he UH-mazing at what he does, he...

cares. He made sure everyone was comfortable, he made us laugh, and the best part was, you didn't even feel like you were getting your picture taken. We've talked to plenty of people since our wedding and each and every one spoke highly of Derek. He definitely brought something special to our day and I'm sure he will do the same for yours.

Monica M

11/01/2014

Derek is an amazing photographer. He does amazing work, has a great personality, creative, and can get anymore in the mood to be photographed. He was so good with my flower girl ...

and ring bearer who were very difficult to get them to do what we wanted them to do. Engagement photos are included in most of his package deals and he will work with you until you feel like you got all the shots you want. He is not a time framed photographer like most others which is so nice.

Amanda H

1/20/2014

Derek is a true professional, yet fun to be around. He did not only our engagement photos, but our wedding photos and then our baby's six months photos! Derek captures moments as l...

ife happens and that's what makes him different. And what makes him special is that he treats every client like an old friend, when in fact, he becomes fast friends with everyone he meets.

Dena F

1/27/2013

Derek was very fun to work with. I absolutely love the photos! He gives you all the necessary shots with family, but some great candids, and especially great artistic shots. I f...

eel like I can flip through my photos and they show the wedding like a story. I can also really get the "vibe" of the wedding from my photos. The only thing I would say is he wasn't always the easiest to get a hold of, nothing excessive though and always helpful. Fine for a laid-back bride, but might not work if you NEED to be in constant contact.

Kelly L

1/11/2013

Derek was such a pleasure to work with starting day one at our initial meeting, to our engagement photos, to the day of the wedding, and beyond that even. Our photos turned out ama...

zing. A few months after our wedding, my sister unexpectedly passed away and while we were out of town handling her matters and arrangements, he made sure to get a large beautiful canvas made from a picture of her at our wedding so that we could use it for her service. He is a wonderful photographer but more importantly an amazing person. I would highly recommend him.

Sheila B

5/29/2012

Derek is a great photographer! He took our engagement photos and our wedding photos. He made us feel very comfortable in front of the camera. He did a great job encouraging ever...

yone to have fun so that he could take great photos! Great to work with!

Angie G

5/07/2012

We loved Derek! He is awesome to work with, professional but very fun and down to earth. None of that - "ok now this pose, now this pose, again, hold that, jump in the air and look...

corny....blah blah!" He got A TON of amazing photos of our entire wedding party and guests caught in the act having fun! The quality and style of the photography was AMAZING (just like our engagement photos that we used him for as well) and I recommend him constantly to everyone who asks! The price was simply the best for the quality and modern style of the photos - vendors we called that had similar excellent portfolios were 500-2000$ MORE than Derek! Check out his website, you wont be sorry! If I could rate the value 10 start I would!

Elaine W

2/23/2012

Derek Cookson's photography is amazing and he's great to work with... he is so easy going, fun and creative!

Service area & Contact info

1211 E Lincoln Ave, Royal Oak, MI

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Metro Detroit, Windsor, and all over Michigan and Ontario
Typically included in the starting cost

Travel area: No travel restrictions

Additional charges may apply

(248) 224-7423

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Derek Cookson Photography

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