Wedding day story-telling photography mixed with epic mountain art from Mammoth Lakes, California.
Details
Destination Weddings
Destination Wedding Packages
Photo Shoot Types
Boudoir, Bridal Portraits, Day After Session, Engagement, Trash The Dress
Photo & Video
Digital Files, Online Proofing, Photo, Printed Enlargements, Second Shooter Available, Wedding Albums
Photo & Video Styles
Artistic, Documentary, Dramatic, Lifestyle, Modern
Wedding Activities
Getting Engaged, Rehearsals & Parties, After Party, Wedding
Minaret Wedding Photography Reviews
Share your thoughts with other couples
Reviewed On 1/21/2022 by Cynthia Y
We are so happy we were able to book for our elopement/ small wedding. His photos went passed our expectations. Brandon is very professional and responsive. We felt comfortable taking photos with him. He delivered our photos within the promised...
time frame. We hope in the future we are able to take photos for another occasion with Brandon. If you choose him, you will not be disappointed. Thank you Brandon !
Reviewed On 1/20/2022 by Christiana M
Brandon from Minaret Wedding Photography is awesome!!! He put everything into making sure we had all the photographs we could have hoped for from our special wedding day. From when he and Chris (a photographer he brought in as we requested two...
shooters) until the end of the night, they were up running around getting photos from all angles. He really captures the moment and all of our pictures were genuine and real! The process working with Brandon was easy and made the wedding planning so much easier! He took us on a night shoot up in the mountains which is something no other photographer offered! We are very outdoorsy and it made our wedding pictures an absolute dream! You will not be disappointed if you choose Brandon for your event we highly recommend him!
Reviewed On 10/13/2021 by Michelle M
Brandon is amazing. He was our photographer for our Sept. 2020 wedding (in the middle of a pandemic, wildfire, unprecedented forest shutdown and off-the-charts smoke!) and a delayed "engagement" shoot in Oct. 2021 (where we brought our wild 90...
pound golden retriever and my 7 month pregnant self). He stuck with us through it all - always with an energetic sense of adventure and a calming confidence. His photos speak for themselves - he is incredibly talented and perfectly incorporates the landscape. But, even more, he's a really kind and authentic person who will do anything to get the very best photos (off-road driving, hiking up mountains, lying in dirt, boulder jumping...) and make sure you have a lot of fun throughout. Could not recommend Brandon enough.
Reviewed On 2/10/2020 by Tia C
Brandon's artistry is impeccable. His personality is spot on. His passion will capture your day better than you ever intended.
Reviewed On 1/13/2020 by Brittany T
Brandon was so great to work with from day one. He was very prompt and professional in emails and even offered helpful advise for the mammoth area and other vendors/locations for our wedding. He was the first vendor that we booked for our weddi...
ng, even before the venue because we loved his style and he came highly recommended by a friend of ours who had booked him the year before. We had an engagement shoot with him as part of our package and it was a really great way for two camera shy people to get comfortable before our wedding day. The photos were amazing as well. On the wedding day, he was extremely efficient and with very little direction/information from me, he gave us an unbelievable gallery that all of our guests are commenting about. He is truly talented, with a unique style, and easy going personality who will make you feel instantly comfortable. Definitely a MUST BOOK for your wedding, engagement session of any desired photoshoot! Thanks so much Brandon!!
Reviewed On 1/01/2020 by Hayley S
Brandon was highly recommended by our venue; we chose him because he has shot countless times at our venue and works incredibly well with our DJ and coordinator. It was worthwhile to get someone who knew the best places to shoot around Convict ...
Lake Resort. He found some amazing places to photograph. After the ceremony, we took some couple photos on a hill overlooking the lake and after the reception, we snuck away for some night shots. Brandon and his second shooter, Joel, were able to navigate around the 25mph wind gusts and gave us some incredible unforgettable shots. Brandon and his second shooter, Joel, surpassed our expectations.
Reviewed On 9/08/2019 by Jamie G
To be honest, hiring Brandon as my wedding photographer was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made (outside of marrying my husband).
For one, he is incredibly easy to work with. I was so nervous going into our engagement shoot that I was lit...
erally nauseous but Brandon made us feel like friends out for a walk. This rapport he built with us on our first encounter continued through to our wedding day and translated into our photos. This was extremely important on the day of my wedding as I was able to relax and know that no matter what the day threw at me, I didn’t have to worry about posing for our photographer. He just had us covered and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I would love whatever he produced because our engagement photos were absolutely incredible and effortless.
Secondly, he is one of the most talented people I have ever met. If you’re certain that you’re going to be with your spouse for the rest of your life, you’ll probably want the best quality memories that money can buy. Brandon provides those as part of his service. I’m not sure how he does it, but somehow his photos are systematically monumental. If you don’t believe me, follow him on Instagram.
Typically, I wouldn’t post such a lengthy Yelp review but I know that as a bride, making these decisions can be rough. You’ve got a ton a decisions to make and all of them come with a price tag and a corresponding outcome. Hiring Brandon to capture the biggest day of your life is an easy decision with a reasonable price tag and an overwhelming outcome. I can confidently say that choosing him was the easiest decision I made throughout my wedding planning and one that I will never regret.
Reviewed On 8/08/2019 by Kaylee S
It's your wedding and if you want to the absolute best pictures to capture each magical moment, then Brandon "Minaret Photography" is your absolute man! Brandon, does anything and everything to get the absolute best shots of you on your wedding...
day. He pictures are majestic works of art. When we received our engagement photos, people could not stop talking about them. They were not the typical photos, they were beyond the norm. Not only are the pictures truly indescribable, Brandon as person is just RAD! He always emailed back, gave a timeline and got every shot I wanted. I am so grateful for him in every way, because now Jake and I have pictures that have captured the essence of our wedding. Thank you Brandon from the bottom of my heart!
Reviewed On 1/30/2019 by Karen C
Amazing photographer! He knows the area so well to get the best natural light.
Reviewed On 10/21/2018 by Stephanie B
Brandon with Minaret Photography was nothing less than phenomenal. From the get-go he was very responsive and helpful. We got our first taste of his skills with our incredible engagement photos. My husband and I are definitely not models and th...
e way he guided us through each shot is why those photos turned out so great. Come to the day of the wedding, he was very flexible with the schedule and got the most beautiful shots in crazy weather (hail / snow). Within less than 24 hours of the wedding, he turned around 57 photos as a preview (and we were his 4th & last shoot of the weekend). Brandon is so talented, I’ll fly him out to CO to take more photos for us. Check out his Instagram for more info - @minaretphoto
Reviewed On 10/08/2018 by Kristin M
Let me just start by saying, my husband and I are obsessed with Brandon's photography skills!
We started out very unsure of what we were looking for in a photographer and once we came across Brandon's portfolio we were not only hooked but we k...
new we had to have him for our wedding! Contacting him was very easy and he immediately answered all our questions and sent over a contract as soon as we asked. The whole transaction was done online which made it very easy on our part considering we live four hours away!
Our first meet with Brandon was to do a series of engagement photos, which he included in our package. He showed up full of energy and ideas after we had told him what we were looking to accomplish, and boy did he deliver! These photos are so near and dear to my heart! He fully captured everything we asked for and ten times more!
As our wedding day approached we started making a list of all the photo opportunities we wanted to have on our big day. From a first look, to family photos, to sunset photos, to his famous milky way photos.... we wanted to cram it all in. Brandon as usual was more than on board! His dedication to achieve the shot goes to no ends as we had him on a gondola to the top of a mountain, and then literally standing chest deep in a lake to get a picture of the entire wedding! My guests were blown away!
He worked so unbelievably hard that day, and I can not thank him enough! Our photos are more than we ever could have imagined and I look forward to cherishing them for the rest of my life. I continue on a daily basis to get compliments left and right about our wedding photos! My husband and I have already talked about going to visit Brandon when we start a family... just as another excuse to put his exceptionally creative eyes to work!
Reviewed On 7/22/2018 by Jordis M
We are obsessed with Brandons work! We did our engagement photo and wedding photos with him. We have only gotten a preview so far of our wedding photos but they truly amazing. He captured all the beautiful emotions of the day!! We hiked up a hi...
ll to get some of the most epic sunset photos!! To say he nailed it is an understantment. I cant wait to hang up both the engagement and wedding photos when we buy a house!
Thanks Brandon!! We will be hiring you again for family photos ( :
Reviewed On 5/25/2018 by Jennifer M
Brandon and Minaret Photography are THE BEST when it comes to photos! My husband and I hired him for our engagement photos in Mammoth Lakes after seeing him work his magic for our friends' wedding session / engagement session, and then, we were...
so happy to hear that he would travel to Lake Tahoe to shoot our wedding!
Here are some reasons why you should hire him:
1.) He takes the MOST EPIC PHOTOS EVER. Absolutely gorgeous, out-of-this-world, you won't believe it's real. The composition and lighting of his photos are truly genius, and his creative thinking and shots will have you realizing just how amazingly talented he is. In particular, I LOVE sunsets, and he nails them every time.
2.) He is so laidback, easy to work with, and just an all-around cool dude. He keeps things light, knows how to make you feel comfortable for the best possible shot, and truly works with you until he gets the shot.
3.) For the quality of his photographs and the amount of packages you can choose from, you truly have so many options to fit your budget while still getting DYNAMITE photos.
I cannot recommend him enough, and I look forward to using him in the future as additional photo needs come up. He captured all of the big and small moments from our wedding - the big kiss, my dad walking me down the aisle, our bridal party, our friends dancing, our families getting ready, and so much more, and I can't thank him enough.
He's seriously the best!
Reviewed On 2/15/2018 by Jessica O
Brandon is amazing. We had our engagement shots and wedding pictures done with him. I hate taking pictures and he made the experience so much fun and enjoyable. The pictures are amazing, I couldn't have asked for more. He even climbed into the ...
freezing water at Twin Lakes for a shot of everyone on the bridge. He was very go with the flow and accommodating to my MOH that had a secret photo request. Highly recommend him.
Reviewed On 11/02/2017 by Stephanie T
If you are looking for EPIC wedding photos, book Brandon Russell now. Both my engagement and wedding photos turned out absolutely gorgeous and breathtaking! I really couldn’t have asked for a better photographer.
For one, Brandon was incredib...
ly easy to work with. He worked with us to capture all our special moments and was laid-back, flexible and incredibly organized. What’s great is that Brandon KNOWS Mammoth – so he knew exactly what shots to take during the wedding at McCoy Station and took us to most scenic spots for our engagement photo.
Secondly, Minaret Weddings is really affordable. We got Package C which was an absolute steal for the type of extensive work Brandon did. For both the engagement sesh and wedding, he provides you a preview of all the “golden shots” within the first week or so and then provides the full gallery with all the pictures within the first month. Insanely fast turnaround time considering that he not only takes the photos but edits them as well!
And third, the pictures are AMAZING. Truly stellar to the point where random people even give us compliments on them.
Reviewed On 8/24/2017 by Rachel S
Brandon is amazing. We did our engagement photos and wedding photos with him. From the beginning I could tell how dedicated he was...he was literally climbing through cow pies in a field to get the perfect shot.
He is truly an artist. I am us...
ually never happy with photos of myself and I loved all of the pictures he took of us. He did a great job of capturing our personalities.
He is very responsive and easy to get in touch with, which makes scheduling simple. He also took my input seriously and got all of the shots I requested. We wanted to have our engagement shot at the local brewery and he got in contact with staff there to make sure we could get on the roof to take pictures near the equipment.
Reviewed On 11/08/2016 by Sandra D
As a local event planner, we LOVE working with Brandon and his team at Minaret Photo. He is professional, responsive and takes beautiful photos. If you are looking for engagement photos, he is willing to go anywhere to get the best shot. And...
if you are looking for a wedding photographer, we often recommend Minaret Photo and haven’t yet had a client who hasn’t loved Brandon!
Sandra D. & The Green Fox Events Team
Reviewed On 10/19/2016 by Kari L
Oh. My. Gosh. I can't even begin to describe how beautiful our photos are. Brandon is amazing at shooting pictures in nature and he is so good at not only capturing your sweet moments but capturing the WHOLE picture. Working him was fantastic, ...
he was always easy to get a hold of and was easy to communicate with. When he arrived the day of, we were a little stressed and frazzled as we rushed to get ready but he kept his cool and put us at ease. He was great working with the kids in our bridal party and was able to get the fun shots in as well. The scenic pictures he took are breath taking and I can't wait to hang them on my walls. I would definitely recommend him to any bride or groom getting married in a scenic location. The pictures and memories are well worth the money.
Reviewed On 3/27/2015 by Knottie80109736
Brandon Russell did an amazing job of our wedding photography! He used the lighting and setting to maximum effect to create some stunning, artistic images and captured a range of very special candid moments from the day. He also made me (the Br...
ide) and a number of other guests who don't usually like being photographed, feel very comfortable and at ease in front of the camera - which shows in the photos.
Our photographs are absolutely beautiful and will be treasured for years to come. Would highly recommend Brandon to other couples!
Reviewed On 12/15/2014 by Knottie07185604
Minaret Photography and Brandon did an amazing job. I hired him after seeing him work other friend's weddings and the fabulous photos that he captured. It's actually a little surprising how great the photos are, given how informal and relaxed h...
e is during the event. That said, and especially after having him shoot my own wedding 2 months ago, he is diligent and thorough, but just happens to be a fun guy. He's great at diffusing awkward situations and controlling the wandering "cats" during the family photos, especially given how quickly he runs through multiple people and multiple scenes. My wedding was beautiful, as were the surroundings, but the photos are perhaps EVEN BETTER. One of my uncles thought the Brandon photo-shopped us into a landscape scene because everything, especially the lighting was too perfect. I've been a bridesmaid in two of Minaret Photography's weddings and I've had them do my own. I think because of our photos, he may even get a couple other weddings! He's professional, competitively priced, fun to be around, and most importantly great at taking photos.
I give Brandon and Minaret Photo my highest recommendation! As a physician and an Eastern Sierra local - I think I have pretty high expectations as well.
Reviewed On 8/08/2012 by Alison O
Josh and Brandon were fantastic to work with! We are starting to get previews of our pictures, and I am so pleased with how they were able to capture our vision (and our love!) They have an amazing eye for great shots, and made everyone invol...
ved feel very comfortable. We even had compliments from guests attending our wedding how much fun our photographers were! We will definitely be calling on them to do family photo shoots in the future. :)
Reviewed On 5/17/2011 by LISA C
I LOVE MY WEDDING PHOTOS. EVERYONE THAT SEES THEM COMMENTS ON HOW GREAT THEY ARE.
JOSH AND BRANDON ARE AWESOME TO WORK WITH. THEIR COMMUNICATION AND PLANNING PRIOR TO THE DAY WAS PERFECT. PROMPT, CONCISE, PROFESSIONAL, AND SO WARM AND FRIE...
NDLY. THEY MADE ME FEEL VERY CONFIDENT AND COMFORTABLE THAT WE WOULD GET AMAZING PHOTOS OF THE ENTIRE DAY. THEY WERE MY FAVORITE OF ALL MY WEDDING VENDORS.
I WAS SO IMPRESSED SEEING THEM WORK THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THEY MADE ALL THE PORTRAITS A FUN AND COMFORTABLE EXPERIENCE. EVEN MY NEW HUBBY HAD FUN POSING! THROUGHOUT THE CEREMONY AND RECEPTION THEY WERE SO SUBTLE AND DISCREET.
AND THE OUTCOME WAS A PERFECT, TRUE CAPTURING OF OUR DAY. I GOT THE ARTSY COOL LOOK I WANTED FOR OUR PORTRAITS, AND STUNNING CANDID IMAGES OF ALL THE ELEMENTS AND PEOPLE THAT MADE UP OUR WEDDING.
TO GET THEIR HIGH QUALITY OF WORK FOR THEIR PRICES IS A GREAT VALUE.
ANY BRIDE WHO GETS TO HAVE MINARET PHOTO FOR HER WEDDING IS LUCKY! YOU WILL BE SO HAPPY WITH HOW YOUR WEDDING PHOTOS COME OUT AND YOU WILL HAVE A BLAST WORKING WITH JOSH AND BRANDON. I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT THEM AND MY PERFECT WEDDING PHOTOS!
Reviewed On 4/19/2011 by Abbey G
Josh and Brandon did an amazing job at our wedding in Yosemite. They use a photo journalist style which turned out some amazing photos.
Reviewed On 2/17/2011 by Sara U
Brandon and Josh of Minaret Wedding Photography photographed our wedding in Northern California in October, and we were so happy with everything about them! They were incredibly professional, and took wonderful pictures. As the bride, I felt ...
very comfortable with Josh who was with all of us girls before the wedding. Brandon worked with my husband and his groomsmen and all the guys got along great with him as well. They were invisible during the ceremony and the big events like toasts and the first dance, so I actually wondered if they captured anything at all for those moments until we received the pictures. They definitely did, and the results were gorgeous. The pictures were flattering, and they caught all the spontaneous and sweet moments beautifully. They gave us all the pictures we wanted and more, and we were pleasantly surprised at the variety - we got great natural shots, wonderful posed shots, and beautiful details of the wedding. During the reception they even set up a "photo booth" where guests could go take pictures whenever they wanted, and we got some very funny photos of our guests that way as well. Our guests loved it too and keep talking about it and ordering copies of those pictures for themselves. Whenever anyone sees our wedding album or any of our pictures, they want to know who our photographer was and use them or recommend them to a friend. I looked at the prices for photographers for a very long time before the wedding, and the quality of photos compared to the price was far better with Minaret than with anyone else. I am so happy with our results, and I can't give them high enough praise!!!