Pam Cooley Photographer

Pam did absolutely amazing with our wedding photography! She was an absolute joy to work with, and did amazing with my photo-shy husband. She was a great help in putting together our timeline and helping the group photos run smoothly the day of! We are so incredibly happy with the end product. These are photos we look back on with such happiness. She truly captured the personalities of us as well as our friends and family! Thanks Pam! You're amazing :)

Pam was absolutely amazing!! We had never met prior to the wedding because we lived out of state and every time my husband and I came back to try to do engagement photos the weather was horrible... Needless to say I was nervous about having a photographer I had never met. But after meeting Pam on the wedding day I was instantly at ease! She just seemed to know exactly what I wanted! Zach and I had so much fun with her and when we got our pictures back we were truly blown away! She seemed to capture our day so beautifully and all the pictures are just amazing. Zach and I will cherish the photos forever and we are so excited to see what other future life events she captures for us <3

Pam takes exquisite photographs that can only be described as artistry. We used Pam as our engagement and wedding photographer and I am so grateful we found her because there is no comparison to her work! She is super sweet and a total force – all things that you want in a photographer to make you feel comfortable during one of the most intense days of your life. She finds ways to apply her photography skill to make her subjects glow in the sunlight and, at our venue, it made a magical location and event look purely ethereal. I would recommend her to any and all couples looking for a fabulous wedding photographer!

Pam has a way of making you feel extremely comfortable. Within minutes of meeting her, you're laughing, smiling, and she's already taking pictures. Her ability to make us feel comfortable in front of the camera and take stunning photos is amazing, and she does such a good job keeping you informed of the process, timeline, and expectations along the way. Having Pam on our team for our wedding was invaluable, and we highly recommend her to anyone looking for a photographer.

My husband and I can’t rave enough about Pam. From the first time we met her at our engagement shoot to the wedding, Pam made us feel so comfortable and made me feel so beautiful and confident. Her work is so amazing and natural, she can make any setting and person look like something out of a movie. Not only was working with her in person so easy, but she was great at communicating via phone and email and she answered any and all questions. She honestly takes away any stress you may have and makes any couples planning process so much easier. We loved Pam for our wedding and we can’t wait to be able to work with her for all other future sessions!!

This will be a long one! I cannot even begin to express how happy we were that we could secure Pam as our photographer. We never even met in person until our engagement session, and let me tell you…the second we stepped out of the car it felt like we were visiting an old family friend that we’d known our whole lives. We were immediately greeted with hugs and compliments, and before we could blink, we were shooting. We weren’t posed, we weren’t uncomfortable…we were just there, being ourselves, and Pam was a fly on the wall capturing the whole thing. And the photos were amazing. Fast forward six months down the road, and Pam asks us to fill out a questionnaire about our wedding day, including a timeline of how we want everything to go. We did that, and she sent back her suggestions based on her years of experience covering weddings, and we didn’t hesitate whatsoever to follow those suggestions and run the day based on her timeline. And everything happened SO effortlessly and smoothly. And talk about a FLY ON THE WALL! When we did our first look, Pam was standing in front of me as I broke down in tears BEFORE even seeing my bride. But I didn't even realize she was there, and it made for some raw, emotional photos that help to capture the day. I am so happy that we have those photos to look back on, and so glad we hired someone that made me feel comfortable enough to show my truest emotions in front of a camera. And when we got our preview album back (over 100 photos and just 10 days after the wedding), we weren't just in awe at the rich, timeless colors and incredible detail in our photos, but we were amazed at all of the things she captured when we didn’t even know she was there. There were so many photos that made us say “how did she get that??” To say we were impressed would be an understatement. Perhaps, though, the best part about hiring Pam is that she’s someone you can trust. You’re investing money into wedding photography, so it’s important to hire someone who really knows what they’re doing, and Pam does! We didn’t have to stress about our schedule delays or worry that not everything will be captured, because we knew Pam had it all under control. She’s been in the business for a long time and really knows the best ways to do things, so trust her and listen to her because she knows her stuff! You will not regret hiring Pam Cooley for your wedding!

Pam was excellent to work with! Very quick with responses and timely. Her energy and fun personality will put you right at ease in front of the camera. Great experience!

Pam is truly a one of a kind person and photographer. Her past work speaks for itself as all of her photos are stunning. Her ability to connect with people through email is impressive and even more strong in person. When we first met Pam for our engagement shoot the second we stepped out of the car it felt as though we’ve known her our whole lives. Pam made us feel so comfortable in front of the camera and is a blast to work with. She was so helpful in providing outfit suggestions for our engagement shoot as well as our day after wedding shoot and created a timeline for our wedding that made everything run so smoothly. Pam traveled to our destination wedding in the smokies and had excellent ideas of where to shoot different photos. My wedding party had so much fun working with her as well. We couldn’t imagine our wedding experience without Pam. We love you Pam!

Pam is just the best! We fell in love with her when she photographed our wedding and have had her do several family sessions since then. Not only are her photos beautiful, timeless, and perfectly edited, Pam herself is kind, funny and fun to be with.

I cannot say enough good things about Pam, I saw that she had shot a wedding at the same location we chose to get married at, and I instantly fell in love and I KNEW I had to have her as our photographer. Not once did we ever feel nervous or awkward in front of the camera, she made us feel comfortable right off the bat. This was an emotional time for us, because my (the bride) grandmother passed away the day before the wedding, and she did such a fantastic job at capturing her presence within the sunlight. The photos that she took were beyond what we ever could have imagined, and they show us as a couple so well. Going with Pam as our photographer was the best decision we could have ever made, she managed to capture every emotion that was experienced that day. Her light hearted quips and positive attitude kept us in the moment that we will forever remember. ​

Pam is incredible to work with! From the day we sat down to discuss our wedding, we knew she was the right fit for us. And we loved that she shot with film too. You won't regret hiring Pam to photograph any event or occasion!

Pam is the best! She is extremely talented and has a way of bringing out the best in her clients! All of my pictures are absolutely stunning. She is very easy to work with, friendly, efficient and never disappoints! I would highly reccomend Pam!!!

When trying to find a genuine photographer we always set Pam Cooley as our number one. When we researched around the area on the quality and performance of the photos, Pam’s work was beyond beautiful & romantic. We loved working with Pam! She really cares and is so passionate about her work & we love that! She blew us away with our engagement session & our wedding day was pure amazing. If your looking for an amazing photographer, with beautiful work then Pam is the photographer to go to! Thank you so much Pam we look forward to working with you in the future! Love Kyle & Kirsten Merritt

From the first day we met Pam for engagement photos we felt we had known her for years. Not only is she incredibly talented but she is a warm hearted, fun, energetic person who will make even the most nervous couples feel relaxed and natural. Since that first photo shoot we have been blessed to have Pam photograph our wedding, my maternity session, and once our son was born she captured what had just become the most important thing in our world, so so perfectly. We highly recommend Pam, she will forever be our photographer for all of the milestones throughout our lives!

One word for Pam- AMAZING. I'm so glad we went with Pam for our wedding. She is so much fun and made us feel so comfortable in front of the camera (something we are not). She is so talented and a true professional with a killer personality. We couldn't be happier with our photos!

We knew Pam was perfect for us as soon as we met her! Her personality melded well with my fiancé and myself at the time. My fiancé said as soon as we left our first introduction that our search was over. Pam listened to the dream we had for our wedding and easily achieved it! She even recreated a favorite photo from my parent’s wedding day. Pam will become part of your family for the day and as with us for years to come! Thanks Pam for our amazing wedding day from start to finish in cherished photos forever!

Where to even begin?? Pam made me feel like the most beautiful bride... She would snap a picture and have a huge smile on her face and giggle bc she knew she just captured the perfect smile or moment! Pam likes to bring her own style to photos, yet will do whatever you want her to. You get the best of both worlds! Her photos are ones you will never get sick of looking at... timeless and just beautiful..... Worth. Every. Penny.

I'm not sure we can really put into words how happy we are that we had Pam photograph our wedding. From her fun, easy going, professional attitude to her GORGEOUS photos.. She was truly a gem at our big day. Pam has a way of making you feel so comfortable in front of the camera and brings out the best of you in each and every photo. Our wedding party and family had nothing but great things to say about how her and her assistant handled the entire day. Our pictures are something we will cherish forever and we are so grateful for Pam!

Pam was absolutely amazing!!! She was prompt to return any emails with questions I might have had. Also, my pictures were back SO quickly! I would highly highly highly recommend using her for any occasion!!

Pam has been photographing our family for several years. She was there to capture our wedding day and has continued to take our photos as our family has grown. Her style is timeless and beautiful. Her photos are some of my most special possessions. Not only is Pam a talented photographer, she is super easy to work with. Her personality has a way of making you feel relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera. She is very knowledgeable, flexible, and reliable. She is never pushy and always does a great job incorporating her style with that of her clients. We look forward to working with Pam in the years to come!

Pam was the best decision I've ever made! I spent countless hours researching wedding photographers. I actually found Pam through an Instagram hashtag. I fell in love with her work. I connected with her and she was easy to work with. She made me and my husband feel so comfortable behind the camera and on the most important day of our lives. Pam is the best wedding photographer out there. We got so many compliments on our pictures and still continue to. Pam is now our photographer for life, and also a friend. Take it from me, you'll want Pam by your side on the most important day of your life!

Pam was amazing! Even though she lives in Peoria, she drove hours to the Chicago suburbs to shoot our wedding in the June heat! Starting with our engagement session, Pam knew how to make us feel relaxed in front of the camera. She’s goofy and silly and she makes you laugh. While shooting our wedding, I love that Pam captured so many candid moments. She moves around so quickly and quietly and that helps her catch people in their honest expressions. She is quick to process your photos, too. Our wedding was June 9, 2018 and she already had beautiful photos up on her blog by June 25! I am so thankful we had her shoot our wedding - the photos are beautiful and we will treasure them forever. Thank you, Pam!

There aren’t enough positive things to say about Pam Cooley Photography! Wedding planning is overwhelming, but the second we booked with Pam, we knew our photography was completely under control. We weren’t even 20 minutes into our engagement session before my fiancé (at the time) whispered to me that he wanted to book her officially for the wedding!.. And he was the nervous one! She made our engagement session so easy and nerve free and welcomed our two dogs like they were her own! Her PHOTOS speak for themselves! So dreamy and amazing!... Pam even took it upon herself to create a timeline to follow since I wasn’t the best bride at all of the details!... THEN! The wedding day. Holy smokes! She was so easy going, welcomed our crazy family AND gave us direction when we needed it. What more could you ask for?! The best part?! We didn’t spend hours upon hours doing awkward poses or making our friends and family take loads of pictures.. We got what we needed quickly and they are AMAZING! We found ourselves stalking her FB/IG page for sneak peeks and drooling over all of them! And we got our pictures SO FAST!... I would recommend Pam Cooley ten times over for engagement/wedding/anything!

Since we first met Pam, she has been a joy to work with. Coming to our engagement session we were very nervous as we didn't often show affection in front of anyone, let alone a stranger. She instantly made us feel at ease and had us laughing the entire time. Her constant words of affirmation were so encouraging and she made us feel like naturals. After that, we were completely ready for our wedding and, thankfully, not the least bit nervous. Having her there was so comforting to us, knowing that every important moment would be captured; and she knew exactly what we wanted. Each time she gave us the photos back incredibly fast for the amount of photos that were taken, and the amount of time it must have taken to edit. She is always easy to get a hold of and has become a great friend to us. We can't wait to take family photos with her in the years to come. It is so fantastic to know we found a lifelong photographer and not just a "day of" photographer. To top it off, I personally met with her to do an outside boudoir shoot and woah!!! I was blown away at the photos and how comfortable she made me feel. Pam you rock! We love you!

Where do I begin. From the first email Pam’s spirit and love for what she does showed through. When we first met it was like saying hello to an old friend, and trust me this is so important when you have a camera in your face:) I can honestly say that without Pam, my wedding day would have looked a lot different, she was on top of everything, from the timeline to making sure we knew what to expect. She was everything I could of hoped for, and of course the photos are beyond what I could have every dreamed. Thank you won’t ever be enough.

Where to begin! Pam is not only an amazing photographer, but a genuinely great person. She has an amazing way of making even the most camera shy feel comfortable & confident. She is so organized, which on the day of the wedding was such a blessing! She gets all the pictures you don't even know you want from your wedding day (If that makes any sense?!). I can promise you will not regret having Pam capture one of the best days of your life.

I have a lot to say about Pam so this review may be long, but I think it will be worth the read. Booking Pam was by far the easiest and the best decision I made while wedding planning (other than my wedding dress). From the day I booked her I knew she was going to be a joy to work with. Before even meeting her I was sending her multiple-paragraph long emails about engagement pictures and the wedding day. Now I’m not going to lie and say I enjoyed wedding planning - I didn’t. At all. I just graduated from college, got engaged, and took on my first full-time teaching job. Stressed was an understatement. But thankfully my husband (fiancé at the time) and Pam kept me level-headed and calm. I wanted everything to be perfect and I wanted that to start with engagement pictures. Pam is very flexible, but also knows her stuff - if she says she doesn’t think it’s a good idea to shoot pictures in 10 degree weather just because you want snow, listen to the woman! I thought our perfect pictures HAD to be in the snow - but we ended up having a gorgeous summer engagement session and I LOVE the colors and details of every photo - who knew, Pam was right! During our engagement shoot I was so nervous and fearful of looking awkward. I was actually more nervous that my fiancé would look awkward because he HATES getting pictures taken! Pam immediately played off of our natural relationship and started shooting pictures before I knew what was happening. Instantly my nerves and need for control slipped away. She guided us towards our natural poses and captured truly candid moments between my husband and I. After our engagement session I was crying to my husband saying “I needed that”. I needed someone to remind me that this whole wedding process was about US and our love for each other - and not all of the other bs that wedding planning has become. It honestly felt like I had just left a family gathering when it was actually just my husband, Pam, and myself. After our engagement session everything seemed to go by so quickly. Before I knew it - it was the week before the wedding and Pam and I were back to our paragraph long emails going over the details of the day. I was so excited for everything. I was so excited to marry my best friend. The day of my wedding came so quick and it felt surreal! Up until the moment Pam arrived I was calm, cool, and collected. It felt like any other Saturday with my girls, with just a little more hair and makeup. But when Pam pulled up in the driveway it hit me - I am getting married today! She came upstairs and helped me slip into my dress. I started crying. She started crying. My maid of honor was crying. We were one big sappy, happy, mess. I knew Pam was there to take our pictures that day - but she did so much more than just that. She calmed my nerves, she took care of a few hiccups with our vendor, and she instructed our families around so we could have the best pictures (which is not an easy task)! I keep referring to her as my “fairy god mother”. She made sure everything about my day and my photos were absolutely stunning. And I mean STUNNING. I am forever thankful for the role she played in our wedding process. I truly love Pam and I have gained a photographer friend for LIFE! She is worth splurging on or waiting for - because she is so much more than a photographer, she is a real life fairy god mother!

I could go on and on with words to describe Pam as a photographer and as a person! She was the perfect fit for our wedding. She is the type of person you meet once and feel like you've known her for years. Our engagement shoot was the first taste of what an amazing photographer she was. We had to reschedule multiple times due to weather issues, and she was extremely flexible and go with the flow! When we finally got around to doing the shoot, both my husband and I were a little nervous we would look/be awkward in front of the camera. Pam literally makes you feel like a million bucks. She is so fun and spunky and her commentary helps you relax, have fun, and just love on each other. The wedding was no different. A few days before the wedding, she spent time on the phone with me (probably a good 45 minutes) walking through the plan and putting my mind at ease. I had a lot of different ideas about where I wanted photos and she helped me simplify and gave me confidence in our choices! She also has such an eye for creative places that I knew I could trust her judgement (which is sometimes hard for me being such a planner!). Lastly the photos. They were just absolutely breathtaking. They completely captured every little aspect of our wedding and we will truly treasure them forever. Overall, I can't say enough great things about Pam. You will want her energetic spirit and easy-going nature around on a day as crazy as your wedding!

We worked with Pam for engagement and wedding photographs. We LOVED Pam's positive energy and beautiful ethereal light in her photographs. She is very experienced and knows just what to do to capture your pics. Her packages are affordable including both engagement and wedding photographs, with plenty of time for your special day. We loved working with Pam and will continue to work with her in the future! Thank you, Pam!

If you throw on a garbage bag, Pam will make it look like a Vera Wang. If you love to laugh, Pam will have you smiling bigger than any Crest commercial. Conversely, I have steamy photos that are perfectly situated on my nightstand for my hubby to admire. I am still stunned at the magic she can do with a camera and I completely forgot that she was taking pictures of me. I felt sexy, beautiful, happy, and everything else you would hope to feel on your wedding day. How am I supposed to go back to posting normal peasant selfies after her gems?!? If you don’t book Pam, you’re a fool. Search her on IG for proof of her excellence.

Pam does an amazing job by getting down to business to make sure your timeline is followed and that she gets pictures of everything while also blending in and capturing the sweet moments!

Not only were out photos STUNNING and DREAM WORTHY, but Pam was an absolute joy to work with. She was so fun and spunky and was constantly making me and my groom feel comfortable and loved both for our engagement shoot and for our wedding day. She is organized, patient (worked with my for all of my ideas and requests), joyful, and SO talented. I haven't hesitated to recommend her to couples or families looking for a photographer!

Engagement pictures looked good and most of wedding pictures looked good but business side is horrible! Communication wasn't the best. Didn't give us our details for engagement pictures until a couple of days before the shoot. She emailed us a couple of months before the wedding saying she accidentally double booked our wedding day and that she was going to add 2 hours of coverage and give us her 2 assistants. She said that no money would be deducted since adding the 2 hours and giving us 2 photographers (even though they were assistants) made up for the mistake. She said the other couples wedding was out of town so she had to take that one and also said that the other couple booked 2 months before we did. Then come to find out the day of the wedding the other wedding was in town and the other couple in fact did not book 2 months before us since they got engaged after we booked her. When she was confronted about lying to us she stated that she got that couple mixed up with another one and that she's human and makes mistakes. In my opinion a professional should not be making that many mistakes when dealing with people's weddings and definitely shouldn't be making mistakes like that. Most professionals have paper calendars so they can double check dates and also would double check all details. We had a horrible experience and would not recommend to anyone.

Pam was absolutely wonderful to work with! Prior to our wedding she was professional, informative, and answered all of our questions in a timely manner. On our wedding day we felt so comfortable with her and we had a blast taking our photos. She went above and beyond to make sure that we had beautiful shots. We received our photos very quickly after the wedding and they are breathtaking. She captured every detail beautifully. We could not have dreamt of better photos to tell the story of our day! Our families and friends have not stopped talking about how beautiful our photos are, they will be treasured forever. I highly recommend Pam to anyone looking for a wedding photographer, she is the best at what she does!

I loved working with Pam for my wedding and she is one of the reasons why the day went so smoothly! She is very responsive to email and I love the quick peeks she gives online of the pictures the same day of the shoot (engagement or wedding). For the wedding she was extremely helpful in building my day-of timeline and kept the pictures moving quickly. The end result was beautiful pictures that captured every moment!

Do NOT book Pam Cooley!!! I would give her zero stars if I could. From the very beginning of booking Pam there was NO communication. My husband and I were hoping that after jumping through all of her hoops that we would at least receive beautiful images to cherish forever, but we didn't. Half of the images from our wedding day are blurry and she barely got any images of my family other than the ones I forced her to take. She left the reception without telling me or my husband and as a result, I was unable to get a picture with my grandpa who was unable to attend the wedding due to health issues. On top of this, prior to the wedding, I scheduled our engagement session 3 months in advance to secure the date and time we wanted. She contacted me less than a week before the date telling me that I was going to have to move the location and time to better accommodate her (she had to pick up her son...) and if I didn't, she'd have to reschedule for another day. Because of this, I had to take time off of work to make my own engagement session. It's also worth noting that Pam doesn't shoot engagement sessions on Saturdays or Sundays. From there, I didn't hear from Pam until I reached out to her a week before my wedding, sending her my wedding day timeline which included the list of family pictures my husband and I wanted. My list ONLY entailed my immediate family. Her response was more than unprofessional. I was scolded by Pam saying that she doesn't "EVER" take family pictures like this and that I need to trust her. I had to fight to receive the pictures I wanted on MY wedding day and was made to feel like my wants as a customer didn't matter. And after paying nearly $4,000 for her services, this is more than unacceptable. When I confronted Pam about our less than satisfactory experience with her, she denied everything, saying that she provided nothing less than excellent customer service. It's obvious to me that Pam's head is too big to see how badly she hurt myself, my husband, and my family. This special day will never happen again and I regret not booking anyone other than her. I would never recommend Pam to anyone! If you are considering her as your wedding photographer, please don't. Any other photographer is better than her.

Pam was by far one of the easiest people to work with. She is in it for YOU! She makes everything about the wedding and the wedding day about you and your style! She does whatever she needs to do to fit your needs. She is personable, genuine, and a fun person to be around. Her work is just as incredible as she is!! She captures the most amazing shots, posed and candid of you and your groom, family, wedding party, guests, and decor! Her work is unique, intimate, and a perfect replica of your special day! We loved Pam and look forward to her photographing us again someday when we start a family! :)

In a society where photography is a growing and popular profession, when it came to my wedding day, I was looking for a photographer that stood out. One who impressed my groom and I with wanting our wedding day to be as special as we wanted it to be, but also one whose photographs spoke louder than their words. Pam Cooley Photography surpassed both of those desires. From the moment she invited us into her home studio, to saying goodbye on the dance floor at the end of our wedding day, my groom and I knew that Pam was someone special. She is professional, down-to-earth, creative, and passionate. We absolutely loved working with her. Pam’s years of experience have made her an expert in both digital and film, truly a one-of-a-kind photographer. She perfectly positions herself to capture the moments that only last a second, and makes sure they last a lifetime. It’s as if she can feel a special moment before it even happens, therefore allowing her to capture every perfect detail of your day. We received our wedding photographs only 2 1/2 weeks after our wedding day, and they left us absolutely speechless. Every detail we had either already forgotten, or never even knew happened, was captured. Through Pam, and her wonderful assistant Heather's photos, we are able to keep reliving the best day of our lives. There’s a quote that says, “People will forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” On our wedding day full of emotions and feelings, I will never forget how Pam Cooley made me feel - as if I was the most beautiful bride with my Prince Charming, as relaxed as could be, soaking in every perfect moment. Pam Cooley is every bride’s dream photographer!

We had our engagement pictures as well as our wedding pictures taken by Pam. The pictures are gorgeous and she makes you feel relaxed when you're there. She is very fun to work with! One negative thing I would have to say is that she likes things her way. She will get you want you want but it may take some convincing and compromise on your part.

My husband and I absolutely adored having Pam Cooley photograph our wedding! She was so easy going and fun to work with! Pam was really professional and gave us a lot of good direction to help get the beautiful shots that we will cherish our whole lives! She set everything up through pay pal and email, so it was really easy to organize the day with her. She did such a wonderful job, and helped me feel so at ease and calm. I would strongly recommend booking Pam Cooley if you want beautiful and timeless photographs to cherish your entire lives!

We are so happy we chose Pam to be our photographer! Her friendly and fun personality makes her so easy to work with. She was able to capture all the special moments of our day and our images turned out beautiful! She has been very professional, always answering our questions and making sure we got all the photos we really wanted. These are precious memories we will always treasure!

How to even begin! Pam was absolutely amazing to work with! We not only have the most beautiful photographs to remember our special day, but also the memories of working with her and we still keep in touch! She kept us laughing, made us comfortable and let us have our own little moments (which she candidly captured without us knowing and are my favorite). She was so easy to work with and to bounce ideas off of, but came totally prepared with other ideas as well. I couldn't recommend a better, more loving and caring person who is truly in love with what she does, to capture such a special time! We can't wait to use her in the future!

PAM IS FANTASTIC! Not only is she fun, loving, and sweet; her work is amazing! I had so much fun being a bride with her photographing me! She makes you feel comfortable and you'll have no problem being yourself in front of the camera. She is very flexible and does her best to work with you and your schedule. I would recommend Pam to anyone getting any type of photography done. She also did our engagement photos which turned out lovely!