Photographic Dreams Photography

t importantly, took the most fabulous photographs of my best friends wedding at a GORGEOUS venue, and in challenging weather conditions like rain and cold. He captured some beautiful pictures with the most beautiful views. He was very patient with my wild and fun 4 year old boy who was the ring bearer. He has gifted me some photos of my son that I will cherish forever. The best photographer I have EVER dealt with. Thank you, Michael.

ael!

scue who doesn’t trust new people and gets scared easily. In other words, not the easiest to work with, but Micheal was extremely patient and got some great photos of us with her. Could not have been happier. To top it off, he’s very affordable for the pictures and service he provides. We will definitely be using him in the future for any professional photos that we need.

ant moments before and during the ceremony as well as at the reception. Furthermore, he has a great eye for the smallest of details which shows he is truly a professional photographer. Michael is very easy to work with and has a fun personality to help you feel at ease when taking pictures for an all-day event such as a wedding. He has wonderful ideas for creative poses and backgrounds, which turned out to include many of our favorites. - Candice G.

nything to get the perfect shot! He was so much fun to work with and had so many great ideas and great advice. I HIGHLY recommend him. And, his prices are super reasonable!

dding day that had different degrees of price. We didn’t feel like there was only one really expensive option. One thing I was concerned about was having one photographer get the whole ceremony. Michael assured me that he could get everything we wanted by himself. AND HE DID!!! He was able to get anything and everything that I wanted from the ceremony and reception! We were incredibly pleased with how the photos turned out and we couldn’t be more grateful to Michael for capturing our special day. He even went above and beyond when he drove us up a mountain to get photos of our first look on a cliff. He is a true talent and we are so happy he was there for our wedding!

d to video a few special moments from our ceremony for us completely on his own. He worked with our schedule and made sure to get lots of candids which are some of our favorites! We are very happy with our decision to hire Michael and think you all will be as well.

of our needs. We couldn't have asked for a better photographer. The photos were excellent and we received the photos in a timely manner. We received so many photos, it is hard to pick a favorite.

el all over the Tech campus. He not only drove us, but provided refreshments! Beyond that, we had dreams of having our pictures taken in Lane Stadium but the recently locked the tunnel. Michael made it happen! He contacted people and got us into the stadium and even into the tunnel to touch the Hokie Stone! He came to our rehearsal dinner just to get to know the family and us and our interactions so that he could capture the right pictures at our wedding. He takes his time in getting the right pictures and is willing to put the time into editing. Our favorite picture had a pole right in the middle of the background, and he edited it out and made it look so natural! I would highly recommend Michael Keyes!

ghout the entire process. We highly recommend!

He put us all at ease right from the start. You could tell his goal was for us to be pleased with the most important photos of a lifetime and he did everything possible to make sure that happened. He knows what he is doing. He was creative and also open for any ideas we had. Micheal Keyes is very humble and kind, the value you get for his services and talent are of the utmost highest standard. We couldn’t be more pleased. He was beyond our highest expectations!!

e taken that fact that you have ONLY 5 STAR REVIEWS as a negative sign as even the best photographers will have atleast one negative review if they have been practicing long enough. When I received the wedding album, I was surprised and very disappointed. What we got was over 1500 photos consisting primarily of burst shots (more like videos), most of which are not useable. Any of my friends could have used the same trick on their phones. I really expected more from a professional photographer. For others looking for a wedding photographer, this is my opinion of Michael Keyes’ work based on our recent wedding: 1. Michael has a very limited range of poses. We must have done the kiss the bride pose a million times, despite asking him to change it up. 2. Instead of taking various artistic poses, he does a ton of burst shots (more like videos). We ended up with thousands of photos that we cannot even use. 3. With the groomsmen and bridesmaids, there are hardly any fun poses, even after my wife spoke to him atleast twice on the phone and at the rehearsal dinner about the various poses she wanted. I was there for these conversations. Believe me…I had to look at the poses on her phone a million times. 4. We have NO FAMILY PHOTOS. What photographer comes to a wedding and thinks it’s okay to NOT shoot family photos? This saddens me the most. If you look at the album, there are actually a ton of photos of the kids running around and NO FAMILY PHOTOS. I couldn’t believe it. 5. At one point in the reception, my wife and I changed into Indian wedding outfits. There are no formal photos of us in these outfits. There are only a series of burst shots of us dancing in the outfits. We are unable to use most of these shots. 6. During the reception, as the bride and I were walking table to table, we often could not find Michael for formal photos with family and friends. On many occasions, I found him sitting in a chair near the exit playing with his camera and had to call him over. I definitely did not pay my photographer to be sitting around, especially at the reception. 7. Near the end of the reception, we could not find Michael. He had already left WITHOUT ANY NOTICE, which was highly unprofessional. We ended up having to take photos with our iphones. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Update: For the record, I just want to say that I fully disagree with the comments made about my wife as I was there every step of the way watching her educate Michael on her preferences for the wedding day. I must have heard her say 50 times on the day of the wedding to “stop doing the kiss the bride pose,” and change it up. Michael never listened to her once as you can see on the linked album. While it is a good thing for the public to see the poor quality of work with minimal artistic value, I am disgusted that you would post our ENTIRE album without our consent and then TRY TO GET US TO TAKE DOWN OUR REVIEW IN EXCHANGE FOR TAKING DOWN THE ALBUM. That is absolutely disgusting.

, and at a VERY reasonable rate. Not only was he professional and punctual, but he was so easy to work with. On top of the beautiful pictures, which he sent to us on a USB drive, he included a video of the wedding, which meant so much. Then, when I panicked at having lost the USB drive on a trip to see family, he sent me a new one and didn't even want to charge me. Michael was very kind and friendly, as well as willing to be a little outside the box with regards to our venue. Hire him. You will NOT be sorry!

sure to work with! Before the wedding, Michael took the time to kindly answer a lot of questions that I had, which was extremely helpful. Our wedding was small, and we did not have a rehearsal, and we had some last minute adjustments in timing of the ceremony and reception, and Michael was flexible and attentive throughout the day! He was very easy-going and wanted to make sure that we had our important moments on camera. He suggested certain shots that we would not have thought of, which made the pictures even more special. I wish that we had had the time to capture all of the shots that Michael suggested. Michael went above and beyond our expectations. We have received our online gallery and the pictures are colorful and beautiful! We are grateful to Michael for making our wedding pictures personal and meaningful. We found our time with Michael to be too short, so we will be meeting up with Michael for a future shoot for more portraits. We are very much looking forward to meeting with him a second time!

esort photographer for ease. Once we worked with Michael on our engagement photos and saw his great work, we were hooked and knew we had to take him with us to Jamaica. Throughout the entire process and planning, Michael was very helpful, supportive and always went out of his way for us including helping us place the wedding day timeline and come up with a shot list. Once the days in Negril arrived, Michael integrated and connected with our guests right from the start. He was even able to keep the kiddos' attention during photos and helped calm all of our nerves. We also did a day after shoot that was so much fun! We toured around Negril with another couple and were able to get awesome photos of some of our favorite places around the island. We just received our photos back - great timeline for getting them back - and we are in awe. Our wedding photos are absolutely stunning. He helped create magical moments that we will forever cherish. I would highly suggest Michael to any bride and groom that is getting married in the US or abroad. His work speaks for itself and he is beyond professional. We hope to be able to work with Michael for future photoshoots!!!

job with our daughter's wedding. He was easy to work with and was eager to satisfy every request we had for photos--we got everything we asked for and much more! When the weather didn't cooperate for the sunset and overlook pictures we wanted on the day of the wedding, Michael cheerfully offered to drive back up the mountain the next day to get the pictures. He got the perfect shots and gained several very satisfied customers. We definitely got our money's worth. If we ever have the need for a photographer at another event, we will call Michael!!

g was so excited when I said Michael was the photographer and told me how he is the best in the region. It is so true! Michael goes above and beyond to ensure the photographs are perfect. He worked with us for months prior to the wedding to understand everything we wanted. He scouted the area for the perfect photo locations and studied photos I sent via email to ensure my visions were realized. He even volunteered to return another day if we weren't able to capture the right shot! Michael truly stands by his work, and I can't recommend him enough to couples looking for a photographer! You will not be disappointed!

ed for in a wedding photographer. He was quick in replying to our questions, extremely knowledgeable and thoughtful before and during the day and worth every penny. I'd gladly recommend Michael to anyone interested, whether they get married in Virginia or farther afield. It's unsurprising that Michael has so many wonderful reviews and we're glad to echo the wonderful words others have written. Best of luck to Michael (and all couples getting married soon)

h. I never once had a problem getting in touch with him, and he was quick to answer any and all questions. All of the pictures from the wedding and reception were gorgeous. I highly recommend hiring Photographic Dreams for any occasion.

ent with the quality of photos we recieved. He was friendly, professional, and very helpful with choosing just the right pose. I recommend Michael to anyone!

ing photos and I cannot express how happy I am with the outcome. His personality and eye for detail are above and beyond! If I could rate him 10+ stars I would. He is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED from this happy bride!

otos that we just adore. He comes highly recommended.

tor Lake last year. We couldn't have chosen a better photographer for our wedding! He came in Saturday morning while the bridesmaids were getting ready to talk to me about how I wanted the day to go. I had mentioned to him if we had time in the evening to go back to the lake to take pictures in the water (yes, in my wedding dress!) Of course we knew we wouldn't, but he had a brilliant idea... a sunrise photo session the next morning in the water (and at Lane Stadium!) It turned out INCREDIBLE!! Mike has such an amazing eye for things! Not only did he capture some great pictures at the lake and the football field, but all of the pictures were great! Our family and friends can't stop talking about them and say they are the most beautiful pictures they've ever seen! We would HIGHLY recommend Mike to anyone! And if you have a crazy idea, like getting in the water in your wedding dress, he's all for it! He'll even get in the water with you to make sure he gets the most beautiful moments!! Thanks again Mike! You're amazing!!

er's weddings and we highly recommend him. He not only gives attention to detail, but is very organized and shows a real concern for the family. We love him!

photos so much that when found myself remarrying, I remembered that the only time I have ever felt beautiful in photos was in my 2006 wedding photos, so I looked to Michael Keyes once again. I explored many options but found that anyone near his caliber and passion were priced much higher than Michael. You can find other photographers in Michael's generously priced range, and I am sure the photographers are lovely people, but their photos did not have the same professional look to them as Michael's. Once my new husband met with Michael and saw his work, he was also thrilled to work with him. This time, I also hired Michael to take engagement photos. Michael provided me with sample photos the day after both the engagement shoot and the wedding. My engagement photos arrived much quicker than expected and I am confident I will receive my wedding photos on time or early as well. The photos are high quality and he demonstrates a true knowledge of lighting, filters, lenses, backgrounds, etc. Michael has a passion for what he does and always comes prepared with many ideas. He goes above and beyond his job description and delivers more than promised. I fully plan on hiring him for future family and baby photos.

otographer or even imagined it going any better than it did. He made us feel so comfortable. I thank him so much from the bottom of my heart for helping to make it an amazing day. It means so much!! He went out of his way for us. We paid for the 8 hours of the wedding day but he drove all the way to us a day before the wedding so he could get shots of the rehearsal. My husband and I were so thrilled. Michael is professional, fun and so creative. We were blessed to have him!!

package. As a bridesmaids and day of coordinator Michael was one vendor I didn't have to worry about as he was professional every step of the way, on time, and knew what he was doing! The pictures are awesome and a great way for my sister to remember her big day! I'd recommend Michael to anyone looking for a true pro.

l to anyone who needs a wedding photographer! He helped make all our dreams come true!

ng his shots to focus on candids (my favorite!), and there are so many great moments and memories that he caught on film. The quality of the shots are top notch and the sharpness of the colors are outstanding, everything pops and looks so vibrant and gorgeous! Micheal is a very personable, talented photographer who was a breeze to work with and who truly wants to cater to your needs, making it a celebration to remember. I would definitely hire Photographic Dreams to cover any future event in the SW Virginia area :)

made us feel comfortable, someone creative and talented, and someone affordable. Michael is all of these things. When trying to plan our engagement photo shoot, we were supposed to meet him in DC when the cherry blossoms bloomed. It sadly rained that day and by the time we could reschedule, the blossoms had fallen off the trees. I was disappointed we were going to miss out on such a scenic opportunity - Michael offered to do a scheduled engagement shoot at our wedding venue and then do an additional shoot in our wedding gown/tux the following year in front of the cherry blossoms free of charge! He then drove 3 hours to our venue for our engagement shoot, spent 3 hours there in 90 degree weather, and then drove 3 hours back. The lady who owns our venue commented on how thorough and detailed he was and how impressed she was that he spent so much time with us. The pictures from our shoot were amazing...he always seems to exceed our expectations. He knows how to capture the light perfectly in his images, providing the most beautiful pictures. I received so many compliments on how the photos looked like they came out of a story book. Our wedding was a month ago - despite being behind on schedule, Michael kept up with us and made sure we got the images we wanted. He was on site for 11-12 hours. The images we have seen so far are amazing, I receive compliments all the time on the beauty and quality. If you are looking for an affordable photographer without sacrificing quality or quantity, a photographer who genuinely loves his job and his clients, and a photographer who goes above and beyond to make you happy - look no more, Michael is your guy.

E! Michael was very personable and did an amazing job! He was professional, detail oriented and always thinking about the big picture! He not only shot our engagement pictures, our beach wedding and general vacation pictures while he was there but also took us for an EXTRA DAY around the island to take breath taking pictures! He was all about the "shot" and lighting was always key - which I loved! This is something I'll never forget, Michael wasn't just the photographer at my wedding he was a VISIONARY! He became a Life Long Friend that captured our once in a lifetime moment, his Artistic Talent, Unique Attitude and willingness to go the extra mile, resulted in truly a Magical experience! Michael is a MUST for your Wedding!

ll the pictures, which came out great! He was quick to respond to all requests and processed the pictures for us quickly. His personality is so fun. We are really happy with our decision to go with Michael for our wedding and would use him again.

to make sure we had phenomenal wedding pics of our beach wedding. He also was very detail oriented, and looked at everything the day before to make sure he was well prepared for the wedding day. He photographed our rehearsal dinner, and save the date/engagement pictures as well.

maintained consistent contact to ensure that I knew he had not forgotten about me. The morning of the wedding, he brought me preview prints of the bridal portrait and family photos from the day before. They were PHENOMENAL!!!!! I couldn't believe how good they were. He did AMAZING work and I'm super impressed. We had our rough patches (I was a bride after all), but I would definitely hire him again. He is a professional and came out to shoot my wedding and rehearsal, the day before he was supposed to bury his mother who had just passed. Judging by his demeanor and the way he conducted himself, you never would have known that he was undergoing a personal crisis. He is very affordable, excellent at communication and has a quick turnaround time for the photos. Definitely recommended. - Megan Tracy (Harris)

hael took the time to thoroughly research our venue (he even came a day early to look around since he had never been there before). He spent a lot of time prior to the wedding talking to me about what we were looking for. He even worked with our venue to rent us a boat to take pictures in (which turned out gorgeous by the way!!). Michael is so friendly, outgoing, and has some great ideas for making your day run a little more smoothly. He went above and beyond to make sure he captured the kind of pictures we were looking for. The lighting and scenery he was able to capture in each picture was just amazing. And his packages are such a great value compared to what you get from other photographers. I just can't say enough about how happy we are with Michael! You won't regret choosing him to capture such a special day in your life!

s. He is very friendly yet also very professional and he made sure that he captured all the key moments during our wedding. Prior to the wedding he sat with us and discussed what we wanted from our wedding photographs. He also gave us the finalized DVD with the pictures shortly after our wedding. All in all we enjoyed working with Michael and I highly recommend him for your wedding photography.

ent session to even before that meeting us at a Winery to take fn pictures for our Save the Date magnets! Wow... just perfection! Recently Michael also did my Bridal Portraits... I never knew someone could capture the essence of scenery without taking away from the center of attention...the Bride! Absolutely breathtaking! I can't wait till the wedding (Nov.10th), but his work could not go unspoken for as he has gone above and beyond with his artistic ability and sense of connection to my fiance' and I even before our Big Day! Michael's work speaks for itself...amazing! Bride-to-Be Emily Christiansburg,VA

ure he took close to midnight the day of the wedding he was nothing but a pleasure to work with. Aside from the beautiful photography and immense talent, Michael was helpful from the start with information, suggestions and always quick with response by phone or email to any of our questions. Starting Friday afternoon at the rehearsal through the entire wedding day he was with the bride and groom constantly not missing the opportunity to capture every moment on film while making everyone comfortable and at ease. Thanks so much Michael from the Mother of the Bride!

thing you really keep forever and that help pass on your memories! I came across Photographic Dreams after searching local vendors and it was one of the best decisions we made! Michael was great to work with from start to finish! He was incredibly flexible and came to the rehearsal/wedding with lots of creative ideas! My wedding party and guests really loved his personality too! We came home from our honeymoon to pictures that he had already been editing and were absolutely amazed at how gorgeous they were! The wedding went by so fast for us it was great to see his pictures and relive the day! We are anxiously awaiting all of the finished images, but know they will turn out great! We have had lots of comments already from our family and friends about how awesome they are! If you are looking for a photographer in the Blacksburg or Roanoke area, Michael and Photographic Dreams would be a great choice! His work is excellent, he is great to deal with, and the value is unmatched!

Our pictures were absolutely stunning and my husband and I will enjoy them forever :) It was a pleasure to work with him as he really loves what he does for a living. I highly recommend Michael as a photographer!!

d to have him. Our first session with him was for our engagement portraits. Michael hiked the Cascades with us and spent ALL day taking pictures of us. We took a few breaks for lunch and rest before he took us to our next location. The pictures were amazing! He has an incredible eye and can foresee how something will look that no one else even realizes. Originally when we hired him, we were only going to have him come for the last two days of the Jamaican trip to capture the rehearsal and the wedding itself. When we got our engagement pictures, we decided to hire him for the entire week! We had about 40 guests travel with us and it was great because no one ever had to worry about having a camera. At the start of our trip, he was our hired help, but by the end of the week, he was family. Michael is the most kind and professional person. I don’t think I could have asked for a better friend to capture all our special moments on the biggest day of our life. What Michael does, is not just a job, it is a passion and he turns that passion into art. It really is incredible what he does! I have been to 43 weddings since I graduated college… and been in 7. I have never seen a photographer with better equipment or come more prepared. One thing I really appreciated about him was that he came with ideas for a few posed shots. He is great at capturing the “in the moment” shots, but for the ones that needed to be posed, I couldn’t get comfortable because I didn’t know what was wanted. He was ready for that… he brought about 100 different pictures with him to show me examples of what it would look like. It worked like a charm. I do not believe you could find a better photographer for his price. He definitely worked with us for hiring him for the week, but I will definitely vouch that he is worth more than we paid. The end result, he took about $5000 pictures for the week, $2000 the day of the wedding. The wedding pictures were provided to us within the month, and the remaining were provided during the following month. He is great at Photoshop (there were def some pictures of me that when I saw the original and compared it to the shopped one that were incredible). I appreciated his honesty and his sincerity during the time we spent with him. Michael also photographed another friend’s wedding I was in a few months after my own. With no surprise, he came prepared and with that smile that shows he loves to be there. Michael is punctual puts all his heart into his work. His work never stops to amaze me.

et Michael, I though he was very kind and very tall. Michael captured priceless moments at all of the events. He has such neat ideas and I love how he will use a black and white photo and add splashes of color. I also love his idea of the "photo booth" during the reception time. I have to compliment his assistant..she is wonderful. Michael spent two long weekends with our family for two seperate weddings...he is very easy going and he became part of our family. I highly recommend using him for your special day.

hat he was asking for - he positioned us easily and naturally for each picture and made it look AMAZING!!! I feel so lucky to have met Michael because he made the photo session so simple and now we have the wonderful photography of such an important moment in our lives!! I feel like Michael captured all of the emotions we were feeling and I can see the love shining from each and every one of his pictures! Everyone who sees our pictures is impressed!! Michael was also very good are working with all the age groups involved in a wedding!! The flower girl and ring bearer actually asked where he was the next day because he was so good with him. I would highly highly recommend Photographic Dreams for ANYONE in the market for a photographer for ANY event - he has done the Gala for my school as well!

nd wedding photos. Honestly, working with Michael was absolutely wonderful! He has gone above and beyond what I would expect from a photographer. He was someone I knew I could rely on at all times throughout the whole wedding process. He is quick to respond by email or with a phone call. If I had questions or concerns, we discussed everything. He is truly talented and artistic. For our engagement photos and my bridal portraits, he had many ideas on where to go, best time of day to take photo. He worked with us by incorporating our ideas into his artistic views. My bridal portraits turned out absolutely fabulous! We did the shoot in a room that required special permission to gain access and he worked with the venue to set everything up. There was too many to choose from for my ultimate bridal portrait. He took all of our rehearsal, rehearsal dinner,wedding and reception photos. Just seeing the first few I was amazed! He took TONS of beautiful photos of family and friends. I knew I could happily look back at these photos for the rest of my life. He even tried making me feel better about my cake falling and that I would never know from the photos. We had him set up a photo booth, which our guests and I absolutely loved. Plus, he even accommodated my other ideas for the photo booth. I really could go on and on about Michael Keyes. Like I said, Michael has gone above and beyond. He always makes himself available to chat and discussed to make sure you are getting what you want. He had a quick turn around getting all the photos ready and back to us. He worked well with my wedding coordinator, venue and other wedding vendors. He would reach out to them and make sure everything would be perfect for my wedding day. Most importantly, I LOVE ALL MY PHOTOS! Thank you, thank you, Michael! He is AMAZING!!