Russ Levi Photography

de everyone feel so comfortable. The photos we received were excellent quality and he made the few additional edits we wanted very quickly. Would highly recommend him to anyone planning a wedding!

of the camera, and the whole experience felt so natural and fun. On our wedding day, Alex truly shined. She came prepared and professional, seamlessly managing big group shots with our families and making sure to capture all the important moments throughout the day. Even though our ceremony was outdoors at a venue she had never shot at before, she handled the tricky lighting beautifully and delivered stunning results. We were blown away when she sent us the preview gallery within a week. The photos were breathtaking. Alex exceeded all our expectations, and we truly couldn’t have asked for a better photographer.

beautiful collection of formal shots as well as candids that are full of light and life. Not to mention, he has such a warm personality that instantly puts people at ease—so many of our guests complimented both him and his photographs!

r giving us such cherished memories we can hold forever!

nd is very professional. Couldn’t have imagined a better photographer for our special day!

vous about the "golden hour" photo shoot feeling awkward. Instead that part of the wedding ended up being incredibly fun and special. We have our photos back now and I cannot stop looking at them. He managed to capture the quite moments, the ones of pure joy and energy, and somehow every single one of our 160 guests.

ce added to our wedding day. I actually approached Russ with an unconventional request for the morning of our wedding — my husband and I wanted to read our vows privately, in our hotel room bed, in our jammies. He said he'd never done something like that before but he was up for it! When he showed up to our room (at 8 a.m. sharp), I started to wonder if it was too weird and if I'd made a mistake. I was worried I'd be too conscious of him being there and it would take away from the intimacy of the moment, but once we started reading our vows, I honestly forgot he was there. He somehow made himself invisible; he was subtle, respectful, gentle, and he executed my vision flawlessly. I'm so glad I trusted him to capture such a private and personal moment. I was equally impressed with his performance at the wedding later that day. I didn't realize how much of wedding photography is actually people management lol. Our family photo time started to get a little chaotic and Russ stepped up to the plate, kindly yet firmly directing people where to go and getting everyone organized in what seemed like a fraction of a second. We probably spent more time with Russ that day than anyone else. He was with us when we were getting ready that afternoon, during the ceremony, during family photos and couples photos, and during the reception. Like I said, it was a joy to have him around. He brought an excited and fun yet encouraging and calming energy to our time together, and it made my husband and I feel at ease. Our one-year anniversary is next week, so naturally I've been spending lots of time looking at our photos. Russ captured us as a couple so perfectly — they really feel like us. I love how he did a mix of classic poses and creative shots, leaning into the natural surroundings at our venue. Looking at the photos instantly transports me back to that day and time — I feel the same butterflies in my stomach as I did that day, I can feel how happy we were, how supported and loved we felt. It's a gift my husband and I will cherish for the rest of our lives. You won't regret booking Russ for your own special day!

to reach out to him. After an initial consult, we chose to go with Russ. We first met Russ at our engagement shoot. We are both relatively shy and uncomfortable in front of the camera, but Russ made us feel at ease. We love our engagement photos and love our wedding photos even more. Russ was so easy to work with on the wedding day - he was on time, communicative, and helpful. He kept our family photos moving and helped organize guests for photos. Our guests even commented on how great Russ was at the wedding. He delivered a (very large) sneak peek within just a few days of the wedding. Overall, Russ is a great guy and an amazing photographer. We would highly recommend Russ to anyone looking for an engagement/wedding photographer!

es and memories we will both remember forever. Russ dedicated significant amounts of time to me prior to my proposal date, discussing details and logistics in great depth and detail. He utilized his expertise to give me very helpful guidance regarding the exact proposal location up on Mount Tamalpais, in my hometown Marin County. He showed me examples of his previous sessions, and made me feel comfortable and confident all throughout. On the day of my proposal, I learned how talented and personable Russ' partner, Alex, is with a camera! Alex stepped in to photograph my proposal on the day of, when a health matter prevented Russ from photographing the moment (life happens!). I was very impressed by Alex's ability to step in and support on the day of. She arrived at the location well in advance, to give me the opportunity to practice and to take some sample shots. When it came time to propose, she captured our very favorite pictures of ourselves both during and after. Alex photographed us through a mixture of guided poses and candid moments. She made my partner and I feel relaxed and joyful from start to finish, and was happily willing to take an hour's worth of pictures of us! Afterwards, my partner and I were thrilled to receive a very generous service on Russ' part, in the form of him giving us over three times the number of edited pictures on top of what I had paid. He did this as a thank you for my flexibility on the day of the proposal, but all I felt was gratitude for both of them. Russ even performed higher-level retouching for us on a handful of images where we loved everything about them except for some stray hairs :) The photographs we received are beautifully vivid, colorful, and captivating. As an amateur photographer myself, I am nowhere near their skillset but have an eye for high quality work, and they more than delivered. I would wholeheartedly recommend working with Russ Levi Photography for any professional service, and I really hope I have the opportunity to work with them again in the future!

definitely wanted to share with all the couples out there about our wonderful experience with him. Russ was super fun to have for our big day. The bridesmaids love to joke around, and we were being silly throughout our “getting ready” time. Russ captured our ridiculous personalities, and was even game to jump in with a joke or two. When it came to photographing the wedding ceremony and reception, we were so delighted to see the pictures because we have a great balance of the typical photos you expect to see (walking down the aisle, kiss, formal family photos, speeches, first dance, etc.) but also some really sweet yet unexpected moments (a young cousin napping, us newlyweds cracking up at a ceremony mishap, guests dancing up a storm, us being competitive at a Street Fighter 6 arcade station that we had set up for the guests, etc.) It was during the outdoor photo session with the wedding party and close family, however, that Russ’s vision and experience in the Sonoma/Bay Area really shined. Russ knew our wedding venue like the back of his hand, and he took us to many different locations at the venue. As a result, we now have a diverse combination of natural, artwork, and vineyard photos to treasure forever. He captured so many different styles – we have glam, we have silly, we have traditional, and more! The grooms party in particular has a flair for the dramatic, and Russ made our dream of looking like GQ models a reality. Russ was great in giving us very helpful directions for posing and—looking back at the photos—we love his visualization and composition! Finally, he KNOWS his golden hours so we have absolutely gorgeous sunset photos. He knew exactly when and where to take us to capture the beauty of our venue. In sum, we highly, highly, highly recommend Russ Levi as your wedding photographer.

y on his website. The vibrant and candid photos he displayed were exactly the portrayal I wanted for my big day. Russ worked with me and my budget, which I am so thankful for, and he was so helpful with any questions I had. Russ was wonderful on the day of the wedding, and he made my husband and I feel so comfortable in front of the camera. I never felt like the photos were staged and cheesy, it really felt like I was hanging out with a friend all day who happened to be taking photos. I absolutely recommend him to anyone looking for a photographer!

icative, easy to work with, and knowledgeable about how to pose and where to look for the best shots. He also tells some great dad jokes! Hire him now!

's portfolio and editing style really stood out. She does a great job of editing true color photos with a bit of enhancement. Her editing is also very consistently good when looking at her full albums. She is also incredibly friendly and fun to work with! She was enthusiastic about discussing planning and photo ideas. We put together a Pinterest board with some inspiration for our venue which she loved. Alex really hustled our whole wedding to make sure she captured everything. She has an amazing eye for framing beautiful photos and is great at giving posing direction for individual and group shots. We enjoyed shooting with her and her suggestions were helpful for making sure we captured great pictures. She managed to make our wedding photos, including the posed photos, feel effortless and fun so we were able to focus on enjoying our wedding! We would definitely recommend her as a wedding photographer. Her portfolio speaks for itself, but she is also the full package of friendly and professional :)

iendly in the months leading up to the wedding, and even scheduled a phone call a week ahead of time to discuss our vision for the photos, make suggestions and provide valuable advice on how to efficiently organize all of our family and friends to get the photos we wanted without taking too much time away from the celebration. Russ joined us for our rehearsal dinner and immediately brought great energy and positivity. Our guests were so excited to have a professional there to capture the evening, and he made sure to capture the smaller details and decorations in addition to our lovely guests, both candid and staged. On our wedding day, Russ showed up early and immediately got to work photographing the details and scenery. Him and Amy helped us to knock out all of our bridesmaid and groomsmen photos ahead of the ceremony so that our wedding party could enjoy the cocktail hour, and expertly directed us where to stand to catch the perfect light and how to move our bodies to get great, natural looking shots. They also took some priceless photos of everyone getting ready for the big day. Russ did a fantastic mix of stunning portraits of the bride and groom, fun/silly photos on the dance floor, candid moments, family photos, and images of all of the decorations and details that we will want to remember most. He also checked in to make sure that he was getting all of the pictures that we wanted, which we really appreciated, and gave great suggestions for silly/cute things to do as well. We received a sneak peek of over 200 of our photos within days of the event. We were totally stunned by the quality, creativity, and diversity of the photos. We could not have asked for a better experience and are so happy to have chosen Russ!

moment. Looking at these photos now gives us that very special wedding day feeling, as if we were re-living the moment. We're really happy with the way the photos turned out and we will definitely treasure them for our lifetime. If anyone we know needs an awesome photographer, we will definitely recommend RUSS LEVI to them! (Get trouble to upload the picture here)

ed portfolio. We set up a video call to meet and get to know each other prior to our engagement photoshoot. He is so easy to talk to! Throughout all of the planning for both our engagement photoshoot and wedding day, he has been upfront, a detailed and organized communicator, kind, understanding, and reliable. In person, he has a comforting presence and a great sense of humor. He delivered all photos within the expected time frame. It has been an absolute pleasure working with Russ and getting to know him! I would highly recommend working him for any special occasion. He is excellent at capturing the moments that "say 1000 words."

ng day. They are easy to work with and flow easily around the wedding, capturing candid shots and also the moments. They provide results with life. Highly recommend.

responsive to all of our questions and concerns regarding logistics, timing, and specific shots leading up to the wedding. The weather on wedding day was windy, cold, rainy, and generally unpleasant, but Russ was encouraging of us taking pictures outside with the beautiful backdrop of redwoods regardless. He even had an umbrella hat on to protect his cameras from the elements! All the pictures from the event candidly captured the joy, love, and excitement of the day. Russ was absolutely professional, organized, flexible, and directive while also being warm and personable throughout the experience. We would recommend Russ in a heartbeat to anyone looking for an outstanding photographer for their wedding or other upcoming event. Thank you Russ!

hard your photographer was working." He didn't miss a moment. My grandma, who was unable to travel for the wedding, looked at the entire photo cache and remarked, "I was there, I saw the whole wedding." His energy is infectious, the candids he captured during the reception were amazing. He was so easy and accommodating to work with through the entire process (including 3 different engagement session postponements due to weather/COVID) and gently guided us in the direction that would get us the best photos. He got us photos back so unbelievably quickly after our event.

ng photographers use. He did not disappoint - the photos turned out better than I could have imagined! He captured all the special moments and most of the time, we didn't even know he was there. My friend called him a photo ninja. During our couple and family photos, he made us comfortable with his humor and positivity. We also used him for our engagement photos and those were spectacular as well. Overall, we are so happy with our experience - not only is he extremely talented, but he is also a joy to be around. Thanks, Russ!

ncredibly intimate moments captured. He did our engagement shoot and our wedding (10-02-2022) and we are amazed and delighted with the photos. He really knows his lighting and has a way with angles that makes everyone look like the best version of themselves. He's also dependable and shows up on time and ready to go with a genuine kindness and sense of humor that is easy to be around. We recommend him 1000%!

een more thrilled to spend our day with Russ! Starting with our early conversations, we could immediately tell that Russ was an intelligent and talented photographer. He broke down Nestldown's timeline and explained everything that we could expect leading up to our wedding. He also understood that we weren't used to taking professional photos which is why we decided to use him as our photographer for our engagement photos. The engagement photoshoot was an incredible experience. It was fun, adventurous, and a learning experience for my wife and I. We became very comfortable with Russ and his style. Best of all, the photos turned out amazing! The wedding itself was tightly planned and we were able to take all the photos we wanted. We captured moments with our wedding party, family, friends, and us as a couple. Even the photos of the event came out perfect. My wife and I can't stop going through our wedding photos and reliving the day! I highly recommend hiring Russ as your photographer for any event!

os: he is excellent with people–herding them into groups while they're none the wiser. He allowed everyone to enjoy the event while still capturing the essential group shots. He also has a knack for capturing the spontaneous. He has a rare talent for finding just the right setup at just the right moment, and working with people to frame his shots elegantly, making them appear natural. We were not experienced at having our pictures taken, but his demeanor and instructions helped us feel comfortable, and resulted in photos that made us look like pros. His candid shots captured moments ranging from delightfully silly to deeply poignant. He is responsive via email and phone, and is simply a blast to work with. Book him early; he is in-demand, and deservedly so. Miles & Monica Married in March 2022 in SF

lebrity bride / groom. He's witty and hilarious, yet, when it's time to do the work, no nonsense. We hired him and a second photographer that he works with. Both were fast, captured amazing shots that had guests swooning and made it VERY easy and fun! His engagement photo sessions too are terrific. Best photos I've ever had of myself and my husband! Thank you Russ for your superb work! If you're questioning who to go with, go with Russ + whoever he picks as your second photographer!

commendations for locations, and even took us to a second spot. He captured the love and excitement from our engagement so well, and we will cherish these pictures forever. He truly seemed to share in the excitement that we experienced. He also made the shoot so much fun, and knew so much about the locations where we shot (Sonoma State Park and Armstrong Redwood Forest). He also did a nice job hiding before I knew he was there for us (my now-fiancé surprised me for the proposal). He got us the picture drafts back the next day, and then the top 100 edited one within just a few days, and they were incredible. All around a fantastic experience, and I highly recommend Russ!

r my many questions. On the wedding day, I could not believe how easy Russ made it to be "natural". With a smile on his face the entire time, he made my husband and I feel comfortable, excited and look fantastic in our photos. He is detail oriented to make sure there aren't stray items in your pictures or people with sunglasses or clothing mishaps. Lastly, the actual pictures were PERFECTION! Russ provided us our highlights so quickly after our wedding and our full album on time. The photos were beautiful, and I couldn't have asked for more. He captured every moment in the best way. I highly recommend Russ for your wedding photos!

ice surprise! Everyone keeps commenting on how beautiful the pictures are and we could not be more happy with his work! Highly recommend him for your photography needs!

shoot we were somewhat nervous because we'd never done anything like this, but Russ really did make it easy. He kept us laughing and was always in search of the best lighting. And all of that shows in the amazing photos from the shoot.

ppy that Russ was there to not only capture but be a wonderful addition to the moment. Here are some of the highlights of working with Russ: ||||| He was very personable and informative when we first contacted him to learn more about his working style to see if it was a good fit for us. My then-fiancée really loved his work, describing it as joyful, dynamic, and romantic. ||||| After we booked him for the wedding, I secretly reached out to book him for the engagement as well. He was very supportive through that process, offering suggestions for good vistas in the area depending on the weather. He went up to the spot ahead of time to help clear away any folks that would interfere with the shot (it ended up being foggy and cold so no one was there, but he still waited for us nevertheless). He also drove us from one location to another for the various shoots. A+ for punctuality and helpfulness! ||||| Russ is a wonderful photographer. He balances being direct with how he wants you to get just the perfect shot with giving you general positions to be in, letting you add your personal flair. He's very witty and cracks a lot of jokes, lightening the mood and making you naturally laugh and smile. We had a fantastic time during our engagement shoot! ||||| For our wedding, we went with one of his recommendations for a videographer, Spencer Sarson, who was also incredible. They both arrived early to setup and take photos of the venue (earlier than any of our guests). ||||| Given that this was during Covid, Russ was very professional with everything safety-wise (mask, vaccination status, etc.). ||||| The photos he took are brilliant. We are extremely pleased with how everything came out and with the number of high quality images that we'll have for years to come. ||||| The process for working with Russ post-shoot has been smooth. He is very professional and responds in a timely manner. ||||| Overall we give Russ Levi our highest recommendation for any couple looking for the best wedding photographer that the Bay Area has to offer!

ppy that Russ was there to not only capture but be a wonderful addition to the moment. Here are some of the highlights of working with Russ: ||||| He was very personable and informative when we first contacted him to learn more about his working style to see if it was a good fit for us. My then-fiancée really loved his work, describing it as joyful, dynamic, and romantic. ||||| After we booked him for the wedding, I secretly reached out to book him for the engagement as well. He was very supportive through that process, offering suggestions for good vistas in the area depending on the weather. He went up to the spot ahead of time to help clear away any folks that would interfere with the shot (it ended up being foggy and cold so no one was there, but he still waited for us nevertheless). He also drove us from one location to another for the various shoots. A+ for punctuality and helpfulness! ||||| Russ is a wonderful photographer. He balances being direct with how he wants you to get just the perfect shot with giving you general positions to be in, letting you add your personal flair. He's very witty and cracks a lot of jokes, lightening the mood and making you naturally laugh and smile. We had a fantastic time during our engagement shoot! ||||| For our wedding, we went with one of his recommendations for a videographer, Spencer Sarson, who was also incredible. They both arrived early to setup and take photos of the venue (earlier than any of our guests). ||||| Given that this was during Covid, Russ was very professional with everything safety-wise (mask, vaccination status, etc.). ||||| The photos he took are brilliant. We are extremely pleased with how everything came out and with the number of high quality images that we'll have for years to come. ||||| The process for working with Russ post-shoot has been smooth. He is very professional and responds in a timely manner. ||||| Overall we give Russ Levi our highest recommendation for any couple looking for the best wedding photographer that the Bay Area has to offer!

ve..... discrecion! He wasn't in our faces, he didn't intrude or make us feel bothered and the pictures ARE AMAZING!!! He has such an amazing talent for capturing candid moments with light and depth that not many photographers can do. I cannot say enough good things about Russ. He is responsive, professional, kind, and has a GREAT sense of humor! He was so accommodating and helpful throughout the entire process, making my husband and I feel comfortable. He went out of his way to address all our needs and requests. BOOK HIM...HE IS AMAZING!!

lso fun, he’s you’re guy. Highly recommend!!

choose him as our wedding photographer. Communication was clear throughout the entire process, expectations were clearly set, and he made sure to ask us questions and really listened to what our wants & needs were. He was flexible and responsive as we had a venue change at the last minute due to rain. At our wedding he made everyone feel very comfortable, our guests loved him, and he was present enough to assure me that he was capturing every moment of the day, but also very ninja-like so it never felt like he was disrupting the moment. The photos were gorgeous and he really captured beautiful candid & intimate moments from the entire day. We are so thankful to have had his artistic eye and attention to detail to preserve our most precious memories. It is clear Russ brings a great amount of experience, joy, and passion to his work and I would definitely choose him again if I had the chance!

outfit change. Russ was super accommodating as the first outfit was a bit more complicated so took more time to change out of. The experience of the actual shoot was great! We were a bit stiff at the beginning but Russ really helped us get comfortable with some great direction and guidance for different poses, locations and setups. Within just a few minutes into the first location we were already having lots of fun. It's hard to fully know what the shot will be or how it will turn out but Russ clearly knew what he was doing. He was able to capture the beauty of the location and make us look good in it. Russ has been really fast with communication and delivered of our proofs just a few days after the shoot. The process of selecting and editing has been really straightforward. I can't stress how impressed and excited we are with the final pictures we received. We've been showing them to all our family and friends and everyone has been blown away with the quality and composition, continuing to comment on how good the photographs are and how good we look in them! We hired Russ hoping to capture a few good pictures and left with over 100 treasured memories. I would easily recommend Russ to any of my friends and family.

allowed us to reschedule without any fees or increase in pricing. I should mention he also shot our engagement shoot and we loved our pictures. We didn't have the best weather for part of it due to SF weather and he gladly offered to do another location shoot on another day to make up for it. Something he didn't have to offer at all. Back to the wedding day, he was punctual, gave us great tips/cues when we needed it. My husband and I are very stiff photo takers and don't love taking them, so he made us and our wedding party feel very comfortable. With his little cues, the pictures turned out outstanding! We had so many family and friends comment at how great our pictures turned out. He was very professional the whole time, even helped us iron out some timeline issues and gave us great suggestions. We had viewed a ton of photographers prior to choosing Russ and what really caught our eye was his camera angles and natural feel of the photos. He really captures the moment and surroundings in the best way. He even gave us 118 highlight photos 2 days after our wedding! We did not expect that at all but it really kept our wedding high going. He also delivered our full album in 5 weeks. Would highly recommend Russ for your wedding!

nd he is fast! He sent us an initial preview of dozens of images within a day of our wedding. A day! Russ made all of our family and friends so comfortable and had us laughing. He was particularly great with our niece and nephew (1.5 and 3.5). So many of our guests outside of our wedding party and family even mentioned how fantastic Russ was. We cannot wait to see all of the pictures!

ugh, he was actually one of the recommended vendors at our venue (Nestldown) and we did not realize that until we did our first zoom meeting, haha! From the start he was so polite and always had a smile on his face, it felt really warm and genuine. Russ was very sweet and generous with his time the morning of, arriving early to the hotel we were at. At Nestldown, he is very familiar and will guide you to the most beautiful shots. My husband and I are very uncomfortable showing affection in front of the camera but goodness he made it so easy. His humor was very cheeky and my small crowd of guests absolutely loved it, he fit right in. After the wedding he sent us the gallery quickly and we started the selection process, would you believe his pictures are so perfect and did not require any editing (okay, a few pictures because my husband had a sunglasses tan). All in all we just loved working with him, his price was great considering he is a bay area photographer. There are no hidden fees and is very up front so please do not hesitate on asking any questions. Thank you so much Russ, you were such a pleasure to work with.

g family members and Russ was incredibly skillful in maneuvering around them and prioritizing what we requested. He took nothing personally when people got in front of him. He was so patient and just made everyone laugh and feel good about everything happening. I can’t even believe how good our photos looked. I’m not photogenic at all (I have kind of a lazy-eye) and he was able to make every shot beautiful. How he did it, I have no idea. With candid photos I felt his photography was magical. I was so surprised and pleased with so many things he was able to capture. I couldn’t stop smiling and laughing while looking at what he caught with his camera. He is incredibly skilled and I loved everything that he did so I am incredibly grateful that Lisa Stone for suggested him to us. Ive had friends pay 5k for a wedding photographer and their pictures were blah. Russ’ services were very affordable and worth every dollar. We had a beautiful venue and he did not skimp at all, but got to the venue early, knew where all of the most beautiful spots were, and where the best light was. He was good with communication throughout our planning and during our special day. Anything we requested, he happily obliged. I wasn’t sure I would like posed photos but they were INCREDIBLE. We couldn’t be happier.

e, and truly did what he could to help us. He was able to reschedule our original wedding date to our postponement date with ease. Fast forward to us needing to cancel all together - Russ honored what was in our contract and refunded us because we had to cancel due to Covid. Unfortunately, Russ did not photograph us, but if you are looking for a trustworthy, reasonable, and all around helpful photographer this is your guy. We hope to have him photograph us as soon as we can have our wedding. Would absolutely recommend him to anyone.

a 1 hour, 1 location, 1 outfit package on a beautiful day up on Mt. Tam. It was sunny but cold and windy, but Russ powered through, and worked with us when were starting to get cold and needed a break to warm up. And you would have no idea looking at the pictures that we were frozen at the end. He managed to get great shots of my hair, even with the crazy wind. I was so afraid that we would be awkward in the photos, but Russ put us at ease and got us to pose in ways that really brought out the love in the photos. He helped reduce any anxiety or worries that we had and made it a fun experience. The photos were simply amazing - his photographic style really captures the mood and gives me goosebumps. He was also super quick to turn around the print photos and answered our questions in a timely manner. I would highly recommend Russ to anyone - he has an eye that not a lot of people have and can bring something very special to your big day.

d helped choose 2 perfect locations when we weren't really sure what we were looking for. I loved the style of his portfolio online and honestly could not be more pleased with how our own photos ended up. They are AMAZING and now I just need to figure out what to do with all of them! Would 100% recommend Russ for any and all photography needs.

and festivities. In the lead up to the wedding he was kind, flexible and professional. On the day he was a joy to be around. With how talented he is, I felt like I could completely trust him and relax. We are very grateful for him. If you are wondering if you should hire Russ, DO IT!

ng fast. If he's available for your date, book him fast before he's taken! We had previously used Russ for our engagement photoshoot at SF MOMA and loved the way the photos came out. With the pandemic making a full wedding tricky, we chose to switch to a micro-wedding down in southern California (Malibu) and Russ agreed to drive down from the Bay Area to shoot it for us. He arrived early and covid safe in an N95 mask. He's great at putting you at ease all day. We also love that he mostly uses a photojournalistic/candid style that documents everything but doesn't get in the way of your wedding with lots of distractions and staged photos. He takes colorful and sharp photos that really capture the moment and make you look great and feel like a moviestar.