The Forwards Photography (Photo + Video)

You may find yourself reviewing this page and wondering why there's a sea of 5 star experiences and then this 1 star review from me. I took some time to let the dust settle after my experience and be thoughtful about my review here. Initially, I was very excited to work with this couple as their Instagram grid was full of beautiful photos in unique locations. After doing more research, I realized there were many photographers all over each island doing this but went with my gut and decided to book them. They were in the lead with another photographer who was much more enthusiastic on the phone and looking back now, I probably should have gone with. While Taylor answered all of my questions on the phone, his tone lacked warmth and left me a bit uneasy as we had never met prior to the shoot. We paid $800 for two locations (about 4 hours of shoot time?) and were taken up into the jungle which was beautiful and Taylor was nice enough to hold my bag as we moved around. We then went to a beach location that left a lot to be desired but I knew we were running out of time so I tried to make the best of it. Again, while Taylor was nice enough, he struggled taking the lead on giving me creative direction. I found myself saying "let's try this or how about this". These are things I expected from a professional I was paying, again, I let it go. When we wrapped up, things were a bit awkward and my fiance actually commented on it when we were driving away. We finished our trip and headed back to the mainland. It took a bit longer than I thought to get back the photos but I was willing to wait because I knew they would be beautiful. I was wrong. What came next was completely unexpected and frankly dissapointing. There were a handful of photos that were usable but the overall set was filled with bad angles (objectively speaking, I asked around to my colleagues and friends with a creative eye), awkward poses and photos of me that ANY future bride would say "wtf" to. Was it worth the $800 for the session? No. Did I push back? Yes. When I did this, Allie (who edits the photos) suggested I work with an agency to photoshop my body and that she couldn't issue me a partial refund for my trouble pointing back to her contract then quoting my emails like we were in a courtroom. Terrible business management and customer service. I was actually shocked how badly this was managed and how the team approached an objection from a client. It ain’t always roses honey. The bottom line: I think this team is great if you have european-centric features and a very thin body. I am tall, slightly curvy with great features when photographed at flattering angles. We all have things we don't like about ourselves but this session really highlighted every single flaw including back fat, weird facial expressions and lots of double chin. I ended up paying a close friend who works here in Silicon Valley in product and editorial photography who absolutely killed it and didn't have to photoshop my body or make me feel bad when asking for other photos. She's also professional and got me the photos in a timely manner. I'm chalking up the experience as a bad judgment call on my end but also feel like if you want world class service this isn't it and I would like to save you the time, money and energy. I work with international agencies large and small and I have never been talked to or treated this way in the past. Do better.

We LOVED Allie and Taylor. From Day 1, they immediately made us feel like we chose the right people to photograph our day. They were prompt at responding to requests, phone calls and text messages -- they were super professional all around. I informed Allie that my now-husband and I had never had professional photos taken before and that we were both really shy, self conscious, and not into the standard "posey-ness" of regular photographers. We picked them because their photography was candid and intimate and reminded us of a family member taking pictures during special life moments. Not only did it seem like they took a million photos, but they really took their time. I never felt rushed or hurried or like they had somewhere else to be. They were also so kind and made an effort to get to know us to make us feel at ease in front of the camera. They were supportive the entire time, and made these photo sessions (something we were DREADING) easy! I really have nothing negative to say about Allie and Taylor, and now that we have seen all the photos from our wedding day, I can't wait to go back to Hawaii so they can photograph us again! I would highly recommend them for any event!

Allie and Taylor are great! They are super friendly and easy to work with! Their wedding pictures are amazing!!

Allie and Taylor are the BEST!!!!!! They are not only incredible photographers but they are also remarkable humans and will make your shoot or wedding day the MOST special. I couldn't imagine having anyone else! They are my GO-TO ALWAYS.