Zakas Photography

I can’t say enough fantastic things about Steph. From her insane photography skills to her amazing recommendations for delicious craft beer. Anything you need while planning your elopment day-she is there! We eloped on October 4th 2019 in Iceland. We had seen Steph’s work all over Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest and we KNEW we wanted to work with her. From the moment we met Steph we just knew she would make our day special. She’s passionate about her art and passionate about making the bride and groom feel super special on their day! (And when you meet her you’ll feel like you’ve known her forever. It’s like a crazy magic power she has!) She was there for assistance with planning needs and was also an amazing tour guide on our wedding day. Just received our photos back today and we are going to need to get absolutely everything printed. It’s that hard to choose! If you are planning on eloping-reach out to Steph. It’ll be the best decision you’ve ever made! Leave it to Steph-she’ll help you create the best day ever, too! ❤️

Couldn’t have hired a better person for our Honeymoon pictures in Iceland! Not only was Steph super easy to talk to, but she also made us feel relaxed and comfortable during the shoot, showed us some of the coolest hidden spots in Iceland, and made us feel as though we were the most photogenic couple in the world. Her sneak peeks of the shoot came super fast and no amount of stars could show how happy I am with the whole process!! Can’t wait to see the rest of the magic she created. She also gives some great recommendations on the best fish and chips. 😉

Steph played a huge role in making my wedding planning and wedding day experience less stressful and more relaxed. From the start, Steph provided every bit of info I needed which included expectations, timelines, advice and insight. She consistently touched base with me when leading up to my wedding day. I appreciated this very much as it was one less thing/vendor I needed to worry about. I knew for sure Steph was there for me and had my back. Whenever I reached out, she responded promptly, answering all my questions in tremendous detail. My actual wedding day was the first time I met Steph face to face! She has a natural calming way about her and how she interacts not only with the bride, but with family and friends. She is genuinely kind and compassionate, which is important to me when working with vendors. To be quite honest, I’m not sure what I would have done without her on my wedding day. We were there side by side when things got a little hectic and we had a time crunch. I should add I got married in Dumbo, Brooklyn (on 9.14.19) and needed to take photos with 6 bridesmaids, 11 groomsmen, 2 ring bearers, 4 parents, 1 grandmother and 2 aunts. We had 1 hour to do all this. Nevertheless, through Steph’s efficiency and guidance (and making sure I was happy with the way the photos were turning out), we got it done! Steph sent me some sneak peaks two days after my wedding, and I was smiling from ear to ear! They outshine all photos I’ve seen other brides post of their wedding. They are truly incredible. I cannot wait for the full collection. From the bottom of my heart, I’m thankful the stars somehow aligned and pointed me in Steph’s direction. <3

Steph was amazing to work with and really captured the vibe of the wedding photos we wanted. So far, our pictures have been described as ‘moody’ which is exactly what we wanted as emo-kids and Steph captured that perfectly in both our engagement photo session and our wedding pictures. Jose, the second photographer for the wedding was also great. Both arrived promptly as expected and made everyone feel comfortable both during the getting ready stages and the hours long family formals pictures.

Steph was an absolutely joy to work with. We had our engagement photos taken by her last August in Iceland during our vacation. She was so flexible and understanding with our last minute changes and took us to beautiful locations that we probably would have missed out on if it were not for her taking us to these secret gems. She really cares about having a personal experience and prioritizes whatever the couple is looking for. If you are looking for the best, fun-loving, adventure seeking, joy of a photographer... look no further... Steph is it!

Whoever you are, and whatever you’re doing, just stop. In your inundating search for the best photographer, you have ended up here reading about Steph which means your search has ended - hoorah! I can promise you that she is exactly what you want and honestly, she is exactly what you need. Steph is passionate about love and it shows; not only in her indescribable pictures but even in the way she interacts with you. It is so evident that her motivation is to make your day exactly what you want it be…and then go beyond that to exceed your wildest expectations! She *makes you feel like she’s your closest friend that you allowed to witness your most lovingly important moment (*and make no mistake, it’s genuine - she truly does want to be your best friend). Steph captured not only the big moments of our wedding - the I Do’s, the kiss, the crying - but also the small ones you forget or the ones that you don’t think anyone else would notice. She has some insane ability to be present in those private moments when you feel like it’s you and your partner against the world. She is present but never crowding, participating but never interjecting. There was nothing forced, she instead beautifully captured the exciting impulsivity of the day! If you want a documentarian point of view of your special day that perfectly captures the raw chemistry and excitement you share as partners, then I doubt you can find anyone better than Steph. She also takes all the stress out of planning. I literally told her to plan the day however she liked and that was by far the best decision I made (besides the part where I actually married the love of my life hah). Steph is an expert at love, at weddings of all kinds, and travel! I couldn’t have planned a better day - she took us to places we would have never found and made us feel like we didn’t have to think about anything at all. We could instead just enjoy every moment of the day. If there is one thing I can suggest to you, random person, is book Steph right now…you’ll never regret it.

We had an incredible experience with Steph as our Iceland elopement photographer! She was super responsive too all of my questions in the beginning and provided all of the information I needed to make a decision and pick her as our photographer. I really appreciated the video call in the beginning so she could explain everything and I could start to get to know her. Ultimately we decided to go with Steph over another photographer because 1) she is obviously insanely talented. Anyone who looks at her portfolio can see that. And 2) she knows soooo much about Iceland. I cannot overstate how awesome it was to have a photographer who knows the country so well. It took a ton of stress off of me to have her able to pick out locations and plan our elopement day. She really did the work of both a photographer and planner. The day of the elopement, Steph made us feel so comfortable and was so easy to be around. She drove us to the most incredible locations (even with a change of plans due to the weather!) and created an epic day for us. She would occasionally show us the pics on her camera which was really great. It made us feel comfortable we would like the result. It was also obvious that Steph was just as excited to be there as we were. The whole environment that day added to the experience for us. While the vast majority of pics are more documentary style and less posed, she also took a few pics I specifically asked for. Only a few days after the elopement, Steph sent us a sneak peek gallery of around 30 photos. It was so great to get these few peeks and not have to wait weeks to see our photos!

No number of stars, up-votes, thumbs-up or hearts could adequately reflect how awesome Steph is. Her work speaks for itself, but breathtaking, remarkable, gorgeous, amazing, magical and a few choice expletives were common feedback I received when sharing her photos from our Iceland adventure elopement. She checks all the boxes and throws a few in for kicks: creative, extremely talented/disciplined, very professional (dialed in!), passionate, considerate, communicative, fair and fun! I couldn't be happier to give Steph my highest recommendation.

After looking around on the internet, I selected Stephanie to photograph my surprise engagement in Iceland. From our initial discussions to the day of my proposal she was FLAT OUT AMAZING. Super responsive via email, tons of ideas/brainstorming, great prices, punctual on the day of the shoot, and truly loves what she does. My fiance and I had an amazing time with Stephanie taking pictures around a secluded waterfall we never would've thought to visit if she had not recommended it! And, thanks to Stephanie's plans, I was able to totally surprise my gf with the engagement. We just received the full gallery from her today and are floored at how great all the pictures came out. I only hope that by the time we are getting married she hasn't gotten too busy to photograph that too. Thanks, Stephanie!

Steph was perfect! After our initial introductory video chat we knew immediately we wanted to work with her. She made us so excited and reassured about our decision to elope and especially excited about eloping in Iceland. She was clearly passionate about weddings and specifically elopements and we knew we wanted her to be the person to join our day. Steph was so easy to talk to run questions and concerns by, super quick to respond any time we had a question or wanted feedback on our planning. We were able to vet our airbnb selections and floral designers with her and even got feedback on our road trip itinerary we were doing prior to the wedding. She had some great brewery and restaurant tips as well! Having Steph based in Iceland is a huge plus. She also helped us as we were trying to navigate and understand the legal process for the ceremony, allowing us to ultimately arrive at the decision to have our civil ceremony in the US prior and keep our elopement very personal and private and more flexible. On the day of Steph took care of the itinerary (we had a call prior to talk through our vision for the day) and took us on an adventure to some of the iconic and also very unexpected locations. She was very respectful of our time frame and preferences among locations types, amount of walking, etc. Our vow/ring exchange was everything we'd hoped it would be. Before the night even ended Steph had sent us a series of sneak peek pics that were incredibly beautiful! We couldn't have been happier with our decision to elope and to have Steph be our guide through it all.

Stephanie was amazing through our initial consultation all the way to the last minute of our shoot! She is super easy-going, a great communicator (I never waited more than a few hours for a response on anything but most of the time even quicker than that!), and has a great eye. We hired her for an adventure/engagement shoot in Iceland which was one of the craziest/most fun/beautiful days of my life and we will definitely utilize her again for our wedding next year :)

STEPHANIE ZAKAS IS A UNICORN! I’m not kidding either – We eloped on November 2nd in Iceland and our experience was everything and more than we hoped for thanks to Stephanie  Beautiful feather crown  Icelandic wildflower bouquet  Dream location I’ve honestly had a hard time coming up with the words to capture our experience because I fear that it won’t serve it justice. Stephanie is insanely talented and has a special eye for beauty. She is an expert and truly cares about each of her clients. I hate being the center of attention and feel awkward having my photo taken, Stephanie made me feel super comfortable and is a blast to be around. Our day didn’t go as planned due to a huge blizzard that was headed our way, because Stephanie knows so much about all things Iceland she sprang into action with a brilliant plan that not only kept us safe but made our adventure wedding all the more adventurous. Also, while we were running around to different locations we got to see some pretty amazing parts of Iceland that we probably wouldn’t have had the time to go and find on our own. Also, before we left Iceland, she sent me a few photos before she was finished editing so I could post to social media and send to my family – how thoughtful? She’s the whole package and that’s the truth, my husband and I wish we were able to hang out with her more while we were there! She’s a GEM, TRUST ME and BOOK HER NOW :)

I can't recommend Steph enough. She is accomodating and fun while still professional and organized, not to mention extremely talented. Steph made me feel relaxed and excited about my wedding, allowing me to just enjoy it while she captured stunning shots of me and my husband as we really are. When we were in Iceland she took us to amazing locations, and was incredibly knowledgeable about the places we went. Because of her guidance and expertise, my husband and I were able to experience natural wonders we never would have found on our own, and because of Steph's talent, we have those moments captured in time. I just want to keep hiring her! And seriously, her work is remarkable.

Stephanie was such a pleasure work with from the day we emailed her until our wedding day. She’s extremely responsive and so professional. She was able to put us at ease and I honestly forgot she was there most of the time! Not only does she take amazing photos but she’s truly a wonderful person. Definitely book her for your wedding!

From to start to finish, Stephanie was extremely professional, artistic, creative, and amicable. She made the whole process, from preparing our time line to the day of the wedding, easy. Her calm and quick thinking demeanor helped our wedding move along smoothly. Max, our second shooter, was a great addition. He, too, was professional & creative; they were a wonderful team. We are SO HAPPY we chose Stephanie to shoot our special day.

Best wedding photographer ever!!! I am an awkward person...as is my new husband...but somehow Steph and her laid back and casual way made us enjoy being captured without feeling awkward or uncomfortable. Also, is it weird when guests compliment the photographer before even seeing their work? She has a way of catching special and candid moments with such stealth. Girl’s got SKILLZ. Thank you, Stephanie, for making our big day extra special...and for venturing into the subway to capture some of our special request shots :)

Stephanie made our wedding wonderful! She is a fantastically talented photographer, a knowledgeable guide and a great person. As soon as we reached out to Stephanie, we knew we were in good hands. She was familiar with the location in Iceland where we were eloping, had ideas for our ceremony and the photoshoot afterwards and was very helpful the day of the wedding. Best of all, her pictures are beautiful. Our friends and family are blown away by the quality and beauty of the photos. Overall, we had a great experience with Stephanie and highly recommend her to any couple considering a photographer.

Steph is literally the BEST photographer that you could wish for. She made everything so easy in the run up, on the day and afterwards and having her there as part of our day meant the world to us! She has great suggestions, rolls with whats's going on but also steps in when time is running away (which is what you need on such a hectic day) and her excellent sense of humour makes her a delight to be around. She somehow manages to sneak around without you realising she's there to get the most amazing shots. Could not recommend Steph enough!

Stephanie was such a fantastic photographer. She did our engagement pics and our wedding pics. From the getgo she was extremely professional, her communication skills were ON POINT. She always answered any questions or concerns right away. As a photographer, her eye for the most amazing shots ever is a thing of beauty. She was very unobtrusive and seemingly was everywhere all at once. I love love love her sense of humor, she’s just so super fun and laid back. Seriously. You need to stop looking at other photographers and BOOK HER. You can thank me later when you get your fantastic photos.

You have to work with Steph. Not just for the fantastic, artistic, and important results, but for the process and personal experience. Steph's communication, business, work ethic, and character are all just the best. From our engagement shoot, to the rehearsal dinner, to the wedding day and evening...Steph (and her second shooter on the wedding day Max!) fulfilled every single dream and expectation we could ever have had, and so many more above and beyond. Our family and friends are so impressed and in love with the photos and the moments captured. Steph has the best eye for the important, unicorn, most special photo-ops. She's reliable, reachable, and excellent company to be around. We are so glad we found and chose Steph! We are so overwhelmed and over the moon with our wedding photos. It's not enough to write this review...you just have to have her be your photographer. Then you'll get it. :) :)

From the start, I was nothing but confident that Stephanie was going to be a rockstar photographer. She was upbeat, friendly, up for anything, professional.. the list goes on and on! She was so organized (we did questionnaires beforehand, and spoke more than a handful of times between phone/email) that by the time she arrived on my big day, I trusted her implicitly. Not to mention that my photos are just absolutely stunning! They’re exactly the coloring/style I wanted (our rainy, foggy day was an excellent assistant), capture moments I barely even remembered but now get to gladly cherish, and really showcased our love for one another. I would recommend Stephanie over and over again, to anyone looking for a laid back, badass and truly talented photographer.

We contacted a few photographers in our search and we just didn't click with anyone like we did with Stephanie. Every other photographer had a generic feel about their photos but not Stephanie! Not only did we love the work we saw on her website, but we had a great conversation to get things started. Her rates were affordable and the process of preparation going up to the wedding was so smooth. Simple, straightforward questionnaire we could fill out on our own time and a few phone calls to clarify any issues. On the day, there wasn't anything Stephanie wouldn't do to get an amazing shot. When I spotted a moment to capture, I would turn to look for her and she was already there! I was amazed - Stephanie climbed, slid and dove to get the best moments of our wedding day.

STOP LOOKING FOR OTHER PHOTOGRAPHERS JUST BOOK HER ALREADY!!!! Stephanie was BEYOND amazing and was our favorite vendor to work with the day of our wedding this October. She is super responsive and takes her time to answer each and every question you may have. She was the first photographer we looked at AND the only one....she was very calm and i knew from day 1 that this was the person i wanted on my wedding day to move things along with a very anxious crowd of family and friends. We just looked at our pictures the other day (she sends them only weeks later but we just got around to it now!) and are having such a hard time choosing our favorites to frame. Let me just say that i NEVER write reviews but i needed to do this one...shes that good. Her pictures are so unique... we didn't want the cheesy classic wedding photos. I cant say enough good things about Stephanie....Just book her already!!

Steph is a dream who takes dreamy beautiful amazing photos and should be hired for every life event 🙌

I cannot recommend Stephanie highly enough! She was fantastic throughout the process and we couldn't be happier with the pictures and service we received. Our wedding was casual and outdoors and Stephanie was comfortable and excellent at taking both posed portraits and candid shots. I would especially note that the couple shots of my husband and I are particularly great. Neither of us are particularly comfortable posing or being in front of the camera, but Steph made us feel at ease - we didn't feel awkward at all - and the shots are beautiful. Steph was fun, kind, patient and helpful. She guided through the whole process and was a total partner in getting us the pictures we wanted.

I am so glad that we picked Stephanie to be our wedding photographer. She captured our day in a beautiful, realistic, and artful way – exceeding our expectations. She also went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable, and was an excellent communicator . As a graphic designer, I had more specific requests than most, and she was extremely accommodating and professional. We could not be happier with how our photographs turned out and the entire experience. Thank you, Stephanie!

Stephanie ROCKS! Betty and I had a small wedding, very non traditional and wanted someone that we would gel with. We went through 4 other photographers until we finally found Stephanie! Right off the bat she was informative and really gave us the feeling that we were being taken care of. During our wedding she was out of the way but still made sure she got us the photos we needed! When we finally got our photos we were absolutely floored! We love her!

My husband Shahin and I were fortunate enough to have Stephanie shoot both our engagement and wedding photos, and we were beyond thrilled with every part of the experience. Her photos captured every special moment right down to the smallest details. She is an absolute master with lighting - our wedding took place both indoors and out, during a rain shower and at sunset, continuing into the evening. Stephanie never slowed down, never missed a shot, and was an absolute delight throughout. Her professionalism and calm demeanor along with her fun, whimsical approach made the entire day a blast for both my husband and me, as well as our families and friends. You cannot find a better photographer and storyteller than Stephanie!

We hired Stephanie after seeing her beautifully unique take on photography. We live in Orlando, FL and she was able to accommodate us graciously. Our engagement pictures were fun and flirty and truly captured our love and excitement. Our wedding pictures were just as beautiful and take you back to each moment every time we look at them. I highly recommend Zakas photography!

We LOVED Stephanie's photos! She totally got who we are as people and the photos truly portrait that. We had a sunset wedding in the desert (which could not have been easy to shoot!) and I was amazed by her talent and eye for capturing the light and surroundings. She made us and our friends look like models! She is also an all around great person and so much fun to have around. We couldn't be any happier!

Stephanie is amazing! We had an unconventional Halloween wedding, with a ghoulish theme and guests in full costumes, I wanted photos that captured this but I wanted pretty ones too. She captured all of this, I look amazing in my photos and she was so helpful (with the timeline, posing, etc.). When we got the photos I almost started crying. My absolute dream photographer.

My husband and I decided to get married at city Hall in NYC. We wanted our pictures to be original and came across Zakas Photography ,we saw her engagement street photos and fell in love! We contacted Stephanie and asked what her thoughts were on wedding photos throughout NYC streets and subways and she was excited! The wedding day came,it was pouring. Stephanie was extremely patience and we waited until the rain would lighten up and take as many photos as we could. Her positivity ,professionalism and playful personality made the day a breeze. Not only did we love our pictures but the surpassed our expectations 10 times over! I truly believe that Stephanie has a gift(vision) like No other! The pictures speak for themselves❤.

Photography on our wedding day was in our top three wedding priorities. These were what we would put on our walls, in an album, and what we would have to show our future kids. The photo memories were very important. We also wanted a photographer who could capture our day as it happened without anything too pose-y, or stiff. We wanted ourselves and our guests to have a blast on our wedding day and we wanted the photos to reflect that. Stephanie 100% delivered. From the first moment we met with her and explained our tastes, style and what we wanted our wedding day to feel like, she was on the same page. She is so easy to talk to and is open to any ideas and brings plenty of her own to the table. Stephanie is professional, kind, warm and she knows her stuff! The day of she was incredible, helped us make sure we were capturing pictures of everything, took beautiful candids as well as family portraits that were slightly more formal. She was stellar at wrangling our large families and our wedding party for photos. When we received our photos back after the wedding they were stunning. Everything from the portraits to the candids, to our first look were perfect. Stephanie truly captures the love and joy of a wedding day. I recommend her completely!