David Jesse Photo Photographer | Reviews

If you’re looking for an incredibly talented photographer who a wedding expert and feels like an old friend, book David (and his team).

David was the photographer at a friend’s wedding in 2021. We immediately noticed how great he was - honestly, I thought he was a family member with how seamlessly he meshed and interacted with everyone getting ready. During the reception, it was clear David was there to not only capture all the amazing moments that happen on your wedding day, but to help make those moments happen. David is exceptional at reading the room and sensing what the bride(s) and/or groom(s) would want committed to film beyond the standard wedding photos (family shots, wedding party shot, speeches, etc.).

On the day of, David showed us some pictures he took of our friends on his phone (in addition to camera), and literally just insane. We were in Albuquerque in August, so the thunder storms we an active participant in the wedding festivities. David took a picture of the newlyweds in the middle of this completely open road, the wind was blowing, a thunder storm was brewing in the background, and the sun was shining through the clouds. Just such a beautiful moment that still gives me chills when I think about that picture.

Needless to say, when the final photos were finished, our friend group lost our minds with how incredible they came out. Insanely breathtaking and, subconsciously, the caliber to which I measured all other wedding photographers. I am a sucker for moody, candid, documentary-style photos of big events where all the true emotions and energy of the day are captured.

Last year, my now husband and I were planning a wedding just a few months out (we wanted something small and to have it happen in the fall). With the short timeline, we knew it would be hard to find a great photographer. While on a trip to visit the friends who got married in 2021, they were like “Hey, you should see if David is available.” Totally, not something I had ever considered because we are in California and David is based in New Mexico. But right then, I reached out thinking, “there’s no way he’s free, but what the heck, right?” By some cosmic grace of the universe, the weekend my husband and I were planning our reception was the last weekend David had available for the year. No brainer, we booked him immediately.

Within a couple days, I was FaceTiming David to talk about our vision. He was immediately on board and offered to help in any way he could outside of taking pictures - this man has photographed many weddings, so he def knows a thing or two about how to make your day amazing. So, if you’re looking for someone to bounce ideas off of (who are not heavily involved family and friends), David is your man. Honestly, planning the photography logistics was a breeze. David is down for anything, incredibly professional and insightful, and just a delight to talk to.

We booked David for a full weekend (Friday through Sunday) since he was traveling out to California. So, we had an engagement-style shoot the day before the reception, photos on the day of during prep and at the reception, and a family photoshoot at the beach/wreck-the-dress shoot the day after the reception. On the first photo day, it was like catching up with an old friend. David immediately embraced us in a bear hug and showed us all the spots he had scoped out in advance (because he professional and a photography genius). My husband and I are not ones who like to be the center of attention, so doing a photo shoot with just us was a little unnerving and unfamiliar. But David guided us through with prompts and suggestions, and after a few goes, we were feeling ourselves.

The day of the reception, I got SO many comments on how great our photographer was. People thought he was a guest with how easily he blended in with our group. I had literally nothing to worry about because of how on-top-of-everything (and I mean everything, not just photos) David was. We had a little snafu with our music during the reception, but David handled it, gave me a heads up and literally I nor anyone else would’ve known had I not been told. He’s an event master.

Now the pictures. I cannot begin to describe how much we love our pictures. David captured everything my husband and I could ever want to look back at and remember about our weekend. He captured sweet moments (like the dances and speeches), wild moments (like when shot glasses came out and shirts came off), sexy moments (like the wreck the dress shots at the beach), fun moments (like our nieces and nephews living their best lives on the dance floor or drinking whipped cream covered milkshakes), and small moments that I probably would’ve forgotten about but now have eternalized on film (like laughs with each other or our friends and family before the reception).

David is incredibly talented, professional, social, organized, and fun. Do yourself a favor and make your big day easy and even more amazing by making David and his team part of it.

HIRE THIS MAN IMMEDIATELY!! There are no words that can explain how thankful I am that we booked David to share our most meaningful days and capture our love story. David was so accommodating with the engagement shoots as he was able to get my awkward husband to have some fun with pictures all while keeping a constant playful banter with myself! Then he went above and beyond by following us down to Riviera Maya, Mexico December 26th-January 2nd for the wedding and all the other festivities they got to join in on with our closest friends and family. David was willing to find the best locations, leading us over tide pools, uneven rocks, abandoned bridges, and even golf cart rides. His vision was shown through the AMAZING photos and it was an honor to have him along to lead "Wobble" on the dance floor at the reception! We will always be grateful for the photos he shared and the time we all spent together! I wish him nothing but the best in the future & have no second thoughts on the decision to book him especially when looking back on the awe-inspiring photos we received

My husband and I hit the jackpot when we chose David Goldman as our wedding photographer. Two of our dearest friends highly recommended him and sang his praises. So we agreed to take a zoom with David and see if he was the right fit. On our first call together he was so professional and warm. David was transparent and up front about his service. We could tell he was experienced and organized. Most importantly, he was easy to talk to. We wanted a photographer that we meshed well with, because that is what warrants amazing photos. It’s more than just skill using a camera. You need someone who knows what to do, what the client wants and how to execute the vision while simultaneously making people feel confident on the other side of the lens.

David agreed to coming early to our all-inclusive resort wedding. We wanted him to hang out and get to know us and our wedding guests before the big day. A few days before the wedding, we brought about 30 wedding guests on a catamaran excursion to an island. We asked David to come and snap some photos along the way. What we didn’t anticipate was that David would become our friend in the process. He got along so well with us and our guests. He fit right in with everyone and we had a blast on the island and eventually at our wedding too. I think this is one of the reasons why our wedding photos are so fun. David could walk up to anyone and maintain or encourage the excitement. Everyone felt like they could continue being their authentic selves while having their photo snapped by David. Guests continued being wild and free as David aptly captured candids.

Thanks to David not only being a talented photographer, but also an outstanding human, we can look back at our wedding photos and be transported right back to the magic of those moments.

We can’t say enough positive things about David’s work! He not only captured every beautiful moment on our special day but was an amazing person to have around all. Our family is blown away by how great the photos came out and how great it is to re-live those special moments through David’s photos. We’re so lucky we came across his Instagram and set up that first FaceTime call. In our first meeting, David made sure to tell us as much as he can about his process, himself, and answer any questions we might have had to make sure we felt good about our decision. When David met us in the foothills for our engagement shoot it was like meeting a friend for a hike as we laughed, talked, and felt more and more comfortable with our choice in photographer. The engagement photos coming out so beautifully was the cherry on top and made us more than excited for the wedding day. When the wedding finally came he made sure to make us feel as at ease as you can during a wedding, comfortable with everything, and so happy throughout the day. We knew he was capturing every moment that mattered and even spontaneously made a “first touch” moment happen that wasn’t planned! He made us feel so special and beautiful in every second of the day. Other than the once in a lifetime photos, David kept the party going with us while jumping in to dance, and laugh along like he was just another close friend or family member. Having trusted vendors is something everyone tells you to prioritize but I didn’t realize how important it was until I saw how great David and his team made the day. We’re beyond thankful we found David!!

David is an incredible photographer, and he is so easy to work with! From the engagement photo shoot to the wedding day, his personality and expertise made for a stress-free shoot and he blended right into our wedding. He truly is a master of his craft and has a wealth of knowledge not just regarding the photographs but also the flow of the wedding and helped us so much to plan things out. We cannot thank him enough and we HIGHLY recommend him. Not only did we find a kick a** photographer we found a friend and will be staying in touch with him for years to come. Thank you so much, David!

David brings fun energy to the photoshoots and his pictures are amazing! He took our engagement pictures at the top of the Sandias in Albuquerque and wedding pictures in northern California. He is personable, easy-going, and down for an adventure. My husband and I LOVE how the pictures turned out and we're thankful to David for his incredible talent in capturing these special moments for us. We've been recommending him to all our family/friends!

David is an incredible photographer and produces excellent work but more than that, he’s a fantastic person and such a pleasure to work with. His photography speaks for itself, but, as I have come to learn, a wedding photographer is more than someone just taking your picture. My wife and I are not the most comfortable people when it comes getting are photos taken, but David is so effortlessly down to earth, genuine, easy to talk to, funny and kind, and he was really able to get the best out of us. He has a gift in making you feel relaxed, comfortable, and confident. Meeting David in person for the first time felt like running into an old friend you haven’t seen for a long time and picking up right where you left off. The amount of comfort we felt working with him was truly as if we’d known him forever. 

Moreover, David was an absolute professional, very responsive, prompt, and clear about expectations. He even went above and beyond and offered his knowledge of event planning by helping us with our wedding day schedule! We love how he does business and doesn’t have “packages” or tiered offerings with time constraints. He was incredibly available and always willing to text, talk, email or video chat (which we did multiple times leading up to the wedding). The included engagement photoshoot offered with his services was priceless. You get to meet him, see how he works, see how fun he is, and this instills comfort and confidence so that you can have the best time on your wedding day. Call it learned “machismo” or “fragile masculinity,” but I can sometimes have a hard time being vulnerable around other men. David broke down those barriers immediately and made me feel comfortable in what, for me, would normally be a very uncomfortable situation. Getting to have that intimate time with your loved one and David made for such a better experience come wedding day. I would choose David for my photography needs 11 out of 10 times. If he is available for your date, book him! I promise, you will not be disappointed.

David Jesse was the first vendor we approached during a wedding convention and our hearts were set on David being our photographer because of how gorgeous his pictures were. David went out of his way to be more than a vendor, but to create a friendship throughout the whole wedding process. My husband and I felt so nervous having our engagement photos being taken, but David made it feel fun to be ourselves in front of the camera. Inbetween this time, he was quick to respond and help with any question I had for him. During wedding week, he had so many ideas for us that I had never thought of and also went above and beyond on my ideas I had for him. David was there in a heartbeat to help with the little things on wedding day that made a huge impact for us. Most importantly, David captured every single emotion on our wedding day that we get to cherish forever. The pictures don’t feel real with how beautiful they are and I will recommend David Jesse Photography to every engaged couple every chance I can! We appreciate David as a photographer, but most importantly a person who made this time in our lives feel so much more special.