Dan Gin Photography

I used him in the past and he is great.

Working with Dan & his photographers was absolutely wonderful! His whole crew helped make my wedding day seamless, stress-​free, and to top it off, we got amazing pictures that far exceeded my expectations! Dan’s great to work with, dependable, & he’s very helpful with consultations & helped me plan out my day. He’s a lifesaver to say the least.
Also, his photobooths are phenomenal! We had a line of people taking pictures all night– it was a huge hit with the crowd.
Look no further… Dan is the best of the best!

One of the most important things that a couple should do when planning a wedding is to ensure that you have a good photographer. The photographer catches the spirit of moment and documents it for future generations to enjoy. With that being said, after much research and interviewing multiple photographers we decided the person for the job was Dan Gin.
Dan was just a blast to work with from beginning to end. His easy going personality and his artistic vision really resonated with us. One of the things that drive my wife and I crazy about wedding pictures is that so many of them seem posed and still. We conveyed to Dan that we wanted our pictures to be active, fun, and in the moment. Those moments when you give someone a curious glare or when two people appear to be sharing a secret. These are the special moments that should be cherished.
Working with Dan was just a great time. He knows all the ins and outs of the wedding business and was able to give us lots of good pointers for our big day. On the day of the wedding Dan and Nick were just all over snapping shots of the whole event and of course getting all the required shots of the bride. One of my colleague’s girlfriends just planned a wedding for her daughter kept exclaiming that she wished she had hired Dan instead.
Needless to say, the pictures came out fabulous and there are so many that are absolutely breathtaking and make me smile. Dan will definitely be the first person I call the next time I need a photographer.

This review is for Dan’s photography and photo booth service.
Photography:
I commissioned 2 of Dan’s photographers and a photo booth associate to work my wedding at the Blackstone Hotel. Dan was was very knowledgeable about all the ins and outs of what to expect for our wedding — in fact in most cases provided useful input for us regarding our other vendors and how to best proceed. This alone was a tremendous value-​add. He was also very thorough when touring our hotel making sure to note all our must have shots and suggesting some brilliant ones to consider at the venue. It was as if we had a second wedding planner working for us!
Based on our initial interview, he was able to find us the perfect primary and secondary shooters. Both shooters were personable, hardworking, and on time. Dan took the time to create a wedding day schedule that helped us manage all our shoot locations, shots, how the photographers were going to play into the ceremony, reception, and dinner. We had great coverage and were extremely happy with our shots. And most importantly, unlike some of our friends’ wedding photographers, he didn’t futz around and take his sweet time delivering the shots after the wedding.
Photo Booth:
Dan did a great job working with us to figure out the setup and breakdown logistics for the wedding night. He made sure that we blocked out adequate time for setup and it integrated seamlessly into the schedule. The booth was manned by a professional and courteous staff member. Our guests had nothing but compliments about how much fun they had with the photo booth. The props were hilarious and we loved all the great memories they provided everyone on our special day.
To sum it up: Working with Dan was a joy. You’ll be hard-​pressed to find any competitor that can provide this level of professionalism, quality work, and attention to detail. My coworker had Dan shoot her wedding and had nothing but praise for his work as well. If you want someone that takes pride in his craft and will knock it out of the park, Dan Gin is the only guy you need to call.

this review is purely based on the photobooth services only — we did not use dan gin for photography.
let’s start with the booking process. this was one spot that went fairly smoothly although it did take some time and multiple phone calls /​emails to confirm the reservation and payment. the contract was a typical vendor contract — very basic. one point we specifically touched on was whether the vendor would require a meal or not. if needed, we would account for it. we were told in writing that no food is needed REMEMBER THIS LATER DOWN THE REVIEW here is the email:
Hi Mike,
We won’t be making any changes to the contract; it is boilerplate as is. If we are unable to fulfill the agreement by not showing up for the event service, we would be in breach of the contract anyway and would have to refund your monies. By virtue of the agreement not stating that you have to provide food for the operator makes it implied that it is not required for you to do so. In an effort to maintain a modicum of professionalism, the operators are always to dress in a dress casual manner unless specifically requested to otherwise for religious observation; I leave a bit of discretion to the operator as to what they wear but have never had an issue with it being inappropriate (i.e. wearing shorts and a t-​shirt).
Dan
Daniel Gin Multimedia, LLC
| photo + video
| photo booths
| blog
@danginphoto | twitter
312.285.0388 | photo + video
312.373.0388 | photo booths
636.246.1238 | fax
* Find us featured in Chicago Style Weddings Magazine and on Unilocal!
we found out 3 days ahead of time who our photobooth operator was going to be. wew ould have preferred to find out earlier but not a big deal. i called the operator to establish the time he would be on site, his attire, expectations, etc. the operator was at his day job and was quite brief and didnt give me any warm feelings. again, not a big deal as long as he was on time and set up.
the big day arrives and the photobooth operator let us know that he was not going to make it on time but guaranteed someone else would be there for the set up and fill in for him until he was on site. okay.
we arrive at the reception and the photobooth was indeed there and set up but we could not locate the operator. during dinner, one of our guests arrived late after the first course had been served. the guest made his way to his assigned table to notice there was not a place at the table for himself. my wife and i noticed there was a woman at the table who neither of us recognized. my wife had to go to the table and ask who this person was to find out they were the fill in photobooth operator (fiancé of original operator). my wife asked what she was doing at the table eating and she responded that she was told to set up the photobooth then find an empty seat at a table and eat.
this made for an extremely awkward moment. the woman was told to leave the table and tend to the photobooth and be ready for guests post dinner.
the photobooth itself was not the most luxurious piece of equipment but it served its purpose. it came with props and even an album. the photos printed out in sets of 2 so the guests could keep one and the operator pasted the second copy in a dan gin provided album (which was pretty quality). i am not sure what time the originally scheduled operator arrived but he was there for a good portion of the night and made it clear he had better things to do with his free time. we debated the location of the photobooth quite a bit before the wedding — sure glad we elected for the corner to keep this clown out of our pictures and special moments.
a few days after the wedding we called to inform dan gin of what went on so he knew what his employees did and learn from the experience. we were greeted with attitude and told…“so do you want me to send you a check for a salad?” we were not looking for any type of re-​imbursement of money, just wanted to let him know the lack of communication and how unprofessional his employees were. says a lot about a person who cannot take the negative aspects of their business.
long story short, photobooth was good for what it was meant to be. dan gin’s employees, not so much.

We contacted Dan Gin when we were working on finding a wedding photographer. One of his assistants was quick to respond to emails and phone calls as Dan was out of office. We still received some communications from Dan himself even though he was technically not in.
There was no gimmick when we met with Dan at his office downtown. He was very straightforward, easy to talk to and very passionate about his work. His work is absolutely stunning. He presented the idea of a photo booth, which is something that we wanted.
We ended up signing with another photographer because Dan Gin was far out of our budget. We did get the photo booth as his prices were competitive with other vendors we looked at.
The photo booth vendor contacted us once before the wedding to confirm date/​time and places to set up. They ended up setting up in the wrong room, which threw-​off our DJ since there weren’t many available outlets in that room. However, everything worked itself out and the location they did set up at ended up working nicely (maybe even better than the original location). My only issue was that after setup, the person manning the photo booth disappeared for about 30 – 45 minutes. So a friend was panicking trying to find her since we had no idea what was going on and where the photo booth was (we were only looking in the location it should have been in, not the actual ballroom they ended up at).
Since it worked itself out, not much loss for a rating, but I can imagine if they were at a wedding in which the vendors didn’t work well with each other to resolve this issue. It could have ended badly with a lot of stressful memories, but it didn’t. Lucky me I suppose.

Having Dan Gin photograph our wedding in October 2010 was hands down, the best decision we made. I don’t even know where to start…
After meeting with a handful of photographers earlier in the year, we met with Dan & immediately knew he was our guy. Photography was #1 on our list but we didn’t have a limitless budget. Dan offers the same product as photographers that charge way more. Too good to be true right? Middle of the road price but top of the line product? That’s exactly what we got.
Besides being a down to earth, super nice guy, Dan blew our expectations out of the water. He was professional but fun, and on our wedding day his team did an amazing job of being everywhere the action was but never in the way. He provided us with the direction we needed for some photos, but captured the fun of so many real moments that weren’t posed.
After going back and forth about getting the Photo + Wedding Fusion package he offers (a video & photo montage) I now have a permanent answer to the question «if your house was burning down & you could only take 1 thing…» I tried as best I could to be in the moment at the ceremony but the inevitable nerves took over & without the video & fusion I’m not sure I’d have any proof I actually said ‘I do’.
As a bride to be I found myself thinking every aspect of our wedding was going to be the «most» important part while planning our wedding. But here we are 9 months later and I don’t remember exactly what our centerpieces looked like, or how the chicken tasted, or even which songs we danced the night away to. But thank god for the pictures. And for Dan.

Dan is the man! He is always a pleasure to work with, has an awesome studio, and I can’t recommend him enough.

FYI: I have not yet received our photos, but will update the review if they are anything less than extraordinary.
My partner and I hired Dan Gin Photography for our commitment ceremony in Chicago. Although we were coming all the way from Seattle he handled everything very professionally. The photographer that he provided for our event was absolutely more than we could have asked for.
Prior to the date he arranged a meeting with himself and Jenn (our photographer) over Skype. He also arranged for us to meet with her when we arrived in Chicago, trying to be sure that they got as much information as possible so that everything would run smoothly and that we would be pleased.
We also opted for the photo booth-​BEST IDEA EVER! There was a line the entire evening. It was a huge hit. We decided on the 8 person booth and it came with props, a person (booth-​keeper, if you will) and an album with duplicates of every picture. It was worth every penny, IMHO. Too f-​ing cool.

In short, we love Dan Gin and his photos! Dan did our wedding in September 2010 and we couldn’t be happier with the results. He’s reasonably priced, gave us CDs with all files to all his photos from our big day, and we have an album on the way.
We booked Dan soon after our first meeting at his office. He obviously has great talent (as you can see from his website), but he’s also SUCH a great guy. You can tell how much he cares about what he does. He knows his equipment and only gets the best.
Our engagement shots were included, which we did in Chicago (had to do it twice because we got rained on the first time) and served to help us get to know Dan better and get comfortable.
On the day of the wedding in Michigan, Dan was the person who calmed my nerves about how it was pouring all morning the day of our outdoor wedding. He took pictures of the ladies getting ready while the partner he brought along for the day (also extremely pleasant) took photos of the wedding location (Michigan vineyard) and then went to take photos of the guys. All of the bridesmaids and my mom talked about how much they really enjoyed having Dan around.
Many of our guests commented on how the two photographers were everywhere and nowhere at the same time during the ceremony and reception. They didn’t disrupt anybody’s view of the ceremony or cause distractions, yet seemed to pop up to document everything fully. He even directed us on how to cut the cake properly! Both photogs stayed and got great reception shots and evening shots of us outside at the wedding venue. Closer to the end of the reception, even though we hadn’t planned it, he setup his laptop and had a running slideshow of photos he’d taken earlier for our guests to enjoy!
So, Dan is the guy you want around on the day of your wedding. He’s adaptable, fun, and easy-​going. He’ll take the photos you want and kindly suggest other options that would work. He knows weddings inside and out — I think he could even marry you and your sig other if you had an officiant emergency on the day of the wedding! Dan has all the bases covered.

My non-​Yelp friends (yes, I have some!) see pictures of me pop up on Facebook and always say comments like «You’re so photogenic!» and «do you ever take a bad picture?!» In truth, yes. I take lots of bad pictures, but whenever Dan Gin is on the other side of the lens he always finds a way to make me look like I jumped off the page of a magazine!
As if being a talented photog wasn’t enough, he’s a very sweet man and truly loves what he does.

Words cannot describe Dan’s artistic quality and unique photography skills. He did our wedding and we just got our pictures back and we are awe struck how amazing they are. Dan is by far the best photographer you could get, and he will work with you to get it right. He’s a fun person to work with and anyone who doesn’t pick him as their photographer is nuts. He was professional, fun, and a great person to work with. If you don’t believe me, feel free to write to me
and I’ll send you proof. Now stop reading this and BOOK DAN TODAY!

Dan Gin is amazing! He is talented, creative, organized, and trustworthy. I hired him for my wedding in May, 2010, and he was so easy to work with and accommodating to my requests. I would recommend him to any bride!
I also hired him for a photo booth at my wedding, and it was huge success and highlight of the evening. Everyone commented on what a fun idea it was, and he provides goofy hats and boas and other accessories for the booth.

Dan Gin Photography is by far one of the best that I have come across thus far. From the very first meeting/​consultation, to the delivery of our final product, Dan produced exceptional photography that we will treasure forever. From our engagement session to our wedding day, Dan made us feel that what we wanted was important and made sure we had that first and for most, as well as giving us his expert advice which was extremely helpful, of course us not having planned a weeding before, we needed all the help we could get. Dan was courteous, on time, organized, and reliable every step of the way.
Most photographers we met with, where just in the business to make extra cash, or at least that is how they made us feel. Our wedding was so important, which of course is not the only wedding that has taken place or will take place in the world, but we needed to feel as if it was. Dan made us feel that our wedding was important and that every detail was accounted for that we expressed importance to. Every step of the way I felt reassured, and when the big day finally happened, I did not have to worry about a thing when it came to our photography.
When we received the final product, not only did we receive what we were expecting but more. The quality of photography was extraordinary and exquisite that we still receive compliments till this day on his work and have recommend him to others.
We highly recommend Dan Gin Photography for not only your wedding, but any other special occasions/​events you are planning. We will be sure to call Dan when our family starts to grow for those special family portraits.
Thank you Dan for being one of the best!

I’ve been lucky enough to see Dan in action on wedding day. Great at capturing the moment (just check out his pics), and has a talent for keeping the wedding party organized (a tough feat to say the least!) and smiling at the same time. If you want someone who can deliver and can also keep the atmosphere fun, Dan is your man…

The man makes me look good at Elite events. I love that we have photos to remember the night — so much to the point that I don’t have to worry about carrying a camera of my own. And since this gal is not a purse-​carrin’ type that’s a bonus! Pics are up the next early afternoon. Maybe he needs more to drink? No one should be that active after an Elite event! Thanks for all you do and see you at the next event!

Andy F’s «Elite» list made me realize that I had not reviewed Dan Gin. How can that be? I even started a Dan Gin Appreciation thread!
Part of the fun of Elite events is going online the next day (or so) and seeing Dan’s shots from the event. At the call of «Photos are up!» Unilocalers come running. Dan’s got a great eye for the action, so not only are there bound to be some fab photos of yourself, but you can catch the rest of the party. And Dan’s camera is magic. I’m not a complete sow’s ear, but Dan always makes me look like a silk purse. He plays well with lighting, depth of field, and color saturation to produce some gorgeous shots. Heck, don’t take my word for it. Go to his site and check out his portfolio for yourself.
Unfortunately, Dan no longer seems to be the official Unilocal photographer (Boo!), but hopefully this will give him more time for his other clients. And maybe allow him to enjoy some events as a guest!
PS: This new photographer has some big shoes to fill.

I love Dan’s photography! When our first wedding photographer cancelled on us, I immediately contacted Dan and he was super helpful and friendly and his portfolio is amazing, fun, and intimate all in one.
Unfortunately for us, Dan was already booked on our wedding day but he did give me some great referrals, including the photographer that did his wedding.
Chicago Unilocal is sooo lucky to have Dan around to take all of our photos of our fun Unilocal elite events!

Dan does great work! He shoots our bouts and headshots for the Chi*Town Sirens roller derby, and his photos are crisp, engaging, and most importantly: he always makes us look good! His action shots are great, and his one-​on-​one photo shoots are relaxing and fun. His website is fantastic, and I love the different photo size options.
Cannot recommend him highly enough. The Sirens love Dan Gin!

You may have been wondering who the handsome guy with the camera is at all the camera parties. Dan Gin has become the fabulous unofficial Unilocal photographer (in addition to Bill M). Dan’s pictures from the Unilocal Birthday Bash at Stone Lotus speak for themselves:
We all know Unilocalers are naturally gorgeous, but I’m still always impressed to see Dan’s camera magic. I highly recommend Dan for any event (weddings, corporate events, etc) as long as I get first dibs on him during Unilocal parties. ;)