Steve Koo Photography

I honestly don’t even know where to start because I can’t seem to say enough good things about Steve Koo. Seriously, prepare for major gushing. Let’s just put it this way: I presented my (then) fiancé with about 5 possible wedding photographers. He looked at all of their portfolios and said that it absolutely had to be Steve Koo. No question. Thankfully Steve was available on our wedding day and we wasted no time booking him straightaway. As soon as the venue was set and that date locked in, he was the first vendor we booked.
From the start Steve was a pleasure to work with. He made the process so straightfoward and simple that we didn’t even meet him until the wedding day! We just had so much confidence in him that we knew he had everything together. When we did finally meet Steve on the day of the wedding, it was like meeting an old friend. He and his assistant, Cara (Kara?), were so easygoing and friendly that we all felt instantly comfortable having them around. Obviously Steve was hard at work taking photos, but he is so awesome that when we had time to kill we just wanted to sit there and chat with him! So I apologize, Steve, that we kept trying to distract you from working — be less awesome!
From a photography standpoint, the whole wedding was fun and easy. Steve walked us through the «First Look» and portraits — where to stand, how to hold our arms, where to look — and stayed in the shadows during the ceremony and reception in order to catch the most amazing candids. He captured moments that we weren’t really aware of and moments that we had missed completely. My Maid of Honor and I still joke how Steve seemed to be everywhere — he was standing on a (swivel!) chair, lying (in his suit!) on the ground, behind me fixing my dress — and yet nowhere because he was never in the way, his presence was never overt or conspicuous.
Prior to the wedding Steve had sent us a questionnaire, which asked about our honeymoon plans. I had no idea why but I trusted in Steve and rolled with it. When we returned from our honeymoon, though, we immediately received an email from him with our wedding slideshow. It was so thoughtful and the perfect cap to what was already such a perfect wedding experience. The slideshow itself was gorgeous and really did a fantastic job summing up the entire day. We had a great time sharing it with friends and family.
When we did receive all the photos, we were really blown away despite already seeing a sampling in the slideshow. The photos are so vibrant and he captures emotion so well. It seemed like he really was everywhere because he caught everything. We weren’t originally planning on ordering a wedding album because my (now) husband and I aren’t the sentimental types, but Steve’s photos turned us into the sentimental types! The photos are so incredible that we realized we did need an album after all; these photos were meant to be shown off because they’re so thoughtful and well executed.
Everyone told us that no matter what, spend the money and hire a great photographer. You’re paying so much for an event that, when it really comes down to it, passes by in an instant. All that planning and the whole thing just goes so quickly! It’s really important to have those photos afterwards to appreciate long after the music has stopped, the cake has been eaten, and the last vendor paid. We couldn’t be happier with Steve and his work. I have to force myself to stop writing this review because, like I warned… gushing.

Based on Steve’s portfolio, we had high expectations… and he surpassed them! He captured so many beautiful, authentic moments at our engagement and wedding shoots. Not only is he a true artist and creative photographer but he is a wonderful, sweet, kind human being. During our wedding day he was so sensitive to our needs. He and his excellent assistant Mari made sure we were comfortable and looking our best. He made us feel relaxed, which is not easy to do particularly on one’s wedding day. He is a professional and has earned his stellar reputation. We were just lucky he was available to photograph our wedding.

We are so happy with the results of both our engagement and wedding photos! Steve is such a talented photographer. He has an incredible ability to capture such emotion in his photographs. Each picture is so full of life with such beautiful lighting, angles and style. When we look through the photos it feels like each picture is telling a story about the day. All of the important and unique aspects of our wedding day were captured so brilliantly. In addition to all this, Steve is so easy to work with. He understands his craft very well and helped guide us through the process to ensure everything went smoothly and we all felt very natural and comfortable. We would highly recommend Steve Koo Photography!

Steve and his assistant, Mari, were amazing to work with. Steve spent the entire day climbing, bending, kneeling, and running (sometimes up a «down» escalator) to capture our moments. While he is very high energy, he has a calming presence and instantly felt like an old friend — very important for someone you spend so much time with. I had multiple guests come up to me and comment on how awesome he was. I would absolutely book again. Cannot wait to see the finished product!

We hired Steve and his awesome assistant, Mari, to photograph our April ceremony and reception at Café Brauer and it was the best money we spent… such a great investment in memories. What make them so great is that (as many of these reviews state) he capures the moment and personality of you, your spouse and everyone around you.
The photos were sent to us (via Web Site and Digital images) within a couple weeks of the wedding, plus he gives you a «sneak peak» of a handful of the highlights about 1 week after the wedding.
He will take the still portraits that you (and mostly your parents) want, but he really shines in the candid moments.
Most of all, he’s just really kind and makes you feel so comfortable that everyone forgets the camera is even there. Definitely go with Steve, you will be so satisfied with his work!

We used Steve for both our engagement shoot and our wedding. He is fantastic to work with! He has the ability to put you at ease (especially when you are not used to getting your picture taken) and his pictures turn out AMAZING! He truly captures the feeling of the day! We were kind of bummed that we didn’t end up booking a videographer but after seeing Steve’s pictures we realized there was no need… he did such a great job capturing all the little moments that we feel like we could relive the day over and over. Highly recommend!

We were lucky enough to have Steve photograph our wedding and it was the best decision we could have ever made!
Steve is so talented and he truly captured everyone’s personalities in the photos. We feel so lucky to have had such a gifted photographer document our special day and capture so many special moments that most other photographers wouldn’t have even noticed.
If you are looking for someone to capture the story of your special day, working with Steve is the way to go!

I don’t think I can even describe Steve Koo. We decided to make sure we went with a quality photographer, as your photos are the only lasting thing you will take away from your wedding, and my mind was blown with Steve. From the initial meeting Steve made sure my husband and I were comfortable. He has young children, which was great for me since my 2 young nieces would be flower girls in the wedding and I wanted to make sure he could work with them. We had an engagement session and the photos received only made me more excited to work with him on our actual wedding day. When Steve provided me with our wedding slideshow I cried. I truly felt as though I was reliving the day, and I honestly wasn’t able to pick apart a single photo and choose things I’d change because they were all so amazing. If you want a top-​notch photographer with an amazing portfolio, look no further than Steve! He was the best choice we made for our wedding, hands down.

Another stellar review for Steve Koo and his crew. Apart from being nice, friendly, and calm, Steve also happens to be a great photographer! Our wedding photos from last May are phenomenal. Steve captured all the best moments throughout the entire day and night. His photos really tell the story of the wedding and they are so wonderful to look back on. I highly recommend Steve. He and Mari were a pleasure to work with throughout the wedding process.

Steve Koo doesn’t just give you photos… he gives you a priceless and irreplaceable gift. Our wedding photos are breathtaking, and are so valuable to us, our family, and our wedding guests. He captured every moment as vividly as I remember it. The colors are bold, the action is exciting, and I can look at any photo and remember exactly what was happening and what I was thinking when the moment was captured.
Steve Koo and his team are brilliant. As many have mentioned, he is very kind, calm, and makes everyone feel incredibly comfortable. He was FUN to take photos with.
I wouldn’t consider going to anyone else for photography needs today or in the future. Thank you Steve Koo Photography for giving us the most exquisite photos for us to enjoy for years to come!

Working with Steve was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. We felt comfortable and relaxed all day, as did our wedding party. Looking through our wedding photos, Steve didn’t miss a thing. He captured everything exactly the way I remembered it happening. Choosing photos for an album has proven to be an impossible task, because I love every single photo. His lighting techniques are truly out of this world. Steve is a master at what he does, and we felt so fortunate to work with someone who is as equally talented as he is a genunienly nice person.

We recently had Steve over for a family photo shoot. Already being familiar with Steve’s wedding photos, we knew going in that the pictures themselves would be excellent. What really impressed us, however, was how great Steve was with our 1 year old daughter. He created a fun, comfortable atmosphere that allowed her be herself. She got to play and have fun while Steve did all the work. He worked us into the pictures at times but kept his focus on the star of the show. The results were fantastic and we now have some beautiful family photos that we can cherish for years to come.
We can’t thank Steve enough and would recommend him to anyone without hesitation.

I could not be more impressed by Steve Koo! He just took my engagement photos, and I am in love with the experience and the pictures turned out AMAZING! Steve is very professional, made me and my fiancé feel super comfortable, and has a very creative eye. So far, hiring Steve is by far the best investment I’ve made all year, and I cannot wait for him to do our wedding in May 2014! In addition, his assistant, Vanessa, was incredible! Brides: I PROMISE you will not find a better photographer!

As my fiancée were planning our wedding, we both agreed that having a good wedding photographer was very important to us both. And in the end, we were lucky enough to work with Steve Koo and his talented team, whose work and complete professionalism throughout the process totally blew us away.
Steve and his team were a pleasure to work with throughout the wedding planning process and on our wedding day. As we were planning, Steve promptly responded to all of our questions and was helpful in collaborating with us to ensure that he captured all of the important moments of our day (places to shoot, timing, etc.).

Our big Indian wedding was very chaotic from the minute that the day began, and Steve and his team worked through the chaos to capture the best moments seamlessly. We received MANY compliments from our guests about how the team did a great job of working in the shadows to capture every moment of the day. Steve and his team arrived at our venue early and stayed even later than we expected to capture the whole event, and as a result, captured some great moments in the evening.
A few weeks after our wedding, we saw our pictures and were beyond impressed with how beautiful the pictures were and the moments that Steve and his team were able to capture. We loved his style and how his photos really captured the emotions of the day. A few weeks after the wedding, Steve provided us with a slideshow that gave us a sneak peek at some of our pictures, and it was beautifully made — I must have watched it a hundred times, and was moved by it every time.
Thank you Steve for giving us such great photographs to commemorate one of the most important days of our lives — it was really a pleasure working with you!

Choosing a photographer was the number one, most important decision in my mind. We really wanted somebody that had a truly unique style without being too «artsy»… We had interviewed three photographers before we found Steve Koo and my husband and I looked at each other after meeting Steve and both said «he’s the one.»
Steve likes to get to know his clients prior to shooting their wedding day, so we took him out on what we would consider a typical Friday night for us as our «engagement session» — barbecue, bowling, and karaōke. The fact that he could make three of the dive-​iest places that we know look stunning is a testament to his amazing skill.
The day of our wedding, Steve Koo and his assistants were EVERYWHERE! They captured so many amazing, beautiful, and touching moments that I would have never seen if it wasn’t for them.
His professionalism and sense of humor make him such a pleasure to work with, I can’t wait to have him document the next major events in our lives!

It’s almost scary to see your wedding pictures after you’ve formed an image in your mind of what that amazing day was like. You want to retain that image as it was, colored with all the emotion that you were feeling as the day unfolded. Steve Koo’s photography has this incredible ability of being able to bring those moments held in your mind’s eye to life.
What are the things you look for when choosing a wedding photographer? You want somebody professional, courteous and kind, flexible, creative, unobtrusive, and someone who has that special intangible ability to bring out the magic of your day. I can easily say that Steve Koo possesses all of these qualities.
Because both my husband and I were living on opposite coasts and I sustained a broken bone just prior to our wedding, we were unable to meet with Steve beforehand or partake in the complimentary engagement photos sessions. Nevertheless, I could tell by our easy and prompt online and phone communications that everything was going to be just fine. And I was right. He and his assistant showed up right on time, were present without being in the way, were flexible in every regard, and captured some amazingly beautiful and creative shots. But don’t just take it from me, here’s what my friends said upon seeing the pictures (which, by the way, came only 2 short weeks after the wedding!):
«Just lovely.»
«They are beautiful! Can’t wait to see more.»
«These pictures are beautiful as are you S… We almost went with Steve Koo (and wish we had). Congrats!»
«these are really really beautiful. soft and natural and poetry like. i love it!»
«Stunning! Congrats!»
«Wow, Such wonderful pictures! Congratulations to all of you!»
«Magnificent!!! What an artist! He captured the magic of your day! „
“just love these photos“
„Ah-​mazing!!!“
“The professional wedding shots have a very ethereal quality…»
What more needs to be said? Choose Steve– you won’t be disappointed.

From my wedding research, I concluded that in general, all brides and grooms are happy or satisfied with their wedding photos and why not?! It’s a super special day where you and your spouse (hopefully) look your best and share beautiful memories… of course you’re going love looking at your pictures…
Well, my husband and I are no different. We absolutely love our wedding photos! We were so lucky to find Steve, someone whose work and professionalism we had full confidence in. Leading up to the wedding we stalked Steve’s blog and were crazy about all of his work. From our family and friends’ reactions to our photos, it sounds like they loved him just as much!

Steve Koo is an extraordinary photographer with an exceptional eye for quality, artistic photo documentation. He delivered above and beyond our expectations and put us at ease every step of the way.
While searching for a wedding photographer, our friends recommended Steve, having previously been at a wedding he photographed. They really liked his photos and sent us the link to his work. We fell in love with Steve’s ability to capture moments. The photos did not look forced or posed. They were a natural and beautiful documentation of the wedding day.
For every wedding Steve books, he includes an engagement session. The engagement session was a great way for us to get comfortable with the idea of being photographed all day at our wedding. I think having the engagement session helped me to relax, ignore the inevitable cameras, and enjoy our beautiful day. Steve met us at our house and walked wih us around our neighborhood, taking pictures of us. It was easy to schedule the engagement session as Steve was flexible and easy to work with .
After the engagement session, we felt even more at ease and happy that we had made the decision to hire Steve. The day of the wedding was unbearably hot, but from start to finish, Steve was poised, friendly, and kind-​natured. Several guests of the wedding commented on how much they liked our photographer and people are still raving about the photos. He was also very timely in getting us our images. I highly recommend Steve Koo Photography and would choose him again in a heartbeat.

Steve did our engagement photos and this weekend shot our wedding in Chicago. I haven’t seen the wedding pics yet, but if they’re anything like the engagement photos they’ll be fabulous.
Steve has been so easy to work with – from the initial emails and meeting, to the engagement photos we invited him to take in our home, to the day of our wedding he has been friendly, patient, easy to talk to, professional, and has done really great work with the photos themselves. Just like another reviewer said, Steve was all over the place on the day of the wedding, taking shots of just about everything, but without being intrusive at all. We’re a little camera shy and he really put us at ease.
I read a lot of photographers’ Unilocal reviews and looked at their websites before choosing Steve and found that great photos don’t come cheap, but they are absolutely worth it. Steve’s prices were very competitive with other photographers whose work I liked. You can’t go wrong with this guy.

My husband and I got married on Kauai in February 2011 and Steve was our photographer. Steve and I had been aquaintences for quite a while before we hired him for our wedding & engagement photos. I knew I loved his style of photography & I knew he was a cool guy… but what would it be like to work together? The answer is AWESOME!
My husband I live in Chicago and Steve did our engagement session here in our Logan Square neighborhood. We weren’t sure about doing an engagement session, especially my husband, but the photos turned out great & will be keepsakes for life. If nothing else, doing the engagement session helped us get used to seeing Steve with a camera pointing at us before the big day!
For our wedding we had Steve fly out to Kauai. He was super easy to work with to get this coordinated & always prompt and professional throughout the entire process. On the day of the wedding, Steve was all over the place, capturing every moment, but not in an intrusive way at all. I get very self-​conscious when I am being photographed and Steve was able to put me, and everyone, at ease.
Our photographs turned out fantastic. Our friends & family, and most importantly, my husband and I, are thrilled with the end result. The wedding photos that Steve took really convey the spirit of our wedding day. We were so thankful to have Steve in Hawaii with us. We have a lot of friends who got married last year and a few this year and we have highly recommended Steve to every one of them!