Ray Johnston Designer Photography

My wife and I have been looking for a family photographer for quite some time because we wanted to begin a photo album for our son. After several meetings with different photographers and albums, we came across Ray Johnston from Ray Johnston Designer Photography. We found his albums to be most interesting with several different unique angles, his family and baby photography were very creative and fun with a great amount of attention to details and subtle retouches. His new studio in Downtown Davis was neat and nicely set up. Ray is a very talented photographer and we could see that he really takes pride in his work and really cares about his clients. Ray was easy to work with and he helped us stay relaxed and have fun! He was great with our 8 month old son and got some awesome pictures. The pictures are exactly what we were hoping for. We are so glad that we choose Ray!!! We will surely call him again in the future.

I had known of Ray Johnston by walking by his studio for years (before it moved to an upstairs location) and looking at the great photography he had in his window. Then earlier this year I purchased a gift certificate for his services at a silent auction. I am thankful for this for two reasons: (1) that he had supported VetMerge, a local veterinary mission group that I participate in, with his generous donation; and (2) that it finally gave me the kick I needed to pay Ray a visit.
My wife, infant daughter, and I wanted to take some pictures with my in-​laws (having already done so with my parents), and my wife really wanted to get pictures next to a sunflower field. There is a narrow window of blooming for sunflowers, but Ray was easily able to accommodate us, and even got up well before dawn in order to get there to capture the first morning light. He and his assistant created a great and energetic photo shoot, and the resulting pictures (that we just picked up) are beautiful. His photo printing process creates photos mounted to thick stock to make them sturdy and last longer, and he spends a great deal of time digitally editing the pictures to make the result the best that it can be.
We were very pleased with the entire process, from the ease of communication with Ray in setting things up to the final product. I would definitely recommend him to anyone looking to get that special photo session, and we will definitely be going back to have him capture pictures of our daughter (and any others after her) as she grows up.

Ray is simply the best! I worked with him several years ago for portraits and was extremely pleased with his work. Ray is an artist and a lovely, kind person to work with. He is extremely professional but also very fun to work with. My husband and I worked with him again for our engagement photos last year, which turned out beautifully. And Ray shot our wedding photos this summer. We’re eagerly awaiting the review session, but he has posted a few for us on facebook, and they look absolutely gorgeous.
I cannot recommend Ray highly enough. We are definitely looking forward to going back to see him as our family grows.
Check out the gorgeous photographs on Ray’s web site. His work really speaks for itself.

I tried all day to have my passport photo taken according to the Netherlands’ specifications. I was luckily directed to Ray Johnston’s Studio where he quickly and professionally took my photo exactly to the Dutch specifications. He was incredibly helpful and quite precise. To my knowledge, he is the only man in town who will do passport photos to specifications other than the United States. It was such a relief to find him. If you are in need of particular specifications on your photograph, Mr. Johnston is not only accurate, he’s friendly, and personable. You can even have your photo digitalized for other visa needs if you choose. I will be recommending him to all of my foreign friends.

I’m a local high school senior and as part of the prize for the local photo contest, i was offered a 1 hour studio session with Ray. I have to say, for the first time in an actual studio, Ray made me feel very comfortable and showed a great deal of passion for photography. Although it was only an hour session, Ray was extremely thorough in teaching me about studio shooting and light setups. If anyone is even slightly interested in learning photography, I highly recommend going to Ray or even if you’re just interested in getting photos taken, Ray makes the environment very comfortable.
Overall, my experience at Ray Johnston’s studio was second to none and i would recommend anyone to go there!

I needed a professional headshot done for my acting job, and that’s exactly what I got and more!
From the moment I called to schedule a photo session, Ray was very helpful and gave me a clear idea for what kinds of clothes to bring for the shoot, how to wear my hair and makeup and so on.
Even with something as simple as a headshot, with not a lot going on in the picture except my face, Ray was still very creative in getting a wide variety of shots and angles so that we had a lot of pictures to choose from when deciding on the winner. We also tried a bunch of different backgrounds and lighting schemes to see what would look best.
Ray captured a portrait of me that was truly representative of my look in a natural state! He also really captured my personality by having me experiment with different expressions other than my tried and true picture smile.
He also did digital retouching on my headshot! But he did just enough to get rid of blemishes and to smooth my flyaway hairs, which I appreciated! Some photographers go so overboard with that, but I think he does just the right amount. And he got my pictures to me pretty quickly too!
He’s obviously got a whole lot of experience and has great customer service skills.
All in all, I would recommend Ray as a photographer for any occasion!

When planning for our wedding, my fiancé wanted to use Ray, whom she had used for her graduation pics. Being that I fell in love with those pictures on her
profile before we even met I was all aboard. I have not regretted that decision at all. Very professional, very friendly, and very very good. We just got our engagement pics all done and they are absolutely beautiful. He is a true artist and we will be going back again and again when we start having kids to capture those moments too. I love that he doesn’t do the conventional, mall photos. They really capture a moment in time and tell a story. Worth every penny.

My wife and I were thinking of having family photos taken before my son was born at the Sutter Davis Hospital. During our hospital stay I noticed all the of the fantastic photos that were framed and displayed in the birth wing of the hospital that were taken by Ray Johnston.
Finding a good photographer is a lot picking a good wine or finding good art, beauty may be «in the eye of the beholder» but we have all had good glass of wine and that glass of wine that taste like vinegar. With that in mind, my wife and I were/​are very careful and selective about whom we choose let to let into our family for family photos. After much research and an interview with Ray we decided to have our family photos taken by Ray.
To say that my 2 and ½ year old daughter is difficult is a gross understatement, she started acting up as soon as we walked in the door. Ray and his assistant, Sara, handled her beautiful. The photos exceeded my expectations. I am very pleased with the album, the Christmas cards, and the framed photos. I highly recommend having the photos framed by Ray. The quality was great and the price was very competitive when compared to local frame shops.
If you are interested in a quality photo session and building a relationship with great studio then I highly recommend Ray Johnston Photography. Thank you Ray and Sara — Tim & Noemy.

Still one of the best photographers in the entire Central Valley region!

I used Ray to shoot a sitting with my elderly grandmother, he got the images I could never get of her, they, and she, were beautiful. He asked me to post a review in reaction to a defaming posting after our session. Doing so here, I stand behind him and offer my full support. There is NOTHING unprofessional about him or his photography, he’s the best I’ve ever used and recommend him to everyone.