Sam Lim Studio

We are getting married in April, and we just got our engagement photos back. (We couldn’t take them earlier because of our own busy schedules.) I just have to say that they are simply amazing! These are not even retouched yet, which Sam will do for our album after we pick the ones we like. I definitely will write more about the artistry and quality of Sam’s work in details after our wedding (since we have so much to do right now). I still wanted to write a few words about how nice and talented Sam is even though there were so many requests we made throughout and after the photo shoot. I believe Sam has both the patience and excellent qualities as a professional photographer, and we just can’t wait to get our album soon. Thank you, Sam! You are amazing!
So we got our wedding photos back recently, and what more can I say??? Sam and his team are simply amazing. We have too many photos to choose from, and we are having a hard time picking just 60 best ones from the 1000+ beautiful photos we received. All I have to say is choosing Sam Lim Studio for our wedding was the best thing we have ever done for ourselves. And it was definitely worth every penny. Therefore, I highly highly recommend this studio to all the Unilocalers. :)

Review based on phone conversation.
I had left a few messages, finally someone called me back. They were very professional, got some good information, unfortunately it seemed alittle out of my price range.

the «videographers» sent for our wedding were completely useless! we had a beautiful presentable wedding but what they had captured or DIDN’T capture was below satisfactory. Worst then that was The editing of the highlight ! Nightmare! The guy that does the highlight editing is NOT made for the job. Hire some talent at least … The only good thing I can say is that they did work with me till the video highlight was decent!
Pay more and go somewhere else !

Long overdue review. We initially met Sam because we wanted him to take our wedding pictures back in 2010 but he was triple booked that day.
But I couldn’t let go of my obsession over his work.
So naturally, when the kid was born 4 years later, I had to book him.
Sam took the kid’s 100 day photos and one year photos. They are the most worthwhile dollars that I have spent in the 18 months that this kid has taken over my life. WORTH EVERY SINGLE LAST PENNY!!!
We’ve tried other studios/​photographers for different events much to my chagrin and none even compare to Sam.
Almost makes me want to pump out another kid just so I can have another excuse to have Sam capture those magical moments.
You the best, Sam!

Sam did our engagement and wedding photography. Sam is awesome, there are not enough good things I can say about him and his staff. Professional, excellent at his craft, creative, and easy to work with. My husband and I agreed photography was one of the most important parts of our wedding, and we are very pleased we hired Sam. Even our guests commented on how professional our photographers were. We definitely recommend Sam!

Sam was great! His artistic talents were reflected in our photos. We had both engagement and wedding photos done with him.
He was very accommodating with the shoots. He worked with us for an extra hour and offered to take us to a new spot during our engagement shoot.
For the wedding, he also did a great job with my bride and her bridesmaids. He had an assistant with him who took photos of my groomsmen and me (the groom). The assistant was a decent photographer, but definitely not as good as Sam. Maybe it’s the fact that we got to spend a day with Sam during our engagement so I was more comfortable smiling in front of him. But I was not as comfortable with the assistant and his English wasn’t great, so there were a lot of force smiles from my groomsmen and me.
There is one tidbit that is noteworthy. It was a little difficult getting the photoshopped album pics. The album pics were the ones that we could get more photoshop work on, like removing stray hairs, smoothing out wrinkles. After the work was done, we could not get the digitals for them. After some back and forth, we were able to get digitals of the whole albums page, but still not the individually photoshopped pics. Perhaps this was just a miscommunication or misinterpretation of the contract. But if this is important to you, better ask upfront to avoid confusion.

Oh my goodness, thank you Sam Lim for capturing my baby girl in all her preciousness… We will cherish your work throughout our lives.
Sam is able to coax the smiles, the looks, to get those priceless shots…
I’m «vaklempt,» my heart overfloweth, just completely in awe of your skills, sir, thank you!

I typically don’t write a lot of Unilocal reviews, but my husband and I were so EXTREMELY unhappy with Sam’s services that it prompted me to write this one.
We got married in May but received our wedding album over 6 months after our wedding. Each time we emailed Sam, he promised a deadline and never met it. For example, he said the wedding album would be done within a month, a week, and he failed to follow through on multiple promises. Even friends who got married after us all had their wedding photos way before we did.
If Sam could not meet his promised timeline, the professional thing to do is for HIM to email us and actually meet the next deadline. Instead, WE had to be the ones constantly emailing, asking him what happened to the album he promised MONTHS ago. Even after this extreme hassle there was nothing Sam did to compensate for the frustration, time, and endless emails we had to send. Sam wrote in his email that «I will include your wedding and engagement photos on a customized flashdrive so that you can have a hard copy of your engagement and wedding images» to make up for our troubles. WEEKS have passed and no follow up. Another failure on his end to keep a promise.
In keeping this review objective, I’m giving him 2 stars because Sam did a good job on our engagement photos. Our wedding photos on the other hand were taken by people in his studio not Sam himself. The photographers were pleasant and friendly and photos were okay, but their photos do not compare to Sam’s.
Overall, yes Sam is an excellent photographer but there are a lot of photographers who take good photos AND deliver great service. I would opt to go with another photo studio if I could do it again. After all, weddings are emotional, once-​in-​a-​lifetime, and expensive events and you should expect nothing less.

Sam is a photographic genius! I stumbled upon his work and just knew I wanted him to photograph our wedding journey. He was fun to meet during our initial meeting and gave us an offer we couldn’t refuse. He was prompt for engagement photos and weddings, quick to respond to e-​mails, so humble, and sometimes took on the role of event planner to make our day go as smoothly as possible! He is so professional, has a passion for what he does, has a great eye for what could make a spectacular photo, and definitely knows his stuff! He’s worth every penny. Book him!

Sam and his team are amazing! We fell in love with Sam when we took our engagement photos in Santa Monica. Sam gave us a variety of options based on our preferences. Sam definitely works your angles and the light– you will be amazed when you see them.
During the wedding weekend, I said this over and over again: Sam is my BEST BRIDESMAID!!! He helped make sure all parts of the photo (dress, hair, accessories, background) was just right before shooting. He honestly gets the process and gets the bride/​groom and the crazy family that is included. He also is calm and is able to handle the chaotic situation with ease– which in turn made us feel at relaxed. I think everyone in the room saw how amazing he was at commanding the people in the photo (in such a comforting way too). He has that magical eye for lighting and «the shot» and directs you with ease.
Sam also has an amazing team who work very well with our other vendors. I have to give a HUGE thanks to
for making the introduction!
Can’t wait to see the final prints!
All 250 of my guests are excited to see his work also!

We are so lucky to have Sam be our engagement Photoshoot photographer! He is very nice, professional, and talented. Sam was flexible and he listened to our requests. Our location picks:
1. Huntington Library — Sam knows the place very well. All we had to do was follow him and VOILA you get awesome pictures. If you choose this site, please note there is a fee for the permit. Also, we recommend that you get the golf cart especially if you wear a dress.
2. Marina del Rey (ocean and our condo) — Sam had to drive the boat and take pictures at the same time. This is a tough job considering it was windy and we had some big waves! Sam managed to do it very well.
3. Santa Monica Pier — Sam took great artistic shots that are so beautiful we plan to replace all the paintings in our house with his shots.
Due to the traffic we encountered, our Photoshoot ran longer than expected. However, Sam was flexible and he did not charge us for the extra time, which we really appreciate.
Here are some of our pictures that we took from Sam’s Instagram because we are too excited and just can’t wait to get our pictures.

I met with Sam regarding possibly booking my wedding with him. He was beyond nice. I was late for our meeting and was frantic about not having quarters for the meter. He gave me some quarters and made me feel very comfortable with him. He sat with me for a while and showed me his portfolio. His work was so amazing and he’s such a sweetheart. I didn’t end up using him because he was out of budget. However, I respect his work and think he’s fabulous. He was not pushy and really tried to work with me. Thank you Sam for being so kind and honest.

Sam is very professional, and very talented. His photos of our wedding were beautiful. He was punctual, friendly, efficient, patient, and clearly very experienced. He was able to make time for us on fairly short notice (we only needed him for a one-​hour courthouse wedding).
Sam gave us a delivery of one week. He did not make this deadline, but we did have our photos within two weeks. And while he was late delivering the photos, he was extremely prompt in his replies to my inquiries about expected delivery, etc. The quality of the photos more than made up for having to wait a few extra days to see the pics. So I’d probably give Sam 4−½ stars because of this, but I’d rather give him the full five and just be thorough in my review.
I would recommend Sam without any hesitation whatsoever.

Sam is absolutely an AMAZING photographer! He is very professional, focused, yet easygoing, warm, caring, and extremely patient. Sam is very detail oriented and knows just how to get the best shots. This was our first time working with a professional photographer and we were nervous about how to pose, where to look, stand, etc.
Believe me when I say that taking impromptu pictures on your phone with your friends is a lot easier than having to take professional pictures. I never realized how much thought goes in to a professional photo shoot.
Engagement Session:
During the E-​session he gave us a lot of valuable guidance on how to pose better and to get the best shots out of us. We took our pictures in DTLA at Grant Park and the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Sam found great spots for us and came up with really neat shot ideas.
Wedding Day:
Fast forward to our wedding day. Sam and his assistant, Sean, showed up a little earlier than they were supposed to so they would have enough time to set up and not have to rush.
Sam had really fun ideas for the pictures after the ceremony for the wedding party. I had a shot list of a few shots that I had liked on Pinterest, but I can honestly say that I did not even need to look up anything. Sam came up with great and fun shots for all of us.
Choosing Sam Lim Studio for our engagement and wedding pictures was by far one of the best decisions we made for our wedding.
Whatever you do, do not skimp on your photographer. Remember, you will have these pictures to remember your special day for the rest of your lives and you want them to be amazing!!!
Thank you Sam & team!

Sam is… just wonderful. He made my wedding so awesome. He’s professional, nice, calming, please please book him for your wedding. I have been part of photoshoots for other ‘professional’ wedding photographers and amateur wedding photographers, but nothing comes close. Thing is, your wedding day will fly by so fast and you just need Sam.
Sam is well known as one of the best photographers out there. My dad’s friends were all impressed I had Sam and his crew at my wedding. He’s apparently known as the «world famous photographer.» I hired his service with 2 photographers and 2 videographers, and to say it was «worth it» is such an understatement. Use his services with the videogarphers, because they work together on the wedding day and know how to coordinate events together.
First of all, Sam is highly experienced and he made my wedding flow smoothly. The wedding coordinators at my venue set up the photo frames and such, but in the coordination of a lot of the events was actually Sam. He takes charge and does everything perfectly. E.g.: We had to go around and make it around 25 tables and take pictures with every table, and so Sam’s assistant photographers and videographers went around making sure the table ahead was already well posed so that I could smile at the camera then hop over to the next table and smile for the camera again.
They all have head sets on and walkie talkies continually communicating instantly with each other despite the loud music and noise in the background.
He is also nice and polite. In such stressful situations where he needs to capture a shot, I’ve never seen him get frustrated and start barking and yelling at people.
Before I walked down the isle, I was super nervous and he would just tell me it was okay and just had this calming effect, haha. Anyway, besides being full of talent, he’s also a really good person.
I’ll update this review to be more thorough when I have more time. :D
For now, for all the to-​be brides, please please book him and his services if he has room for you.

INCREDIBLE experience!!! Way beyond our expectations!
My husband and I live in Fort Lauderdale, FL and were planning our wedding to be in Manhattan Beach, CA. As you can imagine, planning a wedding remotely isn’t very easy and adds A LOT of stress to an already stressful situation!
I had called and talked to a bunch of different photographers and videographers. But when I finally talked to Sam, I knew he was the one! He was extremely easy to talk to, very quick to respond to any questions or concerns I had, (which meant the world to me when working from so far away) and was always happy and relaxed, which relaxed me and made me less stressed. Not to mention the prices are more than fair for the AMAZING work Sam and his team do!
The day of the rehearsal, we also had Sam come to capture some of those amazing moments that you never want to forget, as well. Sam just has an incredible eye. He misses nothing! Extremely professional and such a pleasure to work with! I knew for SURE that day after meeting and working with Sam, that we chose the right guy!
Then the day of the wedding, I couldn’t have been more pleased with their punctuality and professionalism, and yet the light-​heartedness that Sam and team brought to my day! Not to mention the FABULOUS photos I’ve seen of myself that day! Im never happy with photos of myself! As a bride, you hope to have those magical moments to savor forever! And now I have them! Couldn’t be happier with our decision and urge others to choose Sam Lim Studios for their special event! You won’t regret it! HIGHLY recommended!!!

Consummate professional, courteous and amazing at his craft. I first worked with Sam for my apparel model photoshoot. 3 photoshoots, family photo session, daughters first bday bash celebration later, I am writing this review. Incredible to work with, but above all else, let his work speak for itself. I will go back to Sam for ALL photography needs and would strongly recommend.

We are nearing our one year anniversary, and I am striving to write all the reviews for our vendors before the mark. Sam. Oh Sam. Where do I begin describing how much I love Sam and his team (especially Rocky).
My husband and I both appreciate good photography. We aren’t professionals, but we can definitely tell when there is an artist who is a cut above the rest. I was introduced to Sam’s artistic work well before I was engaged to be married. I followed him as he grew his business through his website and facebook. Just take a look at his website and you’ll recognize how simply stunning his eye for the perfect shot is. I’ve appreciated his work for family photos, expectant mother photos, and most of all — his wedding photos. Just looking at his wedding portfolio will send any woman-​to-​be-​wed reeling through the clouds, sighing and hoping that her day too will be captured as magnificent. So when my number was up to start planning our wedding, I told my now husband that there was one vendor that we absolutely must have — Sam Lim.
Now, I was not one of those girls who dreamed grandiose dreams for her wedding. I didn’t care for all the fluff… nor was I super particular about the details. I hoped for a small simple wedding with a cheap dress made by «I don’t really care». But I love photos, so this was one thing that could not go wrong. The stars aligned themselves for me through my absolutelyfreakingfantabulous wedding coordinator, Caroline of Serenity Events [see review here:
]. Caroline worked closely with Sam and I couldn’t have been more thrilled. She coordinated our meet up with Sam at his studio in downtown Los Angeles.
First impressions: Sam is super easy to talk to. His studio is simple yet classy, with some great samples. Upon our first in-​person meeting, we felt that Sam listened carefully to our desires. He was very detailed with the services that he could provide. I don’t know what the going rate for wedding photographers is but in retrospect (comparing cost to value of services and products received), he was worth every dollar. We decided to have our engagement photos, wedding day photos, album (big and parents albums), video, and large canvas print handled through him. They’re all amazing and breath taking. we don’t regret the price tag.
Working with Sam: As affable Sam can be in person, when he’s working — he is working. You could see the wheels turning as he’s trying to envision the perfect shot. He’s not just clicking away with the camera for hopes of a great shot. His moves are thoughtful, calculated, and efficient. It speaks volumes to his skill and talent for photography (he actually teaches photography). For example, during our engagement photos, he spent some time with us to just chat and relax a bit and brief us on what to expect. He taught us the difference of each side of our face (one side looks a little younger). Our most favorite lesson: TURTLE!!! (My husband and I are on the chunkier side. Sam taught us to stick our chin fwd, face up– like a turtle– to bring out the feature of our face and avoid the oh-​so-​horrible double chin. We still use this technique to this day.).
The photos from our engagement were AMAZING. We couldn’t have been happier.
But the work he did on our actually wedding weekend. that’s what really highlighted his 5 star rating.
On your wedding day, if you’re as neurotic as I am, the show has to go as scheduled. Caroline and Sam worked together like clockwork to ensure that the show ran flawless. If you haven’t read my prior wedding vendor posts, my wedding was a full day event (a blend of three cultures– with just as many costume changes), 400 guests, 3 venues, and a blinding whirlwind. Sam and his team were connected via headset (just like the secret service), and they were exactly where they needed to be at every moment. We got all sorts of breath taking photos, including moments that my husband and I were not privy to during all the commotion. Looking through his photos, I was able to take in the true beauty of my big day… and sitting here, now almost a year later, his photographs still resonate with the same joy I had on my wedding day.
Simply put: Sam helped to capture one of the most precious and important milestones in my life. He gave us one of the greatest gifts of all: the ability to preserve memories of something so life changing. Combined with his flawless and truly superb skill/​talent/​art… we couldn’t have been more honored and more thrilled to have him there on our day. We can’t thank Sam and Rocky and the rest of his team enough for their work.
If you’re looking for the best photographer in Southern California to preserve an event that you will never forget, Sam Lim Studios is the only way to go about it.
Five Stars and definitely the best.

Amazing!
Completely exceeded our expectations!
From the engagement shoot to the wedding day, Sam and his team were very professional and calm and relaxing to be around. Things can get quite hectic on the wedding day, but Sam was great at giving clear directions, staying calm, and creating artistic poses for the wedding photos. Even in the big family shots, Sam was great in getting everyone to coordinate together so that no time was wasted. We loved our engagement photos and we can’t wait to see how the wedding day photos turned out.
Thank you SamLimStudios for doing such a wonderful job!

O M GEEEEEEE!!! where do I start!!!
I LOVE THEM I LOVE THEM I LOVE THEM I LOVE THEM!!!
Ok seriously… I love them! HAHA
Sam and his team seriously go above and beyond your expectations. Not only are they extremely professional, but they know how to make you feel so special and like family all at the same time. From the minute we started shooting our engagement photos, I fell in love. He just knows how to make you feel so comfortable in front of the camera. He directs and guides you, tells you exactly what to do. everything just felt so effortless. The day before my wedding, I needed a photographer last minute, and he even managed to squeeze me in with TWO other shoots scheduled for that day. It’s something he didn’t have to do, but that’s what I’m saying by he makes you feel special and like family. He was even able to make my 93 year old grandma laugh in the photos! This will be the first family photo we EVER got of my grandmother actually laughing!!! The whole team is so sweet and patient. The morning of the wedding day was a complete disaster and everything got delayed, but the whole team was so reassuring and sooo patient and they were so on point that we were even able to take a 30 minute break before the ceremony started. I really don’t know what else to say except that they’re amazing! You just have to experience them for yourself. I can confidently say that he’ll be our go to photo man for the rest of our lives (or at least until he retires. hehe) By the end of the night, Sam was already like an older brother to me. My hubby and I will NEVER let him go!!! xD
To Sam and Team– Thank you sooo much for everything! I can’t wait to see my video and photos. I already know they’re gunna be amazing and that’s what’s making the anticipation so much harder!!! You guys made our day so memorable and we are truly so thankful for that! We’ll see you guys soon!!! Next is our baby pictures!!! =)))
WE LOVE YOU GUYSSSSSS!!!
–Irene and John Park–

Sam and his team are talented, efficient, and professional.
We hired them to photograph our pre-​wedding & wedding photos, and were extremely impressed not only by the results (which were outstanding) but by how well they worked with us. They know how to make you feel comfortable & confident, which poses/​scenes are most effective, and how to bring out the best smiles (including small children!).
Our friends and family are blown away with Sam. We’d definitely hire him again, and would recommend him as your photographer for any special occasion.
Book early, because his schedule can be quite busy!

Sam Lim is the photographer to hire for your upcoming event! We hired him for our engagement shots as well as our wedding and they came out amazing! Beautiful shots we will cherish for the rest of our lives. Sam and his team shows up on time and are seasoned pros. My wife and I are a little bit camera shy, but Sam made us feel so comfortable in front of the camera and made us look like stars! There’s nothing worse than a photographer who makes his presence known, Sam was almost invisible to us and our guests and got amazing, artistic shots. Anyone can snap a picture, but it takes an artist to compose and deliver what Sam does.
2 years after Sam took our wedding pictures, we called him back to take family portraits of us and our son. Again, we were amazed by the shots he was able to pull off, nothing short of spectacular. We are planning on Sam taking are pictures on an annual basis! As our family grows, Sam will be recording it all!

Sam Lim played the Anne Sullivan to my Hellen Keller. Thank you for translating my business intention into photo-​being!
Before:
After:

Sam did our engagement photos.
If you had no location in mind, he will help suggest some places. Sam is willing to travel to wherever you want to take the pictures. He also suggests what colors to wear /​avoid depending on the place where you will be taking your photos. During the photo process he will both give you tips on how to stand/​sit/​look as well as let you run around doing whatever. (I usually like direction since I don’t know what to do with myself.) All his detailed thought and questions constantly reassures you he is thinking of how to take the nicest pictures for you and I really liked that.
Although, it is pretty pricey (as is with a lot of places I’ve seen), I just love good photos and Sam’s portfolio impressed me so I definitely had to pick him.
Sam is easy to contact and responds very quickly to any questions I would have before and after the e-​photo day. He re-​edited anything I was not pleased with the first time around and redeliveries quickly.
I did not use him for my wedding photos because he was way out of my budget, but he was wonderful for our e-​photos. Thank you, Sam!

They did the photography and videography for my sister’s wedding last year. The photos are AMAZING! They are not the cheapest around, but you get what you pay for. The quality is exceptionally high and you will be nothing but satisfied with your photos and video. They work really hard to provide you with fantastic service and excellent photos/​videos.