Photography By Chana And Don

I could not be happier with the pictures from Photo by Chana and Don! When I look through the pictures they took, it makes me cry because it just takes me back to the day and how perfect it was. The reception pictures really captured how much fun everyone was having. At one point on the day of the wedding, Chana made me walk through a field of horse poop, which I was hesitant because my dress got really dirty, but she insisted it would be worth it. I trusted her and it was completely worth it! After seeing the pictures, my friend who just got married one month prior was completely jealous at how great my pictures came out. Chana and Don where also great on the day of and really made us all feel comfortable as they snapped away. I highly recommend them!

Chana and Don photographed our May 2015 wedding at Scripps Seaside Forum. They are so sweet to work with and got us our photos and parents’ albums right away after the wedding. Inevitably, there were a few shots that I wish had been captured, but of course it’s impossible for any photographer to capture every single moment and Chana was very patient with me while I was e-​mailing her trying to find specific shots among the almost 1000 pictures they gave us! Of course the pictures are beautiful and we are so grateful that they captured our special day.

I initially contacted Chana while sending out mass emails to potential vendors, but quickly knew Chana was the photographer I wanted to do my wedding! She was so bubbly and personable… over email… that’s hard to do! She offered us a free engagement session for booking online which was a great way for us to meet and get to know her before our big day. She’s just as awesome in person as she is over email :) We loved working with her and her photos of our engagement session and our wedding turned out amazing! She was so easy to communicate with throughout the planning process and was totally on top of all the details (which is super important to an organizer like me!). She gives you ALL of the edited photos within 2 weeks which is just phenomenal… we were still on our honeymoon and she already had teasers ready for us! She offers photo books and prints, but also gives you a link to print photos from home that you can share with all of your family and friends. She has done tons of weddings so she knows all of the poses and combos for the wedding day — we didn’t need to give her a photo list, but make sure you tell her if you have a few specifics you would like :) She’s super quick — we were able to knock out all of the bride’s and groom’s side photos in an hour before the wedding and our wedding party and bride/​groom shots done during happy hour with a few minutes to spare. Overall, she’s great and you won’t be disappointed!

My husband and I used Chana and Don for our wedding in November at the Nixon Library and they were amazing! I highly recommend them. We met them for the first time the day of the wedding and they made us feel comfortable right away as well as our wedding party, they were fun and they took beautiful pictures that really captured the magic of our day.
Prior to the wedding Chana created a timeline for our day and accommodated all of our picture requests. I worked with her over email up to the wedding and she was very prompt, organized and very professional.
You cannot go wrong using them and their prices are extremely reasonable!

I met Chana and Don at a bridal fair, and they happened to not be booked for my wedding the next month. I was of course, anxious about choosing a photographer, as I am very indecisive and on a budget. However, Chana and Don were AMAZING! THe day of the wedding, they came in and took over for the photograph session (which is what I wanted), however, also listened well to our input. During the ceremony and reception, they were sneaky and took great pics without me even noticing they were there! Very easy to work with. It was a little pricey for me personally, but I think totally worth it! We got some great pictures, my favs were the nonposed, natural photos they somehow caught. I would def use them again (for family pics, not planning on getting married again =)) or recommend them to anyone!

My husband and I recently were married on Aug. 9, ’14. We chose Chana and Don because my husband’s sisters both hired them to photo their weddings. I saw their wedding photo examples and I knew Chana and Don would be a great fit for us, but I never imagined our photos would be so spectacular!!!
They were so easy to work with. We had several sites between the getting-​ready photos, reveal, family shots, ceremony, bridal party, and reception site. But despite all of these location changes, we were on schedule the entire time and we now have the most amazing selection of photos with so many awesome back drops! I would go so far as to say we have the best photos EVER! I would highly recommend Chana and Don for any event. I completely trust them to capture the full scope of the event without having to say what is important, for any type of event. They genuinely seemed to have fun while shooting, and that makes it fun for everyone.
I can’t wait for another reason to hire them again!

Don and Chana are incredible!!! BOOK. THEM. NOW!
Diving into choosing vendors can be a daunting task for brides. It was intimidating to me at first and after my husband and I got engaged, I decided to really focus on referrals from friends and family. One such referral led me to Photography by Chana and Don. Choosing them was the easiest (and fastest) decision I made throughout the entire wedding planning process. It only took me one email exchange with Chana and 1 visit to their website to decide I wanted them as our photographers. Meeting Chana on the day of our engagement shoot and meeting Don regarding our contract only sealed the deal further — they are so easy-​going, dedicated, and hard-working…the list of positive attributes I could describe them with could go on forever.
Flash-​forward to engagement shoot and the outcome of those pictures. Engagement shoots can be very awkward and unnatural. Truthfully, you go through a series of the same pose in different places and with different outfits. Chana made my husband and I feel so comfortable through this process and kept it natural by talking throughout the afternoon, complimenting us, directing us with clear explanations, and keeping the mood light and full of love. Her passion for photography showed through every minute. We were beyond thrilled with the engagement shoot pictures and will treasure them forever.
Another flash-​forward to our July 2014 wedding. Coordinating in the months leading up to the big day was made simple with Chana’s organization and excellent communication skills. Her recommended timeline for our pictures was PERFECT and easily attained. When Chana arrived in the bridal suite on the day of the wedding, my mom said I lit up like a kid on Christmas. I was so excited to see her and be in her happy presence. Don and Chana made our wedding day absolute perfection and captured it in a way I did not know was possible. With 700+ pictures to choose from, there isn’t one that I don’t love. The wedding party and immediate family raved about them throughout the day as I did.
A bride and groom should be so lucky to have such amazing photographers for their wedding. I have every intention of contacting them as soon as I can for the next potential photo shoot — maternity pictures, family pics, etc. One last time… BOOK THEM NOW!

Soon after i got engaged i scrambled to find a photographer to cover not only our engagement session but also our wedding. I knew how difficult it would be to find a great photographer at a reasonable price. After countless emails and nights of searching for a photographer a friend recommended Chana and Don to us. Not only were their prices affordable and reasonable they weren’t booked on our wedding day. Chana was extremely nice and answered all my questions and I had plenty. Soon after we booked our engagement pictures and not only did they turn out lovely she made us feel really comfortable with her. I’m not a picture person kind of girl and often feel awkward in them and Chana was able to work her magic. After our engagement session I knew we had to book her for our wedding. Our pictures were so beautiful!!! And the turn around time was quick. I can’t thank Chana enough for her kindness and all the great memories she captured. She was a pleasure to work with.

I spent hours looking for a photographer. I wanted someone that was affordable, loved their job and was good at it. Enter Chana. I went to the bridal bazaar and gotten one of her cards. Out of all of the photographers I contacted she was one of the first to get back to me and happily answer any and all questions I had. Even panicky bride emails. She had the best options and packages. On the wedding day she called me and told me she was there. She instantly got to work. She is AMAZING. She will happily take any shot you want and arrange some awesome ones as well. I could tell when she got a good one, because she would make a little excited noise. We had Bethel Nathan as our officiant and Bethel got excited when we told her who we had chosen as our photographer. When someone in the industry genuinely likes another «vendor» that seems to be a good sign. Our pictures came out jaw droppingly beautiful. She gets them back to you as soon as possible and gives you a sneak peak on facebook. She is fantastic to work with and really loves what she does. Chana is absolutely fantastic and will capture your day brilliantly.

After a careful search, we decided to hire Chana to do our photos for our wedding. The nice thing about having Chana take our photos is that she has a great working relationship with the other vendors that we hired and had done many weddings at Paradise Point. She knew all the good areas to get awesome shots.
One of the best compliments that I think a photographer can have (other than the quality of their product) is that:
1) she was fun and easy to work with
2) during many parts of our wedding, we didn’t notice that she was there taking snapshots.
3) our bridal party said over and again how awesome her work was. She gets you in, tells you what she wants, and you’re done. Just like that.
After reviewing the sneak peek on Facebook, we were pleased with the candids as well as the poses she set up in different locations all over the resort. My wife even almost started crying when looking at them.
Hire them. You’ll be happy.

Chana is amazing! Professional, calm when she needs to be, high energy when she needs to be! Made our wedding day so great and memorable because of her photos.

We had a small ceremony and photo shoot, so only needed one photographer. I was impressed with Chana each and every step of the way, from her first email, to the first click of her camera on our special day, to receiving our our pictures less than 2 weeks after the wedding. Our wedding day exceeded our expectations, and Chana gets much of the credit. We were so impressed with how quickly we felt at ease with Chana, and how much we enoyed working with her that we toasted Chana at dinner that evening. We will always treasure our pictures by Chana.

Chana and Don are AMAZING!!! they just took our wedding pictures and I am so happy with the outcome! They did such a good job! I couldn’t have imagined better pictures. They are both great to work with, so nice and helpful and most importantly
led us to a ton of amazing photos! I can’t wait to go back down to San Diego to have them do our reck the dress pictures!

I was never the little girl who spent her childhood dreaming about one day having the «picture perfect» wedding. In fact, I didn’t give much thought at all to my own wedding until I actually got engaged (which by this time was well past my formative years). That said, the one detail I always knew had to be absolutely perfect was the photography. As someone who has always loved taking photos, I knew this was the one area of wedding planning that would require the greatest amount of work to get just right; at least that’s what I thought until I met Chana and Don at a local bridal bazaar and knew my search was over.
Admittedly, while bridal bazaars are definitely not my scene, this one did serve a very useful purpose: I was able to speak to the photographers in person about their photos, without having to rely on a virtual body of work absent of any context as to who actually created it. After all, when choosing a photographer (s), you are not simply asking him/​her to work your event (as you would a caterer, for example): you are inviting him/​her to share in what will (hopefully) be one the most defining moments of your life. And as inconspicuous as they might be on the big day, you want to know that they’re going to be there documenting everything from start to finish in a way that is meaningful to you. Any number of years from now, it will be your wedding photos, the culmination of both your hard work and that of your photographer (s), that will remind you of just how amazing your wedding day really was.
I could not have picked two better photographers for my wedding than Chana and Don. I knew after meeting them at the Bridal Bazaar that they would be perfect for our small mountain wedding. As others have already said, you would be hard pressed to find two more genuine people. They take their job very seriously, but also know that weddings are supposed to be fun and (relatively) stress free occasions. They were kind and gracious from start to finish, and a lot of fun – our guests loved them. They were open to suggestions (not that they needed them) and rarely came up for air. Their turnaround time is unbeatable (less than two weeks for everything). The resulting photographs are amazing beyond words, and I like to consider myself a tough critic. In the end. while their work stands on its own, the personalities behind the work are certainly an added bonus. I can’t thank Chana and Don enough for their contributions to what did, in fact, turn out to be a picture perfect wedding. Fortunately, I have a multitude of truly gorgeous wedding photos to remind me for years to come.

We had Chana and Don as the photographers for both our engagement and wedding. They did an AMAZING job on both and we could not be happier with the moments they captured. Out of all the wedding to-do’s, the most important part to me was finding a wedding photographer that would capture every aspect of the day and in an artistic, yet fun way. Chana and Don did just that and more. They are fun, energetic, and make you feel so comfortable in front of the camera. The wedding pictures in particular are so beautiful and they captured every detail and every moment so perfectly. When I look back on the pictures, I feel like I am re-​living the wedding, because they are just that great!
I would recommend Chana and Don in a heartbeat as photographers. They are very responsive, so if you ever have any questions or concerns, they return your calls/​emails within a day. They are reasonably priced and have great package options. I can’t say enough great things about Chana and Don! It was one of the best wedding decisions we made!

Our wedding officiant (Ceremonies by Bethel) recommended Photo by Chana and Don to us since we needed a wedding photographer and had no idea where to start. I attended the Bridal Bazaar in Del Mar and was overwhelmed with all the photographers there (although I didn’t see Chana and Don there so they might not have had a booth).
Anyway, in speaking with the other photographers, I felt like I was in Mexico, bartering for stuff I didn’t really want or need: «Oh, you need a photographer for a couple hours max for a small ceremony? We will do it for $ 3,500. No? How about $ 3,300 and we’ll give you a free engagement session? No? Okay, how about $ 2,800 and we’ll throw in a disc with your photos on it and some coupons for jewelry stores?» Now, I completely understand that these photographers are running a business and need to make money; but I didn’t like that they were quoting me one price, and then another, and then another, based on my reaction. I was totally okay paying a premium for such an important service, but I didn’t want to haggle over it – that’s not me.
So I contacted Chana, per Bethel’s recommendation. Chana was super friendly right off the bat, and emailed me back so quickly! She gave me a solid, reasonable price, told me what to expect and offered suggestions for engagement session spots. Our pictures turned out so AMAZING! This girl must be a pro at Photoshop or have a magic camera or something because I looked really, really good in the pictures, and I am not photogenic.
I just got the wedding photos back and they are stunning! My hubby and I have gotten so many compliments on the pictures; they look like they were taken from a bridal magazine. I am so incredibly happy that Chana was our wedding photographer. Next time I need pictures, I am definitely hitting Chana up for photos. For the record, I never met Don but if he is anything like Chana, then they are a professional power-​couple. To recap: Chana is amazing! Book Photo by Chana and Don if you can!

My husband and I chose Chana and Don for our wedding photos — we are thrilled we did! After speaking with numerous photographers, Chana and Don really stood out. We give them 2 thumbs up for their amazing photography, personality, and reasonable prices.
On the day of our wedding, Chana and Don were a pleasure to have around. They put us at ease and were contact with our vendors throughout the event to make sure everything was on track (we did not have a coordinator). Chana and Don are keen on recognizing emotions, expressions, details, colors, and took the opportunity to capture those moments. My husband and I had a large wedding party including kids, but Chana and Don did a great job rounding them up to make sure we got all the pictures we needed with our given time frame. (Chana also gives some great pointers before the wedding to make sure this runs smoothly). A few times during the wedding, my husband and I mentioned to each other that we were so happy that we chose Chana and Don as our photographers.
We love how Chana and Don work as a team. Having the two of them, there was more opportunity for various shots during the ceremony, etc. They are both very talented and the variety of pictures was phenomenal. Chana was well organized and Don was so chill. My husband is really laid back, and I think Don really made the wedding experience fun for him and the guys.
Our pictures arrived promptly and we forwarded the picture website link to all of our guests. As we went through our pictures, we were able to re-​live the moment. Chana and Don’s personality shows in their photography. There were so many professional candids and details, that it gave us different perspectives on our own wedding. There were so many moments that we didn’t realize were happening. and it’s shown on our guests’ faces. The photography not only portrays the aesthetics of a wedding but also the emotions.
Reflecting on our wedding, I realized how important it was to choose vendors that are good communicators. Chana did the email coorespondance in the months leading up to the wedding. She had informative timeline suggestions, vendor recommendations, answered all my questions, and kept track of our current decisions. (soo many times I changed my mind, but Chana was always positive and kept up with my frazzled thoughts). Also, there were many instances we worked with vendors, and they either didn’t answer a question or forgot items that we agreed on over the last month or two. very frustrating. Chana, on the other hand was one of the easiest vendors to work with. (Chana and Don also recommended Ceremonies by Bethel for our officiant… excellent to work with as well.)
I would highly recommend Chana and Don to anyone!

Our officiant, Bethel Nathan, recommended Chana and Don to us, and we met them at the Bridal Bazaar. Their fun loving and genuine personalities, in addition to their gorgeous pictures, immediately attracted us to them. For us, it was important to not only have beautiful pictures that will last a lifetime, but also to have photographers that we could connect with and be comfortable with. Your photographers are one of the few people who are with you throughout the entire wedding day and they are part of some of your most intimate moments. If they make you feel uncomfortable or that you can’t be yourself, the pictures will suffer. Given this, Chana and Don were perfect for us. They are so much fun to be around, are truly great people, and we were so happy to have them be part of our big day.
They took both our engagement pictures and our wedding pictures and did an amazing job. Throughout both of our photo sessions with them, they felt more like good friends who happened to be taking our photos and not just someone who was working.
In both instances they went above and beyond the call of duty to capture our special moments For example, our engagement photos involved train tracks and walking through the waves in the ocean. Not only were they dodging trains (we literally had to run off the tracks to avoid being hit at one point), but they got into the Pacific Ocean on a cold day to capture some amazing moments of us splashing in the waves. Similarly, at the wedding they were both lying on the ground and doing whatever was necessary to capture the moment. They are troopers and they worked tirelessly to capture every detail, and the quality of their work shows that.
We highly recommend them and honestly cannot imagine anyone not getting along well with them or being unsatisfied. Another thing we noticed about them, is that a lot of their customers are repeat customers and that they will photograph a couple from engagement, to wedding, to the birth of their children, and the countless family photo sessions over the years. We think this speaks volumes about how great of people they are, how deeply they connect with others, and how amazing their work is. While kids are still a few years down the road, there is no one else we would have take our family photos. One last bonus, is that the turnaround for our pictures is extremely quick and they do a great job of touching up and perfecting each photo. We got our wedding photos back half-​way through our honeymoon.

We have had the pleasure of having Chana and Don photograph our family for several events. We met them at a Bridal Show and booked them that day, even though our wedding was 2 years away. We started with our engagement photos, wedding, family photos with our first born and now again with our second born. I would not trust anyone else to photograph these events. Chana and Don are FABULOUS!
Their photos are always AMAZING! It is so hard to choose the ones to print. Chana and Don are patient, creative and understanding of your needs… especially now that we have little ones. They are dedicated to their work and you can truly see the passion they hold towards the art.
Chana and Don always capture the best moments. EVERYTHING is beautiful and we relive the moment every time we look back through the photos. Words can’t express how grateful we are to them for photographing such milestones in our lives.

We had the pleasure of working with Chana and Don for our engagement pictures and wedding. The engagement pictures are beautiful. We love how they incorporate color and emotion in every picture. They were even nice enough to take some engagement pictures with our dog.
On our wedding day, our guests loved talking to both of them. They have such positive energy and so easy to work with. Family and friends have seen some of the wedding pictures and can’t stop talking about them. Chana and Don truly made the experience really great! They were able to capture all the important and memorable moments of our special day. We highly recommend them.