Dan Stewart Photography

Dan shot our engagement & our wedding photos (Michelle & Gabe on his website)
Dan has a great eye for detail and lighting, and he is a very friendly guy to work with. It didnt seem forced with him, we were able to be ourselves and have candid shots. He is incredibly friendly and fun. His assitants that helped him at the wedding were also very professional and great to work with. I highly recommend Dan for anyone who is getting married in Northern Michigan. He was also quick about getting our photos edited and back to us… Which is RARE TO FIND. I have several friends who got married the same time as us, and it took 6 months to get their wedding photos back from other photographers. WE SCORED finding Dan!!! :)
Plus, he can grow a mean beard. I mean… it should have its own hashtag #danstewartsbeard

After months and months of researching all the photographers in northern Michigan, we decided that no one compared to what we saw on Dan’s website. He is an incredible photographer and we loved working with him. When we met him for the first time, we had flown to Traverse City from San Diego in the middle of winter for our engagement photos and Dan was so patient with Mitch and I when we needed to continuously defrost in his car. Dan and his crew were respectful, professional and a joy to work with at our wedding. They captured all the special and fun moments from the best day of our life. We DEFINITELY recommend Dan Stewart Photography!

Dan Stewart is everything you want in a wedding photographer. He is as professional and easy to work with as he is talented and creative. We had two sessions with Dan, one for our engagement photos and the other for our wedding. Both were positive experiences and we are absolutely thrilled with the photos he created for us each time. We also chose to use the Motion Booth (
) at our reception, which our guests are still talking about to this day!
His work is consistent and high quality. In additional to the products and services he offers, Dan provides an impressive turn-​around time for his photos and is always easy to communicate with. As both a customer and as a fellow photographer, I cannot recommend Dan and his team highly enough!

Dan shot our wedding on the beacj in Mexico, and I have to say that his photography skills and personable demeanor were what made him the best photographer for which we could have possible hoped. If you want a great photographer who takes the time to get to know you in an effort to bring out your personality in your photos, Dan Stewart is who you need. 5 Stars, great photographer!

Instead of focusing on what Dan does for you (just check his amazing work on this website), I’ll tell you how you feel after he shoots your wedding and you get to see the results.
He and his lovely wife Liz shot my wedding late September 2009. I have a limited but higher than average knowledge about photography, as I took 4 years of it in high school; so my fiancé let me have full control of who we choose to hire. The first photographer I pursued (based on her portfolio and a personal recommendation) was booked the day of our wedding. I was thoroughly disappointed, but spent the next 2 weeks solidly researching photographers from Los Angeles, San Diego and Michigan. After viewing Dan’s portfolio (his old website) I was impressed with the breadth of his body of work (sports, weddings, photojournalism…) and the stunning images he produced but I was not particularly comfortable with the amount of experience (time) he had. I believe at the time of initial contact, he had he just completed his undergraduate degree and was venturing out on his own. However, after several emails and a few phone conversations I was confidant I had the right guy for the job.
Photography, especially wedding photography is a very personal thing, so no one can claim to be a one-​size-​fits-​all. If you’re looking to hire a photographer in the northern Michigan area here is my advice:
1) Look through all Dan’s work posted on this website. If his artistic style fits your vision, contact him right away.
2) Be explicit in what you want a lot of photos of. If you want a lot of traditional family type photos after the ceremony make sure you budget your time (and sun, if outdoors) wisely. Also, let the man do his thing. By all means give him your input along the way, but give him some time. Photographers need time, especially the wedding party photographs.
3) If you want two photographers (I recommend it) to cover your event, use his wife. She did a great job, they work really well together and she is less expensive than him hiring another contractor.
Dan is professional, a good communicator and trustworthy. He’s also patient — we tested his patience at the rehearsal dinner. He was scheduled to be there for 1 hour, but must have stayed over 2 and this was on his wife’s birthday (her first as his wife). Damn, he’s dedicated too!
Oh, and let me tell you how I felt after seeing his finished work;
I felt like I robbed the guy. I was going to pay the first photographer I wanted (but was booked) well over double what he charged me.
I feel like I found out about the «next big thing» before anyone else.
I was amazed with the image quality and quick turn around of finished work.
My wife felt like printing every single photograph he took (~700) two times… at GREAT expense.
Our friends are jealous and want a flux capacitor so they can have them at their wedding.
If Dan was a publicly traded company, I’d buy shares without hesitation.