Freed Photography and Video

I will try to make this short and sweet…..Bryan Blanken is AMAZEBALLS! Our first meeting with Bryan, my husband (now) and I knew he was our man – we practically signed our contract and locked him up when we heard he was available. He is an extremely talented photographer and pretty much amazing all around. It was such an honor to have him capture our wedding day and I cannot say enough about the quality and value of his work. He is professional, attentive, organized, and easy going, which made taking all the photos a fun part of our day. The best advice Bryan gave me during our engagement shoot was to be myself and stop worrying about the “perfect pose” or everyone around me – because he would capture everything. He was totally right. You all can rest assure that Bryan will do a fantastic job of capturing the special and memorable moments that you probably wouldn’t have thought about. We received a sneak peek of our wedding pictures a week after our wedding (love the quick turnaround) and I can’t explain the amount of wonderful compliments we have received – not only from our family and friends, but recent or future brides who happen to stumble upon our pictures on facebook. I am so grateful for Bryan and cannot thank him enough for his ability to capture all the emotions my husband and I felt during our special day. I know I will cherish all the pictures forever. Boys and girls….he is worth every penny!!!!!!!! I recommend him to everyone. I know for a fact he is extremely popular and gets booked fast, so I would definitely lock him ASAP!

I've known Bryan Blanken with Freed Photography for over ten years. While in the industry, Bryan was the photographer for the first wedding I was an event manager for. I knew then I met terrific talent. Over the years, Bryan and I remained in touch through industry events as well as "meeting on the set" for other friends weddings and family portraits. Once engaged, when it came time to select our photographer, without a doubt, Bryan and Freed were our number one choice. Bryan fortunately already knew my now husband Jay and understood our preferences and style without really having to ask. The day of our wedding, (Nov 4, 2011 at Kent Manor Inn), Bryan was an extension of our party and made it all easy. Our wedding was small and intimate and Bryan fit in nicely with our guests which made capturing memories on film easier! Our family and friends have commented about how nice our photographer was and how connected he seemed with Jay and I. We've since received our pictures and are very happy. As we went through the hundreds and hundreds of pictures, we relived the entire day... There are so many pictures where I can remember exactly what was happening and what was said at that moment- Bryan captured it all. We couldn't have asked for a better person to be with us the day of our wedding. We will absolutley continue to recommend Bryan and and Freed.

Freed was one of the more expensive photography companies we looked at, but after a disappointment in the photography department at my sister's wedding, we were pretty convinced that it was worth the $$. And it TOTALLY was! Not only do our pictures look incredible, but our photographer, Bill, was very easy to get in touch with, and really fun to work with on the wedding day. We got a free engagement session, and that was great to get to know Bill, and to figure out what it's like to smile and get your picture taken for an hour straight! You'll be spending alot of time with your photographer on the wedding day, so having someone fun who you get along with is really important! Also, it's awesome to have a photographer who can get great pictures FAST, so you can actually get back to the party, and Bill totally did that. I heard from all of my friends not to expect my pictures for months after the wedding, but 6 weeks after the wedding we had a disc with 1200 high res images, and a few days after that we were started on the album. We also got a photo booth from Freed which our guests loved. They brought a box of props which was hilarious (and our flower girls ran around all night in their boas!) I can't say enough good things about Freed, if you have it in the budget, you won't be sorry you spent the money on them!

I couldn't have been happier with the team from Freed Photography. They added the personal touches to our wedding planning that only a seasoned professional could. From finalizing the wedding timeline with both the Bride and Groom's input in mind, they not only provided us with stunning wedding photos, but stress-free assistance throughout the wedding process. It was an absolute pleasure working with them!

John with Freed photography was wonderful to work with. We haven't gotten the pictures back yet, but are looking forward to seeing them. John came prepared to take pictures outside on the National Mall despite hurricane Isabelle. He braved the wet and the wind to help us get the pictures that we dreamed of. He was professional in his appearance and very discreet when taking pictures. Thank you very much John!

We just got our wedding pictures back this past weekend and they are FANTASTIC!! The photographer (Nick) was great! He answered all our questions, took the time to try and do all the annoying poses/shots I asked for, and the pictures turned out great! My only disappointment is that after seeing these pictures that we didn't have time to take even more! They took shots of things we didn't know happened which made the whole day that much more memorable/enjoyable.

Freed Photography is the best in photography in the DC Metro area. I enjoyed my entire experience with Freed. From scheduling my wedding day and going into the studio to look at portfolios to meeting with our photographer Jenifer to shoot our engagement pictures. Jenifer was spectacular and she has a real eye for the images that she captures. My husband and I were really happy with our engagement pictures and knew that we would be in good hands on our wedding day. Our wedding day was on August 6, 2011 and looking at our proofs we have so many wonderful pictures to choose from for our album and to have in our home. For our wedding we also rented the photo booth. The Freed employee that handled the photo booth was also excellent. Our guest really loved her and told us that she really made the photo booth something everyone wanted to take part in. She even convinced my grandpa who never takes pictures to let loose and have fun. From the outstanding service that Freed provided I know that I will be using Freed Photography for future life events. I am truly pleased with the product that Freed produced. I would recommend Freed to any bride and groom planning their big day.

Beautiful and Professional Photos:After looking through some portfolio’s online, my fiancé and I went to Freed Photography for an initial consultation. Everyone was extremely kind and professional. We picked our photographer, Pablo, and got the opportunity to see a complete slideshow of his work. We then did an engagement shoot, where we had the opportunity to personally meet and work with Pablo, before the big day. This was amazing, as it allowed us to meet him, for him to get to know us, for us to get comfortable with the camera and to discuss what our preferences were regarding the photos we wanted, the style, etc. On the day of the wedding, he arrived before the agreed time (and as a bride… this is definitely something you value a lot at that particular moment). He brought all of his equipment as well as an assistant. We did some "getting ready photos", some formal photos, photos during the ceremony, cocktail, and reception. Overall, the photos were amazing. Some were traditional, others extremely artistic. The final product was truly terrific!! I would highly recommend Freed to anyone looking for a professional studio. All of their photographers are great, and their staff is very organized, responsive and hands on. Thanks again for all the great moments captured on our special day!

Freed is wonderful to work with; everything seemed to click from the time my father and I walked into their office. We were able to view the work of several photographers and picked one that had a style that matched the theme of our wedding. Jason was great, he worked hard and has a great artistic eye. There were some artistic shots I wanted that he made work even though they were not easy. Did I mention I got married on the hottest Saturday of the year in July!!!! Thank you Freed and Jason!

Nicholas Griner from Freed Photography captured such incredible weddingphotos. They look amazing and he did a wonderful job! We are so thrilled toshare the photos with others! His dedication to detail andmastery of "capturing the moment" just means so much to us.

Selecting a photographer AND videographer can be a painful and expensive part of the wedding planning process. The team from Freed Photography and Videography makes this as easy as they can -- their work portfolios speak volumes for them. We had Bryan Blanken and his team shoot our wedding and they left me in tears (of joy) over all of the memorable moments they were able to capture. Our video which was shot by Jamie is nothing less than excellent -- it truly is like watching a professional movie only to find that my husband and I are the stars of it. There are no words to describe the amazing talent of this company other than: THEY ARE WORTH EVERY PENNY!!

We used Freed for our wedding on 6/18/11. Freed and in particular Bill was great!!!! He actually help make things go off without a hitch!!!! First when our limo was running late to the ceremony he called his assistant to bring out our bouquets so we had them. Then when our second limo broke down they joined us in the cramped limo and not one compliant about kneeling on the floor or being shoved in a small part of the front of the limo. Then throughout the knight I heard awesome things about how great they were at getting the photos we requested. Really, I am not sure I would have made it through the day without them......thank you guys you were the best and went along with all of our antics without question!!!!! You were the best!

Freed Photography are true professionals. They have a number of different photographers, each with his or her own aesthetic. It is important to visit Freed's studio in person or search their website thoroughly to choose the photographer you want with the style that matches yours. They have photographers who are very "glamour" oriented-- lots of gorgeous, bright colored photos, fishbowl shots, shadows, etc. They also have photographers who do more subtle photojournalism-- more emotional shots, less flashy lighting, but still very beautiful and clear and elegant. And they have other photographers that also have their own style. Everyone is excellent and trained and highly professional. We decided to go with Pablo for our wedding photographer. Pablo was not only a brilliant photo artist, he made our wedding day 100 times less stressful by being the "chief organizer" for the first few hours. Making sure everyone was in place, with boutonnieres on, smiling, standing up straight, hands out of the pockets, girls with their legs crossed the right way. He was a real leader of the day, and I never expected him to be such a great asset to our wedding. I will always be grateful to him for helping to make our day great. At Freed, it is important to know that certain photographers come in certain price categories. Pablo and a few other of their premium photographers are more expensive than others. While we adored Pablo's style, I believe Freed's other photographers are excellent as well. Additional photographers and albums can be had at extra cost. What I loved about Freed was that the prices were all very understandable- there were no hidden fees or costs, no "extras" that were surprises. We knew exactly what cost what. It was a relief, as most wedding vendors charge additional fees for everything and are not forthcoming about it. Finally, for their masterful work, Freed was one of the most reasonable wedding photographers we interviewed to be part of our wedding. I believe they were in the middle to upper-middle of the price bracket and I believe their quality is exquisite. Their professionalism, honesty, and kindness throughout our planning process was also impressive. I recommend them 100%.

Russell was excellent and everyone was very pleased with him during the event and the pictures were beautiful!

Jenifer is so easy to work with and really cares about what she is doing. She is very professional and a pleasure to be around. And my pictures look great!!

When we walked into their office in Bethesda, I was instantly impressed by the level of service Freed provided. We were brought into a cozy room, offered a drink, and then the "show" began. On the flat screen T.V. mounted on the wall, we watched several of the photographers' portfolios matched with background music. Very impressive. I was not expecting that! :-) As soon as I met Bill, our photographer, I was immediately put at ease knowing that he was a professional who I could rely on to record the memories of our special day well. One thing that I really treasure is that I have my loved ones' mannerisms and patterns of movement captured. He listened to what I wanted and made it happen. And for that, I am forever grateful. Bill and his team were really chill and relaxed the entire time. I received so many compliments about how the photographers were everywhere taking photos whenever something notable occurred. "How many photographers were there?!?!" was a comment I heard from more than one person. On the day of the wedding, Bill had a third photographer come along for free! We had only thought we were getting two. We were told that our pictures would take 4 to 5 weeks to process and Freed was true to their word. I also liked that we were able to buy the rights to our pictures outright without ordering any prints. Brides- trust me and put your mind at ease on the best day of your life. Especially if you want candid pictures like I did- Bill from Freed Photography is the right man for you!

We couldn't be happier with our experience with everyone we encountered at Freed. Our meetings with Bryan and James (our photographer) were great - we felt really confident that we were in very good hands from the very beginning.James and his assistant Jayrol were incredible to work with - we had planned an outdoor wedding & pictures that were ultimately rained out, and we had a lot of moments during our pre-ceremony pictures where there would be a break in the rain and we'd get ready to shoot some pictures outside, just to get to the door and have it start to pour again. James and Jayrol were super resourceful and patient, and got creative to make the most of having to stay inside our venue for our family & wedding party pictures.After the wedding, lots of guests commented to us about how nice and fun they both were. Freed went the extra mile for us after our event, as well. Mother's Day and my father's birthday fell 3 weeks after our wedding - before our proofs were ready - and the team was able to pull and edit some pictures of our family ahead of time so we'd be able to use them as gifts.Finally and most importantly - we got our photos back and they're incredible - better than I could have ever hoped for. They captured so many moments that we would have missed or forgotten, and the images are beautiful - we'll treasure them forever!

We decided to go with Freed and its been the best decision from the beginning. Everyone was so nice and helpful at our first meeting. Our photographer, James, was professional and took great pictures. We did our engagement session with James and he did an amazing job. Words really can't describe the day of the wedding. From the moment James showed up to take pictures of the girls getting ready, he was definitely on top of his game. There was no fumbling around, James was ready to go. This went on for 8 hours straight. He even went as far as to climb a vehicle at the parking lot of our reception in order to get a better angle for a picture. That's dedication! Although we haven't received our pictures (because we just got married), I have no doubt that they will be wonderful. We definitely plan to use Freed and James in the future.

Our photographer was fantastic! He braved a hailstorm followed by a rainstorm less than an hour before our outdoor ceremony to be there early for set up; luckily the skies cleared just in time. He was extremely courteous and took some great photos.

The photographer was the one vendor we were most interested in and price was not an issue. For us, the only thing we'd have after the wedding are photographs. (We did not get a videographer) We looked for a photographer who did more candid, stylized and non-traditional photos. Friends of ours used Freed and spoke very highly of them. The original photographer we arranged to use from Freed ended up not suiting us so our wonderful consultant, Camie, worked to get Bryan. My fiance and I met with Bryan and he was fantastic; he made us laugh so hard and he got a sense of us at a couple immediately. As I was more nervous than one could believe, Bryan made me feel at ease and continued to joke around with me. Even with the snow in the air--in March...first day of the cherry blossom festival--Bryan didn't push us to do outdoor photos. It was up to us. We went for it. We are so glad we did.On our wedding day, he made us feel so comfortable as a couple and in front of the camera. We can't wait to see the proofs.Thank you Bryan for a day to remember! Thank you Camie for making it all happen