Freed Photography

Selecting a photographer was one of the most important steps to me in planning the wedding. I LOVE photos, and after all, when the day is over, they're what you have left to remember. At Freed, you meet with a consultant who shows you video portfolios of various photographers from whom you can choose. I immediately fell in love with Nick's work and selected him as my photographer. I also opted to add a second shooter. I selected eight hours of coverage and requested to break-up Nick's and the second shooter's time - having Nick arrive earlier and leave earlier and the second shooter arrive later and leave later. My fiance and I did not see each other before I walked down the aisle, and I wanted to get all of our individual photos taken beforehand. In order to allow enough time for pre-wedding photos and also have a photographer on-hand for our exit at the end of the night, I determined that I needed to stagger the coverage. When I met with Nick, he said no one had ever made that request before. He explained some "risks" (i.e. that a less experienced photographer would be primarily responsible for some of the shots), but I was comfortable with the setup and he went with it. In the end, our second shooter's photos were great and this arrangement worked out perfectly for us. Nick was fantastic. He's engaging and generally just fun to be around, which is nice since you're spending quite a bit of time with the person photographing you! He obviously enjoys what he does and works to get the best shot every time. Our photos were phenomenal, and I'm so glad I selected him as our photographer. Another HUGE plus about Freed is that they turn the photos around in less than three weeks!

Bryan with Freed is one of a kind. He is fun, professional and extremely talented. Our engagement photos were so perfect we did not think he could possibly get better. However, he did! The wedding pictures are stunning and photos we will treasure for the rest of our lives. Bryan also had the assistance of Gabrielle on the day of our wedding and they were a fantastic team. Gabrielle was a blast and took a lot of great photos of our friends and family. They both have the ability to make the most camera shy people feel comfortable. Our guests were constantly "striking a pose" for Bryan and Gabrielle. We consider ourselves very lucky to have worked with such an amazing team. Bryan was not just there for us on the day of the wedding but helpful during the entire process. Freed is a wonderful and professional company with so many talented photographers! Thank you for creating photos we can enjoy the rest of our lives!!

We had the pleasure of having Jenifer and Jayrol from Freed Photography as our photographers for our January 2012 wedding. Jenifer and Jayrol provided us with so many stunning images from our engagement session and from our wedding. During our initial consultation with Freed we were immediately impressed with their professionalism and responsiveness, they made special arrangements so we could meet with Neal Freed during the weekend when their studio was closed. We met with Neal who explained each of their packages in great detail and the costs. Neal even offered us a discount because our wedding was during the “off-peak” season. Neal then showed us a series of slideshows from different photographers to select from and our favorite was Jenifer’s. We first met Jenifer for our engagement session and we immediately had a connection. She is so easy going it was easy to feel comfortable around her, which I’m sure comes through in the images. As our wedding day approached, Jenifer helped us come up with our photo schedule for the wedding day. Jenifer was even nice enough to meet us at our wedding venue (Park Hyatt Washington) to preview possible photo locations. On the wedding day Jenifer and Jayrol were great. They arrived in the suite and the cameras immediately started going. This is a wonderful team; they were both very fun and easy going while maintaining an air of professionalism. Jenifer and Jayrol were able to capture every aspect of our wedding so beautifully, they even stayed a little longer to get a few more shots and they captured so many of those “little” moments where you don’t know your picture is being taken. Those are the images we love the most. Now we have close to 1,400 images capturing our wedding! We were so lucky to have photographers that we were so comfortable with. We only have the nicest things to say about Jenifer and Jayrol and the Freed team. Our guests even loved our photographers! Freed Photography is a great group. We would not hesitate recommending Jenifer and Jayrol from Freed to capture your wedding. Thanks again Jenifer and Jayrol!!

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 wedding photos. They look amazing and he did a wonderful job! We are so thrilled to share the photos with others! His dedication to detail and mastery 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!!

Shawn and I are currently living in Boston, but have friends and family in the DC area. We opted to have our wedding in DC so that more people would be able to attend. We hired a wedding planner, Ayran Kanter, to help with all the details. The ceremony took place in the evening at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Chevy Chase. The black tie reception followed at the Crystal Room in the Willard InterContinental. Ayran highly recommended Bryan Blanken of Freed Photography. Since we were traveling from out of town, our schedules were pretty fixed in terms of availability for meetings. Bryan was more than willing to accommodate us. Shawn and I had ideas for shots, particularly outdoor shots with the monuments. Bryan was always open to our ideas, and didn't hesitate to provide honest input. We trusted his expertise (I wanted a shot outside when my husband and I first saw each other. However, Bryan let me know immediately that the lighting would be an issue and we opted for a different location). I couldn't be more pleased with the pictures. I know every bride has images of what her wedding will look like, and my best advice to you is to trust Bryan, his artistic eye and his years of experience. You will not be disappointed.

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!