Michael Tsao Photography

This is the second time we’ve used Michael’s service since my wedding in 2012 and my husband and I couldn’t be happier with his excellent job for our baby shower!
We’re so lucky to find such a reliable photographer.
After we received the photos a few days later of the event, we were amazed! We didn’t even notice when they were taken. My family and friends also loved the photos, saying that he captured the moment very well.
Can’t wait to print out and hang them on our wall!

Michael and his wife, Yvonne, are an awesome team. He recently shot our engagement photos at Will Rogers State Park in the Pacific Palisades. My fiancée and I weren’t even planning on doing engagement shots, but are so glad we did! They actually made the process before, during and after fun, which neither of us were expecting.
Our families and friends (many who have had their own wedding photographers, etc.) have commented that Michael’s work is some of the best that they’ve seen of engagement photos. We think it’s attributable to the fact that he really captured various facets of our personalities — not just romantic shots, but also fun /​silly shots, serious shots, and over a huge variety of backgrounds (he also helped us find a horse!). Of the hundred or so photos he ended up sending us, the least we could narrow it down to for our wedding website was 30! And our family and friends still wanted to see more, ha.
The entire process of working with them has also been seamless, which is NOT trivial. As we are planning our wedding on our own, we have come to realize that wedding-​related vendors can sometimes be hard to pin down, etc. so we have truly appreciated Michael and Yvonne’s responsiveness and friendly professionalism!
Prior to setting up the shoot, we had one meeting with them where we got to see his portfolio and discuss what our preferences were in terms of look and feel. Then Michael and Yvonne not only didn’t flinch at having to go out to LA to do the shoot, but also went out a weekend prior to scout out the area for us — Michael really cares about his work, and this is just one indication of the type of service that he provides.
On the day of the shoot, Yvonne did my fiancée’s makeup, and though I honestly have never seen her with so much make-​up on before, the photos turned out beautiful and natural — so kudos to her experience. During the shoot, Michael made the experience natural, giving us just enough direction to make the photos turn out great, but not so much that we didn’t feel like ourselves in the few hours we were together. Throughout, he was patient and came up with good ideas as we hiked all around the property, finding new nooks and places to take photos.
For anyone looking for a wedding-​related or other photographer in the OC, LA, or other area, highly recommend them for their professionalism, friendliness, and great quality, all at a great package pricing.

Michael was the photographer for our wedding rehearsal, rehearsal BBQ luncheon, and wedding in July 2013. Let me mention also, that these events occurred over 3 consecutive days, and Michael did not hesitate to make himself available for each one. He showed up on time, if not earlier, and always presented himself in a very professional manner. Michael’s fiancé at the time — Yvonne, is a professional makeup artist who did my makeup the morning of the wedding and also doubled as Michael’s second shooter. We were thrilled to have found a ‘package deal’ like this. For simplicity, I will focus this review more on the photography of our wedding day only.
When we first met with Michael and Yvonne, they were extremely friendly and easygoing. Michael came prepared to show us photos of previous weddings he had shot, from beginning to end, and we really liked his style. We knew that we would work well together with them and that they were the right photographer for us. They also made sure to work closely with our wedding coordinator for all events that day. Yvonne spent a full afternoon with me doing a makeup trial about 1.5 months before the big day, making several suggestions that would help with the makeup application on the big day. On the wedding day, sure enough — she was right! My makeup turned out flawless and she did a great job.
Michael is an extremely skilled photographer, and with Yvonne as his second shooter, they were able to capture almost every moment at the wedding. We were very pleased with all the photos! They provided us with a complete set of all digital prints in a timely manner — within 6 weeks of the wedding, as promised. We received two CD’s in the mail, which contained photos of all three wedding events. The photos were sized to enable larger printing, which we thought was great! I’ve spoken to other photographers, many of whom don’t typically provide photos printable to any size larger than an 8“x10″, so that was a huge plus for us because we ended up enlarging several of the photos. After showing friends and family all our wedding photos, we received numerous compliments on how great a photographer we had!
Michael’s photography style is very classic yet candid and organic. He had a very hands-​off approach that allowed the day and the events to just flow as they happened. There wasn’t too much in the way of ‘posing’ in all of our photos, and he gave us the freedom to pose however we wanted, except for a few ‘classic’ poses, which he directed us on. Michael wanted to capture us in our natural interaction with each other, while still allowing us to have fun and enjoy the moment and the big day. Throughout the wedding event, we almost didn’t even notice he was there. We loved all the candid shots of our guests, and us. We especially loved all the fun photos he took of all the kids too. The photos turned out very natural and soft looking, which is what we wanted — not too overexposed or over-​edited. Michael did an excellent editing job and we were very happy with the final product. I have a huge family so the family photos took quite a long time, to say the least, but Michael was very patient, flexible, and accommodating to all our photography needs. There were a lot of little details and handmade items and Michael made sure to photograph every item, from the homemade wedding programs to the flower arrangements and table decorations.
Last but not least, they provided moral support during the panic attacks I had prior to the wedding, including forgetting my veil at home! They definitely went beyond the ‘call of duty’, and it’s clear that they genuinely just care for the bride and groom to be happy and have the perfect wedding day. Michael and Yvonne are an AMAZING team and they work so well together. We feel privileged to have found such an amazing photographer to capture the moments of the biggest day in our life!

Absolutely ADORE Michael and Yvonne.
I was lucky enough to have Michael Tsao Photography cover my wedding events this past May. I was having a Pakistani wedding which is a multi-​day ethnic event — a ton of fun but quite different than your run-​of-​the-​mill American wedding. Michael and Yvonne were FANTASTIC to work with and some of the most kind-​hearted people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting throughout my wedding planning. They were punctual, professional, and respectful. A wedding is such a personal event and to find photographers that can capture important moments without getting in the way is truly a blessing. Their pictures had an artistic eye that I appreciated, they caught beautiful natural shots without forcing anyone to be «posey».
Along with being an awesome second shooter, Yvonne is multi-​talented and also moonlights as a makeup artist… can you say one stop shop?! Yvonne was the makeup artist for my mom (who looked fantastic) and was readily available for touch ups and pretty much anything we needed.
She saved me from a panic attack — as the bride I had gotten ready hours ago (by a different artist because I had booked them before meeting yvonne) and was just waiting for my entrance into our reception. Yvonne and Michael were out and about taking pictures when I was just about to leave the bridal room. As I was walking out, I felt something «off» in my makeup… I checked the mirror and oh my god, one of my false lashes had come loose! Imagine the panic of standing at the door, on your way out, and knowing your lash could flip flop while you’re on stage and everyone is taking pictures of you!!! I quickly sent my brother to get yvonne and even though my makeup wasn’t her responsibility, she whipped her bag open and within 60 seconds had me fixed and on my way. THAT’S the kind of person you want there on your wedding day because they understand how important the details are — and it didn’t matter if she was there to take pictures or do my makeup, she was there when I needed her and did what she could to help me. I think that right there speaks to her character if nothing else.
They really are a fantastic team — the pictures were great, i loved having them there, and it was just an overall success. If you’re considering them for your wedding, give them a call and just talk to them — I’m sure after your first conversation they’ll gain your confidence and trust as they did mine.

After the November wedding, holidays and the transcontinental move to DC earlier this year and all the travel, I finally caught a break to write a review!
Although it’s been a while since our shoot, I still remember the day we did our engagement shoot with Michael and Yvonne.
Because my husband lived in DC at the time. it was hard for us to lock down a date for our engagement shoot. Michael was flexible and accommodating to our various date requests and we were able to schedule the shoot with relative ease.
Prior to the shoot, Michael discussed with us the type of setting, pose and style we were looking for. He also sent us a list of his favorites spots for our review, as well as some tips on outfit, hair/​makeup, and other stuff. (My favorite is the reminder to bring a pair of flats/​flip flop so my feet were happy for the whole shoot)
We met up around 10:00am on the day of our shoot, Yvonne, the makeup artists/​second shooter was super sweet and helped me with my hair/​make up. We also convinced my hubby to let us put a little concealer under his eyes to hide those eye bags he got from being jet-​lagged
We then set out to a full day of shooting. We went to 5 locations (my favorite was Crystal Beach) during different time of the day to capture different lights. Michael was professional and provided instructions where needed. He’s great at capturing candid emotions and told us to just be ourselves. 30 minutes into the shoot, we were so comfortable we forgot a camera was there. Michael’s relaxed vibe really helped my husband since he laughs uncontrollably when he’s nervous.
Throughout the day, Yvonne was a sweet heart helping touch up my makeup and help lend a voice of reason when my husband suggests silly poses/​shoot. We wrapped up the day tired but satisfied.
The photo selection process was quick and easy. Michael was so considerate, he gave us a copy of our pictures in two sizes– large format for printing, and small format for sharing online and saved us the hassle to re-​size the photos.
All in all, we had a wonderful experience with Michael and would recommend him to anyone who is looking for a fun-​filled, relaxed engagement shoot.
I’ve uploaded a couple of my favorite on Unilocal.Enjoy!

Michael was the photographer for my son’s first birthday. We really enjoyed working with him. He was very patient and paid a lot of attention to details. He captured all the memorial moments and the quality of the pictures are outstanding! We all felt very comfortable working with him and definitely recommend Michael to everyone!

This past weekend I took two of my little girls to the Arboretum in Arcadia for the scheduled photo shoot with Michael, the owner of this studio.
I must say that he is not only professional but also very sweet and patient — he eased my girls’ nervousness for their first photo shoot, patiently gave them advices and tons of encouragements on how to smile and pose naturally.
A week after the shoot — he had already organized and sent me the photographs! What really impressed me was the quality of the shoot. Michael captured the girls’ candid moments and reflected them beautifully on the photographs. He made the entire experience smooth and fun for the girls.
All in all, I’m so glad that my girls had this photo shoot opportunity with Michael because of his professionalism and the wonderful photographs. I will definitely schedule more shoots with Michael. Thanks again for the wonderful experience!

Michael took tons of amazing pictures at our fairy tale wedding at Disneyland. He was always available via personal consultation, email, phone calls, and text to discuss our preferences for our wedding. I am a very meticulous bride and Michael’s attention to details, creativity and professionalism left a lasting impression on me. His rates are reasonable and as we look back at our wedding pictures, we realize how lucky we were to have him as our photographer. My husband and I highly recommend Michael Tsao Photography!