SimplyTwo Photography

Qualities I look for in a friend: Thoughtful. Kind. Trustworthy. Caring. Patient. Dependable. Encouraging. Supportive. Funny.
Qualities I look for in a professional: Respectful. Passionate. Confident. Personable. Dedicated. Driven. Equally technical as creative. Perfectionist.
Qualities I found in John Yao: ALL OF THE ABOVE.
It was truly amazing to watch John work; it was captivating to see the passion pouring out of him through every move he made, every word he had to say about each shot, and every time he took in a new surrounding presented to him. I could pinpoint the very moment his creativity would run wild; the moment I knew — at every location — when all the images of lighting and timing, placement and angles would flash across his head like a film reel and his eyes would light up like a little boy on Christmas morning. I can promise you, nothing reassures your choice in a photographer than seeing the passion and dedication behind one’s work unfold before your eyes.
The next thing that sealed the deal for me? Comfort-​ability. See, there are those who love the camera; those who know how to engage the camera; those who come alive in front of the camera… and then there are those who get anxiety just thinking about ever having to be in front of a camera. Hi. Of course, John reassured me as any photographer would (even after I shamelessly told him how to do his job just to accommodate my fears) but I still had my doubts about being awkward, walking funny, and flashing a smile worth turning into a meme. Yet all these were quickly shot down about five minutes into meeting John. After greeting him in our hotel room at the Palihouse in Santa Monica, he was genuinely most excited to get to know us. No, not the «how we met» or «how it happened» story… us. He inexplicably found ways to instantly connect with us and just like that, he felt like a friend; a friend we could have known for years. He then stealthily moved into taking some our first and — dare I say — some of the best shots of the day without us even noticing it happening. Before we knew it, the show was on the road and I was perfectly okay with it… in front of a camera. There wasn’t a moment where I felt awkward or an instance where he caught me snarling as I tried to smile; it was just as if we were naturally reliving our love story and every single shot John took reflected that with pure perfection. It takes a lot to make someone feel comfortable in their most vulnerable moments. It’s not a skill you can learn; it’s not a degree you can major in… it’s a quality you must possess, a characteristic you build on. John embodies this and more, and his work is a living testimony to that.
So at the end of this whole experience with engagement and wedding photos in tow, my dad had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with John throughout the wedding day, and he left me with a few tokens about this undoubtedly reputable photographer.
«He’s a really great guy,» Dad said, «He’s a genuine person with passion and dedication for what he does like I’ve never seen before. I respect him. He’s probably the best choice and the greatest investment you made for your wedding. I hope you refer him to everyone you can… he deserves it.»
My dad? The stubbornly critical father who proudly claims that nobody will ever work as hard as him and is determined that nothing will ever be good enough for his little girl? Well, now that’s something.
So if you haven’t gathered much from this novel of a post of mine, I hope you walk away with just this: keep searching for a photographer if you don’t want to be disappointed… but stop searching if you want to BLOW YOUR MIND.
Thank you John, for putting my fears to rest and giving us some of the best experiences of our lives. Memories are usually what make the books but you, sir, you have broken the mold.

It’s true what they say about weddings… «If there’s one thing you splurge on, make sure you’re happy with your wedding photos.» Without a doubt, we knew John Yao would have us covered the moment we chose him to be our wedding photographer.
I actually met John a few years back when he shot the photos for one of my friend’s wedding. The pictures came out like a storybook fairytale. John has the talent to capture amazing candid shots. He is passionate about photography and likes to have fun with it too.
PHOTOS:
John has an eye for angles, lighting and backdrops. He knows his locations well and is able to work in almost any environment. He makes pictures look flawless through a lens. He suggested a great location for us to snap some sunset shots before our reception that turned out magical. When my husband and I saw some of the highlighted pictures John featured on his blog, we couldn’t stop looking at them. Each one was near perfection and our wedding party loved the photos.
PERSONALITY:
John’s got a positive spirit about him. He’s down-​to-​earth, easy to work with and yes… a dog-​lover. Some photographers give a unique vibe where it may be uncomfortable as you shoot photos throughout the day… But not John. He makes it feel like you’ve known him forever. We knew that was important and wanted to be comfortable with our photographer.
PROFESSIONALISM:
John earned our trust from the get go. He was very quick to respond to our emails, text messages and phone calls. There’s something about a quick response that builds reliability and trust. He made us feel comfortable each step of the way leading up to the wedding and the day of. On the day of our wedding, John showed up earlier than the time he said he would and stayed until the very end with us. This is something I appreciate because it shows he really cares about his work and not about watching the clock. He sent us a preview photo 2 days after the wedding and we were featured on his blog 4 days after. His quick ability to develop, edit and post highlighted photos from our wedding kept us on our «wedding high» for days.
My husband and I are so happy we went with John Yao. Everything leading up to the wedding, the day of and even the speediness of the photos afterwards was such a pleasant experience. We couldn’t have been happier! We look forward to seeing our full album and all the negatives in due time.
Thank you John for capturing our special day in the South Bay!

Do it! You know you want him.
Despite the drought here in California, all the momentous events of our relationship seem to be associated with a little sprinkle, starting from our very first date. This has been quite unfortunate for 2 people who hate getting wet. After all, who doesn’t enjoy blue skies and sunshine?
That being said, I am so glad John Yao talked us into doing our engagement session in the rain. We had such a great experience with John and his flip flops, yes, flip flops, out hiking Eaton Canyon and downtown LA through an intermittent down pour. He was personable and made us feel at ease the entire time. Our photos turned out even better than we expected. It was exactly as he said, the rain brings out all the colors and reflections that you can’t capture otherwise.
The day of the wedding was also wonderful. John was so professional and prompt. He kept shooting even though some of his camera lenses were stolen halfway through the day. All my friends and family were impressed with the photos. I could not be happier with him as our photographer and would recommend him 100%.
Thanks, John!

John is one of the best photographers out there! He’s photographed our wedding, and we’ve loved him so much he’s taking a fun anniversary session for us as well as family photos when our daughter turned 1 year old. I can’t give enough rave reviews about John. First off, he’s super casual. Don’t expect any stuffy old-​school photographer. John is super fresh and rolls with whatever you throw at him — ideas for photoshoots, your wants for your wedding, etc. His creativity shows off in his photos — which are bright, fresh, fun and just breath-​taking at the end of the day.
I feel like he caught me, my husband’s, and my daughter’s personalities through our facial expressions so well. His timing is perfect — for a wedding or for families. I never saw him intrude on my wedding day — I hate the photographers that stick out like a sore thumb, but John is discreet yet somehow is in place to take stunning photos of your day.
I would take photos with John every year with my family if i could afford it! :) But all the photos he takes are covering every inch of our walls. I wouldn’t trust anyone else for such a big day of my life. :)

Hi John! Does anyone still review you on Unilocal… like how I found you thru a friends recommendation??? ^_^
Simply Two was my photographer for my wedding held last year. Can’t rave enough about how excellent our engagement photo + wedding photos came out. He’s a dressed down professional that you wouldn’t realize he was taking his job seriously. Hire him for your photography needs, you won’t be disappointed.

John is simply the best. In my line of work, I’ve had the privilege of working with a lot of different photographers on a variety of marketing, print and web jobs. My, now wife, brought Simplytwo to my attention for our wedding and I was blown away by the quality of the work. On our first meeting we really nerded out of photography, lenses, technique and approach. We both knew he was our guy and signed a contract on the spot. Fast forward a year after an Engagement and Wedding shoot and I am even more impressed with John both for his technique and how much love he puts into his work. He may be the most talented of all the photographers I’ve ever worked with. Best of all was Johns personality, he really works hard and does so with an incredibly positive and infectiously optimistic attitude. John shoots weddings for a living but during our two shoots I could tell that he was constantly trying to push the envelope and shoot things in new ways with different techniques. I can tell he is the type of person who constantly strives to do more and shoot better and that makes him both a great photographer and equally great person.
As a business, Simplytwo is all John. He admittedly tries not to shoot wedding week after week so he can give his clients a lot of time and attention. So when you book Simplytwo you get John and only John. His site is full of his work and that of his usual second shooter Chris. who was equally delightful to work with. On a technical level, I was very impressed with a lot of the compositing and layering affects John did, in particular for our engagement shoot. For a lot of the sparkler and lighting effects he did required a lot of compositing and photoshop work that I wasn’t expecting. Again, this is beyond what your typical wedding shoot would do… very impressive. On the day of the wedding he was equally great in both bouncing around and capturing real moments along with a lot of one-​on-​one time creating fun and technically challenging shots. The day after the wedding… yes the day after… he sent over a teaser of a shot my wife and I did with us if front of our ceremony site with rose petals flying through the air… stunning, simply stunning. It was an absolute pleasure working with Simplytwo!

John Yao is the freakin man. He shot my wedding and engagement session 2 years ago. He is a super laid back guy, extremely approachable and easy to get along with. As a to be groom — he made something that I thought would be deathly boring pretty fun and more than tolerable. The day of the went he went above and beyond our expectations and even stayed to help clean up afterwards. Who does that? Before our day started he also rolled through to work out with my crew and smash breakfast burritos.
Service ⁵⁄₅
Voice ⁵⁄₅ (sensual and soothing. He can massage your mind and ego with compliments)
Handsomeness ⁶⁄₅
Tree climbing skills ⁵⁄₅
If you are struggling with self esteem issues john also does not only a great job with capturing photos but he showers you with so many positive phrases like «so sexy», «don’t stop», you wouldn’t even realize you’re in a photo session… I definitely believed I was better looking than I actually am by the end of the day.
Would absolutely contract him if I get married again, lol.

Cross posted from our review on Wedding Wire!
Oh where do we begin with our review on John… Well first of all, I have been following John for years prior to getting engaged. I fell in love with his photojournalism & how he is able to tell a story through his photos, the couple’s story. After being proposed to, I had to convince the future hubby to hire John as our photographer. John was very quick to respond (& always has) & answered all of our silly questions.
Fast forward to our engagement session, we felt so at ease when meeting John for the first time that it felt like we’ve known him for years. John has ninja skills, too. You don’t even know he’s taking photos of you both since you’re so at ease. He can make anyone feel comfortable in front of the camera. Too bad our engagement session got cut short due to a huge wave killing most of John’s gear *insert super sad face here* However, I think that made us come closer.
Fast forward again to our wedding, John was helpful in helping me organize my thoughts come wedding day. I was getting slightly nervous, but he made our whole wedding party at ease. He was professional with our guests & especially to our family members. John was also very flexible with guests wanting to have bride/​groom time & still getting the perfect shots in the absolute most perfect settings/​lighting.
I don’t think we have laughed so much as when we are with John & that happiness from being married has definitely shown through in the previews that John has already sent us. We also had the pleasure of doing an encore session with John the next day & that was spontaneous & the most fun photoshoot ever!
John definitely has a talent that not many possess & you definitely will not find a photographer with more personality & genuine passion in getting that perfect OMG shot for your special day. He goes above & beyond what you expect! Also, he takes photos like a boss! I’d write more but I’m tired: P

John is an awesome photographer. He is talented, creative, and works really well with people.
Our engagement shoot took a full day traveling around LA (including being in LA traffic), but John never complained. He was professional and patient throughout, capturing the exact pictures and locations that we wanted and adding his creativity into the mix for some of our most memorable shots.
On the wedding day, John arrived about an hour before our scheduled time for photos, and when asked why he was there so early, he replied, «An hour early is on time.» (That made my mom happy.) Our bridal party had a great time with the pre-​wedding shots – nothing ever felt forced or tiring. One of the bridesmaids said it felt like a Vogue photoshoot! During the family photos, which I expected to be pure chaos, John was funny, engaging, and got everyone’s attention directed to him.
My only advice to brides is to book early – we booked him over a year before our wedding. His 2013 calendar was booked before the year even started!

Updating my review post wedding. Still blew me away. We got a few highlight photos a week after our wedding. A WEEK! Anyway, perfect lighting perfect everything.
This guy is THE best. And he has an incredible cat, that you may or may not get to meet.

John is a master photographer. When you first meet him, he seems a bit shy and coy, but once the gloves come off, he is a whiz with the camera. He notices things that novices and experts alike don’t take into consideration. His imagery captures the very soul of the moment.
The first thing you’ll notice about his photos is the lighting. His daylight pictures stream through and make the subject matter seem something out of a Robert Frost poem or a Renaissance painting. However, his best pictures have the rich colors he captures at twilight. It took only one look at some of these pictures for us to pick him without a second thought. He also works with you to incorporate props, dinosaurs, and whatever you want and can think of into your pictures. John’s cool demeanor belies his youthful humor and he will keep you smiling throughout the process. From your engagement pictures to your rehearsal and finally to your wedding day, John gets all the shots you want and those special pictures that every bride and groom envisions at their wedding.
Unknown to us, a friend of ours also hired John as their photographer after we hired him, but before we got to meet him in person. We had the opportunity to see him in action and he did not disappoint. Several people made passing comments at both our friend’s wedding and our wedding that John «doesn’t look out of place. He was dancing with the crowd while capturing shots. He was a part of the party.» And to us, this is the best way to capture candid pictures of your friends and family.
Weddings are supposed to be a once-​in-​a-​lifetime event. These pictures will provide a wonderful vivid reminder of that special day years to come, so you might as well go with the best.
And for the bridezillas out there, John takes many pictures for wedding magazines — although he will be too humble to tell you that in person.

Wedding photography was our top priority in our wedding, and choosing John as our wedding photographer was by far the best decision we made.
We can’t even begin to describe what an amazing experience it was to have John as our wedding photographer. As a Hawaii bride and groom, we were desperate for a high quality photographer at an affordable price. What we found in John was so much more. Not only was he by far the most talented wedding photographer we found, but he also worked out a great «destination» package for us. Moreover, he listened to and cared about our story, and became our dear friend and not just our photographer. He attended the bachelor party, wedding rehearsal and rehearsal luncheon, and made it a point to connect with people and make them feel at ease. He has a way of making even the most camera shy person comfortable in front of the camera and look photogenic!
He was also super flexible — we asked if he would be willing to do an engagement shoot for us straight off the plane three days before the wedding, and not only was he willing but he brought so much creativity and adventure to our shoot. He didn’t stress when wedding day preparations weren’t running on time, but found ways to take all the shots he needed and make sure we were all still having a great time.
We love his photojournalistic style — we just got our 1000+ wedding photos, and they are beautiful and full of emotion. John went out of the way for those too; I (bride) had pinned favorite shots of his on Pinterest and when he heard this he looked up my profile and took note of all the shots I wanted and made sure I got all of those at the wedding (raining flower petals and all!), and even looked at other pins just to get to know me more and what kinds of things I like.
On top of all that, John is wacky and FUN — many of our favorite memories from our wedding are times we spent with him! Now we just need another excuse to hang out with him again…

I first met John Yao (SimplyTwo Photography) when he shot my MOH’s wedding a year before ours. Immediately, I knew I had to book him even before I was officially engaged! I was immediately sold on the way he connects with the bride, groom and wedding party, and told my now husband (then bf at the time) that we have to book John when we get married!
So fast forward a few months, we got engaged, and pretty much picked our wedding date accordingly to John’s availability. John met my husband for the first time when we had an initial meeting at a local boba shop in West LA. My husband immediately liked his laid back attitude, creative ideas and work with you as a friend approach.
We spent a whole day with John for our engagement photos and felt so comfortable with him taking our photos. We toured around LA, shot in the rain and got drenched at some point, but it was so much fun thanks to John’s creative and fun style. We absolutely loved our engagement photos and received endless compliments from our family and friends.
Now, for the big day. By the time, September 15^th came around, we felt like we’ve known John for years. When he showed up at the hotel to shoot our wedding that day, it felt like seeing a good friend right before the wedding. He helped plan and coordinate a lot of the schedule so that we would maximize our time. He made us feel comfortable and most importantly, special. You don’t get the feeling that this is the 237 482 0078^th wedding he’s shot, but rather he is a good friend that genuinely wants to capture all the special moments of our big day. As the wedding day continued, and things got hectic, he was always there to keep everyone calm. He also works very well with all of our vendors! We felt like one big happy family. We couldn’t be happier with John Yao at SimplyTwo and would recommend John for shooting all your life’s biggest moments!

John Yao of SimplyTwo Photography is amazing! He shot my wedding in Hawaii because no one in the Pacific (or the world for that matter) compares to the genius of John Yao!!!
I found John when I spotted a friend’s engagement shoot on Facebook. His work is exciting, fresh and natural. Best of all, he’s fun and just an overall nice guy.
From my initial contact with John, he made me feel valued. He promptly answered all of my emails prior to our engagement shoot and our wedding day. John is extremely organized and you never have to repeat your requests. He is also extremely patient with children, those with special needs, the elderly and language barriers. My family consists of people from all of these groups and John made sure to accommodate them. They all look amazing in my pictures. On the day of my wedding, I discovered that my jewelry had been misplaced. He helped me and my bridesmaids tear the room apart. He magically calms tense situations. Also, all of my vendors commented on how easy it is to work with him.
I am a fan for life. I wish I had the words to say how amazing John’s work is. Just take a look at his website or blog. You’ll be blown away. I promise.

John is THE best wedding photographer. It was too bad we couldn’t book him for our wedding, but he was awesome enough to do an engagement session for us (he’s crazy booked, so try to lock him down ASAP!). We were so awkward at first, but he was patient enough with us and make us feel so comfortable. By the end of the night we were having way too much fun. Thank you so much for giving us the most amazing photos that we’re so in awe of. :)

During the wedding planning process, my fiancée and I placed photography high on priority list. After the music turns off, the guests go home, and the flowers wilt, you will still have your photos for a lifetime.
My wife (then fiancée) and I searched far and wide for a photographer who met expectations and budget. After scouring over a hundred websites and speaking to several photographers, we chose Mr. John Yao. It was one of the best wedding decisions we made.
John’s style is clean and fresh. His photos are less posed and more natural, capturing the emotion of the day, the moment. Judging from his blog, even when shooting at the same location, each couple’s session is unique. He is an expert in finding beauty in the mundane.
But his best quality is his ability to make us feel comfortable in front of the camera. After months of planning, we were so nervous for our engagement shoot. But within in the first ten minutes of the shoot we were at ease, focusing on each other rather than then the camera or all the distractions around us. When the engagement photos arrived a few months later, we received tons of compliments; but more than that, each time we get a chance to revisit the photos, they take our breaths away.
Needless to say, by the time our wedding came, we knew we were in good hands. And this peace of mind on your wedding day is priceless. We are eagerly awaiting our wedding photos.

John Yao of SimplyTwo Photography is Simply AWESOME!
I can honestly say there was a time in my life when I didn’t know I was going to marry my husband (bc we hadn’t met yet) but I knew I wanted John to be my wedding photographer. I have been following him and his work for years now. He was the official wedding photographer of at least 3 of my very close friends and he consistently did an amazing job. When it was time for us to sign the venue contract, I made sure John was available before we set the date.
John is super talented, experienced and knowledgeable. I liked how he was open to our suggestions of engagement session locations or specific poses. But if we weren’t sure what we wanted, John would get inspired by the location’s angles, light, etc. Some of our best engagement session pics were taken in an alley on our way from one place to another. We got so many compliments… if only people knew we were literally staring at cars in a parking garage.
I’m glad John was on hand to capture every moment of our big day. He walks the fine line of being relaxed and making us feel comfortable, but also professional and in charge of a big group. John is great at making our bridal party and guests at ease in front of the camera.
John’s work is better than I expected. We love every picture he took!