Nirav Patel Photography

Don’t have much to add to all these glowing reviews, but I will quickly chime in to say that it’s all true! Nirav is the best. The photos were amazing and he was amazing to work with. We hired him for our Friday night welcome dinner and for the entire wedding day. The photos he took told the story of our wedding weekend, which he put into an awesome slideshow for us. We also ordered some prints through him and love them too!

Nirav is an incredible artist. His portfolio speaks for itself. But if you need some more encouragement, keep reading…
Other than deciding to get married in the first place, hiring Nirav might have been the best decision we made for our wedding celebration. We couldn’t have been happier. Nirav is more than professional, he’s a friend. He’s warm, humorous, caring, and humble. Once we started shooting with him, we were instantly at ease and knew the images were going to be great. He cares about the story we were telling — the beautiful people and places in our life — and captured these elegantly. He’s natural and unobtrusive. We never knew where he was during the wedding but he somehow always captured just the right moments.
Hiring Nirav is like inviting another close friend to your wedding, and his images are more than stunning. Our wedding felt like a perfect dream, and his work makes it look like one too.

When my husband and I began to plan our wedding our first priority was to get the best photographer. We wanted classic photos that we knew would stand the test of time. When searching for photographers we wanted someone who could capture the emotion and atmosphere of our special day. The second we saw Nirav we knew that he was the guy.
We planned our wedding date around his availability. Luckily he was available to shoot a wintery wedding in SF. His ability to capture intimate and fun moments that pair so nicely with the surroundings is nothing short of incredible. He understands the patience and detail that is required in capturing a real moment.
Working with Nirav was a complete joy. He is incredibly professional and organized in setting up locations for shoots both for engagement photos and the wedding day photos. His presence and personality was a joy to have on the wedding day. He was a calm constant for my husband and I, providing a sense of stability and comfort that was much needed on such an exciting and emotional day.
We love Nirav! :)

«When we set our wedding date, priority number one was booking our venue and very close behind that was finding our photographer. I am a wedding photographer and a friend from the industry said we should check out Nirav’s work. We fell hard as soon as we looked through his galleries. Both of us immediately loved how he worked with light and seemed to see everyone from a unique perspective.
We were never able to do an engagement session because we were planning a Sonoma wedding from Boston so one skype session, one phone call, and a few emails was the entirety of our interaction before our wedding. Luckily, Nirav is incredibly laid back and easy to be around, he felt like a friend from the moment he joined us the morning of the wedding at the maid of honor’s house.
Our wedding day was seriously more special than I could have ever imagined and it went by in a flash. Looking back over the next few weeks I started to wish that we’d hired a videographer because I didn’t want to lose all those little moments. And then our pictures from Nirav came. I truly think that his pictures hold more emotion than any video recording could. Watching the slideshow that he sent us of our „highlights“ really brought us both back to the day. Every picture had us reliving the parts of the day we’d shared, telling stories about our separate moments that day, or seeing parts of the wedding that we hadn’t been present for.
I think every review has said this in some way, but to reiterate it, Nirav is a truly gifted storyteller and there is absolutely no one else who could have told our story more beautifully. We are so lucky to have had Nirav document our day.»
— Paula and Matt

Working with Nirav was easily the best decision we made for our wedding! Every one of his images are captivating and contain so much elegance, emotion, and timelessness.
My husband and I were fortunate enough to have two photo sessions with Nirav. Each experience being nothing short of perfection. Our Engagement photos were in San Francisco, California. We went to various locations and spent one afternoon for our entire session. When we received the photos, many of our friends thought we spent 2 – 3 days shooting. This is just one example of how good he is.
About a year later, we had our destination wedding in Santorini, Greece. Our budget only allowed for Nirav to shoot the entire wedding by himself. We don’t know how he did it, but he successfully captured every important moment brilliantly. I imagine him to be a skilled ninja with two cameras on his holster — all while being super stealth and quiet. Our wedding images came out so insanely beautiful. Definitely more than anything we could’ve hoped for. His editorial style allowed our friends who couldn’t be at our wedding feel as though they were part of the day. He captures so many incredible shots that we always have trouble choosing which ones to share. As a bonus, he throws in amazing scenery images too. Really, I can go on and on about his mad skills so I’ll just include some photos to let them speak for themselves :)
In case you were wondering, he really is as kind and patient as others have mentioned! He replies to emails and gets photos back super quick. It was a total stress-​free and reliable experience for us. My husband and I love Nirav so much and can’t wait to have him shoot our future events.
P. S. Well over ten of our friends have asked for Nirav’s contact after we posted our photos online. We can only imagine how busy he currently is. Book him in advance! He truly is worth every penny and more.

Nirav’s work shines in a sea of sameness among wedding photographers. If you’re tired of looking at the same poses and want something different for your wedding, hire Nirav. This man is a genius and a prince among men and we are so beyond lucky to have had him there for our wedding.
If you’re here you’ve probably already seen examples of his work so you know you like his style. What you want to know is if he’s kind. If he answers emails. Shows up on time. Doesn’t yell at guests for taking their own photos. Yes, yes, yes and no. But more than that, Nirav told our story.
Our wedding was easily the most wonderful day of my life. I think about it every day, just to catch a glimpse of that joy I felt. When we got our photos back from Nirav last week, it was like I smelled something I hadn’t smelled since my childhood. The library. My grandma’s soup. It hit me all like a flood and suddenly I was there again and I didn’t have to try so hard to remember or imagine.
From start to finish, Nirav captured the essence of our wedding. From the chairs before set up to his drive back across the Golden Gate Brides at night, I can now re-​live my wedding day whenever I want (with the added bonus of feeling seriously beautiful in all the photos he took).
Nirav captured the moments I missed (my friends coming in and greeting each other before the ceremony started) and the ones I want to re-​live over and over (giving our dog a scratch on our way up the aisle). Basically, Nirav has a gift and I am so grateful I got to experience a glimpse of it.
Stop looking for a photographer now. Hire him.

Summary of my rather long post: Find an excuse to work with Nirav. Seriously. You will not be disappointed.
If you want the longer version, keep reading… :)
So, just over a year and a half ago, my (now) husband and I got engaged and I knew right away that photography would be one of the most important elements of our wedding. Almost as soon as we got engaged, I began the hunt for the perfect photographer and we luckily stumbled across Nirav’s work. We were immediately enamored with it, how he is able to capture and perfect seemingly peaceful moments framed and executed in a way only a practiced fine art photographer can. We loved his ability to fall into the background and capture sweet and candid moments of his subjects. So mere weeks after we were engaged, we booked Nirav, and my husband and I are SO glad we did.
A few months before our wedding, we met Nirav for our engagement shoot and he immediately put us at ease — we had never had photos taken of us before so it took a little getting used to. By the end of the session, Nirav genuinely seemed like a friend we had known for far longer than a couple hours. Not to mention the pictures came out amazingly — they not only make us look good, but they also beautifully captured the scenery around us.
Fast forward to the day of our wedding. Nirav was patient, diligent, and knew exactly what he was doing. As you can imagine, weddings can be hectic and Nirav and the second shooter he brought with him that day (Amari) kept things running smoothly and did not add to the fray.
When we received our photos from the wedding, they were AMAZING. Truly, truly amazing. I literally teared up as I saw them for the first time. He was able to naturally and organically capture genuine moments between me and my husband, and of our families and guests. While we had several amazing vendors on the day of our wedding, Nirav was perhaps the best. We hope we can find another occasion to work with him in the future!

If there were 6 stars, I’d easily give them. I’m not sure what I can say that hasn’t already been said about Nirav, but I will certainly try. I am a professional photographer myself, so photography was KEY for me in priorities for my wedding. It was the one piece that I was willing to make the investment in, because I understand the quality of the portraits that come with it. Choosing a wedding photographer based on price is a bad, bad idea. This day in your life is truly one of the most important. Having someone that is able to tell your story is great, but having someone who can tell your story in the most absurdly magical, eloquent and artistic way is freakin’ PHENOMENAL.
There truly are no words to describe how transporting Nirav’s work is. They are full of emotion — he has the ability to capture expression, emotion, stillness, joy, light, shadow, breath, heartbeat, laughter, tears, and love — all in one image. He is a master of light. The way he sees it, in combination with the subjects he captures, is the ultimate recipe in storytelling. I’ve never seen anything quite like his work.
He himself is a rockstar. Super down to earth, so easy to get along with! He has become part of our tribe. We love him. I’ve enjoyed working with him so much that I’m sad to see it end. I’m looking forward to being able to hire him in the future for an anniversary session, or whatever reason I can think of as an excuse for more.
People, he’s the real deal, and being recognized by major establishments such as VSCO, Instagram, Rangefinder Magazine and Forbes to name a few. Get him while you can before he’s even more in demand than he is now. You won’t regret it… not one bit.
My wedding story, by Nirav, is here (play the music at the top):
Ahhwoooo!!!

My clients wedding in Yosemite was amazing and Nirav captured every moment!
There is nothing like working with a thoughtful, professional and creative photographer who truly takes the time to understand his clients, surroundings and what their vision is.
Nirav is amazing. Being and event planner with A Savvy Event for the last 7 years has allowed me to work with amazing photographers, like Nirav.
His ability to read the capture moments, especially in nature, are remarkable. Nikki and Dan are true nature lovers and wanted a photographer who would help translate their love of nature, each other and the beauty Yosemite has to offer.
From a vendor standpoint Nirav was thorough, responsive and professional. His work speaks for itself and love of nature and experience in photography certainly shine. Having vendors that always have my couples in their best interest is vital to the success of a wedding day. He kept my couple calm and relaxed while also making sure they had fun, laughed and allowed thier love and personalities to come through. He did a beautiful job of capturing the event as a whole and all its guests love and affection for Nikki and Dan.
I look forward to working with Nirav again and anyone should be excited and joyed to have him shoot their special day.
The photos were AMAZING!
Jill Hinchman Hartnett
A Savvy Event, Sr. Planner

Phenomenal. My daughter and her fiancé scrutinized photographers for their wedding more than any other vendor. A passionate hobby photographer, she looked for someone who shared her aesthetic and crafted beautiful, unique, and interesting photos that could tell a visual story of relationships and personalities with light, shapes, color, movement, touches, and nearly imperceptible details more than just capture great shots or posed portraits. After being recommended by a friend, reviewing Nirav’s website, speaking to him on the phone, and then meeting with him, J & R were completely convinced that Nirav was the photographer for their wedding. My daughter was impressed that he communicated what he does and how he does it extremely well, discussing certain guidelines and expectations well ahead of time, and asking them great questions when they met together over a casual meal. J mentioned that Nirav was very personable and open, and shared about his background, life, and family. J & R walked away from their meeting feeling like they were the only couple in the world that mattered to Nirav, their wedding was the most important event of the century to him, AND that they had really made a friend.
I met him the first time when he and his assistant were performing their magic by taking photos of the girls prepping the morning of the wedding. He was warm, friendly, witty, kind, flexible, and purely enjoyable to be around. Someone in a previous review described him as a Ninja, and I concur. He and his assistant were part of the ambience of the wedding preparation and dressing (boys and girls), ceremony, games & cocktails, dinner, and reception. They seemed to be everywhere and capturing the most intimate, hilarious, touching, and incredible moments with the backdrop of an absolutely beautiful venue (Nestldown), but never in the way or prominent. Working with him was very easy — he knows his stuff, knew the venue, has a great eye, and is efficient. The posed shots took very little time because he was very clear in his direction and ultra organized. He worked incredibly well with our venue coordinator, caterers, and videographer.
The confirmation of his technical expertise, artistry, innate talent, and professionalism is in the resulting photos. He compiled a collection of his photos which he put to music commemorating the day (from beginning to end) that simply took our (collective) breath away. Every person who has seen it is awestruck and, in most cases, moved to tears — between unbridled belly laughs to intense tenderness. Along with this presentation are over a thousand photos posted on a web site to review. J & R are now reviewing layouts and selecting photos for an album Nirav is creating.
How Nirav is able to use every available element to tell the story of this couple’s lives and values and love and devotion and humor and joy and craziness and passions and friendships and families and sensibilities is mind-​boggling. He GOT them. That’s really the best that can be said of a photographer. In the short time he had to get to know them and understand what they wanted, he nailed it unconditionally and resoundingly.
My daughter and her husband have now been able to see their entire wedding day, and especially the two of them, as their guests, family, and bridal party experienced, but with much greater depth, breadth, and intimacy. These photos, like Nirav, are precious treasures. I cannot recommend Nirav more highly with absolutely NO reservation, and I want him to be part of our family. He just makes you feel that way.

Damn. Working with Nirav was amazing. Some bullet points:
* He’s patient, kind, and fun to be around. Seemed unflappable, which seems difficult in the world of weddings, with a million personalities and ideas in the mix.
* I knew that photography would be important to me, but I hadn’t been prepared for just how much the moments Nirav and his awesome second shooter (Jeramie Shoda in Seattle) would mean to me. It’s like they were everywhere, but never underfoot or overwhelming. Looking back at my photos now brings me back in a way I hadn’t known was possible.
* The photos. Not only were all kinds of moments captured, but the photos are each little masterpieces. I don’t know much about the technical aspects, but they were warm, inviting, creative and beautiful. They were exactly what we hoped for.
* The package. Every single penny was worth it. Nirav really does a ton of work and he clearly puts time and thought into all of it. We have an amazing account of our engagement and wedding ceremonies, plus a post-​wedding shoot.
Can’t say enough good things about he man, his work and the experience. Super satisfied. Thank you!

Nirav photographed our wedding and we honestly can’t say enough good things about our experience with him and his photography …but by golly, we shall try! Because he deserves some serious kudos.
We searched the internet high and low to find a photographer for our wedding and came across Nirav’s work. We were beyond impressed with his unique shots, brilliant use of light, and uncanny ability to tell a story through his photos. Nirav captures the big moments of course, but most impressively he has a knack for catching the subtle, unexpected moments, which is where the real magic lies. You can tell he truly puts his heart into each wedding he photographs, and needless to say, this and much more translated to our experience.
Nirav was professional and extremely giving of his time. He was with us the entire day of our wedding and also agreed to meet us at our venue prior to our big day to scope out the place, not something every photographer will do. And as an awesome bonus, he was a joy and a half to be around. As many of his Unilocalers have testified, Nirav became an instant friend — he immediately puts you at ease with his warm personality, fun sense of humor, and personable nature. We can wholeheartedly say that his presence enhanced our day in a way we’d never imagine.
On to the photos. Only a couple of weeks after our wedding, Nirav sent us a slideshow that included his favorite images from our day perfectly synched to a beautiful selection of music. My husband and I pushed play, and we’re instantly transported back to our wedding day, emotions and all. We laughed, cried, oohed and awed as we viewed each image. As my husband put it, Nirav «put us up in the clouds» with his creation. Or as I put it, I wanted to hoist him up on our shoulders and parade him around town — strange thing to say for sure but I think it says it all :) Nirav sent us the rest of our photos shortly after and we we’re excited to find countless other gems that we will love forever.
The moral of this Unilocal review is that Nirav is a phenomenal photographer with talent oozing out of his ears. His take on wedding photography is unique and refreshing; he’ll leave you with absolutely breathtaking images. Pair that with his wonderful spirit, not to mention fabulous taste in music, and well folks… you’ve got yourself a real winner. Nirav, we can’t thank you enough for documenting our day! Lots of love. –Sara & Kambiz

As I plunged into the process of identifying a photographer for our wedding, it quickly became clear to me that Nirav is among a handful of photographers whose work really does stand above the rest. His photos are interesting, creative, bold, beautiful. Technically, his use of light and depth of field as well as the composition of his photos are all expertly executed. His ability to craft a narrative using his camera is also wonderful.
Photography was something that we decided to put a lot of thought into for our special day. We hemmed and hawed on price a bit, but in the end, choosing Nirav was one of the best decisions we made. Worth every penny.
Nirav is a consummate professional. He is easy to work with, affable, and 100% committed to producing the highest quality work for the client. Importantly, he also has a very clear vision about what works and what doesn’t. Micromanagers and worrywarts, you are in safe hands with Nirav. Plan properly, and then relax and let him do his stuff. You will not be disappointed!

A quick glance and you can tell that Nirav is cultivating a style all his own. I was drawn to the dreamy, architectural qualities of his work, the sense that he really knew and understood the spaces he was photographing, and his ability to capture all the crazy shades of green that you only really realize exist when they shine through to brighten up a dreary rainy day.
I reached out to Nirav much earlier in the planning process than I intended to, figuring I would eventually have to research 50 more photographers, much like I did with every other aspect of wedding planning, but thought I’d at least put my feelers out and see if he was even someone we could realistically consider. He was kind and welcoming and laid back and when I confessed «all this wedding stuff is grossing me out and I’m not going to have millions of ‘details’ and chalkboard menus and haybales and junk for you to photograph» he said, «I just want to tell your story.» I was quickly sold on his attitude and his approach, and we admittedly set our wedding date in part to accommodate his schedule.
We met Nirav for dinner a few weeks before our wedding, and he gave us great feedback on our schedule, and left us feeling comfortable that we were in good hands, that he was more than happy to focus on all the great people we’d be surrounded by, and not necessarily spend a lot of time staging pictures of, say, my shoes. The day of the wedding Nirav and his second shooter were a joy to be around, and really added an element of calm and peace to the day. In the end, we ended up with seriously incredible pictures. Nirav captured expressions on my parents’ faces that I thought only I knew existed. He captured the wacky joy between my husband and me as we refused to stand still and look peaceful and romantic because we were shocked to be having so much fun. He captured the kind smiles of our good friends who had come from all corners of the country to support us that day. He captured our wedding day exactly as I remember it.

When you hire Nirav, you’re getting the full meal deal. Not only is he a great photographer, he is also one of our favorite human beings.
Nirav’s ability as a photographer has sky-​rocketed him to the top of the wedding photography world. His proven talent is not only evident in his work but is also appreciated by his peers (he was recently named one of Rangefinder Magazine’s 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography). Accolades such as these are well deserved but what makes Nirav truly top-​notch is that the quality of his personality matches his jaw-​dropping photographs.
Nirav is open and kind and will immediately put you and your better half at ease. For our engagement session we spent an adventurous day exploring the coast followed by dinner, beer and good conversation. By our wedding day, Nirav already felt like an old friend.
Clicking through our photos brought back all the emotions of our wedding day and we know we will experience those feelings every time we see them. Nirav was a great fit and we’re so happy we found him. We wholeheartedly recommend him!
Kris & April

Where to begin… His talent? His style? His grace? His super awesome photos? Nirav is not only a photographer, but someone who became our friend. And when people say that their wedding is the happiest day of their life, they aren’t joking. Ours was absolute magic and Nirav captured it perfectly– fairy dust and all!
On a more practical wedding-​planny-​side: YOU WANT AMAZING PHOTOS, trust! And Nirav is the best of the best and worth the investment. We DIYed the shiznit out of our wedding and could have gotten some recently graduated art-​school friends to do our wedding for a few hundred dollars, but it is *so* worth it to hire Nirav. You’ll get absolutely stunning photos and a rad new friend with amazing taste in music, a great sense of humor, and a huge heart. xoxo Nirav 4 ever!!!

BELIEVE THE HYPE. Nirav is an incredible photographer. My husband and I have a very clearly defined photographic style that we most enjoy — very editorial, high contrast, rich colors. After looking through about a million Bay Area photographers’ portfolios, I was sent Nirav’s way by a big photog name in town who recommended him. I was immediately impressed with his work. He was able to completely nail a cinematic feel with his photos — the opposite of all the stock wedding photos I’ve always despised.
Meeting him on our wedding day just confirmed my suspicions — Nirav is not only an incredible photographer, but he’s also a really warm and wonderful person. We just got our wedding photos from him last week, and I am so so happy. Our wedding looks like it’s straight from a magazine — and not because it was the most expensive event ever or anything — but because of the eye that Nirav and his assistant Amare trained onto our day. Many of the photos look like stills from a beautifully and carefully shot film. It’s the exact editorial style I wanted. I’m overjoyed.
If you’re looking for a photographer who is more than just a technician but is truly an artist, with a strong point of view and great instincts, Nirav is your guy. And he’s also a joy to spend the day with as well!

We finally met Nirav and it was like reconnecting with a friend from the dorms. His pop culture references and dance moves made my fiancé and I SO comfortable. AND we got our photos back in record time. Oh. Em. Gee. We just looked like ourselves. No awkward poses, no silly props. Just us and the landscape. We just chatted and Nirav snapped away. It was as if he wasn’t even there. A pleasant experience for someone as camera shy as myself.
If there was a Nirav fan club, I would surely be president. I have been following his blog for a while and I gushed to him as if he were a celebrity. Nirav was so humble and took all of my compliments in stride. It’s so great to work with someone who is as passionate and sincere as Nirav.
Nirav definitely has a signature way of framing an image and I am so pleased that we have unique and incredible photos to remember our engagement. A true artist, his images draw you in to the point where we didn’t notice ourselves because we were so enraptured with the composition of the photo. We are so lucky that he will be capturing our wedding day — Nirav is everything you dream of in a photographer and more!

In addition to being a wonderful person, Nirav is an incredibly talented photographer. He is exactly what you’d be looking for in a wedding photographer – someone who has an impeccable eye, is personable, and has a strong creative vision. His photos are unique and memorable and his working style unobtrusive yet he will let you know exactly what to do and you’ll have fun doing it! We were impressed with how he would discover the most interesting compositions in unlikely places. He can find something beautiful just about everywhere, meaning he is flexible and improvises well in unpredictable and changing conditions, which is of utmost importance in capturing events with many moving parts.
We did the «Choose Your Own Adventure» session, instead of a typical engagement session, which allowed us to choose an activity for Nirav to document. He was game for all our suggestions (which were plentiful), but also gave feedback on what he thought might produce the best results. We are an art director/​filmmaker couple, so visuals are no small matter to us. That’s exactly why we love NIrav, his photography is absolutely beautiful.
Don’t limit yourself to thinking of him solely as a wedding/​engagement session photographer, he would be great in any type of portrait/​documentary scenario for events, family photos, birthdays, etc. Book him early to avoid disappointment, you won’t find a satisfactory substitute if you don’t!

I contacted Nirav after seeing a few positive reviews on Unilocal and I was so happy with the experience! He is an amazing, gentle soul who clearly loves his work and is living his passion in photography! We just received the proofs back from our engagement session and I love them.
He was great about keeping the moments authentic and he has an interesting eye so many of the photos are like works of art –we actually forget it’s us in some of them. His ability to put us at ease in the moment made all the difference.
I recommend Nirav without hesitation — I’m confident he will make any experience special for his clients. I also agree with some of the other reviewers that you should snap up his services while you can — he has big things in his future as his career takes off and people discover what a gem he is.