Neil Ta Photography

Neil photographed a friend’s wedding for which I was a bridesmaid. Neil did such a great job that my husband and I decided to hire Neil to photograph our wedding shortly after. What really won my programmer husband over is Neil’s well designed website. Neil is a pleasure to work with. He is flexible, answers questions promptly and delivered everything he said he would. We did not need a professional photographer for the entire wedding as my cousin, who is an amateur photographer, agreed to take candid shots during the reception. Neil provided a four hour no-​frills package for him and his assistant to photograph the ceremony, group shots and the beginning of the reception. Neil has great ideas for fun photos that incorporate the special elements of the wedding venue. After the wedding, Neil immediately provided 4 sneak peak photos to tide us over. Neil delivered the rest of the photos much sooner than the 4 – 6 weeks written into our contract. Neil also provided detailed advice on photo printing and other photo related services. Neil is a great photographer and I would recommend him to photograph any special occasion. The icing on the Neil cake is that he always dresses in snazzy outfits that exudes an old world charm, which adds a touch of elegance to any occasion.

BOOK THIS GUY!
He is the most patient, thoughtful and creative photographer you’ll find. Not to mention the best dressed guy at your wedding. (bow tie and all!)
Neil was recommended by a friend who used him for her wedding and we have no regrets at all! Nothing but praise for Neil. We did both engagement photos and wedding ones with him and his side kick Sai.
They were a dynamic duo — all over the place but always at the right place at the right time.
Thank you Neil for capturing shots we would never have thought of.

Neil did out engagement photos and our wedding photos. I am one of the pickiest people you will ever meet, and I am telling you that you cannot find a better photographer in Toronto. Neil is not the typical «wedding photographer»; pose here, smile there — absolutely not. He takes pictures when you’re not looking, he finds the moment, and his pics are not typical — in the best way possible. You will get your lovely family photos, just not ‘posed’ or fake. He gets creative, and his pictures will blow your mind. Look at his portfolio, seriously. They ALL come out that amazing.
Important, his personality. He is so warm and sweet, every single person will love him and feel so comfortable working with him. He was able to get pics of my husband smiling in a way that I have never seen before. He made me look at lot prettier than I am. A LOT. Lol. Sometimes you forget he is there, and the comfort level was as high as you could ask for.
If you are doing any kind of photography, use Neil Ta. If you don’t, you are losing out on the greatest experience and the best pictures that you can get.
I found Neil on Unilocal,and I hope you do too. :-)

My fiancé and I hired Neil to do our engagement and wedding photos. This past weekend we had our engagement photo shoot. We had an absolute blast! Neil really listens to the couple to find out what they want, and to understand their personalities. We ended up doing photos in a graffiti alley and on the Queen St bridge over the DVP. Neil made us feel very comfortable and focused all his attention on us. We didn’t feel any pressure or like we were putting on a show or having to be fake. We got the pictures from him in less than a week and we couldn’t be happier with them! They totally capture our personalities and the fun energy we have.
I have recommended Neil to other friends, and would definitely do so again!

My husband and I are sooo happy we found Neil online through his website portfolio at
. We reviewed the portfolios of many photographers and found Neil’s work to contain so many different and creative shots that we decided to ask him to shoot our engagement session and wedding day. It was definitely an excellent decision as Neil is professional, knowledgeable and passionate about photography.
For our winter engagement shoot, Neil and 2^nd photographer, Sai Kit Chu, went early to the park where we wanted our photos taken and scoped out the place. By the time my then fiancé and I got there, they had already figured out what they wanted to do (which has awesome because we wanted/​needed a lot of direction in terms of where/​how to pose). It was super cold that day with snow and ice on the ground but that didn’t phase Neil at all – he even laid on the snow to take some of our shots!
On our wedding day, Neil continued to show his professionalism, flexibility and patience. His photographs told our wedding day story beautifully and he even helped to capture my last minute decision to surprise my husband with a gift before the ceremony: D Right after the wedding, he sent us the most beautiful sneak peak photograph which we had to share with our family and friends right away. Everyone raved about the photo using words like «stunning», «gorgeous» and «wow» to describe the picture. Needless to say, we would definitely recommend Neil to anyone needing a wedding photographer! Thanks Neil, for all of your hard work!!!

We asked Neil Ta to be our photographer for our recent intimate wedding. He was fantastic. Neil was very professional and attuned to our needs and requests. We wanted very few posed shots and lots of natural ones and he certainly delivered. Neil also caught a bunch of sweet, intimate moments that I didn’t know existed in our short ceremony. He got a lots of pictures from creative angles, making our wedding in our apartment look way more fancy that I thought it could :) We have a daughter and of course she’s our #1 priority right now, and Neil reflected that in many of the photos — so we got an extra bonus of baby pictures with our wedding shots! I would certainly recommend Neil for any type of wedding as he has a great eye for artistic, intimate moments and will cater to what you like and want to have for memories of your big day.

I first met Neil through my girlfriend Cindy, they were actually born in the same refugee camp in Malaysia. Cindy wanted to visit the refugee camp, and Neil was very helpful in assisting her with her travels — and helping her reconnect with her homeland.
A year or so later, they discover on Facebook that they are mutual friends with me. At the time, Cindy was helping me as my manager– and we planned to teach a photography workshop in Toronto. We connected with Neil, and he helped us with all of the logistics to run the workshop.
Since then, I was so impressed by his professionalism, promptness, and logistical skills that I hired him on as my manager. Since this review, we have worked together for over 3 years, and it has been a great relationship ever since. He is sincere, hard-​working, and a genuinely kind human being.
I can highly commend him for his inter-​personal skills, and also his photographic skill and passion. If you are thinking of hiring Neil as a photographer, don’t hesitate to book him!

My husband and I live in the States and hired Neil based on some research for our civil ceremony in Mississauga. We’re glad we did, he was responsive and answered all of our questions, which is especially important when you’re planning a wedding from far away.
We held our civil ceremony in our family’s home. On the day of, he and his accompanying photographer made it in the midst of a snow storm (which deserves an extra star beyond the five star rating). It was an especially challenging shoot because we were having it inside of a house with a lot of things going on = semi good lighting and tight space.
We are thrilled with our photos and so are our family. In fact we’re so thrilled, we hired Neil for our formal celebration almost a year later. He’s professional (has a contract, quick turnaround in communication) and asks a ton of great questions that get you thinking about how to get great memorial shots.

We discovered Neil through Unilocal and scheduled an appointment to meet. We found that his correspondence with us was very prompt and highly professional. Upon meeting him in person, Neil was very personable and we quickly and effortlessly felt very comfortable with him. It didn’t take us long to decide to go with Neil after our initial meeting.
On our wedding day, Neil and his assistant arrived as promised and immediately started taking pictures. Neil was energetic, fun, and full of great ideas and suggestions! His partner Paul also delighted us with is pizazz and upbeat professionalism. They truly enhanced our wedding day photo experience beyond our wildest expectations. The slight hick-​up we experienced when keys and equipment got locked in the car was quickly remedied. Thank you CAA Niagara ;-).
The pictures were done and given to us in a timely manner. We enjoyed thoroughly perusing all the great angles, black and white shots, group shots, posed shots, and all the one of a kind in-​the-​moment shots.
We are most impressed with Neil’s photography skills, creativity, and utmost professionalism! Thank you Neil and Paul in giving us an unforgettable wedding day! We salut you Neil Ta and company! ;-)

We hired Neil to be our wedding photographer for our ceremony and reception in July 2013. He was friendly, professional, and easy to work with. Even though we were not in Toronto in the months leading up to the wedding, he did a great job of communicating with us by email and making sure we were on the same page.
On the day of the wedding, Neil and his assistant did a great job of being adaptable and adjusting to changing circumstances. A rainstorm wreaked havoc on our plans for an outdoor ceremony, and we were late being ready for photos, but Neil and his assistant were calm and upbeat, and did a great job of getting the photos in an otherwise rushed and somewhat chaotic environment.
Neil had the photos ready in less than a month after the wedding, and they turned out beautifully. We’ve been thrilled with the results, and our families have loved seeing how well he captured the day.

Upping my rating to 5 stars to reflect the improvements in Neil Ta, both as a photographer and as a human being.[1]
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[1] There’s greater improvement in the former than the latter.

We hired Neil for a wedding* based on his portfolio and great referrals. I had also had the privilege of seeing a lot of his work on his blog and in galleries.
The process was a breeze. Neil provided us with the easy-​to-​read contract and was always available to answer any questions. We arranged a meeting for the bride to meet Neil before the wedding date so that we could figure out a schedule for the big day. The bride was super-​easy-​going and didn’t have too much on her wishlist, so Neil was helpful with making suggestions. The groom loved Neil’s urban decay shots and wanted some «rustic» backgrounds, which is one of Neil’s specialties.
Neil was very helpful and organized. He even had solutions for sneaking shots before the wedding ceremony but not allowing the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress. He did research as to when the sun would be setting that day so that we could plan accordingly.
On the day of the wedding, Neil showed up with his 2^nd shooter, Sai Kit Chu, a little early to meet the family. While he was supposed to be off-​duty and just enjoying lunch, of course Neil took out his equipment and got some great shots. Neil and Sai fit right into the family. It didn’t even seem like there were photographers around. For the most part, Neil and Sai took candid shots.
When it came to the posed shots, Neil and Sai were very patient. Things don’t always happen on time for a wedding and they were very understanding. They were able to get all the necessary shots in and still keep us relatively on schedule. When our time was running out at the end of the night, Neil found me to discuss the options. Luckily, both Neil and Sai were available to stay a little while longer — even though it had already been a long day and they had a long commute home.
Side note: Neil is so addicted to photography that after he got home that same night, on one of the foggiest nights ever, he went shooting some more. Crazy.
I was most impressed by how quickly Neil edited and delivered the photos. I had the CDs in my hands in less than 2 weeks. Amazing. The bride and groom and the rest of the family were thrilled at the quality of the shots and were surprised at some of the moments they were able to capture.
A day later I got a message from Neil telling me that he put a sample book together. Once it came in and I browsed it, I fell in love with it. Neil has a gift of telling a story with his photos. I ordered a copy for the bride and surprised her with it. She loves it!
Thanks for everything, Neil!
*NOT MY WEDDING

I had a last minute request to hire a photographer for my client’s event in Toronto (two days before the event). Not knowing anyone in Toronto, I came to Unilocal to find some help. That’s when I found Neil and decided to reach out, given he only had great reviews and the pictures on his website were awesome.
Neil was a pleasure to work with! Extremely professional, always a smile on his face and the pictures came out great!
The Unilocalers below were not exaggerating when they said Neil was a badass photographer!

I needed a photographer to shoot quick portraits at my parent’s 50^th wedding anniversary party and came across Neil’s Unilocal listing. He had great reviews and I was immediately excited when I looked through his portfolio; his design sensibility is lovely and unusual but all his shots are flattering to the subject. Perfect! And to boot, his quote was right in my budget.
Communication was quick and easy by email. He confirmed with me a few days before the event and showed up early. Then he make the guests feel at home. His «party-​side» manner was lovely. I wanted a fast portrait of each couple or family which meant Neil had to quickly churn out about 40 portraits with available light at The Old Mill courtyard. No easy feat!
He did a great job and I’d use him again anytime. I highly recommend using Neil as a photographer for events, family portraits or any other photography needs.

Let me explain how this is going to work: I’m going to attempt to explain to you what a bad-​ass photographer Neil Ta is and you’re going to listen. Or, in this case, read. Ahem.
I met Neil through Unilocal Toronto where he worked as the «official unofficial photographer» of all our Unilocal elite events. Basically, I thought he was just a guy with a camera until I stumbled across his recently self-​published book of photographs and my eyes nearly popped out of my head.
Neil Ta is a *superb* photographer. He has an eye for things that you and I just don’t see, and has the rare ability to translate his perspective into a photographic work of art. I personally believe his photos of abandoned buildings are some of the best photos I’ve ever seen, and I’m a huge photography buff. Check out his photos of old buildings in Detroit — they are so freaking good, I almost cried looking at them.
Before I moved back to the States from Toronto, I asked Neil to take some professional photos of me around Toronto and they were the bomb. They captured the essence of the city I love perfectly.
Not only have I had photos of myself taken, I’ve also purchased several of Neil’s photos to frame in my house. It seriously took me a week to choose the photos I wanted to buy because of the sheer number of outstanding photos. They’re like Ruffles — you can’t choose just one. In fact, I ended up buy 20, including two 12×18 prints! My selections were printed on professional-​grade paper (even the small 4×6’s). Neil was extremely responsive in answering all my questions and was very helpful in lending an eye while trying to narrow down my choices. He was also very accommodating when it came to delivering the photos to me, as well — he met me on time and with a perfectly wrapped package of photos fit for traveling.
I could go on and on about Neil’s seriously mad skillz, but then you’d think Neil was paying me to say these things, although I can assure you, he is not. I’m just a huge Neil Ta fan and a huge supporter of his work. I believe he’s going to do big things with his wicked good photography. Do yourself a favor and check his stuff out — you and your eyes will be glad you did.

This guy takes some snazzy photos AND he introduced me to the Kom Jug. Need I say more?

I highly value good photographs and when it comes to family photographs the value bar rises even higher. They become the reflection of the history of our lives over the years, from weddings to birthdays to holidays to the benchmark events that evoke great laughter and fond memories of days past.
We’d been searching for a photographer to take some new pics for us since it’d been a while since the last time we had any pictures taken and we wanted something special. After I saw the last batch of pics from the Unilocal Elite Event at Chino Locos I approached resident photographer, Neil Ta about possibly taking some pics. I’d routed through his Flickr gallery and was in awe of his art and his ability to capture imagery. Initially Neil said that if I was looking for «portraits» then he wasn’t the right guy. I told him if I wanted portraits I would have headed over to Sears with the fake winter background and the fake snow covered box to pose against. I told him I wanted personal and meaningful pictures of me with my only child. Pictures that were special and real, pictures that could capture the essence of our relationship. He got what I meant. I was absolutely delighted when he told me that he would be glad to take some new snappy happy’s for us.
You think it’s easy to stand there and pose for a photographer and try and look natural? Ummmm, nope, it ain’t. Yet Neil made us very comfortable right from the get go and the results speak for themselves. We opted for the backdrop of the Distillery district with it’s brick and it’s cobblestone walkways. We did find one back spot that provided us with a really interesting arty backdrop which ultimately yielded my most favorite pictures of the collection. Neil is a perfectionist and he took a ton of snaps, filtered through them, did some editing and got them back to us pronto pronto which means we’ll have pictures in time for Christmas presents. As a family we are absolutely delighted and wouldn’t hesitate in a minute to recommend Neil to our friends, family and other Unilocaler’s! His sitting fee is very reasonable and unlike many other photographers he doesn’t put a stranglehold on access to the pictures. We are ordering the most important ones and the enlargements through Neil’s photograph provider but at least we have some access to reproducing some smaller ones for ourselves.
I’ve put up a few of my most favorite pics. Neil’s lovely honey, Sabrina, assisted him for the shoot and she likes to try and capture the «jumping» pictures and by gosh they got a couple of pics where we are both off the ground. It was lots of fun and my daughter was particularly pleased with the adventure and even more so with the end results. Have a look for yourself. A picture, as they say, is worth a 1,000 words. Thank you Neil.