Firebird Photography

There is no doubt that Cheyne is ridiculously talented. You look at his pictures and they aren’t just photos, they are works of art. Both he and the assistant that he was working with were incredibly sweet and warm, making it very comfortable for both my husband and I to almost forget that we were getting pictures taken for a couple hour straight. If you want something other than your standard issue event photography call Firebird photography immediately. I wish that he were closer so that we could use him as our family photographer.

We hired Firebird Photography for a fun film noir photo session for our New Year’s Holiday card. Cheyne put together a fabulous wardrobe for both my husband and myself and even did my hair and makeup. He is a master at his craft and effortlessly posed us. We loved the final results! We then had him design our new year’s card, and people just loved it. We loved working with Cheyne and would totally recommend Firebrird photography. His style is unique and so creative. I should note that I am a professional photographer and Firebird photography was my first choice for a creative vintage photo shoot.

This was an amazing seamless experience every step of the way. Not only as how Cheyne and Firebird takes pictures, but how they run a business.
I booked my interest online and Cheyne responded immediately. We worked out via email what we would like, settled on a final price and I was able to pay online easily via Paypal.
Like any business, they were flexible with our budget, and I knew that if I wanted the amazing shots that I’ve seen from them, I would need to be just as committed to add «hair and makeup» and «props and styling» to our package.
I’m so glad that we did, because Cheyne exceeded any expectation of the budget that he was given: doing hours of research (educating us on the style that we chose), sketching, finding and purchasing all the right parts, sewing and making our props and dress.
Even priceless things like entertaining/​educating me in his process while my wife was having her hair and make up done.
It was an amazing adventure that exceeded my every expectation, and in a lot of ways, because he communicated often, and set our expectations ahead of time.
I think that this embodies what a small business is all about, building a relationship and knowing that having an ongoing partnership makes the overall product better, and a much better deal.

Certainly not one of our best photo shoot experiences and were not that impress with his work product.

I found Cheyne while looking specifically for wedding/​engagement photographers on Unilocal.Firebird popped up as one of the search results, and after going through his portfolio, my husband and I knew we had to book him. His photos are very unique and timeless, and I knew we’d have something memorable and special for our photos.
I was a bit worried at first, because we lived all the way in California while he was in Hawaii. Sometimes you’d have to meet a photographer beforehand to get a feel for them and to discuss ideas. Fortunately my worries were put to rest, as we were able to get our ideas across via email, and he would send us storyboard sketches of what his visions were. Based on our likes and interests, Cheyne was able to come up with a strong, epic theme for our photos.
We opted for the engagement package, which included hair, makeup, wardrobe, and a 4-​hour session. The day of the shoot, his stylist had a last-​minute medical emergency, so he did all my hair and makeup himself (great job too!). We did many night shots in his studio as well as on the streets, it was a great and fun experience! I provided my own dress, and he provided an outfit for my husband. He crafts his own props and set pieces, and will go out and buy accessories and clothes if needed for the shoot. His love for photography and the theater definitely shows. For the price, we definitely feel like we got our money’s worth.
Our photos ended up looking very dramatic and mysterious, exactly the what we were going for. Some friends have commented that they look like movie posters! He also has the option to touch up your photos or give you the raw ones (we opted for touch ups because we wanted a «film grain» look). Overall we were very happy with the whole process and quality of the photos. If we get the chance again, we would definitely book Firebird for another photo shoot, and I would HIGHLY recommend you do the same!

It was a very pleasant experience to have a photo shoot with Cheyne. My wife and I was planning for couple portraits in Honolulu. And we found Firebird Photography and we love the stylish photos shown on the website. We contacted Cheyne, and he is very innovative and creative. He asked in what style and inspiration we are interested, and he made concept sketches and collected costumes and reserved shooting places all these stuffs. The whole shooting session was wonderful. Now we are glad to see what have been yielded from all efforts he made. We appreciate Cheyne’s excellent works and will definitely shoot more pictures with him in the future. We highly recommend Firebird Photography to anyone who would like unique, stylish, and one of a kind portraits in Honolulu.

Cheyne has done two photo shoots for us and probably will do more in the future! We had an amazing experience with Cheyne taking the time to get to know us, our personalities and tastes and creating a great experience for us. He put in the extra time that shows he really cares about his clients. Our photos are dramatic, unique and stunning and I would highly recommend working with Cheyne /​Firebird if you want that retro look.
He was also able to arrange for two great stylists to make my new bride look amazing. Everyone was professional and a lot of fun.
Thanks for making our Hawaii wedding experience awesome Cheyne!

Where do I start about the experience of having Cheyne take my photos. The way he worked me in and worked with me during the appointment/​location setup? The way he was intuitive and helpful in what poses, lighting, backgrounds and looks best showed me at my best? The professionalism that he has for his craft? The way he conveys his friendly helpful demeanor and makes you feel comfortable and gives you a feeling like you have known him all your life? This is one photographer that truly has a knack for what he does and does it very well. I hope big things for this little one man operation, because he really is one of a kind. Mahalo, Cheyne. You rock! Best of luck in the future.

My husband actually works with Cheyne and after checking out his work and website, I instantly knew that I wanted him to take our first ever family photos with our 1 year old twins. We developed a theme and he set up the location which was a gorgeous traditional Japanese tea house. He took our photos quickly which was good for us because anyone with twins knows you don’t really get too much time to do something like this and keep them still. We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, our photos and are definitely working on our next idea for more photos with Cheyne. BIG mahalos to Cheyne for everything. You’re amazing! :)

Cheyne truly is a one-​of-​a-​kind photographer. His style is unlike any other I have come across and his work is simply amazing! My fiancé and I booked a shoot with Cheyne to take our engagement photos and we were not disappointed! Cheyne worked with me weeks before we even arrived in Hawaii to make sure our shoot was incredible. He sketched a storyboard for the day so we knew exactly what to expect.
For the amount I spent vs what we got in return (concepts + hair + makeup + wardrobe + the shoot) it was more than worth it.
If you want photos unlike any other and really want them to stand out, book Firebird and you won’t regret it!

After having been disappointed with our engagement/​wedding photos with a different photographer, I told my husband Nick the only thing I really wanted (besides to go surfing) out of our honeymoon to Hawaii was to get some awesome photos to make up for the bad ones.
I found Cheyne on Unilocal and immediately fell in love! Nick saw Cheyne’s work and was immediately interested, and the rest is history.
Very fun and easy to work with, QUALITY SHOTS in a really short amount of time, and Sarah (Cheyne’s makeup artist) was fantastic as well.
I promise you will not regret this advice — INVEST IN A GREAT PHOTOGRAPHER (i.e. Cheyne). Totally worth it!

Firebird Photography offers a unique approach that no other photographer can bring you. Cheyne’s style combines both vintage and fashion, quirky and dramatic… It’s unbelievable and I have had the pleasure of working with Cheyne and Firebird a few times already.
This company directs you in a way where you know the outcome will be great. Even if it’s your first time in front of the camera, the Firebird crew will make you feel comfortable almost to the point where you feel like you’re a pro.
I think the best thing I got out of Firebird photography is the fact that I was able to make a great new friend, and I was able to enhance my portfolio with new pictures that are out of the ordinary. Simply put: FIREBIRD PHOTOGRAPHY IS WORTH IT!
Highly recommend it! :D

I used Firebird Photography for my wedding and Cheyne captured all the magic and romance of the day perfectly. He listened to my vision and then took it up a notch! His talent for capturing amazing lighting brought the feeling of the day to life in a still shot. Brilliant!

My wife and I had our engagement shoot with Cheyne. It was one of the first things we did for our wedding, before we had a good idea what we wanted for our wedding. I’m extremely glad we worked with Cheyne, because his ideas really helped us shape our plans. Even now, I say that one of our themes was «hand-​made,» one of the words Cheyne used to describe our style.
The photography itself was amazing. We constantly get complements on our engagement photos. It was fun and easy to shoot with Cheyne; before the shoot he made hand drawn storyboards to give us a good idea of what to do. We visited him several times besides the shoot to make the props with him, try on clothes, and to watch the slide show of the photos.
If you want a photographer for ANYTHING and don’t want «plain» or «normal,» if you like retro or vintage or even just different, then go with Firebird. Seriously. Just do it. Book them now, before they become the most popular photographers on the island, with a five year waiting period.
(I hope my hyperbole does not seem like I’m over exaggerating for the sake of over exaggerating, I’m really this excited about their work)

I have had a couples shoot with Firebird Photography and following that we booked a shoot for the business I work at. Both shoots were innovative, fun and the pictures exceeded our wildest expectations! The turnaround time was amazing and we even got to see previews on his blog the next day! This is the place you wanna go for the best pictures no matter what the occasion, event or whim!

Cheyne is an amazing photographer, I mean just take a look at some of his work. After admiring his work for some time I had the opportunity to work with him and I was more than satisfied with the results. From coordinating the shoot to designing the wardrobe and choosing a backdrop, everything was done with attention to detail. He’s very easy to work with and is very professional. I highly recommend Firebird Photography.

Firebird photography is the best in Hawaii. He does amazing work, especially when it comes to vintage or specialty looks. Actually, my profile picture was taken by Cheyne (of FP) for a show I was performing in. In fact the improv troupe I’m a part of use FP EXCLUSIVELY!
His use of lighting is spectacular and he always puts his whole heart into every shoot. If it’s for a special genre or period he studies all the details of the look & then goes above and beyond to make it look just right.
Last but not least, the prices are GREAT, the shoots are done quick and efficiently, and FP is always a pleasure to work with.
If you decide to book with Firebird Photography your photos will have a wonderfully distinct look that will amaze your friends, and an experience you will not soon forget. Book him! You won’t regret it!

I’ve been dragging my heels about opening yet another account on yet another website. But after using Cheyne on two different occasions, I had to create an account just so I can gush about Firebird Photography :)
The first time was when FP was running a portrait special during my mother & grandmother’s visit to Hawaii last year. My grandmother is in her mid 80s & we’ve never had a photo taken of all 3 generations of women. So I contacted Cheyne who was very accommodating of my last minute request, he did a really great session with us the day before my family had to leave Hawaii. It was a beautiful series of candid and posed shots.
The second time I wanted to do a couples shoot but not the traditional «nice smiles & poses» kind. I wanted some different & took a leap of faith & gave Cheyne complete artistic control. I gave him a budget (he came in under the budget, by the way) & time constraint. I’ve seen FP website & got a good sense of what Cheyne & his team can do so I know I wasn’t taking a huge risk by leaving everything up to him. Cheyne storyboarded the concepts made adjustments based on our feedback, even brought the clothes we’d wear for the shoot. The hair/​makeup person he used was amazing (SaraLaGlam)! The result was a stunning series of black & white photos that looked like stills from a 1940s film noir with a modern SinCity twist!
Both times, the post shoot processing was very quick. I saw the finished products online within couple of days and picked up the disc for prints.
LOVE Cheyne’s creativity, & I highly recommend Firebird Photography!

Cheyne is an amazing photographer. When you see his work next to others, you’ll know which are his because his images pop and demand attention.
The shoots are quick and simple and you’ll receive your product in a reasonable amount of time. Plus he’s really affordable considering the type of print work he already has on his resume.
Book him while you can. This guy is going places!