Jayd Jackson Photography

Jayd is amazing! Aside from being an incredibly talented photographer, she has an impressive gift for direction. Typically your family and wedding party are just milling around all over the place, but Jayd effortlessly had everyone organized and posed for shots in no time. She was firmly in charge when she needed to be, then vanished like a ninja into the scenery once the ceremony began. It really takes the pressure off during the ceremony to not have a photographer right up in your face, and I seriously didn’t even notice she was there. Her photos were very well composed and beautifully shot. Highly recommended!!!

Jayd was a wonderful choice for a wedding photographer. It’s obvious from her photos that she has strong technical and artistic chops. And indeed, our wedding photos are AMAZING– perfectly composed, dynamic, and emotionally powerful. Our wedding was in the Brooklyn botanical gardens during cherry blossom season, and she captured the occasion perfectly.
One thing that isn’t apparent from her photos is that Jayd is a sweet, joyful presence with a positive energy that made her a joy to work with. We chose Jayd based on a referral from friends. We are so glad we went with her. Thank you Jayd!
— Octavio and Dianna

We were lucky enough to know a friend who had Jayd shoot her wedding, so we knew going in that we were in good hands. But nothing really prepared us for how amazing she really is. It was HOT on our wedding day and we had pregnant ladies and a small child in our wedding party. Jayd did an INCREDIBLE job of making sure that we got our pictures done quickly and correctly. She worked super hard to make sure that everyone stayed out of the sun as much as possible. When we were in the sun, she took charge and got everyone organized and where they needed to be with grace and a sense of humor.
During the entire day, she struck exactly the right mix of presence and unobtrusiveness. We knew she was there, getting all the shots we’d really want later, but she was never in the way.
Just as noteworthy as her professionalism is Jayd’s fresh and creative style, which we know will ensure our photos will be elegant, tasteful, and beautiful.
We simply can’t say enough in praise of Jayd.
Chris & Olga

It’s tough for people getting married the first time because they often have no idea what they’re getting into with all that goes into planning and working with different vendors. I was lucky enough to have helped two older siblings plan their weddings but I still learned a lot through the planning process of my own wedding.
Having said that, I was lucky when it came to photography, I had already seen Jayd in action at my brother’s wedding in 2008. Even before anyone saw her photos, I took note of how members of my family all raved about her. It’s true that she had a wonderful nature about her — she was easy going and relaxed, while at the same time inspired confidence that she was working very hard and getting the job done right. Again, even before I saw the photos from my brother’s wedding, I had a feeling I would be in touch with her when the time came for my wedding. Of course, no one was disappointed when the photos came back. Not only were they high quality, but they displayed a really keen eye for «the perfect shot», and had a lot of diversity. Jayd REALLY captured the character of the couple and had a nice variety of interesting shots that satisfied my sister-in-law’s need for interesting art with my mother’s desperate request for family portraits.
Fast-​forward a few years, and it was MY turn to get married. Even though I was already sold on hiring Jayd, I wanted to do my due diligence and interview other highly recommended photographers. While everyone was talented, I still came away thinking that Jayd would be best able to beautifully capture the day the way that my now-​husband and I wanted it to be captured. And because she was always so laid back, understanding, knowledgeable, and professional, we’d even be able to enjoy the process!
Our engagement shoot was a little out of the ordinary as we wanted some action shots of my now-​husband and I playing soccer. Of course Jayd rolled with the punches and came up with some really cool shots.
Everything leading up the wedding in terms of planning was perfect. Jayd was flexible and accommodating, and clearly did her research before the event to make sure she understood exactly what we wanted. She even showed up a little early and stayed a little late, just to make sure she covered her responsibilities. She helped me to stay calm in the hours leading up to the ceremony, and had the best timing when it came to pulling me and my husband out for a few candid shots together during the reception. We got some great shots that we now treasure and I didn’t feel like I missed a thing.
The slideshow was so touching that many people in my family wanted a copy on DVD. And when our photos came back (in a very reasonable amount of time), they were excellent! Again, Jayd has an amazing talent for getting a wide variety of shots, from standard family portraits to the very artistic.
Working with Jayd to put together an album was characteristically easy and enjoyable. She is a true artist but always very much in touch with what her clients want. We just received our album the other day and its beautiful (and this coming from someone who didn’t even think she WANTED an album).
Believe it or not, I’ve tried to be brief here! Bottom line is that Jayd is an excellent artist who strives to deliver the best possible product to her clients based on their specific wishes. She is a wonderful person to work with. She makes absolutely everything about the wedding photography process enjoyable and stress-​free. She comes with my highest recommendation! Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any specific questions.

I booked Jayd on a Living Social deal to do a boudoir session. Having never done one of these, I really didn’t know what to expect, but Jayd was super professional and friendly. She made me feel comfortable right away. She’s young and not intimidating at all. You can wear as much or as little as you want, and she’ll totally just follow your lead.
Her turnaround is also very quick and she sent me my pics within a few days!

I have worked with Jayd on two high profile NYC nonprofit events. Images from these events are often used for collateral and marketing pieces throughout the year and well after the event, so the right shots of the right people are essential.
Jayd is the consummate professional and shares a true enthusiasm and passion for what she does that always comes through in her photographs. She is always on time and often stays beyond her contracted obligation to ensure that we have everything that we need. She is easy to communicate with, accessible and has always executed on any deliverables in a timely manner.
She is personable, fun to work with and always gets just the right shot –capturing the essence of every moment.

I am getting married in 3 weeks and the hardest thing so far was finding a photographer! My fiancé, like most guys, is not a camera person. We met with 5 or 6 photographers and he just wasn’t clicking with anyone until he met Jayd. A quality photographer was very important to us as my fiancé always says that the pictures are the only tangible thing we will have to take with us into our new future after the wedding. We booked Jayd right away and just had out engagement shoot yesterday. We went from a trendy hotel in LIC to 5ptz and then Gantry Park. She made us feel so at ease and it was more like us hanging out with a friend rather than being in a photoshoot. Also, the photoshoot wasn’t constrained to a specific time limit– we just frollicked around the neighborhood for about an hour and half (which is perfect for a 2 outfit photoshoot i think personally!), so we didn’t feel pressured to rush or anything. She’s just so down to earth and it feels easy to be around her, which translates into good pictures! I’m really excited to have Jayd as our wedding photographer! I would highly recommend her to my friends and family!

This is part 1 of a 2 part review. I met Jayd while she was shooting the wedding of a friend of mine. Watching her in action definitely left an impression. Upon seeing the results of my friend’s pictures, and others in her portfolio and blog, I realized I absolutely HAD to have her shoot some professional shots for me. All of the wedding pictures I had seen in her portfolio were epic.
I have now finally had the opportunity to work with Jayd, in person. We scheduled a time for me to come to the city with a few outfits and take some professional shots for my music business. It is clear that Jayd loves what she does, especially when she is given the chance to be creative. I felt like I was spending the day with a friend, rather than paying for a photo shoot… and with the amount that I was charged, vs. the time she designated, I may as well have been. Her rate was more than reasonable, considering the service provided, and the attention to detail observed.
So, 5 stars for service, and my impression of her previous work. I’ll write an update when I get my finished product.

Thanks to technology and the winding web of friends, we came across the artistic genius of Jayd Gardina Photography NYC via friends from Arkansas who shared with me here in Alabama. My then 12 year old daughter and I scrolled the pictures and instantly fell in love with Jayd’s photography. Last summer just after my daughter turned 13, our family took a short vacation to NYC with the kids. And managed to set up a photo shoot with Jayd in Times Square as a special time capturing moment for our daughter. My normally shy, reserved daughter connected with Jayd immediately and had the time of her life. And the photos were beyond our expectations!
If you want photos that are more than just a technically correct photo and more in the category of timeless art, I would highly recommend Jayd.

Jayd shot our engagement session. I hadn’t told my now-​fiancée that Jayd was going to be in the background shooting pictures as I proposed to her. It couldn’t have gone off better, and Jayd got some amazing shots, and captured the moment perfectly.
We then went around New York to some places like Grand Central and took many more shots. The pictures came out wonderfully, and Jayd was a pleasure, and am glad that I chose her to shoot the session. I highly recommend her for any your photography needs.

Having never been married before, I didn’t really know what to expect or what to do. My (now) wife dealt with the search for most vendors and the wedding plans… but i did my best to participate.
I can’t remember who came across Jayd’s website… but it doesn’t matter anymore. We ended up meeting Jayd at a local starbucks in her, at that time, neighborhood. We had a wonderful conversation for over an hour.
As my wife and I were walking back to our car, our conversation went something like —
«I’m glad we met her.»
«Yeah, I like her.»
«I like her album.»
«Me too. I think we clicked with her.»
«She is really energetic.»
«I think she will be fun.»
So from that point on, we had non-​verbally agreed book Jayd. It ended up taking a few months to meet Jayd again because we changed venues and dates. But we were lucky enough that Jayd was still available for our wedding.
During that time, we’ve watched her photos develop and mature. Jayd’s photos have become something to cherish. They capture moments beautifully. We recently received our photos and couldn’t be happier… except my wife thinking she could have lost a few more pounds. :)
People say that there is only so much you can control when planning a wedding… All you can do is to try and find people who you can trust. And we found someone we can trust and she’s earned it.
Now you might be thinking why only 4 stars and not 5… This is because there is always room for improvement whether it’s to try and find some help to manage and organize all the weddings and shoot or to be a second set of eyes for all the photos and albums.