Esenam Photography

Esenam is everything that a wedding photographer should be: professional, warm, creative, with a personality that puts everyone at ease. From our first conversation I knew that Esenam would be the perfect choice for our laid-​back beach wedding and barn reception in southwest Michigan. His candid and documentary style captured all of the little moments during our wedding day – the moments that may have gone unnoticed at the time we were experiencing them but truly encapsulated all of the joy and love we felt. Truly beautiful and real images captured by a wonderful person. Many thanks to Esenam!

Esenam Photography was one of the the best decisions we made for our wedding. The photography vendor for a wedding is such an important choice, because after all is over — it’s the photos that last through time. From the start, Esenam was timely and responsive to emails, questions, and phone calls. He worked with us diligently to understand our needs and create a contract that worked for us.
When he arrived for our engagement shoot, we knew we had chosen a really special person to handle our wedding photography. His personality is so friendly and instantly put us at ease, and he is truly passionate about his art. He walked around with us in our yard and in the trees and fields behind our house to capture us in many different settings — sometimes we didn’t even know where he was — only to see he was lying on the ground or up on a hill to capture the best shots. The results of the engagement shoot were some of the most artistic, professional — quality photos ever taken of us.
Esenam handled the preparation for our wedding and the wedding itself with the same level of professionalism and artistry. He met with us and our wedding planner to understand the flow of the day, and he gave us a detailed questionnaire to fill out which helped him understand where he needed to be, and what kinds of shots we were hoping for.
During the wedding he seemed to be everywhere, and captured all the details, personalities, and memories that we had hoped for. He was the hardest-​working man in the room at all times. Our church is very old with stained glass, and most photos taken in it come out dark. Esenam’s photos in our church are magically filled with light. We have no idea how he managed that!
We are SO happy with our wedding photos, and we highly recommend Esenam Photography!
Sherry and Steve

«Are you sure you want to book me even before you book your venue or finalize your dates??» This is what Esenam asked me the day I met with him to book him for my wedding, which ended up being on August 31, 2014. I had just gotten engaged a few days prior, and my husband hadn’t even met him yet, but I knew I wanted him! After discussing the decision with my dad, who was a major photography aficionado, and my husband, who wanted me to be happy, I got my way! :)
It didn’t take much convincing in any other area than the budget, honestly, because his skills speak for themselves! He was more expensive than other photographers that I had looked into and we had to move around money in our wedding budget to be able to afford him. Unfortunately, we were unable to squeeze a wedding album for ourselves or our parents into our budget, so all we have are digital copies of our wedding pictures. :(
Most people are not used to having the camera in their faces constantly for days, and he really made me and my husband feel very comfortable. He understood our dynamic, and he ran with it. He was patient, made sure neither my husband nor I were stressed, and he was so fun to work with. An Indian wedding has so many parts and details, so, naturally, we were worried about booking a non-​Indian photographer. But he ended up being such a blessing! He was detail-​oriented, and he made every detail, minor or not, feel important in his pictures! And something i really respected was that Esenam actually asked questions to learn about the customs and their importance.
Anyone can be a photographer; it takes a good eye to be a good photographer, editing skills to be a phenomenal photographer, and natural ability and talent to be as good as Esenam. He had the dedication, charisma, and talent to be one of a kind. Thank you again!

I am so excited about all of the incredibly beautiful photos that Esenam delivered from my wedding day! I was counting on reviews online as I was coming in from Los Angeles for my wedding in the Chicago suburbs and they did not disappoint at all! Esenam captured exactly everything that I had hoped to get! With enthusiasm, professionalism, and an artistic eye he was able to deliver so many beautiful images one after another! As a professional photographer myself, I am more than thrilled with my choice of wedding photographers and would highly recommend Esenam over and over again! Thank you Esenam! I will cherish these photos always!!!

Breathtaking. Stunning. Flawless. Like a postcard. Just a few of the compliments we’ve received on our wedding and engagement photos.
Hiring Esenam was the best decision we made in the wedding planning process. Hiring our videographer (Eli at Wedding Masterpiece Films) was a pretty close second, but Esenam referred us to Eli, so that gives Esenam the edge :)
I cannot say enough wonderful things about Esenam. I spent months — MONTHS — looking for a wedding photographer. I cringe when I think about how many photos of strangers on their wedding days I looked at during my search. I tried to limit my search to photographers within the amount we’d budgeted for, but I ended up expanding it, which is when I stumbled across Esenam. I’m so grateful I did.
Not only is Esenam’s work product phenomenal, but he is delightful to work with and to be around. I remember reading a review where one bride said that her guests complimented her on how fabulous Esenam was, and I thought, «Yeah, right. What guest comments on the photographer?» Man, was I wrong! We’ve received so, so, soooo many compliments from our guests on Esenam and his lovely wife, Lindsey. And they’re all truly deserved.
I understand that Esenam is a bit more expensive than, say, George Street Photography, but you absolutely get what you pay for. Your wedding images, photos and videos alike, are truly an investment, and when it’s all said and done, they and your memories are all that you have left of the day that you spent so much time and effort planning. And memories fade. It’s worth reworking your budget to hire a top-​notch photographer — the investment will pay off.
I’d hire Esenam again in a heartbeat. At this point, he feels like family. Sounds corny, but it’s so true. We just loved him. And we love our engagement and wedding photographs more than we ever thought possible.
Big kudos and huge thanks to Esenam and Lindsey for capturing all of the love, happiness, and magic of our wedding day.

We were referred to Esenam from a coworker whose son was recently married. Looking at their photos we felt it was worth meeting with him. We had an interview similar to the other reviews posted on Unilocal and he made a great first impression with my wife and I. He later emailed us a very easy checklist of important pictures to take on our day. We did a «first look» photo before the actual ceremony and the emotions and moments he captured are second to none. Our entire wedding day he was very energetic and brought out the best in people whose photos he took. Esenam was never not moving and always looking for the next best picture he could take. Honestly, I wish he did our wedding video, because his pictures were by far better than the video we had done. Esenam has a special eye for capturing everything on a wedding day. We trusted him 100% and were not disappointed. He was interactive with all of our wedding guests as well. All our of guests commented on how great he was and asked for his information.

I chose Esenam based on a recommendation from a friend (and fellow photographer) for his editorial shooting style and overall professionalism.
When we met to «interview» him he shared many beautiful weddings as well as engagements that really had an edge up on the others we had met with.
During our engagement shoot he was patient with us getting used to the camera and before long we were just walking and acting naturally, unaware of the outstanding pictures he was getting. When we reviewed the photos later we saw many very candid moments we didn’t even realize he was capturing.
The same is true about our wedding day. He and his partner Lindsey arrived early to shoot us getting ready and I hardly noticed him moving about our hotel suite and coordinating everything. During the ceremony they got shots from the balcony as well as from the front and never interfered with the «action» of the ceremony or got in any shots with our videographer.
Esenam and Lindsey were with us all day and evening and endured some chilly outdoor Chicago weather to get some wonderful, and unique, shots of us around the city.
They were an absolute pleasure to work with and really captured the joy and excitement throughout the day.
The focus of our photos were more candid and natural shots, now that is not to say he did not coordinate some group shots of the family as well as bridal party, but the majority were very naturally occurring and wonderful pictures.
I would recommend them to anyone and would absolutely use them again in a heart beat!

We hired Esenam for our big day and I think that was the best decision I made. Esenam is a very enthusiastic and friendly person. He is super energetic. We did both the engagement session with him as well as our two day wedding event photography thru him. His journalistic style captured many of the natural moments during our wedding which turned our wedding moments into beautiful memories. He even mingled with my family and I almost felt like he became the part of the family by the end of the day. He stayed extra and never made us feel like he is counting hours and would charge us more.
All I can say is that you would never regret hiring him. I loved his photography and I would strongly recommend him.

We used Esenam Photography for our May 26, 2012 wedding and we couldn’t be more please with his professionalism, experience, and expertise. He captured the most gorgeous moments of our day and I can still hear myself laughing, crying, and rejoicing with my family and friends on that day.
I absolutely recommend Esenam as a wedding photographer.

Summary for those in a hurry: Exceptional photos that capture and elicit emotion. Exceptional personality that allowed everyone to relax, have fun, and play. Our best of many great vendors. Esenam is a journalistic photographer that found witty and brilliant ways to capture the personalities of those I cared about most and the unique love/​relationship my husband and I share (as well as the special giddiness we had on that day.)
The longer version:
We are absolutely thrilled will all of our wedding vendors, however, Esenam was so extraordinary I had to write this review before my presents are even unwrapped. We loved the way Esenam’s photos of strangers’ weddings elicited a range of emotion and were thrilled he was available for our date. Thankfully, the excellent pictures are only part of the package you get with Esenam Photography.
I typically get tired of photos after about 5 minutes of stretching my lips into my cheeks; I can honestly say that with Esenam’s energy, personality, and fun variety of «poses» (that were more like scenarios that stiff frozen poses) I never had to remind myself smile. He let me get all of the photos I wanted, was willing to work with the rain, and somehow snuck in many beautiful photos I never knew I wanted without me knowing. Esenam captured moments that represent the relationship and love my husband and I have for each other, and the special giddiness we had on our day. I have been in weddings where I felt awkward with the photographer before, however, my bridal party mentioned to me throughout the day how fun and awesome Esenam and his lovely assistant Lindsay were.
Our preview photos were put up while we were on our honeymoon in Costa Rica and we would talk about how excited we were to get back to the hotel and check the new photos Esenam put up on facebook while we were ziplining, rappelling and whitewater rafting through the jungle. The slow internet helped us slow down; we were amazed everytime an image appeared and loved as they comments came in.

Esenam is an exceptional jounalistic photographer. One look at his website was all we needed to decide that he was defintiely the one! As my husband and I looked at the photos he created, we were drawn back into the moments before, during and after our wedding. He has the unique ability to capture the moment. His journaistic style captures the feelings an emotions of all involved. I laughed and cried all over again. Even as I look at them seven or eight times over, I am still overcome with emotion.
His technical ability is unmatched. It rained on and off all day, but Esenam captured some pictures that looked like the wedding was held on the perfect day, and other that captured the beauty of the rain. The colors were vibrant and realistic. The pictures look so real that I feel like I can walk right back into that time.
He took the time to get to know me and my husband, which was essential to properly photographing the wedding. He captured every moment just the way we’d like to have seen it. He captured both my playfulness and my husband’s shy and reserved personality. The pictures are so perfect that several people swear they are from a magazine. He puts his heart and soul into the pictures. His is exceptional on all counts, and I can’t say enough about how happy I am that we chose him to photograph our wedding!

Esenam was our engagement/​wedding photographer and we could not have asked for a better photographer.
Esenam is dedicated, reliable and everything you can ask for.
He is truly passionate is his job and his work. During our engagement session, my husband and I were both tired of the heat and the bugs after several hours of shooting, but Esenam was rolling up his sleeves and getting on the ground to get the best shot. He would help us relax and make us laugh in order for the photos to appear as natural as possible.
The final work came sooner than expected and we were so happy with the outcome.
I love taking photos and consider myself picky about wedding photos style. After doing research over 30+ Chicago wedding photographers, we were so happy that we signed with Esenam. He’s seriously SO easy to work with!
You won’t go wrong with this one!

Ese was our photographer for our big day, and he was wonderful! He was very creative, and had numerous suggestions for where we could take beautiful outdoor shots (we chose the Japanese Gardens in Geneva, IL which were incredibly beautiful). He set up a beautiful and emotional first look for us there as well.
I loved that he personalized my package for what I was looking for (I had a breakfast in the morning I was hoping he could photograph– and he said no problem), and that he got all of the big moments in our day– from getting ready until the very end– he literally traveled around with us all day. My favorite part was that we walked from the church to the reception hall and he had someone in my family move his car over so he could walk with us and photograph our private moments together.
Ese is friendly and fun, and my bridal party enjoyed him throughout the entire day. He definitely shoots in the photo journalistic style, so there will not be a lot of time spent on «group shots» unless you specifically ask.
Ese is a bit pricey, but his price included the day– I never felt like he was going to say, «your eight hours are up, I’m leaving even though there are still big things to happen» which is different than many photographers I’ve seen at events.
Photographer is one of the most important wedding day decisions and I was so pleased with our choice. Definitely check out his site– you will not be disappointed.