Short answer: yes. I do wedding photography, I've been doing it for 17 years, and I've photographed well over 500 weddings across Los Angeles. But I get why people type that question into Google. Half the time someone lands on my site, sees the cinematic films first, and wonders whether I'm a video-only shop that dabbles in stills. I'm not. At ConneryFilm, photography and film live under one roof — one team, one plan for your day, one seamless experience. So let me actually explain what that means, because it changes more about your wedding day than you'd think.

So we do wedding photography — but what does "we" actually mean?

Here's the part most couples don't realize until the day itself. When a studio says they do both photo and video, ask a follow-up: is it the same team, or two businesses stapled together at checkout? Big difference.

When my team covers your wedding, the photographers and the filmmakers came from the same studio, planned the day off the same timeline, and know how to move around each other. My cinematographer isn't going to plant a tripod in the aisle right where I need to be for your first kiss. We've done this thousands of times together. That coordination is invisible when it works and painfully obvious when it doesn't.

I'll be blunt: the worst wedding-day footage and photos I've ever seen came from couples who hired a photographer off Instagram and a videographer off a different app, and the two vendors met for the first time in your parents' driveway at 9am. They fight for angles. They block each other. You end up with a photo of the ceremony where a stranger's boom mic is in frame. If you want both, hiring a team that does photo and video together is the single easiest way to avoid that.

What a full day of wedding photography looks like with me

Most of my LA weddings run 8 to 10 hours of photo coverage. Some go shorter, some go all night. If you're not sure, I wrote a whole honest breakdown on how many hours of coverage you actually need, but here's the shape of a normal day.

  • Getting ready — I usually start with details and prep. Rings, dress, invitation suite, the room. This is quiet, intentional work and I like a little breathing room here.
  • First look or ceremony — depending on your plan.
  • Portraits — the part where light matters most, which I'll get to.
  • Reception — toasts, first dance, the dance floor going feral around 10pm.

For most couples I bring a second shooter, because one camera can't be in two places when you're getting ready in one room and your partner is in another. I've written about whether you need two photographers, and the honest answer is: it depends on your guest count and how spread out your day is.

LA light is the whole game, and I plan around it

People book a photographer thinking the camera makes the picture. It doesn't. Light makes the picture. And Los Angeles light is specific.

If you're getting married on a rooftop downtown or in the Arts District, the afternoon sun bounces hard off glass and concrete until it drops behind the skyline around 6:30 in summer. I shoot those portraits in the last 45 minutes before that — the light goes warm and soft and everyone looks like they're glowing. At a beach wedding in Malibu or Palos Verdes, it's the opposite problem: midday sun is brutal and flat, salt haze eats your contrast, and the real magic doesn't start until golden hour drops the sun into the Pacific. I build the whole timeline around that window.

Estate and garden weddings — think a property in the hills or out in Calabasas — give you dappled shade, which is gorgeous but tricky, because half your face can be blown out while the other half sits in shadow. Seventeen years in, I read that in a second and reposition you before you even notice. That's the part you're paying for. Not the camera. The person who knows where to stand and when. If you want more of that thinking, I put my best wedding photography tips in one place.

What I honestly think you should care about when choosing

Most photographers won't say this, but the biggest predictor of whether you'll love your photos isn't gear or price. It's whether you actually connect with the person. You're going to spend more hours with your photographer on your wedding day than with almost anyone except your partner. If they make you tense, it shows in every frame.

So when you meet someone, notice how you feel. Do you relax? Do they explain things clearly, or dodge? A good consultation should feel like coffee with someone who's got your back, not a sales pitch. If you want a cheat sheet, here are the questions I'd ask before booking anyone — including me.

What you actually get, and when

My couples typically receive 400 to 800 edited photos from a full wedding day, hand-culled and color-corrected — not the raw dump of 3,000 near-identical frames some shops send. Quality over volume. If you're curious what "normal" looks like, I broke down how many wedding photos is normal in its own post.

Turnaround runs 4 to 8 weeks for photos in my peak season, sometimes faster in winter. And because my film team is in the same building working off the same footage plan, your photos and your wedding film actually match each other in tone and color — same edit language, same story. When you hire two separate vendors, your warm romantic photos and your cool cinematic video can look like they're from two different weddings. That mismatch drives me nuts, and it's one more reason I keep everything under one roof.

Frequently asked questions

Do you do photography only, or do I have to book video too?

Photo only is completely fine. Plenty of my couples book just photography. But if you want both, doing it as one package is usually cheaper and smoother than hiring two companies — and there's no turf war on the day.

How far in advance should I book?

For popular LA dates — especially fall Saturdays and anything near a long weekend — I'd reach out 9 to 14 months out. Prime dates go early. Here's more on how far ahead to book.

What does a wedding photography package cost in Los Angeles?

Full-day photography from an experienced LA pro generally runs $3,500 to $8,000, with photo-plus-film collections climbing from there depending on hours, second shooters, and deliverables. It scales with experience and coverage, not magic.

Do you travel outside LA?

Yes. I regularly shoot Santa Barbara, Ojai, Temecula wine country, and Orange County, and I travel nationally and internationally for destination weddings. LA is home base.

Can I see a full wedding, not just highlights?

Absolutely, and you should ask every photographer for one. A curated portfolio shows the best five frames from fifty weddings. A full gallery shows how someone handles a whole real day — the ugly reception lighting included.

If you've read this far, you're clearly taking this seriously, and I'd love to hear about your day. Tell me your date, your venue, and whether you're leaning photo-only or photo-and-film, and I'll walk you through exactly how I'd shoot it. Call or text 818.749.7039 or reach out through ConneryFilm.com — one team, photo and film under one roof, ready to make your Los Angeles wedding look the way it felt.

Meet the Author: Connery Davoodian Hello, I'm Connery Davoodian, the visionary behind ConneryFilm, and I'm thrilled to share insights from my 17-year journey through the world of wedding photography and videography. My passion extends beyond simply capturing images; it's about artfully weaving your unique love story into a timeless, cinematic masterpiece. My artistic path began long before I ever picked up a camera, deeply rooted in music as a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. This diverse background in directing, producing, and editing has cultivated a unique perspective, allowing me to approach each wedding not just as an event, but as a dynamic narrative waiting to be beautifully told. This blend of technical mastery and creative storytelling is the heartbeat of ConneryFilm, ensuring that every frame, every shot, and every film is infused with depth, emotion, and unparalleled artistic integrity. At ConneryFilm, we believe your wedding memories deserve nothing less than bespoke luxury. My philosophy centers on capturing the authentic, unscripted moments – the genuine smiles, the tender glances, the joyful laughter – that truly define your day. While we obsess over exquisite details and sophisticated aesthetics, our true joy comes from making you feel completely at ease, like a "friendor" who genuinely celebrates alongside you. This calm, organized presence allows your true personalities to shine, resulting in images and films that are as real and vibrant as your love itself. Based in the heart of Los Angeles, California, my team and I are privileged to serve couples across the globe, bringing our signature high-end wedding photography and videography to destination weddings worldwide. Through these blog posts, I aim to share invaluable insights, luxurious inspiration, and practical, fun advice to guide you through your wedding planning journey, helping you make informed decisions about preserving your most cherished moments. Thank you for trusting ConneryFilm to be a part of your extraordinary adventure. I'm excited to share my knowledge and passion with you, helping you create memories that will last forever.