A Wedding Portfolio      510-526-4276                    wedding photojournalism by Howard Gale Ford

...twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in photojournalism

TESTIMONIALS

GAYLE & GLENN: "Howard captured many things that we didn't think anyone else saw.

We supplied him with a list of the shots that we wanted and he took all of them."

KIM & BEN: "The pictures are wonderful, and have gotten rave reviews from our friends!

Thank you so much for lending your professional touch."

KIM & MALCOLM: "Our Maid of Honor is a fashion photographer & thought that you

and your assistant worked more like it was a dance performance than a shoot."

AMY & AARON: "We looked at the work of many photographers, and although they all had

good work it all looked the same. When we saw your web site we knew we wanted you."

EMMY & DAVID: "We have a few friends who were married around the same time and they

spent a fortune on their photographers, but we like our pictures better."

VAL & NEIL: "I was searching the web and came across Howard's web site. We met with him

and were instantly impressed with Howard's manner, knowledge and skill."

LADAN & TODD: "We and our families are so pleased that you were at our wedding.

Your photography is stunning. You are a delight to work with."

HANNA & SEAN: "So often wedding pictures are boring - posed and serious. Howard's are full of life!

He caught the happiness, nervousness, excitement, etc. The only problem I am having is which

ones to give as gifts - they are all so great."

Thank you for doing such a wonderful job and giving us a beautiful album from which we can

re-live our special day.  I also wanted to thank you for making this such a pleasant experience

for us.  Mark was a little hesitant to hire a professional photographer in the beginning simply

because he had been to other weddings where the person was unbearably intrusive.

Not so with you, in fact, quite the opposite. Please feel free to use me as a reference

for future projects.  Again, thank you for the great work!

VERONICA & LEWIS: I'm lucky I found you! I recall surfing the internet for an artistic photographer

that specializes in capturing a single moment rather than simply taking posed, rehearsed shots.

When Lewis and I went to your studio, we were impressed by your intimate, "self-knowing" shots

that you took from afar. Your eyes, your lens, your patience and sense of artistic design truly

captured the essence, the love, the emotion, of ourselves, our friends and our families.

Almost all of your images were perfect and there were really no bad frames.

This also impressed us very much!!! It was a pleasure working with you in creating the album

and paneled folio and we look forward to working with you on other projects another day.

In the mean time, we will miss working with you and are very pleased with the gifts you have given us.

Your work is truly unique and memorable! The images will leave an imprint of who Lewis and I were

in our younger days. Here's to you!!!

AIMEE & PASTOR: We enjoyed working with Howard. He delivered exactly what he promised -

lots of beautiful photographs!

ASHLEY & JAMES: Howard is magnificent. He captured the day wonderfully, and his pictures truly

tell a story. He was nothing but professional and a joy to work with.

NICOLE & MATTHEW: Howard Gale Ford is not only very professional, he is also a passionate,

dedicated and diligent artist. He finds emotion and captures it. The photojournalistic technique

he infuses in his pictures makes the static life of the wedding into a journey.

TIANA & WARREN: Howard Gale Ford was a pleasure to work with at our wedding and we were

very happy with the resulting photographs! He was both friendly and discrete and clearly cared

a lot about the pictures he was making. I would recommend him highly.

LI & PHAN: Howard was great! Can't say enough about him! Our families in China and Viet Nam

were so excited to see the pictures online. Thank you so very much!

PARENT THANK YOU LETTERS

Dear Howard,

I am probably more appreciative than most for several reasons.  I have always had a camera with me.  

I am not a skilled photographer, but I have recorded my children's lives with my own little cameras

for all these years.  I have about 50 albums of just them!  I obviously believe in the photo memory.  

I also value your honesty and it comes through in your photographs.  You truly captured Rachel's

wedding for us.  Since weddings are the one time that I did not carry the camera, I needed to trust

our photographer.  My daughter Jasmine is very sentimental.  Photographs have always been very

precious memories to her.  When the photographer for her wedding let us down so terribly, it just

was not something that I could accept to have happened to her.  You saved us.  I think, above all,

it is your honesty and your assistance in saving Jasmine her memories that means the most to me.  

She carries the little copy of her book with her everywhere.  Recently we had a tragedy in our lives.  

Jasmine was pregnant with twin boys and lost them at 21 weeks gestation.  In the hospital during

those horrible moments, Jasmine had your book in her hands.  Nurses stopped and commented on how wonderful the book was.  In some very dark moments in her married life, she had the precious memory

of just how special her marriage, her family, her life are.  The book is truly a memory that you gave

to her.  It is very precious to us.  

Thank you again - Irene

CLIENT REFERENCE LETTERS

Congratulations on your engagement!  What an exciting time! I am thrilled to tell you about

our experience with Howard.  We had a hard time finding a photographer who was free for

our weekend (Labor Day).  I ended up searching the web and came across Howard's website.

We met with him and were instantly impressed.  My husband's father is a professional photographer

as well and Sean was impressed by Howard's knowledge and skill.

Here are the answers your specific questions:

Would you please tell us what your overall impressions of HGF are?

He is very professional, exceedingly talented, and a pleasure to work with.  Most importantly,

his photographs are fabulous!

Was he timely and professional?

Yes and Yes.  He had to travel to our wedding and he gave himself many extra hours

(which was good because traffic was bad).  He arrived before I did and was set up and ready to go. 

Were you satisfied with the quality of his work?

Absolutely!  I have a few friends who were married around the same time and they spent a fortune

on their photographers, but like our pictures better.  He has a talent for capturing the emotion of the day. 

I have had so much fun looking through the album to relive the happiness!

Did he take the photos you requested if you made special requests?

Yes.  We supplied him with a list of the shots that we wanted and he took all of them - and then some!

How did he interact with you and your guests on your wedding day?

He was quiet and unobtrusive.

Did you receive any comments – positive or negative – from your guests regarding either HGF’s

interaction with them or his work product?

Both:  I had many guests who commented on his manner - that they didn't even notice he was

taking photographs.  It was refreshing after seeing so many photographers who are pushy. 

Howard captured many things that I didn't think anyone else saw.  For example, he got some great

shots of my mom kissing me before the ceremony, my husband telling a joke, and me laughing. 

I was overwhelmed by the quality of the photographs, and as I mentioned earlier, the emotion that

he captured. 

Overall, were you satisfied with your decision to use HGF?

Completely!

Would you recommend him to a friend?

Yes, and I have recommended him to two of my soon-to-be-married friends. 

I think that one of them is meeting with him over the holidays.

I hope this was helpful.  I realize that it's a bit cheesy and gushing, but it's all true.  Sean and I also had Howard take our engagement pictures and those were wonderful as well.  Please let me know if I can

provide more information.  Best of luck in your planning!

Warm regards, Hanna

Brides say, "It's like having your wedding photographed as a Cover Story in a magazine"

 IMAGINE YOUR DREAMS!....     copyright 2008 A WEDDING PORTFOLIO - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED     ALBANY CA   510-526-4276

 howardgaleford@aol.com

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, WINE COUNTRY,

CARMEL, YOSEMITE, LAKE TAHOE, AND BEYOND