Jihan Abdalla Photography

My husband and I were so fortunate to have Jihan and her team shoot our wedding this January 2010. Jihan and her team went above and beyond to make our special day amazing. They delivered us an all encompassing photo album...Jihan captured every moment from inception; not a beat missed. She caught the trials and tribulations of getting ready, the beauty of the venue and the busy and behind the scenes photos that were priceless.

Jihan was able to capture our families and friends emotions that we weren't able to see until picture time, and, for us, the things that we weren't able to enjoy due to the craziness of day of wedding nerves, was the most important for us.

Being a professional musician in the band, Papa Roach, my husband, Tobin Esperance, is used to being photographed often - but we both agree that Jihan captured some of the most amazing, raw photos.

We would definitely recommend Jihan to everyone we know (a few people already jumping to get her to shoot their weddings next year!) and will give her all of the accolades and praise that she and her team deserve.

A+++++++ in effort, energy, professionalism, and going above and beyond our high expectations.

Thank you Jihan -- WE LOVE YOU!

xo Amber & Tobin Esperance

My husband and I were so fortunate to have Jihan Abdalla photography, shoot our wedding, January 2010. Jihan and her team went above and beyond to help deliver to us the most amazing, all encompassing wedding album....they didn't miss a single emotion, a single shot.Not only did they honor all of our ideas, but Jihan incorporated her own brilliant creativity in each shot, producing beautiful photos.My husband and I, along side our families and friends are so pleased with not only the end results and the amazing photo album, but also, Jihan's professionalism, her flexibility, creativity, and amazing delivery - we would recommend Jihan Abdalla photography to anyone who is looking for something more than the usual wedding photographer.THANK YOU JIHAN AND TEAM! WE LOVE YOU!Amber & Tobin Esperance

Jihan is an amazing photographer who captures the very essence of all that the wedding day produces.

The hours it took getting prepared, the applying of makeup, tying full windsors, getting dressed, pinning boutonnières and corsages all captured by the flash and the photo.

From the minor details to the only time an embrace of a fathers arms as he hugs his son and encourages him to be a better man than he will be captured… to the seconds shared between mother and daughter right before the bride takes her walk to her groom.

Jihan is EVERYWHERE from your dressing room to the cake table and even hiding behind a corner to catch the comically aspects of small children trying to put the candles out that took the better half of the morning to light. I have seen photographs that made me smile and cry, that took my breath away and gave me a belly laugh.

The most important photo I saw was when she captured the very emotion that last for only a moment as the groom sees his bride for the first time. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SEE ALL THAT WAS MY WEDDING DAY!

Jihan Abdalla was the photographer for my August 8, 2009 wedding. I was set up with her through another company's referral system. Basically, we were matched with Jihan based on the style of photos we were looking for. After we were referred to Jihan, I scoured the photos on her website and loved them all! I immediately became very excited to work with her at our wedding.I spoke with Jihan a few times before the wedding and each time she asked me numerous questions about my wedding, the location, and the types of photos I wanted. She gathered very detailed information and began scouting the area for good photo opportunities. I mentioned that I like photos taken in random places so Jihan literally drove through the area near the church to find some unique places. I am so impressed by how she goes above and beyond to meet the needs of her clients.My fiancee', family, and I planned the entire wedding ourselves down to the very last detail. Because we had put so much of ourselves into planning our wedding, we were hoping for a photographer who would capture those details along with the love and joy we would feel on our wedding day. To say Jihan captured these things well would be an understatement. Our wedding photos are honestly the MOST unique, MOST beautiful, MOST amazing wedding photos I have ever seen. She beautifully captured the most intimate moments on film. The photos have been immaculately edited and are bursting with color. The black and white photos are gorgeous and powerful. When I saw our photos for the first time, I was in tears, as were many of my friends and family. I have received tons of compliments on these photos and have friends who already want to book Jihan for their 2011 wedding! Since I began planning my wedding, I have become obsessed with everything wedding related. I scour wedding sites and read wedding blogs daily and can say with 100% confidence that Jihan Abdalla is an amazing artist. We are so very blessed to have her photos as our forever memories of our beautiful wedding day.

I would rather take all the time in the world shopping around for the perfect photographer than my wedding gown. The most important thing to me about a wedding especially my own are great photographs, which is why we chose Jihan Abdalla Photography. My husband is also a photographer, so we took a while in choosing a wedding photographer who was great with composition and lighting. When I first saw Jihan's work, my eyes started to tear up! Her photos aren't just a snapshot of the occasion, but they tell a story of that particular moment. I couldn't wait to meet her! When I finally did on the actual wedding day, we instantly connected. She has such a great personality, takes her work seriously and goes above and beyond. We are very pleased with our photos and are completely satisfied customers!

Jihan was amazing. We couldn't be happier with our decision to have Jihan Abdalla Photography capture our wedding day. Jihan was such a pleasure to work with and our pictures are terrific. They managed to think of every detail along the way to ensure that each moment was caught on camera and that the emotion felt throughout the wedding came across in each photo. Looking at the photographs makes us feel the same joy we felt that day and gives us the chance to experience parts of the wedding we didn't get to take the time to enjoy then. Jihan's dedication and artistic commitment to her craft means we ended up with beautiful photographs that match the beauty of the day for us. Jihan goes above and beyond for you and I would recommend her in a heartbeat.

We knew our photographer, Jihan, through another friend and had seen her unique, "beautiful style photography before we ever start planning the wedding. In addition to that, Jihan has been the Knots photography award the past 2 years. We did not want the same old boring wedding and her style is very creative. We met her 2 hours before the ceremony so we could take pictures with the wedding party on Main Street in Santa Monica; at one point we recreated the Beatles "Abbey Road" album cover while crossing a busy intersection! She listens to your ideas and then incorporates them with her vision. She was easy to work with when we had to do a few of the typical wedding photos as well. During the reception you did not know she and her talented second photographer, Caroline, were even there other than the results of great photos. Jihan is not just a photographer; she is an artist that works in the film industry as well.

We knew our photographer, Jihan, through another friend and had seen her unique, beautiful style photography before we ever started planning the wedding. In addition to that, Jihan has been the knot.com photography award winner the past 2 years. We did not want the same old boring wedding and her style is very creative. On our wedding day we met her 2 hours before the ceremony so we could take pictures with the wedding party on Main Street in Santa Monica; at one point we recreated the Beatles "Abbey Road" album cover while crossing a busy intersection! She listens to your ideas and then incorporates them with her vision. She was easy to work with when we had to do a few of the typical wedding photos as well. During the reception you did not know she and her talented second photographer, Caroline were even there other than the results of great photos. Jihan is not just a photographer; she is an artist that works in the film industry as well.

We were married this past October in the gorgeous setting which is San Ysidro Ranch, in Montecito, CA. We had a year to plan the small event for 14, and met with Jihan very early in the process. We interviewed other professionals, but chose Jihan because we felt an immediate connection with her, which produced the trust couples need to have in all their wedding vendors, but most especially the photographer! Our two dogs were to play important roles and we made sure Jihan was OK with that! She captured the most incredible pictures of their very personalities!

My husband and I are nearly a foot apart in height, which makes a 'standing' photo difficult -- we have taken hundreds of horrible 'prom' pictures! We also discussed this concern with Jihan and, again, she really listened. While we have several incredible shots sitting in the venue's gardens, she also really nailed all the vertical images, too.

We met Jihan through our wedding and need for a photographer, but -- she's a fascinating woman who has traveled the world and what her eye sees translates into so many amazing things, that those experiences and her innate need to move beyond the obvious, are, we believe, a great source for her talent. We'll be calling her for that 10th anniversary shot!!!

"We were married this past October in the gorgeous setting which is San Ysidro Ranch, in Montecito, CA. We had a year to plan the small event for 14, and met with Jihan very early in the process. We interviewed other professionals, but chose Jihan because we felt an immediate connection with her, which produced the trust couples need to have in all their wedding vendors, but most especially the photographer! Our two dogs were to play important roles and we made sure Jihan was OK with that. She captured the most incredible pictures of their very personalities!My husband and I are nearly a foot apart in height, which makes a 'standing' photo difficult -- we have taken hundreds of horrible 'prom' pictures! We also discussed this concern with Jihan and, again, she really listened. While we have several incredible shots sitting in the venue's gardens, she also really nailed all the vertical images, too.We met Jihan through our wedding and need for a photographer, but -- she's a fascinating woman who has traveled the world and what her eye sees translates into so many amazing things, that those experiences and her innate need to move beyond the obvious, are, we believe, a great source for her talent. We'll be calling her for that 10th anniversary shot!!!"

My wife wanted to take the reigns in finding our photographer, so naturally I let her do her thing. She wanted someone who took dramatic pictures using everything around us (nature, architecture, people, etc.) After a search of websites and some price comparison, we set up a meeting with Jihan. After our first meeting with her we cancelled all the other photographer meetings we had. We both knew right off the bat that she would be the perfect photographer for us. Not only were her books amazing, but she was a really cool person.
Our wedding day was such a fun adventure with Jihan. In between the ceremony and reception Priscilla and me had about 3 hours that we wanted to devote to taking pictures. We got married at the Old Santa Barbara Mission and our reception was at the Four Seasons in Santa Barbara. We gave Jihan absolute control over our photo session, just saying that we trusted her to pick some really cool locations...and she did not disappoint. We shot at the mission, a really cool marsh/garden area, a cemetery (I know it sounds crazy, but in none of the shots can you tell it's a cemetary and some of our best shots were at this location), the railroad tracks and the beach. All the locations were brilliantly scouted out and she knew exactly what she wanted to do when we got to them.
On our day Jihan worked with anohter photographer and a lighting assistant. So at all times we felt like everything was being covered. When we got to the cocktail hour and reception we took a few more pictures as a couple, but after that it was mainly Jihan and her team caturing the fun of the party. Everyone who looks at our pictures marvels at what a great job our photographer did at capturing the emotions on peoples faces. The candids that jihan and her team took of the reception really are great. In the end Jihan is a truly gifted artist...much more than a wedding photograher, but more importanly a really fun spirit and great person to share your wedding day with. I would recommend her to anyone not only for her great work, but her personality and fair pricing.

My wife wanted to take the reigns in finding our photographer, so naturally I let her do her thing. She wanted someone who took dramatic pictures using everything around us (nature, architecture, people, etc.) After a search of websites and some price comparison, we set up a meeting with Jihan. After our first meeting with her we cancelled all the other photographer meetings we had. We both knew right off the bat that she would be the perfect photographer for us. Not only were her books amazing, but she was a really cool person. Our wedding day was such a fun adventure with Jihan. In between the ceremony and reception Priscilla and me had about 3 hours that we wanted to devote to taking pictures. We got married at the Old Santa Barbara Mission and our reception was at the Four Seasons in Santa Barbara. We gave Jihan absolute control over our photo session, just saying that we trusted her to pick some really cool locations...and she did not disappoint. We shot at the mission, a really cool marsh/garden area, a cemetery (I know it sounds crazy, but in none of the shots can you tell it's a cemetary and some of our best shots were at this location), the railroad tracks and the beach. All the locations were brilliantly scouted out and she knew exactly what she wanted to do when we got to them. On our day Jihan worked with anohter photographer and a lighting assistant. So at all times we felt like everything was being covered. When we got to the cocktail hour and reception we took a few more pictures as a couple, but after that it was mainly Jihan and her team caturing the fun of the party. Everyone who looks at our pictures marvels at what a great job our photographer did at capturing the emotions on peoples faces. The candids that jihan and her team took of the reception really are great. In the end Jihan is a truly gifted artist, but more importanly a really fun spirit and great person to share your wedding day with. I would recommend her to anyone not only for her great work, but her personality and fair pricing.

My husband and I highly recommend Jihan. She was a pleasure to work with and her skill as a photographer speaks for itself (just check out her website). She has a knack for putting her "subjects" at ease and really made things a lot of fun. We worked with her on our engagement shots, some family shots, our rehearsal dinner and our wedding and were thrilled with all of the photos. Our only problem now is selecting which ones go in the album(s)!

Jihan was fantastic! We were so impressed by her portfolio and the way she could put anyone at ease that we not only contracted with her for our wedding photos but also for our engagement photos, rehearsal photos and some family photos to boot. We were VERY pleased with all of our photos. She and her partner made everything fun - and produced some beautiful, artful, creative shots. Our biggest problem now is having too many good shots to choose from. We would highly recommend Jihan to anyone.

When we asked Jihan to photograph our wedding, we had a unique request! We were planning two different weddings, at opposite ends of the globe. Because our families live in different countries (United States and India), and few would be able to make such a long journey, we decided to celebrate in both places. And Jihan very competently took on the massive challenge of photographing both events, and threading them together to tell one story.
Our first ceremony took place in my parents' garden in Pennsylvania. Planning and organizing the wedding was a group effort, with family and friends pitching in, and Jihan's photos reveal the homespun quality of our wedding day. Her first priority was to get the shots that we wanted, and she was receptive to any ideas we had as the day unfolded. She created a collection of moments, of smiles captured without any notice, and conveyed the joy we all felt that day.
The Indian wedding was a testament to Jihan's endurance as a photographer. The ceremonies lasted four days, each of which she carefully documented with incredible attention to detail. She patiently worked around so many unpredictable variables, such as last minute changes, a language barrier, dust storms, bright lights, and huge crowds of people. None of those variables come through in Jihan's photos. All you see are our families coming together to celebrate, set against the exquisite, saturated colors of India.
It wasn't until both weddings were behind us, and some time had passed, that we had a chance to go through all of our photos to choose ones to frame and hang. The tiny details already fading from memory, it's only now that I can truly appreciate the lasting quality of Jihan's work. She really tells the story of our two weddings, our two families, and our two cultures blending together. We are so lucky to have that story preserved in pictures.

Jihan was a great photographer. Capturing some of the funniest and memorable times of my wedding. She is full of energy and just as excited as you are to get your party on.

When I started looking for my wedding vendors, I began my search for the right photographer since it was the highest priority for me. I got Jihan Abdalla's name from one of the wedding planners I met and called her right away. Out of the 3 photographers I called, Jihan called me back first (a good sign already). When my husband and I met with her, we knew she was the one right away. She was comfortable to talk to, and she really understood what kind of pictures I wanted. We did our engagement session with her first. She accompanied us (sitting in the backseat with my Mom and our two dogs!) 45 minutes away to a beautiful location for our shoot. To say the least, the experience and the photographs were outstanding.

Our wedding experience was just as beautiful. She brought an assistant, who was equally great, and they were both with us from our dressing room through to the reception, without anyone even noticing them. Jihan grabbed us after the ceremony to catch the best lighting out on the beach and then swiftly got us back to our reception. When we got our photos, they blew us away. She used both color and black and white and asked that we choose some we wanted enhanced...there weren't any we wanted to change. They were all perfect! Even when I sent out our wedding gallery to our friends and family, I got more compliments on how nice the pictures were as opposed to what the pictures were of!

I am someone who swears by reading reviews before I purchase something or hire someone...I highly recommend Jihan Abdalla.

Jihan Abdalla was the first vendor I found for our wedding, since photography was the highest priority for me. When my husband and I met with her, we knew right away she would be perfect. She was professional, comfortable to talk with, and her pictures were outstanding. We did an engagement photo session with her as well. She accompanied us to a location 45 min away, sitting in the back seat with my Mom and our two dogs! She was great with the dogs and the moment we pulled up to our location she was spouting out ideas for shots. It was our first time taking professional photos and she was very helpful regarding what to do. To say the least, the photos turned out beautifully and we knew we were in for a treat with our wedding.We got married in Santa Barbara, and Jihan brought an assistant who was equally fantastic. They were both with us from the dressing room (one with us and one with the boys) through to the reception. Nobody noticed them at all, but they did a great job of grabbing us to catch the best lighting out on the beach, and then swiftly got us back to the reception. I was thrilled with every aspect of Jihan's work, especially when we got the pictures back. When I sent our web gallery to our friends and family, I got more compliments on how nice the pictures were, than comments on the wedding itself! I highly recommend Jihan. Her work went above and beyond our expectations!

Jihan was our wedding photographer for May, 2008 wedding. Words fail to describe how talented Jihan is! She is a truly gifted photographer; I am convinced that she captured my wedding day in a way no one else could have.

I found Jihan through the referral of a friend who used her as her wedding photographer. Her pictures were so beautiful! More than that, she really caught the emotion of my friend's day. We were so impressed that my husband and I made the big decision to forgeo our deposit on another photographer and book with Jihan. Even though it was a bit out of our budget, it was sooo worth it! Pictures truly are one of the few things from your wedding day you get to keep forever. Her services are very much worth the expense.

Jihan was also extremely easy to work with. We met with her once before the big day and had countless email conversations. She said she's always on-line and she isn't lying...she was almost always accessible. And, on our wedding, Jihan and her assistant were so accommodating. Their attitudes were so great and they made us feel really relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera. I even heard my bridesmaids talking about how "cool" she was.

I highly recommend Jihan Abdalla Photography. She'll capture your day in a beautiful, candid, stylish way with an attitude that will keep you relaxed and entertained!

Jihan was awesome. Our wedding photos came out beautifully with just the right touch of candidness that we wanted. I loved Jihan's attitude from the first time that me and my fiancee Scott met with her! She knew exactly what we wanted just by meeting with us. She made it really easy too, with everything else going on, I had complete faith in her work. I was NOT disappointed either, the day she sent me my proofs was so special...they are amazing!

Jihan and her assisatant were fantastic! I knew that I was going to go with her as our photographer the moment I met her. She really made things easy on me the day of our wedding too, I had complete faith in her work. Also, when I saw the first of our pictures I was amazed. They were absolutelely beautiful and what me and my husband had wanted!! I would highly recommend Jihan to any bride to be.

Finding a photographer was a living nightmare, primarily because of the high costs - literally half of our wedding budget. So, when I first saw Jihan's site, I assumed she was way out of our budget. It was too good to be true when we found out she actually fit into our price range. We had already looked over her site and knew we liked her style of photography, but she still took the time to ask a ton of questions about the theme and feel of our wedding to get an accurate idea in her head. Then she discussed all the types of wedding photography available (standard poses, candid, journalism...) which helped us understand and articulate exactly what we wanted.

The day of the wedding she and her assistant were great. They also offered some sanity and humor to the day as well (look around for a shopping cart)! Both of the photographers did a great job at the wedding ceremony, managing to take all the pictures we wanted. We are still overwhelmed at all the hundreds of photos they shot!! They turned out so well and we are having trouble narrowing them down!!! Jihan had our photos up on the site within ten or eleven days and our family and friends have given us tons of compliments. We have even received a few emails saying that the photos made them cry!! Overall Jihan was fantastic and easy to work with, before, during, and after the wedding!

I plan weddings at a resort on Cape Cod so when I got engaged everyone had said you are not going to have any trouble in planning your own wedding because that is what you do for a living...however they were all certainly wrong!

Being the bride is a once in a lifetime type of deal so everyone wants their wedding to be perfect, so to ensure perfection you think the most expensive vendor is the best, I came to find that was not the case.

After picking our place and deciding on other wedding plans my Father had recommended Jihan Abdalla for our photographer. So I called her up and looked at her website and found that her pictures were the kind that we were both looking for. My husband and I did not want any posed pictures but of course you do need a few of those but we loved the way she captured the excitement and the warmth in all her pictures. So we met with her one day on the Vineyard and immediately just 'clicked'.

Our wedding was in December so naturally we couldn't get a lot of the running on the beach pictures...but it didn't matter because the pictures that we did get of our special day were amazing! Jihan captured everything we wanted from that day and even now looking back at the pictures it's almost like re-living the whole day! She was wonderful to work with and very flexible and organized the day of. Both of our families we're so pleased with the work Jihan did, we so happy to have her share such a special day with us and hope to remain friends!

We were married in Santa Barbara however we live in Encinitas. I googled photographers in Santa Barabra. After talking to a few photgraphers on the phone and seeing their work online, we chose Jihan.

She was amazing! She is so nice and accomodating and we hardly knew she was there. Our pictures are amazing and we were told by many people that they look like they are from a magazine! She also helped us with our album which looks like a coffee table book. Needless to say, she was amazing and she is priced very reasonably.

I highly recommend Jihan.

Even before I was engaged I knew that when the time came to be married I wanted to make sure that I had an amazing photographer to capture this very special day. I was even willing to cut back on the cost of my cake, DJ, etc. because when all was said and done and the cake was eaten and the dancing was over the pictures are what I would have left of this day. This being said I was really excited to find Jihan Abdalla to do our photography shortly after becoming engaged in the fall of 2006. Unbeknownst to me she had previosly been the wedding photographer for an aquaintance of ours and I had loved their pictures, but assumed whomever their photographer was, was well out of our budget. However, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that not only was she within our budget, she was personable and went out of her way to make sure that she captured the very best moments of our wedding. From the very first information phone call to the final purchase of our pictures it was a joy to work with Jihan and because of her we have our special day captured in a very professional and unique style!

Working with Jihan was amazing! We live in Southern California but planned to get married on Marthas Vineyard and needed to meet our photographer before we decided who to use. Jihan was the perfect match for us - she had spent a significant amount of time on the island and knew of the Gay Head lighthouse where we planned to marry. Her familiarity with the location and understanding of the special photographic opportunities paid off, resulting in fantastic pictures. Aside from this, her approachable style and flexibility made her a pleasure to work with despite our changes in direction throughout the evening. I look forward to working with Jihan again in the future for my photographic needs and have referred her to friends who truly want a unique experience.

Jihan is incredible. She is mellow and professional, a very important thing on such a big day with so many emotions running high. She doesn't spend forever trying to arrange people which was important to me, that drives me crazy! She captures the moments that are so crucial and does the perfect amount of posed and candid shots. Her style is so artistic and beautiful, we are so happy with all of our shots!