David Royal Photography
Monterey, California, Monterey
(19)
Monterey, California, Monterey
(19)
David Royal is a freelance photographer based on the Monterey Bay in California. A photojournalist with a base in art photography, he loves using his camera as a tool to meet people and discover new worlds around him.
A former staff photographer with the Monterey County Herald, David has over 20 years of experience shooting as a newspaper photojournalist.
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19 customer reviews
Julia
My wedding was only a week and a half ago so of course I haven't gotten my photos back yet, but given the quality of all of David's work I already know they're going to be fantastic and I couldn't wait to leave a review about how great he is.
When I first started conversing with David my husband and I were on a tight budget and, given his credentials and talent, I thought he would be out of our price range. David was eager to work with me despite this and offered several different time options that were in our price range. The day before the 3 of us met to discuss & finalize our contract, I received an unexpected financial windfall which allowed us to book David for our entire wedding day. I HIGHLY recommend that any couple booking David opt for this service as it was absolutely worth every penny to have him there the whole day.
David was incredibly professional, unobtrusive, accommodating, trustworthy, and honestly just fun to work with. He was always close by if I needed him but I didn't even realize he was there otherwise. My guests had a teriffic time with him as well.
I simply cannot recommend David highly enough. He helped to make my wedding day perfect and for that I will be eternally grateful.
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Reviewed on WeddingWire
Julia
Wedding Photography
So this review is a little early as I've only seen glimpses of 2 unedited photos so far, but judging from David's other work they're going to be incredible.
I have nothing but the absolute best things to say about David, his professional demeanor, his eye for candid shots, and his warm, approachable attitude. I absolutely loved working with him from the first time he messaged me until we hugged goodbye as he left the reception, and not only will he be the only photographer I work with from now on, I will also be sure to recommend him to all my friends, family, and clients.
Thank you, David, for your talent, your kindness, and for just being an awesome person to hang out with on my wedding day. Even before seeing the pictures, Matt and I know we made the right choice.
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Ben
Popping the question is a pretty nerve racking event. I could have gone with 2 or 4 other photographers, but trust me... .you won’t be disappointed if you go with David. His professionalism was second to none. He was very detail orienteted with time, place, angles to propose to capture the best lighting. He even drew me a map as I was unfamiliar with the beach where I wanted to go. He replied quickly if I had questions and his attention to detail was fantastic. David was great from start to finish! Don’t waste your time seeking out other photographers....thank you David! More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Aubrie Morlet
David's experience really shines through in his amazing work. His flexibility and professionalism made it a pleasure to work with him. David walked the wedding and reception locations with me in advance to understand the site's environment and our photography expectations. His relaxed personality made the entire wedding party and guests at ease allowing him to capture many wonderful casual moments. David's fees were very fair in this inflated central coast market. More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Kathryn Chacon Hillman
David has a real good eye for photography!
Reviewed on Facebook
Ben Quinto
Popping the question is a pretty nerve racking event. I shopped around and talked to multiple photographers but trust me, you won’t be disappointed if you go with David. His professionalism was second to none. He was very detail orienteted with time, place, best angles to propose to capture optimum lighting. He even drew me a map as I was unfamiliar with the beach where I wanted to go. He replied quickly if I had questions and his attention to detail was fantastic. David was great from start to finish! Don’t waste your time seeking out other photographers....thank you for everything David! More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Ben Q.
No doubtat all...5 stars without hesitation! Â I couldn't have asked for anything more!Popping the question is a pretty nerve racking event. I could have gone with 2 or 4 other photographers, but trust me....you won't be disappointed if you go with David. His professionalism was second to none. He was very detail orienteted with time, place, angles to propose to capture the best lighting. He even drew me a map as I was unfamiliar with the beach where I wanted to go. He replied quickly if I had questions and his attention to detail was fantastic. David was great from start to finish! Â Don't waste your time seeking out other photographers....thank you David! More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Christina G.
David Royal was a fantastic photographer for our wedding! My husband tends to tense up in front of the camera, so we really wanted someone who could capture authentic, candid moments on our big day. David Royal arrived early and was our shadow, documenting our nuptials and reception. He made sure to pull us aside to take advantage of beautiful sunset lighting, got all the requested shots on our photo wishlist (our families were difficult to coordinate, and he remained calm, cool, and collected), and he was even kind enough to give lighting tips to the girl I had running our DIY photobooth. Great guy to work with, and an SJSU alum! More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Christina
David Royal was a fantastic photographer for our wedding! My husband tends to tense up in front of the camera, so we really wanted someone who could capture authentic, candid moments on our big day. We met beforehand to discuss what each of us wanted, and David Royal followed up via email a few weeks before the wedding, which was great because I was getting buried with other duties and obligations. On our big day, he arrived early and was our shadow, documenting our nuptials and reception. David Royal made sure to pull us aside to take advantage of beautiful sunset lighting, got all the requested shots on our photo wishlist (our families were difficult to coordinate, and he remained calm, cool, and collected), and he was even kind enough to give lighting tips to the girl I had running our DIY photobooth. Great guy to work with, and an SJSU alum! More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Yasemin
My wedding was planned last minute as I was looking for a Photographer I came across David, he was able to take on my wedding photography and was available for a two day picture taking in a short notice. Pictures came out nice for having only one person taking the pictures. More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Karly
David was absolutely amazing! He was willing to stay later than planned, and made sure to get great photos! I would highly recommend him for any event not just weddings!
Reviewed on WeddingWire
John
Super professional, and a great eye that captured us in a natural way. Very real!
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Paul
David was an amazing addition to the team and wedding. He took the time to extend the posed pictures beyond the wedding party to our extended family. This gave everyone something special from our special day. We’d work with David again and would recommend him to anyone. - oh yea the pictures were pretty awesome too! More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Emily
David was so easy to work with and did a wonderful job capturing all the special moments of our wedding. I can't believe how many shots and angles he got, considering he was just a one-man team! He was particularly great at capturing candid moments. More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Sandy
David Royal was our photographer on Sunday, August 3rd, 2014 at The Crepe Place. He did a fabulous job in all areas. His professionalism, knowledge, and raw talent made us shine as the sparkling couple that we were on our special day!
He was patient and able to get all family portraits that we really wanted. Everything was happening so fast that in the moment it was challenging to get the people together that needed to be together. It all flowed gracefully thanks to David's direction.
David is calm under pressure and put many of our guests at ease. He worked the entire time and didn't even take a break. He was able to capture moments in time that make you feel as though you are present as the viewer looking at the photo of the past. He captures the true expression and soul of the person/people he is catching.
As a photographer it can become hard to capture good shots when other guests are flashing their cameras all at once. David had a way of interacting with our guests without being intrusive to get what he needed in order to get the best shot for us, the bride and groom. He was really right on and Troy and I could simply enjoy our wedding. David reminded us at the perfect moment when to escape to the street to snap some private photos of Troy and I.
We captured a true classic shot. The sky was pink and we were on the street corner of Soquel and Seabright, kitty corner from the Rio Theatre. My expression was full of excitement and happiness and Troy was handsome and sure. I would have forgotten to go at that moment if David had reminded us. He knew it was important to us to get some private shots outside of the venue together.
Troy and I got ready down the street from one another. David came back and forth from each of our places when we were getting ready. He captured some classics of each of us. David is full of energy when it comes to his work and gets the job done going above and beyond.
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Reviewed on WeddingWire
Andrew
We couldn't have been happier with how our wedding photos turned out. David listened to what we wanted out of our wedding photos and was able to capture it exactly as we envisioned. His personality and demeanor are perfect for a wedding photographer. He was very calming and kept things fun on a day that could possibly have be very stressful. He was able to take all the shots we requested and was able to do it all while staying inconspicuous during the ceremony and reception. More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Heather
We had a great experience using David Royal as our wedding photographer. We got all the portraits we wanted, as well as some great candid shots. David was in the midst of the action without being intrusive. We would definitely use him again. More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Joshua
David was an outstanding photographer. We flew him out to Hawaii to shoot our wedding after seeing his previous work. My wife and I highly recommend David for his excellance in craft and quality imagery you will receive from his service.
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Amy
Amazing from beginning to end. Would recommend Dave to anyone and have. As the bride I never wanted to feel like I had a camera in my face all day. I can honestly tell you I never even noticed the camera but ended up with the most beautiful pictures of our special day!! More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
What’s the secret to taking a great photograph?
Great photographs are a synthesis of creative vision, great light and meticulous timing.
What questions might you ask a client when starting a new project?
What is your vision and what are you trying to convey?
What do you love most about your job?
I love having a career that enables me to channel my creativity. I love meeting new people and helping them tell their story.
What inspired you to start your own business?
I started my business to make my passion for photography my profession.
Why should our clients choose you?
Clients need to know that I have the skill, the passion and the eye to deliver a great product. I have years of experience shooting all types of assignments as a newspaper photojournalist. During that time I continued to shoot freelance commercial assignments and weddings. Those varied experiences have been exciting and challenging and through it all the goal has been about the quality of the images that I make.
Videography
In addition to still photography I work with businesses and nonprofit organizations to tell their story through video.
