Garden Island Photography
Kilauea, Kauai
(28)
Kilauea, Kauai
(28)
Garden Island Photography does photography of all kinds. We specialize in Family Portraits, Weddings, Senior and engagement shoots. We also do photo tours and workshops tailored to your specific needs and wishes. We provide packages that include prints, digital images or both.
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28 customer reviews
Wendy F.
We had a family photo shoot with 21 of us, 12 adults, 9 children and teens including a baby. I was very happy with the photos. Dana got some wonderful shots of each of the children, a great group photo and some fabulous candid photos as I had asked for. He was very communicative beforehand by email, asking for everyone's name making sure he knew exactly what we wanted. Highly recommend! More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Rodney Hofer
Dana is a professional in every sense of the word. But more importantly a good person. Patient and caring, not in a hurry to just get the job done. We chose the right man for the job. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Cassidy Schumacher
Dana took photos of my wedding on a pretty short notice and truly captured the spontaneity & love of the event! He was SO easy to work with. I recommend him 100%. Very professional, but very personable. Thanks Dana!! More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Molly Joy Crane
Dana did a spectacular job photographing our wedding. We will treasure the gorgeous pictures for a lifetime. He captured spontaneous moments that we didn't even expect. The photos of our family and the posed ones were really creative and just what we were looking for. I highly recommend him. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Liz Kulikowski
Great time having our large, extended family shoot done this evening. Was a pleasure meeting Dana and having him take our photos. Highly recommend.
Reviewed on Facebook
Lesley Robeson
We were blessed to meet Dana when we travelled to Kauai for our 30th wedding anniversary. He renewed our vows (as he is also able to do that! ) and took a few photos for us. He made our day very memorable and special, and his work is just lovely. Thank you! More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Rhoda Diemer Henning
Our extended family of 25 (6 families total) took a trip to Kauai. While we were there we wanted to have professional pictures taken.
Dana was awesome to work with. He spent several hours with us at Anini Beach taking shots of the whole group and individual families. There were several photo packages available. The one we selected was a digital copy of each print. The pictures turned out awesome and we received hundreds of pictures!
I would highly recommend him for your pictures.
More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Oliver Oyama
I wanted to learn more about my camera and photography and see some of Kauai. Dana offered a reasonably priced one-on-one instruction so I spent 3 hours with him. Heck of a nice guy and I learned quite a bit in that short time. We drove in my car to several sites on the north shore. It was more of an instructional time and less of a site seeing experience but Dana will make it whatever you want. Afterwards he made himself available for questions as I was going to shoot from a helicopter later in my stay. Definitely worth the time and money. Thank you Dana. Please stay in touch. Oliver More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Asher Allen
Unlike some photographers, who have to spend countless post-shoot hours making their images pop, Dana is a true artist of photo capture, with an understanding of light being possibly his greatest strength. His raw images are stunning; the kind of photos you will frame and admire forever. I couldn't be more pleased with the amazing job Dana did in capturing my wife's beauty (and even making me look okay). More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Marti Fischer
My husband and I celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary in Poipu Beach, Kauai, with our 3 sons, 3 daughters-in-law, and 6 grandchildren. We had family beach photos taken by Dana Nadeau of Garden Island Photography. Dana was outstanding to work with and took fabulous photos! It was a hot morning on Shipwreck Beach, but Dana kept clicking away with many smiles! With 14 of us there including children between the ages of 8 months to 11 years, Dana captured both posed and spontaneous pictures! We are very pleased with these beautiful photos. Dana is the best! More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Lindsay Allen
Dana is a master at his craft! Doing photos with him is a very enjoyable experience. He took wedding portraits for my husband and I at one of my favorite beaches. We were allowed to view shots on Dana's screen during our session, and it is obvious that he knows his camera inside and out; the raw images were stunning and needed no editing. Garden Island Photography is the best you will find on Kaua'i! More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Denise G.
I contacted Dana to inquire about booking a photo shoot. Â He was very thorough in providing me with information about different locations on Kauai and what made each place special. Â I ended up booking a shoot about 3 weeks in advance. Â Dana met my family and I at our photo shoot location, he was there early and had lights set up before we got there. Â He made sure to get to know everyone who took part in the photo shoot and was very friendly and courteous throughout. Â I received my pictures within 2 weeks and they were all so beautiful! Â I can't even choose a favorite picture because they literally all looked so good; I was very impressed! Â I would definitely recommend booking a photo shoot with Dana. More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Becky Schuette
Dana took our family photos while we were on Kauai for my parent's 50th wedding anniversary. We also had him do our son's senior portraits. What an amazing experience! He did such a great job, was patient with our large group and the photos came out absolutely gorgeous! For anyone looking, I would totally recommend using Garden Island Photography! More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Gabe Pearl
What are the best natural eyes I've ever seen in photography, with a great work ethic, and fantastic people skills.
Reviewed on Google Maps
Michael Wilson
Dana is exceptional. A personable individual as well as an extremely talented photographer. Dana's knowledge of the island in concert with his sense of light and setting always results in the perfect shoot. Our October, 2016 shoot was our second with Dana. It will not be our last. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Pam Jackson
So blessed to have found Dana to take our wedding photos. The original photographer was unable to make the event and cancelled less then one month before and Dana was able to come make our day. He was very professional as well as kind and talented. I would strongly recommend him to anyone needing photography done on Kauai. Thank you Dana More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Kenneth Rutz
Dana created a professional photograph for my business card. His attention to detail, flexibility and communication style combined for an exceptional experience and end product. I would highly recommend him for any and all of one's photographic needs More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Mike Peterson
Dana did a wonderful helping us to coordinate the location of the shoot since we had never been to the island before. We told him what we were looking for and he recommended the perfect spot. He did a great job engaging out 9 year old son in the conversation which put him at ease and he got some great shots of him. Dana was very patient with us when it came time to order our pictures. There we so many great shots it was hard to decide. I cannot recommend Garden Island Photography enough. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Willofel
My wife and I couldn't have been happier with the experience and how the photo's turned out. I'm not particularly photogenic, nor am I enthusiastic about having my pictures taken, but Dana was a great motivator and coach, and made me look great. We had a lot of fun, and have a plethora of GREAT pictures that will last for our lifetime and beyond. You won't find a better photographer on Kauai. That's no exaggeration. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Taja Clancy
Dana is a great photographer and very professional. He captured many beautiful moments from our wedding and we wholeheartedly recommend him!
Reviewed on Google Maps
Rhoda H
Our extended family of 25 (6 families total) recently returned from a trip to Kauai. While we were there we wanted to have professional pictures taken. We used Dana Nadeau from Garden Island Photography. Dana was awesome to work with. He spent several hours with us at Anini Beach taking shots of the whole group and individual families. There were several photo packages available. The one we selected was a digital copy of each print. The pictures turned out awesome and we received hundreds of pictures!I would highly recommend him for your pictures. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Tami Andres
My in-laws were having their 40th anniversary and wanted the rest of the family to go along (8 in all with two kids 4 & 6). I love photos and look for opportunities when we are together to get them taken. I found Dana via the web and he did our family pictures. He was so easy to work with. He had a puppet that he used to help get the kids to look at him and smile. He made picture taking a fun and great experience for everyone. We chose an CD option for pictures and we received hundreds of beautiful pictures. He also got great pictures of us walking by / in the water and having fun with our girls. Love these so much because it captured the fun we have together as a family. We are all happy with the results and our friends LOVE the results as well. We would definitely use him again if we are back in Kauai and need professional pictures done again. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Kipu Ranch Adventures
Thank you Garden Island Photography! We really appreciate the work you did with our large group. Dana spent the day with us following one of our large incentive groups that came out for a "Day of Play" on Kipu Ranch. He was right there with them - Kayaking, Ziplining, 4x4 Off Road Touring and a fabulous feast with an Island Style BBQ. Dana willingly ventured off on all the activities and captured so many candid action shots of the group that made memories for years to come. He was able to capture shots of all the activities. We were able to use the photos for our awards ceremony as well as photos for new marketing materials. Dana certainly has an eye for photography. We were really impressed with his work, his talent to work with such a large group and his follow-up and turn around time. We highly recommend Dana and will continue to use his services for other events. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Gabriel Susen
Dana took a bunch of pictures at my wedding. Over a thousand. He edited them all down and made them look nice and gave them to us in a DVD. Beautiful pictures, so many of them taken at just the right time. Awesome guy and super fun, More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Richard Goode
We have regularly called upon expert photographer Dana Nadeau, owner of Garden Island Photography, for a decade to create extraordinary portraits of our family and numerous friends during their time on Kauai. Dana blends so beautifully the incredible scenery of his paradise home with his skills to extract the very best images of the subjects he is focused upon. No wonder that the Frommer organization utilized some 50 photographs of Kauai taken by Dana in their recent publication on the attractions of Hawaii. In our humble opinion, you cannot do better than place your trust on his talents.. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Crossroads Kauai
Dana is a gifted and skilled photographer who excels in capturing timeless family shots and majestic views of Kauai! He’s photographed our family a number of times and we treasure these pictures! We also have a number of his amazing scenic photographs of various places on Kauai which serve as beautiful reminders of this place we call home. Dana also frequently photographs events at Crossroads Christian Fellowship, capturing the essence of special services and congregants enjoying fellowship. We wholeheartedly recommend Dana of Garden Island Photography!Bob & Becky More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Hanakapiai Grosse
I can never express to you how very grateful Nathan and I are to you for capturing our wedding day for us. We were broke and didn't even have a photographer planned. I didn't realize then how much good wedding pics would mean to me. But without me even asking, you were there for us and gave us the most precious memories that we still cherish, 12 years later! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
sarah walker
Dana did gorgeous pictures for our family. He did spontaneous photos as well as posed pictures that really captured the personalities of our kids. We love his work! Would definitely recommend this photographer. We got some of his landscape prints to hang in our house and remind us of our wonderful time on Kauai. We love these pics! More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
What’s the secret to taking a great photograph?
Great photographs of people happen when they are relaxed and having a good time. It also helps if the photographer can help them get their mind off the fact that they are having their photo taken. (Few people smile great on command.)
Flattering body positions and great lighting are key components that pros study and apply, that most armatures know little about.
Composing the photo so the subject is well represented and keeping an eye on how features in the background are going to effect the shot are vital also.
With group photos posing the individuals in interesting and flattering ways is also helpful.
What questions might you ask a client when starting a new project?
Here on Kauai we have an abundance of beautiful locations to work with, so I try to help my clients choose one that best represents what they imagine a "Hawaii" portrait or wedding ought to look like.
Time of day is the next question. Most people want sunset photos, but some want blue ocean and sky, so we get that defined.
During the shoot, since most of my work is family portraits, I'm generally interested in which groupings they want and if there are certain individuals for which they want close-ups (often small children of infants).
What do you love most about your job?
I love working with people, and making it a fun time for everyone. It is not unusual for families to tell me the photo shoot was the kid's favorite part of their trip to Kauai.
What inspired you to start your own business?
I took photography in college with the intent of doing travel/surf photography. Life happened, and I wound up self employed in some other fields.
In 2005 one of my daughter's friends asked me to photograph her wedding here on Kauai. The photos came out great, and I thought "Why am I not doing this for a living?" So I upgraded my gear and started studying and shooting and studying and shooting. Business took off, so here we are!
Why should our clients choose you?
The most common feedback I get, and the goal I'm striving for is this: "Not only are the photos so great we're having a hard time limiting our choices for printing, but everyone had a really good time."
