Business Details
9 Years
experience
Your Trusted Hawaii Wedding & Family Photographer
At Essence Photo Hawaii, we specialize in capturing the purest moments of life through our lenses. Founded in 2017, our mission is to tell stories of love and passion through authentic photography. With over 14 years of professional experience, our owner Johnny Phayakoun brings a unique perspective shaped by his journey from Laos to Hawaii. We focus on weddings, family portraits, and engagement sessions, preserving memories that resonate with emotional depth. Our approach combines technical expertise with an artistic eye to create timeless images.We pride ourselves on personalized service, ensuring each client's vision is realized. Our work with Hawaii's families has established us as trusted storytellers in the community. We offer free consultations to understand your specific needs and provide tailored solutions. Our photobooth services enhance events with interactive, memorable experiences. By hosting images online, we ensure easy access and sharing for our clients. This commitment to quality and customer satisfaction defines our approach to every project.
Services
Wedding Photography
Family Portraits
Engagement Sessions
Portrait Photography
Event Photobooth
Details
- Year established: 2017
Highlights and features
- We offer 14 years of professional photography experience with personalized attention
- Our team specializes in Hawaii-based event and family photography
- We provide free consultations to understand your specific vision
- Our photobooth service includes online image hosting for easy sharing
- Owner-operated business ensures consistent quality and direct communication
Services
Wedding Photography
Documenting weddings with artistic precision and emotional authenticity. Our team captures ceremonies and receptions in natural settings across Hawaii. We focus on candid moments and formal portraits to create a comprehensive visual narrative of your special day.
Family Portraits
Creating timeless family memories through professional portrait sessions. We specialize in outdoor photography that showcases natural interactions and relationships. Sessions include location scouting and styling guidance to ensure authentic, lasting images.
Engagement Sessions
Capturing romantic milestones with personalized engagement photography. Our sessions focus on showcasing unique relationships through creative compositions. We offer location options and styling advice to highlight each couple's personality.
Portrait Photography
Professional headshots and personal portraits emphasizing individual character. Our approach combines technical expertise with artistic vision to create compelling images for personal or professional use in natural settings.
Event Photobooth
Interactive event entertainment with customizable templates and accessories. Includes 4-hour coverage, unlimited prints, and online image hosting. Our photobooth provides guests with memorable takeaways while documenting event highlights.
People
Johnny Phayakoun
Owner, Photographer
Professional photographer with 14 years of experience, specializing in capturing life's meaningful moments. Began photography journey documenting family moments after moving from Laos to Hawaii.
Questions
What photography services do you offer in Hawaii?
We specialize in wedding photography, family portraits, engagement sessions, and event photobooth services across Hawaii.
Do you offer custom wedding packages?
Yes, we provide customized wedding photography packages tailored to your specific needs and event requirements.
What's included in your photobooth service?
4-hour rental includes unlimited photos, customizable templates, backdrops, accessories, and online image hosting.
How long have you been photographing weddings in Hawaii?
We've been documenting Hawaii weddings since 2017, with the owner having 14 years of professional photography experience.
How do you deliver the final photographs?
All images are hosted online for easy access and sharing, with print release included in our services.
Reviews (6)
Alejandro Espino
Jun 19, 2020
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Trying to plan a surprise proposal purely on the phone sounds daunting, but Johnny went above and beyond to make it a fun and exciting process! My now fiancee and I are from Los Angeles and fortunately a friend of a friend plugged me in with Johnny as I was setting up a surprise proposal for our upcoming trip to Oahu. He was very accessible and responsive as we coordinated plans over the past few months. He went out of his way to scout out the perfect location for what I was looking for. My fiancee and I are not naturals at posing whatsoever, but Johnny made the photo shoot experience extremely
Ryan Sasaki
Jun 07, 2020
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Johnny was absolutely fantastic! On the day of the wedding, Johnny arrived early and really went the extra mile to get great shots. He gave us great directions and some how made us photogenic. We are not photogenic people, but Johnny really worked some magic here. To top it all off, he was extremely adaptable and flexible with dealing with the COVID restrictions. I cannot recommend him enough. I will go to him for all of my photography needs in the future.
Dustin Kwok
Jun 03, 2020
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Johnny has taken our family Christmas photos for the last few years and they always turn out amazing. Having 2 kids, having photos taken each year help capture their growth thru the years and we wouldnt trust anyone besides Johnny. He makes you feel comfortable (trust me, I hate taking pictures) and is so easy to work with. He exhibits professionalism while understanding what you are looking for in your perfect shot. His knowledge around the islands also is a huge advantage as he knows all the best spots on Oahu and even the neighbor islands! In all, trust goes a long way and Johnny has
Kristy Shaver
Nov 25, 2019
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Johnny captured every moment we wanted and more during our beautiful sunset beach wedding. He was great at giving direction and so easy to work with. We will forever cherish our photos, they are beautiful!
The Journey Man Project
Sep 17, 2019
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We had the pleasure of hiring essence photo Hawaii for our beach wedding ceremony and the photos came out amazing. They really capture the great moments. That we had to hire them again to shoot my wifes maternity photos. I would definitely recommend them to everyone. Looking forward to working with you guys next year for my wifes second maternity photo shoot.
Lowana Chesterfield
Jul 30, 2019
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Johnny, Ed, and team did an amazing job shooting our wedding photos, as well as running the photo booth! Both photographers came early to shoot pre-wedding pics. Us getting ready, the venue, our rings, etc. They also provided us with a keepsake collage of edited pics on the same day of the wedding for us to take home! It was an amazing touch! The photo booth props were super fun and they also give you a copy of everyones pics AND a flash drive with each single picture stored, yours to keep! I cannot say enough wonderful things about Essence! They go above and beyond, 110%! The edited photos
