True Life
All of my clients are through referrals / word of mouth. I take pride in my work but I also want to give first-class customer service. The reviews have been pulled off various review websites: Thumbtack, The Knot, Yelp and my own Facebook Page. Feel free to check them out yourself as well.
Liz S.
JoAnna is excellent! She was flexible throughout the day and helpful in terms of deciding how/where to photograph. The results were exactly what we wanted: artistic and beautiful, capturing the little moments and the overall feeling of our wedding, not too staged feeling. I really couldn't be happier with her work and would strongly recommend her to anyone I know.
Emily A.
JoAnna is amazing! I planned a long-distance wedding in a short amount of time, and I was worried about finding the right photographer. The second JoAnna responded to my request for a quote, all my worries went away. Her response time is fast and every correspondence was professional and allowed for the flexibility I needed while long-distance planning. The pricing was exactly what I was looking for, and the payment options were convenient. I would've given JoAnna a 5 star review before I even met her, but then I wouldn't have gotten to speak to her talent. Her photos are perfect. They are timeless and authentic. She captures the mood so well because she's experiencing it with you. I never realized how much of your wedding day is spent with a photographer. The portrait session of the day flew by because JoAnna is very fast and exact with what she's looking for. She did her research ahead of time to make sure there were no wasted moments. Our family and friends commented on how much they liked her and her photography style. They still only have complements for JoAnna after seeing the results of her work. On a day when I had every right to be nervous, JoAnna's attitude and warmth put me completely at ease. The photos were completed quickly (about two weeks for full access) and the website they are posted on is easy to use and share. We received 800+ perfect photos for only a few hours of photography time. Looking back, the best part of our day is when JoAnna suggested that we get some photos near the lake using her telephoto lens. Not only were the photos fantastic, but it allowed us some time to be alone before the ceremony. Time and time again, JoAnna proved herself to be the perfect photographer for us.
Jillian M.
I was beyond impressed with the expertise JoAnna brought to the table. She shot my wedding in October and she was able to capture every aspect of my day from start to finish. We had a gloomy, cold day however JoAnna managed to capture the most gorgoues shots and the end results were outstanding. It was amazing how fast she was too, even the wedding party was impressed. She wasn't afraid to keep us moving to get the best possible angles and backgrounds. At one point we thought she was going to jump in the pond to get what she wanted! I wouldn't put it past her. I didn't have to worry about getting that perfect one as I knew she would handle everything. It was one less thing I had to worry about. My images came back to me so quickly it blew me away. I also received a few teezers the day after the wedding. I would highly recommend J. Castaneda Photography and I will definately use her again. Thank you JoAnna for making my day even more special than it already was. Thanks to you I have it all documented and will look back on it knowing it was perfect!
Madde Z.
JoAnna was able to capture the most ineffable moments of our day. Her photographs truly occasioned the most charming emotions of our families and guests. From candid moments of sincere, gut wrenching laughter to moments of tearful bliss, she did not miss a beat.
From her arrival until her departure she was on point with professionalism, delight, and creativity. She is an extremely gifted photographer and puts her heart into her work, which shines through in her photographs. Thank you, JoAnna, your talent is remarkable.
Kat H.
JoAnna was an absolute dream to work with. From the very beginning, she was easy-going, down to earth, warm, and attentive - which made working with her a breeze. We loved the style of her photos and wanted her to document the day with genuine, candid shots. She completely understood our vibe and definitely delivered. We had the joy of thunderstorms on our wedding day and JoAnna didn’t skip a beat. A brass band marched us from the ceremony to the reception and she HUSTLED her way through the drizzling streets of West Town and got the most incredible photos. She was the perfect blend of assertive yet unobtrusive; always there but never in the way :) She had no problem getting everything on our shot list AND sent us our photos way ahead of time. We could not have been happier and feel like we got really lucky with JoAnna - Highly recommend!
Laura J.
You can tell by her photographs that JoAnna has such an artistic eye and a unique point of view. After getting a recommendation from a friend and reviewing her pictures I knew she would be the perfect fit for our October Chicago wedding.
At our wedding, she made everyone around her feel at ease (including making sure my champaign glass was filled right when she walked in). She forged an instant connection with my nephew and ring barer who then hammed it up for the camera each time she came by. JoAnna has the ability to find unique shots and is very self directed. I didn't provide too much direction but was overwhelmed by how she seemed to get every shot that we had wanted. She directed the shots very professionally and made posing fun for us and our guests. We were a bit worried about the weather as it was likely going to rain but she assured us that the overcast would create great moody looking images...spoiler alert...she was right!
Overall we could not have asked for a better experience. I highly recommend working with JoAnna.