“TLDR: I am VERY PARTICULAR about photos. Despite not having any knowledge in photography, I have a particular style that I like and love it when the photographer takes charge because I am not creative. Xiao and her assistant are exactly that team, and if you like light, airy, wispy-like photos, look no further.
My husband and I booked Just a Present @FilmbyXiao for a couples photoshoot in DC during cherry blossom season and couldn't have been happier with our choice.
We had an extremely disappointing experience with another photographer during cherry blossom season the year before we met Xiao, and the photos from last year were just not up to my standards. That photographer suggested a time that was convenient for her (despite knowing that mass crowds form in the afternoon-evening, selected a date when the cherry blossoms were gone and when students had their field trips, didn't have a whole lot of ideas for posing, and photo quality was subpar).
Not wanting to miss cherry blossom season again, I was pretty desperate to find a photographer who could capture what I wanted since this is our last year in DC. I looked at Xiao's work on instagram by chance and felt like she was a good fit, but I didn't realize how great of a photographer she was until I met her in person. From the start, early in the morning, she and her assistant took charge when it came to posing, suggesting angles and compositions that made our photos look incredible. I have zero creativity, so I really appreciated it when Xiao took charge of helping us with poses. Her assistant was also very sweet and brought the equipment and props. The quality of their work is outstanding, and honestly, the photos turned out so much better than I expected. We'd absolutely recommend them to any couple looking for a photographer who knows their craft and cares about getting it right.”
