Testimonials

I got married in a private ceremony at my home that was a secret to family and friends, so I did not have any photographs of my special day.   My honeymoon (just a vacation to family and friends) was scheduled for a month away.  At that time my husband and I took our wedding attire with us and contracted Photos in Cancun for a Beach Photoshoot Session.  What we got was SO much more.  I thought at that price that it would be a quick sessions with probably 50 photos at most to pick from.  Boy was I suprised.  Derek and Lorena gave us the same attention that an entire expensive wedding shoot would have gotten. The type of shoot I had seen listed with other photographers for a thousand dollars or more. We walked away with over 600 photos not just of my husband and I on the beach as we thought we would get, but us all around the hotel in the gardens and near fountains.  They not only took photos of my husband and I, but also several family photos with my children, and even a couples shoot of my son and his girlfriend, Lorena did my hair and makeup for the day.  When I first inquired as to her doing my hair and makeup she sent me several options that she thought would work for me and together we made the choices.  We had two hair options so that if it was a very windy day (as often this time of year on the ocean it is) we would be prepared with something that would not blow around and keep getting in my face.  She did beautiful work and is very talented.  Lorena is not only beautiful on the outside, but she has a beautiful soul and a kind heart. Not only did they do such great work, but they are wonderful caring individuals that I feel lucky to have even had the opportunity to meet.  We enjoyed their company so much that we invited them to have dinner with us afterward, and they did.  My 17 year old daughter loves photography and Derek was very kind to her allowing her to borrow some of his specialty lenses to take pictures along with him using her own camera and answer any questions she had. If you are working on a budget, these are the people to go with.  You will be in the right price range, but from the quality of the work, nobody will ever know it.  You will get the attention of and the quality work of one of the hightest priced photographers in the area, and only you will know what a bargain price you got it for.   The work was so good that I could not even pick 25 to have photo shopped and edited.  Each time I looked at the photographs I thought “what more could they do to this photo to make it any better?”  Derek offered to do some special effects editing like maybe turning a photo black and white, but coloring the roses in the photos or just the water in a beach photo.  They are so accomodating to your every need. I hope this helps you in your decision for a photographer, and good luck on your special day.  Karmen

First, we are Chinese couple. I came to the US for 6 years, but couldn’t speak English as fluent as Chinese. And my wife does not speak much English at all. However, Derek, and his cute assistant, make super good communication with us, very patiently. That’s what I valued the most. He is a wonderful photographer with no doubt. However, if you booked Derek, you will get more than that. Since as customers, the value of the service is not just the service, but also how it is delivered.
Second,  the photos are fantastic. They are not only good show-cases in our wedding, but also great memory for life. You really do not need to worry about the quality of Derek’s pictures. He is professional in every way.
Third, his assistant is also a very nice girl. Thoughtful indeed, and detail oriented.
Forth, Derek also provides editing service after the shooting, which is really nice, All in all,  Derek is the photographer you want to get in Cancun.

My husband & I met Derek & Lorena in Cancun for a TDD shoot the day after our wedding. And we must say they were one of the highlights of our special event. They immediately make you feel comfortable, are flexible & patient. I could tell you they are a great value in terms of money, a great choice if you want prompt communication, immediate results & are generous with their time. But all those things have a tangible price. What is intangible is how much FUN they are as a team! They have awesome energy, are creative & very personable. If you’re lucky enough to book Photos in Cancun – we’re sure you’ll be satisfied with your selection, Best of luck on your wedding planning.

Here’s a breakdown of all the reasons I loved Derek and Lorena at Photos in Cancun!
1. Communication: The first thing I liked about Derek is that he speaks English!  I don’t speak Spanish, so I was apprehensive about hiring a photographer that wouldn’t be able to communicate with me, so that was a real selling point.  Plus he speaks Spanish, so he was able to talk to the hotel staff as well.  Also, his response time to my emails was outstanding–within an hour of my initial email request for information, I had an amazing response with ideas and pricing…he even gave suggestions on what to wear and how to get the best shot.  I was impressed from the beginning.
2.  Value of the Product:First of all, I had inquired about prices just a day before Derek changed them–so he honored the price I inquired about (he’s an honest, stand up guy!).  You can tell by his website that he creates beautiful photos, and I love so many of mine!  We did an engagement shot, so Derek just let us do our thing without posing us–he would say things like “your pocket’s sticking out!” or “she’s got a curl that’s all kinked up”…other than that, he just put us in front of a beautiful backdrop and snapped away.  He never once looked at his watch to remind us of our time limit, and within 20 minutes of it being over he gave us the DVD with ALL of our images.  Now I just have to pick my favorites and he’ll do some creative editing to them.  It’s unbelievable value!
3.  Attitude: Derek and Lorena were high energy and experimental and creative the whole time.  We just walked around our resort and stopped wherever they thought would be ideal–we even had to do some climbing!  Our hotel staff was not particularly cooperative, but Derek handled it amazingly and put me at ease.  He took some really bizare shots that turned out fantastic.  Plus, he was up at the crack of dawn to capture the sunrise–at no extra charge! Overall, I highly recommend Derek to anyone in the Mayan Riviera needing beautiful photography.  You’ll get amazing value for your money, you’ll love the product, and he’s just a great guy to work with.  I am a VERY satisfied customer!

Our wedding was in November 2010 at the Leblanc Resort & Spa in Cancun. We had Derek’s reference by a friend in Montreal. Wow! What a professional! In most of the wedding package you have the photographer included in the price but I didn’t want to have the typical pictures of the bride and the groom so I contacted Derek. I told him that my husband and I weren’t so comfortable in front of the camera so I wanted to have some quick shots but some nice and modern pictures of everything. In these moments that pass so fast you can’t see everything and you want to remember at all. Derek helped me with everything, including giving me his advice for the hour of the ceremony and the sunset, have the best shots of my husband and I that really represent us, have pictures of all my guests, all the little details that took me 6 months to prepare, take shots of friends that were doing some crazy things during the party and giving me some good ideas to use the flowers of the ceremony :) . That day we didn’t only meet a photographer, we met a friend. I really had a fantastic day with some gorgeous pictures to share. I would recommend him to everyone and for sure I’ll find some events to go back in Cancun for his services!

I found Derek through doing a google search online. I was looking to do a Trash the Dress photo shoot while celebrating my anniversary in Cancun. He was great and took time to answer all my questions through email all the way up to the day I left for our trip. I was very excited to get some unique pictures in my wedding dress. The experience ended up being better then I could have imagined even my husband ended up getting into the fun of getting our pictures taken. Our pictures came out beyond beautiful and unique. We have gotten so many compliments. I would recommend Derek to anyone that is looking to get some beautiful pictures while having some fun doing it

My husband and I booked Derek for our destination wedding as well as Trash the Dress shoot last year in the Mayan Riviera. He was on time, professional, affordable and made us feel like the only customers he had! He showed up to the venue early, stayed until the very end, included all of our family and guests and never made us feel uncomfortable or rushed. He captured our day in the most romantic, artistic, unique way…better than we could have imagined! Before we even left to fly home, he gave us the disk with all of our shots on it and he had no problem allowing us to print them on our own. I would recommed him to anyone!

We were at the NOW Jade Cancun at my brothers wedding. I found Derek online during a Google search. My boys were ring bearers, I was maid of honor, and my husband was best man.  Since all of our outfits matched I thought that it would be nice to get family pictures after the wedding pictures were taken. Derek was humorous and very involved with the family.  He learned names quickly.  Derek gave good simple direction during the shoot, but also was open to suggestions. We are VERY pleased with the pictures.  He had another photographer (Lorena ?) there as well which was helpful. We would definately recommend!!!!!!!

We LOVED your style, charisma, and quality (of your work). I’m so glad you got to share our day, you enhanced it for sure!

Derek, I just wanted to thank you again for professionalism, class, talent, flexibility, enthusiasm, and the great photos you took. I still can’t believe you had an open date and gave us an unbelievable deal. To say we got lucky is an understatement. I always wondered how it would feel like to have a photographer take shots of me and make me feel special. I now know what that feeling is. I felt like I could have spent the entire day with you and Lorena taking photos. Katie is happy and that makes me happy. Thanks for capturing so many unique and outstanding moments of our wedding. You are amazing and we are grateful.

I just wanted to say thank you!! You did a wonderful job and Jared and I had a blast!! I will definitely recommend you to anyone who is thinking of coming to this area!!

We are so happy with all the pictures. I am having such a hard time picking my favorites, there are so many of them.

The photos are AMAZING (like you would do anything less than that);
Every time I look at our pictures I smile – you are truly an amazing artist and I thank you!!!!

Oh how I love thee….This page is amazing!! It has captured what was the most fabulous year of my life, in the most perfect way. We are truly grateful for what you have done for us and certainly look forward to the next shoots to come. All the best to you and Lorena. Love- Karen and Nick

{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Alicia Krisher-Behm December 9, 2010 at 5:59 pm

I found Derek in a google search while searching for Cancun photographty for Derek! It was so fun to be photographed by you! Your humor and involvement in the family was wonderful!

2 Alicia Krisher-Behm December 10, 2010 at 9:04 am

Well, thanks baby Mason for sending the prior message before I was ready… LOL!
I found Derek in a google search. We were searching for my brothers weddign which was in Cancun. Derek and Lorena were wonderful, humorous, and patient with the kids. Love the pics….there were soooooo many that I haven’t looked thru them all yet. Highly recommended! Thanks again Derek! :)

3 Sara December 15, 2010 at 2:15 pm

Derek is one of the best photographers I have ever worked with. He recently did a family shoot with my family and me in Cancun and I can’t tell you how fun he was to work with and patient. He truly has a passion for his craft and is very professional. He wants to know your ideas and he also has great ideas of his own. The quality of his pictures are exceptional and the turnaround time for getting them were that same day!

I highly recommend him to anyone looking to take photos in Cancun and who may want photos to cherish for the rest of their lives.

Sara, 12/15/2010
U.S.A.

4 Leslie McDonnell January 1, 2011 at 2:17 am

What an amazing job Derek and Lorena did for us! The quality of the pictures are amazing. They are wonderful to work with and after finding them on the internet, our family was thrilled at how lucky we were to have found the perfect photographer for our family vacation photos. We have so many great pictures, we honestly are having a difficult time deciding which ones to print! Not only are they fabulous, but easy and fun to work with. Thank you to you both for a great time and helping us hold on to some fabuluos memories for years to come!

The McDonnell Family
Lincolnshire Illinois 01/01/2011

5 Nina Tailor Daya January 9, 2011 at 12:41 pm

Before our wedding in the Mayan Riviera, my Husband (who is an avid photographer himself) was searching for months for a photographer to capture our three days worth of wedding memories. He hesitantly contacted a few photographers who could do the job, but were outrageously priced and did not give complete access to all of the raw images. No one that he contacted was warm and accommodating, and their packages were restricted to one day coverage. Anesh continued his internet search with frustration, and came across Derek Campbell on Google. He immediately contacted Derek, and as luck would have it, Derek is a Torontonian, and was here at the time, and offered to meet us at our home! Derek was a God-send! We explained our Hindu pre-wedding requirements, Hindu ceremony, and Mayan ceremony needs, and Derek was more that happy to accommodate his package. He even introduced us to his partner Lorena Jaimes, who, I also booked as my hair and make-up artist. From helping the boys plan their bachelor party in Playa De Carman, while Lorena stayed with the ladies at Henna night, to staying closer to our resort to be there for our early morning Hindu ceremonies, Derek and Lorena were awesome; they made our wedding experience unforgettable. Not only are they GREAT at what they do, they are incredible people, willing to help in any way they can. Both of them embraced our Hindu traditions by wearing the indian clothing for each ceremony, and Lorena even put on Henna! They got along famously with our family and guests, almost like we had all known them for years. I’m teary eyed just writing on this blog, because I truly feel like no two people, who were pretty much strangers to us, could have been more accommodating to make our wedding pictures so beautiful, and make the whole experience of working with them so much fun, and so unforgettable. I would recommend Derek and Lorena in a heartbeat.
Love you both!
Nina

6 Hector January 25, 2011 at 2:49 pm

This guy is awesome !!!!

I purchased a wedding package from Now Jade in Cancun which comes with its own videographer. We hired Derek for photography also on our own. His pictures are amazing !
He made us a sample video from the pictures and some video he took and it was better that the Videographer’s lame MAC iDVD… Just look at what he put together for us !!!!
http://www.photosincancun.com/cancun-photographer-videographer-l-now-jade-cancun-mexico/

7 Shannon Van Alphen April 20, 2011 at 6:30 pm

Derek and Lorena are AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! We feel so lucky that we were able to have them capture our day, they did such an amazing job. I would highly recommend them to anyone!!

8 Melanie Weaver July 5, 2011 at 8:08 pm

AMAZING!!! Lorena & Fernando were simply fabulous! The time they spent with our son,daughter in law & our entire family was great. They helped make the wedding day experience @ the Gran Melia wonderful. We hope you will post some of your awesome work of that day here on your website. From our first inquiry to the delivery they provided high quality service much more than just photography. The bride & I(mother of the groom) had very high expectations as we are both picture fans and I must say they far exceeded our expectations. Our family was blessed beyond measure by the wonderful team @ Photos in Cancun. Blessings,THE WEAVER FAMILY

9 Claire South November 6, 2011 at 1:10 am

I got married on the 20th October 2011 at Excellence, Riviera Maya, Cancun. Derek & Lorena were just wonderful! I felt completely at ease and relaxed. The photos were MORE than expected. The quality and professionalism was just awesome! Derek also made a slideshow for me to show all my family as we didnt take any family with us. Please have a look at it on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/photosInCancun#p/a/u/0/xHv1M-P-pEA
You can see for yourself how amazing the photos are!

I am so glad I booked them! Very affordable and very professional! Would recommend to anyone! Cant priase them enough!
Thanks guys!

10 Brent and Sarah Stevens November 12, 2011 at 7:42 pm

We got married at the Grand Sunset Princess in the Riviera Maya in March, 2011. Twenty of our closest family and friends were in attendance. We had Derek and Lorena shoot our wedding day and we trashed the dress the next day at a nearby beach and at a cenote.

The wedding day shoot was great. Having two photographers capture the moment is absolutely priceless. We loved the originality of their shots, but also their flexibility and willingness to accommodate some of the goofy shots we thought would be funny.

The following day – trash the dress, is where we really got to know Derek and Lorena. They picked us up at our resort and toured us around, getting the shots we wanted. We went to a nearby beach to take some pictures and Derek and Lorena were very creative. They took advantage of the beautiful scenery and backdrops, giving us photos that looked like they were taken in multiple locations. Derek and Lorena were kind enough to also take us to a cenote (which was not in the plan) to take some pictures. We found a beautiful location and it felt like we were on an adventure! Not only were we getting great pictures, it felt like we were on a tour! Words cannot explain how pleased we were with the photos, the service, and their personalities. We had so much fun! During the car ride home Brent looked me in the back seat of the car and said, “I feel like a kid in high school riding around with my friends!”

Can’t wait to see you guys again! We will definitely be back to visit! We tell everyone how amazing you guys are and we recommend you to everyone!

Thanks again for everything!
Brent and Sarah Stevens

11 Kirsten Sokalski January 8, 2012 at 6:18 pm

We met Derek and Lorena when they shot our wedding at the Now Jade Riviera Resort in Puerto Moreles, Mexico. They were very helpful and professional and made us feel at ease. They did a shoot of our guests so that all the guests had professional photos that they could keep of themselves. That was a big hit and everyone really appreciated that.
The wedding pictures turned out really well and we were very happy we chose them! We highly recommend Derek and Lorena. They are personable and help the wedding day go smoothly.
Thanks you two for everything!
Matt and Kirsten Sokalski,
Vancouver, BC

12 Amanda Bradley January 10, 2012 at 2:15 pm

We got married in November 2012 at the Barcelo Maya Colonial, after seeing what the hotel would offer us for photography, we decided not to go with them and to seek out an external photographer. We then found Derek and Lorena, our photography angels! They were so quick to answer emails, and made us feel real great about going with them as our photographers.

Once at the resort, they showed up on time and made everything so easy! They were very professional and listened to all of our requests. They stayed the entire evening, even though we didn’t ask them too. The photos they captured of our wedding day was exactly what we wanted, and we got the photos that night! It was AWESOME! I feel like they are our friends now and not just a really really good photographer.

13 Isabelle Rondeau May 16, 2012 at 7:09 am

Thank you so much again Ferek and Lorenan!!! Our wedding pictures are just perfect!!! It’s more than what we expected!! They know what they do, they are so professionnal and creative! We were very happy we chose them! We highly recommend Derek and Lorena. Thank you again for everything!!!
Isabelle and Jeremy
Montreal

14 Randi Magarinhos May 18, 2012 at 8:36 pm

Derek & Lorena,
Thank you so much for amazing photos. We had a blast and you both were so professional and fun – we are definately going to get more pics from you guys when we are back in Mexico. Thank you for making our trip so memorable – we recommend you to everyone!

15 Michael Jennetta May 21, 2012 at 2:16 pm

It’s simple, do you want EVERY picture from your wedding to be incredible? Do you want to work with good, real people and feel comfortable in the process? Do you want the best value for your money? If you answered yes to any of these than you need to hire Derek & Lorena.

Listen, I could easily go on and on about how they great they were and how happy my wife and I are about our pics, but here’s what I like more. You’re dealing with REAL people. Derek & Lorena are two of the most beautiful souls you could ever meet. Forget about the cheesy photographer who gives you “shop talk,” a forced smile, and the same poses he did for the last 50 couples he worked with, Derek and Lorena are like two friends on your guest list who just happen to be taking incredible pics.

With all of the stress and anticipation leading up to our wedding day, Derek & Lorena managed to make this aspect go seamless and enjoyable. Truly cannot say enough about these two.

Forget all of the other BS and if you’re looking for photographers, just book these two and cross another thing off of your list. Not only do my wife and I have amazing pictures, but we now also have life long friends.

Derek & Lorena, thank you again for everything, we love you guys.

Most Respectfully,

Michael & Stephanie Jennetta

16 Jaclyn January 8, 2013 at 7:36 pm

We just got home from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and couldn’t be happier with the photographs from our wedding and with the photographer himself. Derek was phenomenal; we flew him out specifically to photograph our wedding. He got along great with everybody and was able to get anyone to smile for the photo from babies, kids to the adults. Even people that were not at our wedding (other guests at the hotel we stayed at) approached us and said wow, I have never met a friendlier photographer, how did you find him? Lucky for me, he was my brothers wedding photographer in Mexico. He truly is the best, and the only way it could have possibly been better is if he was able to work with Lorena, as we hear the team is unstoppable, but even Derek by himself we would rate at 110 percent. He definitely has the eye for pictures and having never shot a wedding in Fort Lauderdale, he was still able to pick out the best spots for photos as we walked along the beach and explored the restaurant. He was also very accommodating if I was like “Hey Derek could you get one of us here, or of me with these people” he was on it right away. He went far above and beyond our expectations. We can’t tell you how much of a relief it is, to find a wedding photographer who actually cares about you and what you want instead of just snapping away. He fights to get the best angle of you during the ceremony and pushes the boundaries to get you great shot after great shot. He waits until the light is just right to capture astonishing sunset photos. If we’re ever in Mexico, expect a phone call from us as we cannot get enough of your photography skills!

17 VIshal and Parlin January 15, 2013 at 9:24 pm

Hi Lorena and Derek!

Thank you sooo much for an amazing photoshoot of our twin girls’ cake smash! You guys were so nice and we never felt rushed at all throughout the entire session. It is a bit nervous booking a professional photographer in a foreign country without knowing them personally…but you guys helped ease all of our concerns the minute we met you both! Derek, thanks for making our girls laugh and smile! Lorena, thanks for coming up with such creative poses for our family. We truly loved the pictures and the moments you guys captured thru your camera.

For anyone reading this post…trust me in that these guys are truly talented professionals and they are the perfect choice to capture your families special moments!

Thanks again guys!

Vishal & Parlin (+ Layla and Nala)

18 Amanda Therien March 18, 2013 at 12:20 pm

Derek, Lorena & Fernando!

We couldn’t have asked for three better people to capture the memories of our wedding! You made the process so easy for us. We didn’t have to worry about any details. You really took my ideas for photos and made them amazing! Everyone loved partying with you guys at the reception and especially loved Derek’s ‘Gangnam’ style dance! Our friends and family are still talking about our photos and I’m sure they will be for many years to come! We highy recommend ‘Photos in Cancun’ to everyone!

It is clear to see that all three love and have a passion for capturing memories!!! Keep up the spectacular job!

Hopefully we will meet up again in Mexico!!!

Many thanks!! Amanda & Francis!!

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