Testimonials

It is so fulfilling to "hear" people say these things about my work. It
just proves where my passion lies - in you, my clients! So thank you
with all my heart!


Valerie is truly and amazing person with a ton of talent. She did our wedding in July of '06 and VWC Photography was by far the best vendor that we choose for our special day. She went out of her way to take the pictures that we wanted and made every part of our day priceless.

Her work is so unique, she makes sure that every picture has a story behind it. She captured every emotion and by looking at our pictures we are able to recall with great detail every tear shed and ounce of laughter that we shared with our family and friends on that day. Valerie has a way of taking the simplest and most random events of the day and turning them into beautiful pictures!

I couldn't be more thrilled with the services Valerie has offered us. Not only is Valerie a great photographer, but a great person to have around on your wedding day! We had a ton of fun with her and our memories will last a lifetime. Thank you so much Val for all the hard work you have put into our pics and I hope you have a million more memories to make with other couples!!!
Ashley and Bryan B.
Champaign, IL
(Aww...thanks, guys. I had a great time at your wedding, too. And some of my very favorite shots are those taken at your wedding.)


Valerie and her photography are amazing! She had not started VWC photography when I got married, but she did take some photos for me on my wedding day just as a friendly favor. Now I look back and wish she could have taken them ALL! Her photos are so much more than just a picture, she captured all of our emotions and she took those candid shots that I really cherish more than all the traditional ones. Plus the quality was far above the professional photographer I had hired. Almost all of the pictures in my album and on display in my home are the ones she took. I am so glad she followed her dream and started her business, now the rest of us can benefit from all her great talent.

Natalie D.
Belleville, IL


Valerie has shot my daughter's newborn portraits, as well as numerous on-location sittings in my home. She does an excellent job at getting the unstructured photos by watching the children and trying to capture them at play and in their cute baby moments. She also does a great job thinking outside the box with photography by experimenting with different ideas that turn out great! We just love her and what she gives us forever in memories to keep.

Kori S.
Cisco, IL


You will not be disappointed if you select VWC Photography for any event! Val has such a natural talent! She does such a great job at "capturing the moment", it's just unbelievable! The work that she does is always, always top notch. I have never ever been disappointed and always look forward to seeing the end product. I am so very fortunate to have her along with her camera at almost all of the big moments in my life, for she is my sister in law. How fortunate for our family to have such a wonderfully talented photographer to capture all of the memorable moments we share together as a family! We have so many great shots, from candid photos on our wedding (which are some of my favorites from that day!) to pictures of our daughter, be they posed or just those great shots she shoots of Ella being Ella. I have recommended her to several people, and would not hesitate to send anyone in need of a photographer, for any occasion, to her. I am honored and privileged to have such a talent to rely on to always capture the best shots and to recommend to do the same for you!

Michelle C.
Norman, OK


Valerie photographed our wedding two years ago and I can’t say enough good things about the results! Her pictures really tell a story, and captured our day just as I remember it! More so, her photos are unique and pure. They capture everything from the nervous look on my husband’s face as he is waiting for the ceremony to begin, to our exhausted faces after a night of dancing! They are of the smiles on my friend’s faces, the pride on our parent’s and grandparent’s faces and of the funny dance floor memories- all as they actually happened. This was something that was very important to me when I was choosing a photographer, and it is just what we got. Valerie gave us the individual attention way beyond the call of duty! My husband and I are looking forward to Valerie photographing our children one day, and capturing our growing family for years to come!

Johanna P.
Chicago, IL


What can I say?...I LOVE VWC!!! When I think about getting pictures taken, I don't just want a cute picture of my kid, I want a memory. I want to remember expressions that my baby made that you wouldn't ever catch on camera in a studio. You catch them in the comfort of your own home. That is exactly what Valerie did. She spent one hour in our home. We have bath time, lunch time, and play time memories. Not only were the memories exactly what I wanted, the quality of picture was perfect. (lighting and detail excellent!) I just can't say enough good things. I couldn't be happier with our results.

Sincerely,
Kim S.
Decatur, IL


We chose VCW photography because Valerie is close to family. After seeing her examples we loved her style and she really clicked with what we were looking for. We knew she was definately the right photographer for us after we took our engagment pictures. Our photographs were fantastic and we loved every single shot that she took. When it came time to shoot our wedding Val was wonderful and so much fun! We felt really relaxed and the photographs show that. We had full confidence that Val would capture our day perfectly and she did! Our pictures were wonderful and look like they could be in a wedding magazine. Val really captured the more photojournalistic style we were looking for and did not wear us out with tons of posed pictures. Every single person who has veiwed our proof books have fell in love with the pictures just as we have. Val was wonderful to work with and I would recommend her for any event.

Christina & Joel W.
Mansfield, IL


Valerie has been our family photographer for 4 years now. She has the unique ability to capture all the important moments in ways that are timeless and yet unexpected. So many photographer’s children pictures look the same, with just different people. Yet Valerie has a knack for making each picture she takes look unique in its own special way. I know as my children grow older that I will always be able to look back at the pictures Valerie has taken and be reminded of of exactly how they were on that day.

Alexis J.
Fuquay Varina, NC


Val has a gift, such a talent for photography. She is able to capture, not
only the perfect pose, but the perfect emotion and memory. She is not
just your average photographer who has you turn to the left and tilt
your chin down. She has great ideas and knows just what to do to bring
out the perfect photo. She can make anyone feel beautiful. What is so
amazing about her work is that when you receive your prints you will
actually feel again that moment in time when the picture was taken. She
helps you document priceless, special memories of your life. I am glad
that I have her not only as my photographer but my friend. My favorite
picture that she shot of me was when I was smoking a cigar. It was a
surprise gift for my husband. He is a big cigar fan and Val was able to
shoot the perfect shot for a perfect birthday gift. Thanks for sharing
your talent, Val.

Jen R.
Hattiesburg, MS


Valerie formally photographed my wedding in December
2003--just weeks after having her first baby (like she didn't have
enough on her mind at that time!). Both her work and her work ethic
were phenomenal. When we received the proofs from our big day just
after our honeymoon, my husband and I were thrilled to see the results
of Valerie's much-beloved career. Because our wedding was in December,
we had aChristmasy theme, and Val played on that, taking unique shots,
such as one of the bride and bridesmaids on a walkway amidst the snow,
with each of us ladies wearing the jacket of the groom's party--I've
yet to see another picture like it. She took traditional shots, as
well, but added a classic element by doing some of them in black and
white; those pictures will always be my favorite!

What is so impressive about Val's photography--other than gorgeous shots--
is the work ethic shecontributes to the end result. Valerie's mind seems
to be in step with the inner workings of a camera; for some reason
(probably talent!), she can picture how every scene will look in print,
which allows her to work quickly and effectively. Unlike some wedding
photographers, she doesn't spend a great deal of time rearranging people
in the shot or taking pictures that "just won't do." She knows ahead of time
what will work and can also think quickly on her feet, taking both great posed
and candid pictures without wasting time or film. She's also a "people
person," so even people who hate to be photographed can be cajoled into
smiling when they see her smiling back at them.

Valerie also informally photographed my daughter's first birthday party.
I was so busy that day that I wasn't sure what pictures Val took until I
saw the prints. She captured moments of my daughter and of the party
that I just absolutely treasure: my daughter's trepidation at eating a cake,
her fear of the "Happy Birthday" song, as well as those little details that made
the birthday unique to my daughter--the cake, the guests, and the love of a
great friend and extraordinary photographer! The biggest moments in my
life will hopefully always have "VWC Photography" stamped on the corner!

Andrea B.
Peoria, IL