Rochester Photography
great images from the birthplace of film

John’s Mission
to make you comfortable and have a good time
I have been a photographer serving satisfied clients in Rochester, Fredonia, Buffalo and The Finger Lakes for over 20 years. My fun and funky personality combined with my first rate technical knowledge and professionalism ensures that your photos will be everything you dream of, and more.
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If you want wedding photography that reflects YOUR style, and not just what the photographer thinks is best, then John is your guy. He listened to what my husband and I are passionate about (wine, food, and each other!) and took breathtaking photos that reflect US! His photo-journalistic style captured our little moments and made them big memories. We are a military family that is stationed across America, and John came up with a package that fits our crazy clan. But all this comes with a price, and John was upfront about how much it would cost, and we never encountered hidden fees. Even my cheap-scape husband appreciated the value of John's expertise. I highly recommend John Schlia Photography, and if I had to do it again, I would choose him every time.
Elizabeth Lynn Bollinger
09/18/2012My husband and I are extremely happy with the photographs we received from John. They are absolutely beautiful and will forever remind us of our wonderful wedding day. John captures each moment and arranges his photographs in an artistic and unique way. Not only is John’s work exquisite, but John was so much fun to work with. John’s easy-going professional demeanor made us feel comfortable right from the start. He is enthusiastic and passionate about what he does. We met John in 2011, less than a year until our wedding day. He was very flexible and accommodated our busy schedules. My husband and I had engagement photos taken in addition to our wedding day photographs. John was willing to travel to various locations on the day of our engagement photos and our wedding day. He put us at ease every step of the way and we cannot thank him enough for the phenomenal work he has done for us. We were referred to John by a couple who had just gotten married in 2010. We are so thrilled that John was able to be a part of our special day. I would highly recommend John Schlia to anyone who wants professional photographs taken. John, we can’t thank you enough! We have certainly enjoyed your work as well as your company.
Shannon O'Mara
09/18/2013 -
I first hired John as an event photographer for a gala. We had struggled to find a photographer who was capable of working in the low light of the event, and in John we finally found the one! He captured the flavor of the event with candids and lots of detail shots of auction items and centerpieces and was able to also get more posed shots of VIPs and other guests with a simple shot list and a quick point from organizers showing where they were. He was very independent and professional, as well as fun and engaging with the guests. He delivered quickly and easily and the photos were beautiful. We went on to hire him for other jobs, including environmental portraits of families who had struggled through illnesses, and he was so kind of lovely with them all, no matter the age. He had great ideas for how to honor the families as well as our organization through posing and location choice. Even since leaving that position, I've gone on to hire him for professional portraits, which he did an amazing job with. Thank you, John!
Heather Hare
09/18/2019If I can give him infinity stars, John killed the photography session for the engagement session and the wedding session. He's very laid back, patient and fun gentleman to be around with. He took fantastic pictures and cannot wait for the final results. Hell, he was deaf accessible too since I taught him the basics!!! He's the man and would take him again in a heartbeat!!
Omar Chung
09/18/2017 -
I would highly recommend John for any of your photography needs! He was very professional and is great at what he does.
Ryan DeCory
08/11/2022John did a superb job with our entire wedding. He was very comfortable to be with and very personable. All the detail that we created in our wedding day, October 19, 2013, he captured so well. Our album is a work of art!!! We did a photo shoot with our antique car and our dog, Bentley. It was wonderful at all three locations in Rochester. We would highly recommend John for your next event to capture each special moment in photography! Thank you John, John Venturo and Brian Angold
John Venturo
09/18/2015 -
My husband and I had John as our photographer for our wedding. We couldn't have asked for a better photographer. He was so friendly and took everything in stride. As soon as meeting John, we knew that our photography was in confident hands. The proof is in his product. John is able to capture not only the most important moments, but he captures the excitement and joy of the day itself. His work will take your breath away!
Lynn Stefani
09/18/2014We could not have asked for a better photographer to share our wedding day and party with! John is creative, collaborative, and a joy to work with all around. He made us and our guests feel at ease, which you can absolutely see in our pictures. He made sure to get to know me and my wife and checked in often to ensure we were all on the same page. We had a similarly wonderful experience taking family pictures with him, he picked out a beautiful location and made even the most awkward of our family members comfortable. Truly a wonderful photographer and human being, we cannot recommend him enough!
Mariana Frantz
12/19/2018 -
John is professional, thorough, creative, and considerate. His exposures are consistent, and his framing and focus are dead on (picky former photographer talking here). His technical prowess and creativity come together to capture your entire wedding experience in a way that tells a story; his personal touch ensures that the story he tells is about you, not just your wedding. Best of all, he is a ninja! He seems to pop out of the woodwork right when he needs to, but you would otherwise never know he was there. Do yourself a favor and hire John to shoot your wedding!
Rich DeTommaso
09/18/2015