Perfection! This simple word describes the not so simple task Jess had when photographing our wedding – being one of the last for the season due to covid-19. It came right down to the wire but once we had the okay there was no stopping us from going through with things and we got to have our dream day as planned on the 20.03.20. Jess was with us all of the way which was a big ask considering all of the unknowns – but we got there and what a perfect day it was. Jess was amazing to work with from first contact right up to the day – and beyond. Jess is easy going and so passionate about her work, making you feel completely comfortable, even when you’re having a cheeky snog! I knew we’d struck gold when I first came across Jess’s work and this was confirmed when we received our photo’s back (in record time). Our photographs are beyond amazing, there are some very special shots and moments that we will forever treasure. Thank you so much Jess!

Guys, if you’re looking for perfection, look no further! xx

Jess is an absolute legend! We got married at home on the 14th of March, not long before the lockdown took affect. One of the first things we booked when planning our wedding was our photographer. We took a road trip up to Kerikeri to meet Jess and we knew straight away she was the right person for the job. She made us feel like friends, not clients. On our big day, despite all the nerves, Jess was so chilled and just blended into the background capturing all the action. When it came to the group and bridal party shots she gave us heaps of direction so we didn’t look or feel awkward and even dealt with the challenge of us throwing our 8 month old baby into the mix! Our day was beyond our expectations and Jess magically captured the love, laughter and overall vibe perfectly!
Thank you Jess…when we look over our photos it takes us back to that magical day, and while the world is in such a state of uncertainty its so important to remember these good times! xx

Jess photographed our wedding and more recently has done a family session with us to mark our son turning one.
Once again Jess has blown us away with her talent and skill. In our opinion, Jess is undoubtedly the best in Northland and could rival any other wedding/portrait photographer in New Zealand. Her photos are natural, timeless, emotive and beautiful. Technically and creatively she is brilliant.
On top of this, she is warm, easy going and professional. For our wedding, she spent the entire day running ahead of us with heavy equipment, but her enthusiasm never waned and you could tell she was passionate about getting the best shots.
This second time was no different and Jess was so great with our son, engaging with him and having fun. She brought along her young daughter who was the perfect assistant, waving toys around and making us laugh.
What is so great is that the smiles she captured are genuine- we had lots of fun during the shoot. This is what Jess does so well – she puts you at ease and is so quick and relaxed, she really knows what she is doing. We couldn’t get over how many winning shots she got and the variety of shots also.
We will treasure these images for many years to come. Our only regret is that we didn’t get around to doing newborn photos with Jess. Jess is a true professional and we highly recommend her.

We are so lucky to have such a talented photographer in our area!! We had the pleasure of having Jess doing our engagement shoot, maternity shoot and then last but not least our wedding over on Waiheke. When we asked her to travel over to Waiheke for our wedding, she didn’t hesitate for a second! And I am so glad she did say yes! Jess truly has amazing skills and the way she puts you or your group into a setting blows my mind! I still look through my photos every single day!
Jess is one a kind – She is a superstar behind the lens
Thank you so much Jess, you have created some very special memories of the most important times in our lives!!
xxx

Wow, where to begin. Jess was just amazing from start to finish. Choosing a photographer for your wedding is no easy feat, these are pictures that capture not only your day but tell your unique story – and that is exactly what Jess did for us. She met with us early on and took the time to get to know us and understand the type of day we were wanting to have. Having background knowledge of us enabled her to bring to life our personalities. Jess also helped direct our wedding flow and timelines, as this is the first (and onlyJ) time we have had to organise a wedding we had no clue. On the day Jess was so professional, kept things moving but in a relaxed and fun way. She was timely and so efficient. No one got ‘over’ taking photos and she captured the whole mood. Now for the photos! What are treat! They are so special, she has given us the best memories with so many beautiful pictures to choose from. She has captured the action, the emotion, the love and laughter. The photos were better than we could ever imagine. So Jess, thank you so much. We loved working with you and would highly recommend to anyone!

With two professional photographers in our immediate families, the stakes were high as we began to research who could give our relatives the chance to relax and enjoy our wedding festivities as guests.We planned our Russel wedding in four months from our home in Brisbane, Australia which added another tricky element. Choosing the right photographer is one of the most critical decisions when planning a wedding – the actual day is over so quick – it’s important to capture special moments and be able to trust your photographer will get flattering shots!
When I found Jess online I was really impressed by her style and was drawn to the candid, blissful scenes she created with her clients. Organizing a wedding in that short period -from overseas- was stressful! But Jess was calm, communicated responsively and understood what we valued and wanted to achieve. We were extremely delighted to receive the photos after our honeymoon and have no hesitation in highly recommending and commending Jess on her beautiful work.

‘Never in our wildest dreams did we think our photos would be as incredible as they are… They’re not wedding photos – they’re each an art work destined to be in a matte finished linen covered photography book. She is everywhere, but at the same time never in the way. The way Jess works lets you go through the day without ever feeling as if anyone is taking your photo. Our photos are insanely beautiful… they belong in all those weddings magazines and she even won a bronze award with one of our photos! – every image a piece of art in it’s own right. Receiving your Jess Burgess Exposure wedding photos is a surreal moment that came in a wooden box full of goodies and where the most wonderful and important day of your life is condensed into sheer visual joy. These photos aren’t standard wedding photos, they are a statement, they are timeless, artistic and beautiful. When you catch a quick glance of one your wedding photos on a screen saver and can’t believe that you’re the girl in the white wedding dress, is worth every penny.’

I felt so comfortable with Jess from the first time I met her, straight away I knew she would be perfect for our wedding. My husband and I guess all of us are to some degree aren’t very natural in front of the camera and Jess makes you feel calm and relaxed to be able to capture those special moments. I am really happy with how she communicated with friends and family to make sure the day flow seamlessly. I would definitely recommend her to any who would be getting married anytime soon.

Working with Jess was amazing. She made two camera shy people feel instantly comfortable. She was lighthearted, she was fun and she had wonderful suggestions. Our pictures are incredible!! They blew us away. She caught so many special moments that when we look at our pictures, it really takes us back to that wonderful day. We couldn’t imagine anyone else doing our photos and feel eternally grateful. Thanks Jess!”

 We came across Jess’s website early on in our search and were very impressed by her exceptional touch-up digital skills and creative compositional ideas – beautiful photography! So it was a very easy decision to make having Jess as our wedding photographer. We had already booked in with her before meeting up – so it was great to be warmly welcomed into her studio and made to feel at ease straight away. Both Jess and I were on the same wavelength throughout the whole wedding process, which just made everything simple and easy – which is exactly what you want on your wedding day!
Thank you so much Jess for the amazing photographs and slideshow!

When we came across your website when we were browsing for wedding photographers, your images stood out from all of the rest and we knew we just had to have you as our photographer! We were very lucky to book you when we did as your wedding season had filled up so quickly.  Even before meeting you, we could tell that you truly love what you do as your images show your creativity and really inspired us to come up with some of our own ideas that we thought we could try out.  On the day, you reminded us to relax and take our time because the day does truly fly by!  We were very impressed with your professionalism especially when it did start to rain, and the photos under the wharf turned out amazing; again, just another example of your talent!  We are so very thrilled with the final images as you have captured all the meaningful moments of the day.  I also just wanted to say that I just absolutely love the wedding slideshow DVD with our wedding songs playing in the background; it is such a nice touch that makes it even more special.”

When we first saw photos of previous weddings Jess had captured we knew immediately we wanted her to be our wedding photographer. We love her photographic signature, to us her images all have a feeling of magic in them but at the same time (a bit of a juxtaposition) they feel real and raw, upstaged and natural… just perfect! Then we met Jess and felt 100% that this is the person we want with us on the day. She is very down to earth and made us feel very comfortable and at ease, which is incredibly important, especially when my husband and I felt a little awkward about the idea of being photographed and the centre of attention. On the wedding day Jess worked tirelessly, she was an absolute machine and didn’t miss a single moment of our day. If something special or even unplanned was happening, she was there. We love looking at our photos, Jess truly captured the entire essense of our special day. They are such beautiful memories and treasured reminders of a day neither of us will ever forget.

Jess was recommended to us by a friend and we are so grateful to have found her. She had exactly the right vibe for our laidback wedding day and made us (both a bit camera shy) feel at ease. We love looking back over our photos and feel that Jess captured our relationship perfectly.

We are based in Auckland but decided to get married up North at the beautiful secluded Wainui Bay. The reason why we chose Jess is that her photos had such a majestic unforced feel. We were absolutely blown away when we received our photos and I have since put a few of my favourites in a frame which I look at every day. Wedding days can be such a blur so having those candid and intimate moments captured so that you can look back on forever is really priceless. It takes me right back to the day every time I look through my album. Jess is professional, friendly, flexible and was super fun to work with. She made the day feel really relaxed and it hardly even felt that she was there. Thanks so much Jess!!

We have nothing but great things to say about Jess and the everlasting memories she captured for us. Thank you for making our special day that extra bit more special! Jess did such an fantastic job and coming from two people who were slightly nervous about being in front of the camera, she made the whole process relaxing and enjoyable. She provided excellent service from start to finish and on the day she really took note of what we were wanting – a relaxing, simple yet beautiful day! Looking through all the photos, it’s clear she captured just this. We’ve now ended up with a gorgeous set of photographs that look like something out of a magazine. It’s hard to pick my favourites because I just love them all! Family and friends are also so important to the both of us so it’s made even more meaningful to have so many gorgeous photos of the ones who shared our special day too! It was a pleasure having her as our wedding photographer and i’ll be sure to recommend her onto everyone!

View Alicia and Shamus’s wedding here – 

Being UK residents coming over and getting married in NZ, we were a little worried about finding the right photographer for our special day. Jess quelled any of those fears as soon as we met her! From our first meeting over Skype to the big day we felt so very welcomed and calmed by her presence and expertise – not just about photography; her knowledge of the local area (we married in Russell) and the best spots to pick was really helpful and reduced any stress for us on the wedding day. We were genuinely sad to say goodbye at the end but when we received our photos a few weeks later (she shipped everything to the UK for us!) we couldn’t have been happier with the results. To this day, all our family and friends still remark on the amazing quality of the photos. Thanks Jess! These memories are for life and we’re so glad you captured them perfectly.

Getting married in such a small rural community, I was a bit sceptical as to whether or not we would be able to find the perfect photographer to capture our special day, but we didn’t have to look very far to find Jess. As soon as we saw Jess’s portfolio we knew we wanted her and locked her in as quickly as we could! Jess is an absolute legend…She was always quick to respond to any questions we had leading up to the day and gave us so much great advice. She made us feel comfortable on the day and was such a joy to work it. We really loved the packaging of the final product too! It was an absolute pleasure having you there Jess.

From our first meeting with Jess we knew we had found a great photographer, but then you can see that from her online gallery. What you can’t see on the gallery is Jess’s amazing personality and incredible knowledge. We both hate our photo’s being taken but Jess put us both at ease and isn’t intrusive, in fact a lot of the time you don’t even realize she is there taking photos. Jess shot our engagement and wedding photos and we would be happy to recommend her. We have only had fantastic comments from family and friends who were at the wedding and from those who couldn’t fly around the world to be with us in Russell have said it felt like they were there. Jess you are awesome! Thank you!

Jess has captured 3 major events for us now, our wedding, my maternity photos and our son at a few days old. The photos are beyond beautiful and we feel so lucky to have those memories to look back on. Jess not only has a eye for detail, she is so friendly and positive, it made us relaxed and natural for the photos. Xx

We looked at countless photographers online, but no others came close. We loved Jess’s effortless, creative style and her ability to capture all the small details. Choosing Jess as our wedding photographer was the easiest decision we made. On our special day, we instantly felt at ease when Jess arrived. We appreciated her relaxed, non-intrusive style of shooting. We were impressed with her professionalism as she gave direction where needed (e.g. with crowds of people!) but comfortably stood back to document other parts of the day. We saw Jess’s passion come alive during the creative shoots, finding the perfect lighting in the grass and trees as she moved around us. Our favourite photos are the ones of just the two of us; Jess captured these private moments beautifully on her camera. Thank you Jess for taking the perfect collection of photos for us to forever remember our special day.

We wanted a photographer who could not just capture a wedding, but also the feel of the Northland region. When we saw Jess’ work, we were blown away by the quality. When we talked to her she was professional, warm, timely, and gave us the confidence we were making the right decision. Organising a wedding from a different country can be a hassle, but Jess made things easy. On the day Jess was an asset, knowing exactly where to go, handling herself (and others) confidently and giving us the gift of not having to worry. We are overjoyed with the quality of our photos, she captured everything important to us, along with a variety of wonderful little moments that made the day, it was just perfect.

We were all a bit apprehensive as none of us felt that at home in front of the camera……Until we met Jess Burges! What a talented lady she is, Jess made us not only feel comfortable in front of the camera but she made us enjoy it. Jess captured every moment and every emotion with style and grace, she was professional and friendly and we felt like we had known her for years. Jess definitely exceeded our expectations on the day and a thousand times over once we saw the prints.”

From the moment we found Jess’s website we knew that she was the one for us. Her style seemed effortless and casual, which was exactly what we were after.She captured such amazing moments throughout the day.  It made us so happy to see all the things that went on during a day. As the bride and groom, you simply can’t be everywhere.Her knowledge of the Far North really helped with choosing our locations, she definitely knows what works and what doesn’t. Above all, we had so much fun hanging out with Jess on the day, she put all of us at ease.

“When planning my wedding, one of the most important things for me was to find to fantastic photographer who could capture the essence of our big day and produce beautiful, professional photographs with creative flair – Jess did this and more!It was such a pleasure to have Jess involved in our wedding – her calm, professional, warm and friendly nature meant that we had heaps of fun both pre and post ceremony posing for all of the snaps. With little input from myself and now husband, Jess managed to capture so many components of the day, creating a collection of amazing memories that we will forever enjoy reflecting on.  I would recommend Jess in a heartbeat! Thank you so much for our treasured memories!”