I am so glad I hired Adam for my surprise proposal to my girlfriend. Living in SoCal and having…read morenever been to Monterey/Big Sur, I planned my whole proposal based on google searches, reddit threads, and word of mouth. Being a Big Sur/Monterey local, Adam provided extremely helpful insight and feedback for my proposal. He definitely helped relieve a lot of the stress during the planning phase of my proposal. On the day of the actual shoot, the day-of jitters was overwhelming at times, but Adam's energy and demeanor was very centering. He was patient and gave my new fiancee and I space to calm ourselves, and also knew when to take charge and guide us with our poses. He also had amazing and creative ideas for how to pose and brought us to local, reclusive spots to take intimate photos. Best of all, Adam always had a smile on his face and he made us really think like we were supermodels walking the runway haha. If you're going to do any photoshoot, especially a proposal or engagement shoot, in the Big Sur/Monterey area, I would highly recommend getting Adam!!

I was referred to Adam through another photographer who unfortunately could no longer capture my…read moreengagement due to a last minute date change caused by rainy weather. From the get go, Adam was incredibly personable, communicative, and had great recommendations on proposal spots and tips on how to propose. We came up with a plan to propose at a secluded cliff and a surprise picnic at the beach afterwards. Adam was more than happy to coordinate with Dreamy Events by Ev and even suggested to push the proposal a bit earlier to accommodate for driving time in order to give us one full hour for photos! Adam delivered our sneak peaks and full album photos in a timely manner. Let me tell you, the photos came out AMAZING and we are so glad to have found him!!! Adam was incredible to work with and we would 100% recommend him to anybody looking for a photographer in the Carmel/Monterrey area.

We used Rebecca Stark for our micro ceremony and wedding reception (two seperate days). We loved…read moreour photos from both days and loved how easy it was to get along with Rebecca. She did a great job dealing with the harsh sun of our micro ceremony and helping us feel comfortable taking photos. Our sunset photos from our reception are beautiful. She was a great choice!

Rebecca photographed our recent wedding on West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz. she took stunning…read morephotographs, before, during, and after the ceremony. She made sure to get many different poses, candid and staged, and included the ocean view and cliffs that we had requested. We ended up with around 150 high quality photos, and she provided them in a gallery we could share with people, and also downloadable in hi-res for printing and sharing online. Highly recommended!

We were looking to hire a photographer for a family photoshoot in the Santa Cruz / Carmel /…read moreMonterey area and reached out to Maria along with a couple of other professionals. Maria was the first to respond. She gave us clear pricing (which varied depending on location) and was patient and understanding when I told her I needed a few days to decide. We ultimately chose her because she was available on our preferred date and her pricing fit our budget...so glad we did! Even before meeting in person, Maria impressed us with her communication. She is incredibly client‑oriented, super responsive, and provided detailed recommendations (like what to wear). When I had questions and adjustment requests about the contract, she was flexible and honored my feedback without hesitation. At the shoot itself, Maria gave us great direction while also respecting our preferences when we didn't want to pose a certain way. She did great working with our toddler, keeping her engaged and capturing candid moments. The photos are beautiful, and her editing turnaround was impressively fast, and she proactively sent us updates on when she'd get us things. I didn't rely much on reviews when choosing Maria, but now that I'm writing this one and seeing the glowing feedback that others have shared, it's clear how consistent and exceptional Maria is!

My husband and I got married back in October and Maria at Pink Light did such a beautiful job…read morecapturing so many amazing memories. Prior to our wedding day she was so sweet and helpful and on the day of she was very prepared, with locations and poses in mind so we didn't have to think of a single thing. It was AMAZING! You can tell Maria absolutely loves what she does, she has great energy and very talented! We are going to treasure these photos forever!!

Jessica was our wedding photographer and she did an amazing job! She was responsive, kind, and so…read moreeasy to work with. Most of the day I was barely aware she was there and the pictures came out beautifully! I would highly recommend her to anyone needing a wedding photographer in the area!!

Jessica did our engagement and wedding photos. She was super easy to work with and has a great eye…read morefor detail and photo composition. Both of our families commented (unprompted!) on how nice she was and how easy she was to work with on the day of. She is super responsive, punctual, and we love her editing style. She kept us in the loop about when we would get our photos back and we were surprised at the quick turnaround! I would not hesitate to work with her again and we hope to book her in the future. Thank you, Jessica!

Chris was our photographer for our surprise proposal in Big Sur and there aren't enough good things…read moreto say about him and Good Eye Photography. From the location, to the nearby restaurant recommendations, and of course the perfect photos, Chris made everything so clear and easy. We are definitely not naturals in front of the camera, but he guided us through it all and made it so fun and memorable. You can tell how much he cares about his clients and his genuine love for the work he does. My new fiancé and I are so proud to show off these photos to our loved ones and will cherish them forever. If you need a trusted person to handle your photography needs, Chris is definitely your guy.

I worked with Chris for my surprise proposal at Carmel/Soberanes Trail, and I truly can't say…read moreenough good things about him. From the very beginning, he was an absolute pleasure to work with. He provided clear, detailed instructions on how to reach the location and shared helpful tips--like sending him our live location and a selfie in our proposal outfits so he could easily identify us. That level of preparation made the entire experience feel seamless and stress-free. What really stood out was how thoughtfully he planned everything. He made sure the spot was free of crowds and blended in perfectly as a "nature photographer," which kept the surprise completely intact. On the day of the proposal, Chris was punctual, professional, and incredibly patient. He spent about an hour with us, capturing such beautiful, genuine moments--all with a warm and friendly attitude that made us feel comfortable throughout. He also delivered the photos promptly, and the quality exceeded our expectations. One thing I especially appreciated was his integrity. Even though his pricing had increased between the time I booked and the actual shoot, he honored the original rate without hesitation. That says a lot about his character. Overall, I would highly recommend Chris to anyone looking to capture a special moment. He played a big role in making our day unforgettable.

Let me just say I am not photogenic. I have also gained significant weight since having my third…read morechild and having thyroid issues which have lowered my self esteem. I do not take selfies haha. With that said, I really loved birch studios photos on Instagram. I figured she would be able to make me look semi presentable and somehow manage to get a shot of all 10 eyes looking at the camera. Jess worked her magic and the locations have been such a great backdrop. This is our second year using Jess for our family photos and I have never been disappointed! Not only is she the nicest and sweetest photographer, her pictures are stunning, and my review does not do her work justice.

First off, this review is LONG OVERDUE as we are rounding our 1 year wedding anniversary…read more Every time I look at our wedding photos, there is a smile on my face. Jess captured my favorite moments of the day in a way I couldn't have imagined. She also captured wonderfully great moments I wasn't aware of, making the photos of our wedding day even more special! (I've uploaded a few) Jess is a true artist at heart, and we are so grateful she was our wedding photographer. She is easy to work with, organized, calm, professional, and experienced. And most importantly, she has a good eye! Jess helped us pick a place for our first look and bridal party photos close to our venue. She also put together a wedding photo timeline and made sure she knew who we wanted candid and portrait shots with. She delivered on everything we wanted, and she was a pleasure to work with. Thank you Jess! You're an amazing artist, and we will be looking at your photos with smiles on our faces for years to come.

Looking for a photographer to capture your big moments, who makes you feel comfortable and beyond…read moreeasy to work with ? You have to work with Toanven Photography because you will not regret it at all and get everything you want and more!! Toan and team are the absolute very best - worked directly with Toan, Martin, Trieu, and Michael and all very professional and super easy to get along with! We used Toanven photography for our engagement photoshoot / pre wedding , church wedding ceremony at St.Jarlath Catholic Church and civil wedding at Nella terra cellars. Also used their videography services which was also really great. When looking for a photographer , we wanted to make sure that our photographer is easy going, can help guide us and has experience with our venue. I discovered Toanven photography because my best friend used their services for her wedding and after finding out Toan had lots of experience at Nella Terra we knew we had to meet him. On our first zoom call Toan was beyond welcoming and excited which made us excited. He made us laugh, made us comfortable and answered all of our questions and broke down the whole process. Before the wedding Toan helped us better plan our timeline for photos and took his time to understand what were the "must have photos". He gave us alternatives on how we can still get pictures with others and saving time. His advice on a family shot list was super helpful as well. On wedding day Toan was just the person I needed around me with all the craziness of wedding day. His personality bring calmness and he is quick to think if a photo location doesn't work well for the lighting - he found better positioning and areas for the photos the look flawless. Beyond helpful when it came to posing, how to stand , where to look and capture all the right angles. Lastly, Depending on the package you go for, you will get a set number of edits photos and our photos were so amazing it was hard to reach the number of edits we can use. That says a lot about how the quality of the photos are and how they already shine! So reach out to Toanven photography, I promise you will love every moment!

If you're looking for a photographer who really knows his craft, Toan at Toanvenphotography Studio…read moreis that guy. Came through his studio by Branham & Almaden and instantly felt like I was in good hands. Super chill, calm, and professional -- no ego, just pure passion for what he does. He's insanely dialed in with angles, lighting, and composition. The way he sets up shots and makes small adjustments shows how much detail he pays attention to. Nothing feels rushed, everything feels intentional. What really stands out is how comfortable he makes you feel in front of the camera. He gives clear direction without overdoing it, and somehow brings out your best look naturally. His eye for detail is next level -- from posture to shadows to background, he doesn't miss. You can tell he's someone who takes pride in his work and actually cares about delivering high-quality results, not just "getting the shot." The final photos came out clean, sharp, and professional -- honestly exceeded expectations. If you want someone who's skilled, patient, creative, and genuinely invested in making you look good, Toanvenphotography is it. Bay Area hidden gem for sure. Highly recommend.

Olga was very nice to work with. She made our one year old very comfortable during the photoshoot…read more Pictures came out to be really great! Highly recommend!

I was looking for an in-home newborn photographer and found Olga on Google. The booking process was…read moreeasy, we scheduled the session quickly, and Olga arrived right on time. During the session, Olga captured both lifestyle and posed newborn photos. She was extremely professional and showed incredible patience with my baby. I expected the experience to be stressful, but it was actually very relaxing and enjoyable. The images were absolutely beautiful. Olga brought all the props we needed for the session. I highly recommend her!

Sandy is truly one of the most skilled newborn/family photographers in the bay area! I was lucky to…read morefind Sandy 4 years ago with my first born and the newborn photos ended up being incredible! It was an easy decision to go back to her with our second baby. Here are some of the ways that Sandy truly stood out: - Both our babies were born around Christmas holiday and scheduling was not an issue at all for Sandy. She checked in ahead of the appointment to ensure we didn't need to reschedule (much needed for parents that just gave birth recently) and had our themes ready prior to us arriving. - The themes were 10/10, better than what we could've envisioned ourselves. And our themes were generic such as lemon or Christmas. - The amount of patience Sandy has is seriously amazing! Our second baby was a bit harder to photograph compared to the first, in addition to a toddler who wasn't in the mood for pictures, and it didn't phase Sandy at all. She took her time to make sure she was able to capture each theme well and had tips up her sleeve to get the toddler to take some pictures. I highly recommend going with Sandy if you're considering photo sessions! She goes above and beyond to ensure all the special moments are captured and the pictures are so incredibly worth it.

I'm truly delighted to share my experience working with Sandy! Her communication was wonderful from…read morethe very beginning, from arranging the appointment and customizing the scene setup to sending the photos. Everything went so smoothly. I am really impressed by her talent with infants and children; she was fantastic with my newborn and my 2-year-old. Her ability to craft stunning scenes is also incredible. And when it comes to her photography and editing skills, they are truly outstanding--just look at the edited photos, they're absolutely stunning! You won't be disappointed with Clairbare Studios and Sandy's gift for capturing beautiful, lasting memories of your little ones.

How do I even begin to tell you how wonderful Carlie and her husband, Gabe, are?! In a nutshell, if…read moreyou don't use them, you will be so sorry you didn't. They were top notch. So professional, kind, warm and talented. As the mother of the bride, all I wanted was for her to be happy with the photographer. Carlie and Gabe made her very happy!

We went from engagement to wedding in 90 days. Yeah, that fast. Which means that we had to find…read moreeverything and everyone we needed really quickly. And we wanted to make sure every vendor was experienced and understood our vision for the event because we couldn't afford any missteps from amateurs. Even though it was the most important one, because we had three other photographers flake out on us, the last vendor we hired was the photographer. From the moment she called me back, through our first meeting at our house and subsequent emails and conversations prior to hiring her, I knew Carlie was going to be great. Go to her website and you can see for yourself how comfortable she makes people feel. She's warm, real and professional. And unlike some other wedding photographers who are either cookie-cutter hacks or fashion themselves are high-brow (and over-priced) artistic geniuses, Carlie's talented eye is on what matters most -- people, connections and the feelings she captures in the moment. My husband and I are both photography lovers and hobbyists which means three things, we know and appreciate good photography, we have high expectations and we're more comfortable behind the camera than we are in front of it. Carlie exceeded our expectations and made us feel very comfortable in front of the camera. No small feat! We got married on a yacht two weeks ago and had an engagement session done about six weeks ago. I can honestly say that no one has ever shot a better photograph of me than Carlie -- and that was before they were even processed. In fact, from our engagement session there are dozens of photographs that were so good we simply could not decide which we liked best. My very unsentimental 18 year old daughter saw one of them and started crying because she said "it just looks like love". At and after the wedding, several people (guests, the wedding planner, crew and service staff) remarked about how wonderful Carlie was to work with. She and her assistant/husband were everywhere shooting everything, but were never once in the way or obtrusive. She knows her stuff and is a genuinely nice person who was a great addition to our special once-in-a-lifetime day. I would highly recommend her to anyone who wants great photographs for a wedding, special event or portrait session. Be sure to notice and click on the 5 "filtered" reviews for this business. For some reason, Yelp's new auto review filter is hiding legit reviews because they think they're not "real" for some reason. These other glowing reviews (the hidden ones) were there when we checked Carlie out and are very much worth looking at if you're deciding whether or not to hire her.