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!!

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.

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.

We selected Susan from five local finalists, based mostly on their portfolios, and Susan's…read morerepresented the greatest range of artistic angles and the widest range of couples. Her body of work is much more than the traditional formal wedding and for these reasons we chose her. We paid a bit extra for an engagement session before the wedding and that album is terrific and made us all the more confident of our choice. On the day of the wedding at the Seascape Resort, Susan was central to making our day perfect, arriving well before others and staying all the way through dinner, dancing, and the rest, and she was critical in helping with the flow of the entire event, like a best friend there to help produce each part of the afternoon and evening. Susan would get ten stars if they'd let me give them!

My family was together for a reunion in Santa Cruz and we wanted a family picture. Because this had…read morebeen planned in advance, I sent several emails to photographers on Yelp and Susan was the one to respond promptly. She accommodated us in every respect, for which we were so thankful since we realized it was the holiday season. The setting for the pictures was beautiful. She showed patience and creativity in working with the 18 of us. She was a delight to work with and pictures were everything we could have hoped for.

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!

If I could give Rose ten stars I would. I moved to Santa Cruz recently and reached out for…read morematernity photos. After looking through her website, I was immediately attracted to her aesthetic. I reached out, she was professional, creative, kind. She worked to understand my likes and dislikes and found a beautiful location to shoot. The day of she brought great energy and the photos were amazing. I could not have asked her for more. We booked her immediately for new born photos and hope to work with her to capture our little family as it grows.

Rose photographed my family and I last year and I will always treasure my images. My family and I…read moreare not fans of having our pictures taken but Rose made us feel comfortable enough to be ourselves and capture some very beautiful and honest moments. I loved working with her and plan on hiring her whenever I am in the area!

Adriane was a complete joy to work with! We initially loved her work and then after one phone call,…read morewe knew she was the right photographer for us. She is professional, creative, so so fun, and just an all-around-joy to work with. She remained in excellent communication with us from the beginning of our planning and was available with ideas and support whenever we needed it. We LOVE her beautiful photos and feel that she perfectly captured the energy of our wedding! 10/10 recommend Adriane for any photography needs!

Adriane was the PERFECT photographer for our wedding. Neither my wife nor I like being the center…read moreof attention, and Adriane made us feel totally at ease. When we were looking for a photographer, we really liked her style - she not only captures people and moments really well, but also the tiny details that we love (e.g., the trees at the venue, dessert cookies, table settings, etc.). She knew the venue (Amphitheater of the Redwoods) very well and took us to a hidden spot on the property that made for wonderful candid photos after the ceremony. Adriane was also really thoughtful and organized on our wedding day. She made sure we thought about whether we wanted certain photos and moments captured when we hadn't thought about them at all...and many of them ended up being our favorites! She was effectively our guide throughout our big day, making sure we knew we were to move to the next phase, letting us know when her time was near its end for any last photos, etc. Can't recommend Adriane enough!

Ashley is a professional! She spent hours with us on the beach to get the perfect maternity shots…read more We have received so many compliments on our photos by her and are really looking forward to our newborn shoot. I can't say enough great things about our experience. Kelly Enghofer

If I could give 10 stars I would. Took some engagement photos with Ashley at shark fin cove in…read moreSanta Cruz. Let me tell you these photos look amazing. Ashley definitely knows how to catch your good side. Photo shoot didn't take long at all, and she got there early. Two thumbs up for Ashley. Thank you

I would whole-heartedly recommend Julie Cahill! She did an amazing job with our wedding, truly…read morecapturing the feel of the day. She was very organized and straightforward. She was comfortable getting people where they needed to be for our group shots/portraits, and was also comfortable shooing away some of the lingering family, in a sweet/funny way, of course! Julie was great with the kids and with all the little details I thought were special. She has a a great eye for the posed stuff and for the more candid life pictures I love. I am so grateful for her talent and dedication to her art! I sort of wish we could do it all over again! Thank you Julie!

Cannot say enough great things about Julie! She took our wedding photos at Folktale Winery in Nov…read more23. She helped us work through weather challenges, with pouring rain complicating our plans. She did a great job of identifying alternative options to capture photos with our guests, and then finding an opportune moment later on during the event when my husband and I could slip outside and take some photos when it was dry. I also appreciated her incorporation of candid photos along with the staged photos. We got great pictures with all of our guests, as well as pictures of all the décor and the location. She was also lovely to work with, and kept checking in to ensure we were capturing everything we wanted. Highly recommend!

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.