We had a lovely experience with Aika. I reached out to her about headshots for my son, and I got a response via email right away. We scheduled a date, and we had a great time with her. She was kind and courteous, and the pictures look amazing. I'm hoping to use her for family photos in the near future. read more

I am sorry to have to write this review as Aika has taken lovely family photos for us two years in a row. Unfortunately, her communication, business practices and customer service are simply horrible. I am far too busy to take her to small claims court, but I should on principal. After our last fall session, she insisted on doing a video call where she would walk us through the photos and we selected the ones we wanted. This really is a ploy to try and sell her packages and printed photos. We ultimately chose a package that was comfortable for us. This package included two printed photos. She asked us to select which one we wanted right then and there after only seeing the photos for the first time moments before. We explained that we were in the process of selling our home and moving into a new one, and we would like to get back to her within 30 days. She agreed and gave us until the end of November 2020. I emailed Aika with the photo selection in November (within the agreed upon timeframe). She never responded. I sent her three subsequent times with no reply. I left a message. She never responded. After months of no response, I sent her a text asking for a refund for the prints we already paid for since it seemed to be too much trouble for her to respond or mail us our prints. She responded to my text to say, "Sorry, I don't have any emails from you....pls send your home address to mail a check. I wish you could finalize the order at our zoom meeting." See screenshot below. I responded with our home address and reminded her that we were in the process of moving at our meeting. We had no idea of the photo dimensions or actual photos we would want on our walls at the time of our meeting. Three weeks after her text message saying she would mail a check, guess what? Still no check. I text her. No response. Three MORE weeks later no check. I text her. No response. Here I am a few weeks more and six months after our meeting with her and we have no photos, no response and no reimbursement. If she needs the $200 that bad she can keep it. I will consider it charity. I can however warn people about Aika Cardin and suggest they use other photographers, so this doesn't happen to anyone else. There are PLENTY of talented people out there offering photography services with a smile, decent pricing, no sales tactics, good communication with fair and honest dealing. Take your business elsewhere. read more

Aika Cardin Photography - Photographers Near Me

Our Ballet school sends our girls to her for performance photos. We have two toddlers and she has always given us amazing shots to choose from, individual and photos of the both girls together. I have yet to take a good photo of the two together but she has always gotten both to smile and look at the camera. She awesome! read more

See all

Aika is so kind and was able to capture my family beautifully. It was a pleasure to work with her, will definitely be working with Aika in the future. read more

Aika did our family portrait years ago and we love it! So I reached out to her again by phone and by email few months ago. But she never answered me. Few weeks ago, I bumped into her in person and reminded her about my call and email. she said she will look into it but until now she haven't responded. Just poor customer service. read more

Aika took acceptable headshots for me, but I don't love how they turned out, and the process was terrible. Once the pictures were taken, she had another client booked right after my session. She made me choose favorite images in less than 10 minutes. It was rushed and I was pushed out the door. It ruined the experience. I paid her $75.00 for an "extra" image. In total she received $325.00 for an hour of work. I emailed her three times and called her twice and told her that I was not happy with the final images because I felt rushed to choose favorites. I asked her if I could see more images and choose one that I liked better. She did not respond to any message after multiple attempts. I don't recommend using her, because if you need something or have a request that is beyond the hour you spend with her, and she has your money, she will likely never respond. I wish that I read the reviews on this site prior to booking my session with Aika. read more

Aika was recommended by a modeling agency and she does great work. She knows what she's doing and can capture amazing shots of your little ones. My only recommendation for parents: if you have an active toddler who can't sit still, you might not get the shots you agreed upon, if you run out of time. Modeling head shots include three looks, but we only got two. We were told that the third look would be rescheduled, but it never happened, even though I texted- no response just like previous reviews. read more

We've done 2 mini photo shoots with Aika and the final photos came out absolutely beautiful. We recently did a mini session and my young children don't always cooperate and she still managed to capture great shots of them. We will treasure the photos for a lifetime and worth the investment. read more

I'm not sure how it's possible that I haven't reviewed Aika yet. We just completed our annual Holiday Mini Session and once again she knocked it out of the park. We've been working with her for the last five years and her photos of my kids are some of the first things I'd save in a fire. I can't imagine this year will be any different. That she also takes amazing headshots is just gravy. This year we had to do a last minute reshoot (thanks to a one-two punch of strep AND stomach flu hitting the family) so we opted to do it in her newly opened studio. While I was frankly a little leery given how gorgeous her outside work is, I loved the experience. It was really efficient as we didn't have to keep moving locations and allowed my 21 month old to play in between shots he was required for (plus she had Netflix!) She has many backgrounds and props and the studio is bathed in warm light. I was worried it would feel like going to Ollan and none of them make me think Olan Mills, but it felt relaxed and classy. I can't wait to see how they turn out. We have worked with some other photographers when Aika was living out of the country and the difference was profound. Aika has an artist's eye for light, a childcare professional's patience with children and a psycho analysts penchant for quick personality pegging. She's high energy, but incredibly patient with little ones - something that's required with small children in tow. While she is more expensive than many more amateur photographers just starting out, the quality of her photos cannot be compared. They are both beautiful and also perfect portraits that capture the unique differences in my children. She's more than worth the reasonable up-charge. read more

Aika definitely has the eye for photography and capturing the moment. I would give her a "5" for that, but "0" for customer service. I wrote her in late August trying to book a mini Fall session early and no response. I wrote her this past weekend, and her response was that she is booked and find a new photographer. In 2014, She took photos of our family. We signed up for the mini package. She invited me to her home and I believe she was expecting me to make a big purchase. She told me in one of her emails on average clients spend 1000 to 2500 dollars. I booked a mini session, 3 photos for 150. After that session, I felt like she didn't give me the time a day because I'm not in her 1000 to 2500 category. I also wanted to buy additional photos but I was not aloud unless I purchase in her package (3, 10, etc.) For Example, if you want to purchase 5, you can't, because you have to buy the 3 or 10. The last session, I signed up for the mini package again, 150.00 for 3 photos. But, then I was suppose to spend 150 in product purchase, and 100.00 for 4 additional photos. Long story, short, it's all about money and how much she can make in the end. It's suppose to be a happy time and making memories, but the way she does her packages and charges people, makes it stressful. I've hired many other photographers and I've never once had this bad experience. I kept going back to her because her photos are great but the way she does business (packages, profit, etc) is misleading and stressful. read more

Aika is a fantastic photographer! I live in Walnut Creek and my 3 year old daughter had an upcoming ballet recital. The school set up complimentary sessions with Aika and I thought "why not" because I figured if none of the pictures came out, it wouldn't cost me anything. My daughter typically is awkward around people she doesn't know and her smiles can appear forced when people tell her to smile for the camera. But my daughter was immediately comfortable with Aika! Within seconds, she was smiling and giggling and I ended up with SEVERAL photos to choose from, and they are the most beautiful pictures anyone has ever taken of her. I couldn't believe that someone we had just met was getting pictures of my daughter's natural smile. I highly recommend Aika if you have children that are a little shy, you will end up like me with so many pictures to pick from, you end up buying most of them! read more

I am blown away by Aika's artistic eye! She was able to make a tree-lined trail in SF appear as a magical forest! Aika's a perfectionist and a professional--she was proactive and was able to work around my busy schedule. She took the time to understand what kind of pictures I was hoping for and was able to keep my very busy & active 5 yr old entertained and smiling for the entire session. Aika was very easy to work with, she takes her time to capture the perfect shot, and was fast in turning around the pictures so that we have plenty of time to put together our holiday cards and make canvases for our mantle. =) read more

We hired Aika for our annual family holiday photoshoot and I cannot say enough great things! She made my young boys ages, 5 + 3 feel so comfortable and she even got several giggles and smiles out of them. Aika truly made the photoshoot a delightful experience and she was so fun + easy to work with! Then fast-forward to 2-weeks later when our proofs were ready. And WOW, they were amazing! I was gushing looking at every picture because she captured my family perfectly. The variety of shots she got in our mini-photoshoot far exceeded my expectations. Every picture melted my heart and I absolutely love all of them. She has an incredible eye and is so talented. She created some magical moments that I will cherish forever. I highly recommend Aika + I'm already looking forward to next-years shoot! read more

Aika has been shooting our family for a few years now- headshots and family portraits. To my amazement, the photos come out perfect each time! Having young twin boys, I feel like getting everyone looking good, smiling and looking at the camera would be an impossible task, Aika pulls it off each and every time. We are so thankful we found her and she provides us with these memories that will last a lifetime! read more

Aika was amazing! I don't know why exactly I haven't written a review. My experience with her was great! I loved my photos! She took my sons first birthday photos and they came out amazing. I will always treasure them. I knew that it was going to be expensive hiring a professional photographer and set aside a specific budget for it. I didn't count on the addition cost I hadn't expected. Her work speaks for itself and I understand the pricing. It's also why I probably won't be going back to her. I simple can't afford it. Her work is amazing tho! If you have the extra cash than I would recommend her. read more

I found Aika through Hilary's Helpful Hints and couldn't be more pleased! I signed up for her "Baby Collection" package which includes newborn, 6 month and 1 year photo sessions. In addition to just photographing my youngest, she gets great sister and whole family shots that I will treasure forever. She is so patient and flexible with my 2 girls during the shoot - never getting flustered when they don't cooperate. She has never failed to get countless great pictures of the whole family - it's always so hard to decide which to buy because I fall in love with them. If you are looking for a excellent, professional photographer who is patient & caring choose Aika - You won't be disappointed! read more

Our experience with Aika was great. Most importantly, the photos we received of our 11-month old son are beautiful. I'm amazed that Aika was able to capture these photos. Our son was more interested in crawling away from the camera as quickly as possible versus sitting still. The time we spent was brief and efficient (although exhausting trying to keep our little guy in one place). The photos are stunning. Great job Aika! read more

Aika is an excellent baby and family photographer! She goes above and beyond to ensure the baby and family are comfortable and she's able to capture magical moments that are personal and show your family's personality. She really enjoys babies and interacts with them to help them look their best for the camera. Most, or maybe all, of her shoots occur outdoors, which I find very lovely. The pictures look great on the walls because of the natural world in the background. For certain holidays she has photo booths set up around Walnut Creek. For around $20 you get a digital card with a really cute holiday background. I've also worked with her for our family holiday pictures and our boy's one year cake smash. I highly recommend her because she is professional, fun and takes great pictures! read more

"Aika, how long have you been doing this?" Sweet, humble Aika: "Since Leo was 7 or 8 months old..." Which means Aika Cardin has been a professional photographer for not quite two years. Pardon the expletive, but #$%*!? I couldn't believe that the photos we viewed during our session were done by what many would consider a rookie photographer. Aika's sensibility, patience, and creativity add up to characteristics of a professional shutterbug with at least 10 years of experience. My husband has taken several photography classes, and from what I learned about natural light photography through conversations with him, Aika certainly knows her stuff. Her attention to composition and dynamic viewpoints, as well as the manner in which she told our family's story via the slide show...in a word, phenomenal. The photo shoot: My husband, my son, our dog, and I had a rough morning on the day of the shoot, so I wasn't too optimistic about the overall turnout, to be honest. My son wouldn't keep still when we started, wanting to roam around, but Aika came armed with Thomas stickers, a mini Adirondack chair, bubbles, you name it. She sensed immediately when my son wasn't enjoying a particular setting, so she was willing to pick up and move when necessary. Aika's pleasant demeanor: a huge plus. She always has a smile on her face, and she's incredibly unassuming. Sometimes we'd forgotten she was there! We all were able to laugh about some of the stressful moments (wardrobe change, getting my son to smile), and mostly because Aika was such a sweetheart. The viewing session: The tears I shed are testimony enough. The slide show was top notch, very professional, simply a work of art. I could go on and on about this rare talent. Aika is a gem all around, and our family couldn't be more pleased with her work. Watch out, world, this woman is going places. Snag her while you can! read more

Aika is not only wonderful with kids (which is super important when photographing them) but her work is beautiful. She is able to capture such amazing moments. We used her for our family photos which at the time included my husband and I and 4 kids under the age of 5. Not easy to get a picture of the whole family looking amazing but we walked away with dozens of photos that were beyond beautiful. We highly recommend her and I know we will be using her in the near future. read more

Aika is a sweet lady whose photography itself deserves five stars. She has captured some great shots of our family. However, I agree with some of the other reviewers that her pricing structure for mini sessions is less than transparent. Our family did a 20-minute holiday mini session with her for the second time this year, and she significantly changed the package this time around so that to get access to any digital images, you had to purchase an additional digital package that started at $325 for ten images. This was after paying $200 for the session itself. We just were hoping for one or two photos to use in holiday cards, and an additional $325 was simply out of our price range. The cost of digital images was not shared pre-session on her website or when booking. I understand that some folks can afford this and it's certainly her prerogative to target that clientele, but we wouldn't have wasted her time and ours had we known in advance. We were left feeling completely ripped off and extremely frustrated that we'd spent our time getting two little kids all dolled up and our money on the sitting fee, only to not even have one measly digital image for our cards. Aika, please consider being more transparent with these mini sessions! ETA: I wrote to her asking very nicely for an explanation of the change in the mini sessions and why there was no advanced communication about the massive price increase and never received a response, and am thus downgrading this to a two star review. Such a disappointing experience with an otherwise lovely and talented person! read more

Is she expensive? Yes. However, I have taken pictures with so many photographers and some of the best pictures I've ever gotten are from Aika's mini sessions. I always go in thinking I'm only going to buy one picture, but then somehow 90% of the pictures she has taken are amazing and I end up buying most of them. I don't know how she does it, because my boys are wiggly and are not always cooperative with following directions on how to pose, stand,etc. Yet, somehow, the photos she captures are amazing and she is extremely patient with my children. To me she's worth every penny based on the quality of her pictures and the memories she's captured. I have gone cheaper in the past, but the quality of the pictures are not the same. read more

We had a wonderful photo experience with Aika at our Holiday Mini Session. She was so accommodating with sessions, and so helpful in getting us ready for the shoot. She provided extremely helpful reminders and tips on how to optimize the shooting session. Once there, we had a fantastic time and she really captured the essence and personalities of the family through the photography...not to mention, our dog too! We received the photos in a timely manner and they were great finished products. Thank you, Aika! read more

If you are looking for an amazing photographer, look no further, Aika's your girl! She started off with my family, taking my maternity photo's and has continued to take photo's of my son's first year: newborn, 3mo, 6mo, 9mo & 12mo. Her photograph's are beautiful and breathtaking. Aika has been a joy to work with in every aspect. She is professional and passionate about her work, and that shine's through into her photographs. I highly recommend Aika Cardin Photography for your next photo shoot. read more

Aika definitely lives up to her online reputation! I found her on YELP and she did not disappointment. It was very easy to make an appointment and was very flexible and accomodating. She was even able to meet us in SF. I hired her to take headshots for 2 of my children and the results were stunning! On top of her professionalism, she's was extremely prepared (changing booth, lotion, comb, etc...). Aika is very sweet and delievered the prints on time. I definitely recommend working with AIka, and look forward to booking her again to shoot my toddler. read more

Aika is a gifted photographer. She has a wonderful technical eye and artistic sense for how to get the best angle, lighting, and background. She always makes me look my best, and she is amazing with kids! Our son is very active and rarely is still during photo shoots; and every time Aika was able to take beautiful shots that truly capture his personality. Aika is also patient, thoughtful, and professional. She is organized, has a quick turn-a-round, and has a wonderful online system that is easy to view and work with remotely. It is an absolute pleasure to work with her. read more

There is something magical about Aika. She is incredibly talented, kind and completely genuine. And her photos? Words cannot describe. Her style was exactly what we were looking for. It is natural, yet so vibrant, colorful work. She has a talent of capturing the most "real" moments and making them look like something you'd see in a magazine. Her work has a very rich professional look to it. Aika will find out what your dream picture looks like and find a way to deliver it to you. She is great with kids. She makes the entire family at ease and have fun. This in turn makes for fantastic pictures. She is also flexible! A must have for a family photographer. She is willing to let nap times, weather, or whatever dictate the time or location of your photo shoot. Aika was also able to work with us on budget and we are thankful for that. She is worth every penny. The photos that we have are an absolute treasure. read more

After going through several photographers after my daughter was born and consistently being disappointed with quality and professionalism of others, Aika has been an angel to find! I am a bit high maintenance, requesting different locations and several outfit changes as well as a perfectionist when it comes to the quality of my daughter's pictures and Aika scores 100% satisfaction with me in all areas of concern! Not only does she produce gorgeous pictures, she does not rest until you are 100% satisfied. If you are looking for an absolutely amazing photographer who is great with people, flexible and easy-going then she is your girl. I highly, highly recommend her! read more

Aika is a miracle worker when it comes to taking pictures of crazy little ones! My first experience with Aika was when I signed up my 2 boys (ages 1 and 3) for her Valentine's Day Photo Booth session. My kids were totally not cooperating that morning- They didn't want to sit still or smile. They were not happy and were all over the place. I left that session exhausted and convinced that we got absolutely no good pictures. To my surprise when Aika sent me the link to my pictures, they came out ADORABLE! I was so wowed by the Valentine's Day pictures, that less than two months later I signed my boys up for her Easter Photo Booth. Due to some miscommunication with the owner of the location, Small Talk Cafe made me cancel my reservation for pictures (they added on the additional constraint of having to participate in their Easter event that day which was only for kids 2 and under. Since my little guy was 3, we weren't allowed to come at that time for pictures. Totally the fault of Small Talk Cafe and definitely not Aika's fault.) Aika went out of her way to find a new time that worked for me- even meeting me at a completely separate location (and charged the same amount) so that I could get my boys' Easter pictures. Again, the pictures came out absolutely amazing (you'd never believe that the younger one kept tantruming or the older one didn't want to get anywhere near his younger brother). She even got my "unicorn" picture- my boys together and both smiling. I'm telling you, she's a magician. I would not hesitate to book Aika for pictures. I'm definitely looking forward to having her do family pictures for us sometime in the near future! read more

Aika is amazing with children, in my case a baby. She really understands what babies are capable of at different ages, tummy time, sitting, standing and such and captures the photo of them doing that!! I have used her a few times. My photos now range from tummy, to sitting and standing. I simply love them. She always makes you feel comfortable and makes the babies smile too!!! I love her work and her personality. I highly recommend her. read more

Aika Cardin is the best family photographer I know! She catches lots of smiles even when your kid is being a grump. I was thrilled when I saw our photos for the first time. She goes above and beyond. I was even more excited when I received our actual package of photos. You will find that whether you order only digital or otherwise she out does them all. She is absolutely amazing! I would recommend her to anyone!!! Go visit her FB page Aika Cardin Photography read more

Aika is a phenomenal photographer! We have absolutely fallen in love with her pictures of our son and of our family and her work has hooked me on getting regular family pictures taken! I met Aika of Aika Cardin Photograpy last October 2014 when I attended an Itsy Bitsy Halloween Yoga Party at the Sports Basement in Walnut Creek organized by Hilare Hsu of Hilarie's Helpful Hints. This was a Halloween yoga party for babies and toddlers and Aika was there providing Halloween pictures of the kiddos who came in costume. It was a great deal and she had a mini studio set up complete with Halloween props and a background and lighting. It was so cute! She was sweet and gentle with my son and we had the most adorable Halloween card that year. I received a great digital card (part of the package) and then I wound up buying all of the pictures she took because I loved them so much. I have since followed her and have had my son's picture taken at additional holiday events that she has been part of at the Small Talk Cafe in Walnut Creek for Valentine's Day (earlier this year) and Christmas last year. In March 2015, I set up a family session with Aika and it was so much fun on top of getting the most wonderful pictures of my family. Aika is the ultimate professional. She was so helpful in advising us on choosing a location, choosing attire, time of day, etc. She is prompt and organized and had limitless ideas for pictures when we were on site (Newhall Park in Concord). The hour and half shoot was fun and Aika was so kind and gentle and patient with our son. Following the shoot, the package included meeting with Aika at her studio to view all of the images and discuss what images we liked and wished to order. It was amazing and we were totally unprepared for the viewing - we were invited in and sat on a comfy couch to view the pictures on a large screen tv. Aika had the images set up in a montage set to music. My husband and I were in a puddle we cried through the whole thing! I kid not! We were in love with the pictures - Aika is incredible at capturing tender moments and special looks, she really captured the essence and love in our new little family. And and the presentation just warmed over. It was a great visit and Aika went over all of the order options and helped us design the pictures for best viewing on a wall in our home that we chose for displaying gorgeous canvases. We wound ordering way more images than we had initially thought we would because we loved her work so much. Truly, the photography that we have received from Aika is an incredible investment that we will have to cherish for years to come. I recommend Aika wholeheartedly. She is very passionate about her work, loves children and families, and cares very deeply about providing exceptional service and it shows. I am so happy our paths crossed last Halloween. And we are excited to have just scheduled a Holiday Mini Session for 2015! read more

First off let me begin by saying that I have never written a review either positive or negative on yelp or any other site before. However, after my extremely negative experience with Aika Cardin I felt compelled to do so. I also must add that I have used Aika Cardin twice before once for a Halloween photo booth and once for a mommy mini shoot and had zero problems with her and was quite happy with my photos. With that being said I signed up for her 2015 Holiday Mini Session which included a 30 min session, 3 retouched digital files a digital holiday card and a Facebook cover. The cost was $175 however returning clients (like myself) the cost was $150 with a code at checkout which I could not find so I ended up paying full price even though she said she would credit me the $25 but never did. Anyway, about a week after the shoot I got an email stating my photo gallery was ready to view and would expire in a week and would cost $25 to reactivate it. Not wanting to pay the extra $25 I quickly picked out my three photos and tried to check out using the "simple" directions she had attached. However, I was unable to purchase just three photos, to check out you had to purchase a package which included 10 pics for $200, 15 for $275 and etc... I was extremely confused and emailed her several times asking her for directions on how to order just the three pictures included in the shoot and if I could order just a few additional pics (not 10). Finally after four days of no response I sent her a text and she got back to me saying that the minimum digital package starts at 10 but to send her the images I wanted. I emailed her the images I wanted and told her I wasn't happy with the ordering process that I felt like it made you feel obligated to buy a package (since you literally can't check out and get your pics unless you do) and that I thought the whole ordering process was stressful (since I was on a time crunch to order them and she refused to get back to me). Her response to my email literally blew me away she stated that she did expect her "clients" to purchase additional packages because that's how she supports her family and that most of her "clients" purchase the 20 image package which costs an additional $350!!! I think it's pretty assumptious to think that a client who already spent $175 for a "MINI SHOOT" would then want to spend an additional $350 on pictures. I signed up for this shoot with the intention of getting two really nice photos to hang in my living room. I also had no problems ordering additional photos but I definitely didn't need 10 photos and not for $200+. Overall, this experience left a sour taste in my mouth and in my opinion almost felt like a scam. My colleagues and I discussed what had happened and most stated that they would have been too embarrassed to ask about the ordering process and would have just spent the extra money to get their pictures. That's why I wanted to write this extremely long review, because I don't want any future clients to go through what I did. She made me feel like less of a person because I didn't spend hundreds of dollars to support her family and her hard work. I will NEVER use her again nor would I ever refer her to any of my friends or family. Her pictures are beautiful but there are plenty of talented photographers in the Bay Area who treat all their clients with respect and dignity not just those with money. read more