We go every year, life permitting The staff is amazing and friendly. Also so much fun! Pricing and product are perfect . My family has a blast! Can't wait for next year! Thank you Natasha! read more

Thrilled my husband said yes to this!! Photos turned out awesome and will be forever keepsakes! Decent pricing and it didn't take very long at all. I highly recommend for a great souvenir! read more

Doc Wenzel's Old Time Portraits - Session Photography Near Me - Monterey, California

This was so fun to do with my husband. I had been wanting to do some of these old-time photos for sometime and luckily we found this place in Monterey. I was a little unsure at first about the clothing size, especially being a plus size person. The clothes are plus size friendly because they tie in the back. I highly recommend this place. read more

See all

The staff were incredibly helpful and friendly. It was a pleasurable experience. The photos turned out great.

Very sweet and very down to earth staff. The woman who took our pictures was very patient and very accommodating. The pictures came out so well too. We had such a great time!! Would recommend. read more

Such a fun time !!!! Props galore backdrop options Great experience and awesome local photographer read more

I've always wanted to do one of these, Yelp and Google said based on my zip Sacramento was closest, so when we were in Monterey (closer to me by 2 he's than Sac) I literally ran to it lol. It was so much fun to choose a theme, roaring 20s, Wild West, etc and then get your portrait taken. The gal at the front was so fun, she was so friendly and really knew the style of dress based on the theme you chose. She let us be silly but then guided us on the poses, the final product was wow! Worth every penny cuz how often will you do this again? Ok maybe like 2-3 more times, but good to know nice peeps are there to help you make an experience that should be fun... SUPER FUN! She has a tip jar, so tip your hat and some folding currency to her before leaving. In the area of bubba gimps near the shooting gallery so don't blink you'll miss it! Parking, we'll it's busy cuz of the location but worth it!! read more

Went there on a Sunday, thought this would be fun but after the employee didn't greet us, was a bit rude and didn't even instruct us to wait as there was one family ahead of us we decided to pass. I'm sure they would have been great pictures but I refuse to support places who can't even bother to greet me or acknowledge that there are others there. read more

We went to Monterey today while wandering the mall we came across this old tyme photo studio. There was no line and the young girl working was quite pleasant so we decided to get sum old west photos. Cheryl and i dressed up as saloon girls and her daughter was a cowgirl. Multiple poses and lots of props!! We reviewed the photos and chose 3 that we liked and got 5x7's. It was all under 50 dollars total with frames too. A memory that we can relive forever!! Well worth it! read more

My daughter and I are having a mother/daughter weekend in Monterey and stumbled upon this studio. Martin was our photographer and he was wonderful. He was friendly and patient and really made sure to add the perfect finishing touches to make our pictures just right. You can tell he is a very artistic person and enjoys the act of creating a story for your pictures. My daughter absolutely loved the experience, as did I. All the pictures turned out so well it was hard to chose!! He also took the time to show us different tints/colors and ways to make them look more authentic. Even though you technically aren't supposed to smile, we couldn't help ourselves, and picked one smiling and one not. What a wonderful experience. Thanks, Martin!! read more

Doc Wenzel's Old Time Portraits - Our two pictures we chose. The actual quality is much better than this. These are pictures or pictures. - Session Photography Near Me - Monterey, California

Hubby and I walked past in holiday mode and couldn't resist. We had a similar photo experience in Solvang however it was a very serious affair, whereas this was FUN! We had a good hour laughing, playing dress up and having fun, no one else was in the shop waiting, but we had plenty of passers by stop and watch and laugh along with us. The young lady who helped us was fantastic (sorry I cant remember your name!). She picked out our clothes (let her do it, she knows the best clothing for the best shots) and sorted our props out too. We had an idea of what we wanted and she went along with it and made some tweaks to perfect it. The bathtub shot was hilarious :P We went for the wild west, and it was wild! She took quite a few photos and made sure we looked good, eyes open, no weird faces, both looking directly into the camera. Quite a feat since I am extremely un-photogenic. We bought the main photo in sepia, with the old time mat the frame too - it was cheaper than buying a mat/frame of equal quality in Michael's and I didn't have to shop around for it. It was done, ready to hang on the wall and it was well priced too. If we are in Monterey in the future we will definitely go back. It was great to do such a fun photo shoot instead of a serious one :P read more

First off, Diana is AMAZING. Make sure you work with her if at all possible. Our bachelorette party of five rolled in just before close (we didn't realize that until after we finished, sorry Diana!) and she was absolutely awesome. Patient, humorous, open to ideas, professional, and last, but not least, a great photographer! She was super cool and we invited her to dinner with us, but ever the professional she declined stating work to finish at the shop. The business itself has a pretty sweet setup and a plethora of costumes and props. On top of that, the prices are actually reasonable. A few in the party had taken old-time photos before at other places, and were pleasantly surprised by Doc Wenzel's pricing. P.S. Diana, if you read this, we're all your friends now and we miss you. Thanks for putting up with our shenanigans. read more

We take annual Christmas family photos and decided to do something different this year. Usually the kids complain and the photo session is not fun. This experience was different - no complaining and a lot of fun! Natasha quickly offered us outfits and we grabbed props and she directed us on how to pose. She took great photos and the camera lens seems quite good! We loved how the photos turned out and we plan to return with extended family to make more photos. The fee of $10 per person is very reasonable and we chose to purchase all the digital files (they are given in color, sepia and black and white). The fishnet stockings are available for $5. The only thing that was needed was shoes - all the other clothing was supplied. Next time we plan to bring the dogs with us so they can be in the photos. Thanks, Natasha for a fun experience and photos that we will treasure! read more

See all

Diana is THE BEST! We were on our way back home from Big Sur and decided to stop off in Monterey. We were walking Cannery Row and saw the sign for old time pictures. We thought it would be the perfect way to end our anniversary weekend and celebrate our re-engagement, as well as our baby on the way. I was getting excited for the pictures, but of course was worried about them having something that would fit my pregnant belly. Diana assured me that they had outfits that would work and she did not disappoint! Diana's personality fit perfectly with ours, making our little photo shoot one we will never forget! She joked and laughed with us, making us feel very comfortable. She took awesome pictures, some even in the moment of our goofiness. We will definitely be back to visit Diana! Thank you for such a memorable experience! read more

This place was like a hidden jewel that my LM and I could not pass. Simply a fun place to play dress up at any age. The prices I feel are reasonable. It was $40 for two 8 x 10 photos of my son fully dressed up. Any photo we chose afterwards were reasonable. I got an additional 5 x 7 for $7.50 and a 4 x 6 for $5. For you cheap peeps that consider this expensive, well...I am a single mom and all I can say is photos are timeless moments! You can't take your money w/ u when you die so live it up! :D read more

Doc Wenzel's Old Time Portraits - You know where he is aiming ;) - Session Photography Near Me - Monterey, California

Amazing fun time for our old West photo shoot!! Great dresses, perfect poses and help positioning us for amazing photos. Such a great time had by all. A must do for all occasions. We laughed and laughed as we saw the expressions and how our photos came out. They were perfect!!!! You have choices of wild west, Cowboys or roaring twenties! So much fun!! You have to stop in and get your photos done today!! Make super fun memories! read more

See all

Amazing! Took our family to get family portraits as a Christmas gift for my parents. 4 sisters, with all of our children in tow. 11 cousins in all. Jaymie, was an angel, she accomodated us after hours and spend forever getting us ready. The kids even got to pick and change guns a million times. Even with all the loudness and crazyness, she never lost her cool. Had the funniest bestest ideas for us. Such a fun family night. could not recommended more. Even ended up taking sister pictures. And super affordable to boot. read more

we went yesterday and had a great time! the guy was super nice and it wasn't that expensive for something like this. ($10 per person and $15 per pic and the frames were $5, so it added up but it wasn't unreasonable.) we're definitely going to go back next time we're in monterey! read more

Doc Wenzel's Old Time Portraits - Session Photography Near Me - Monterey, California

Wonderfully fun time! Great photo to remember our anniversary. The young lady was fantastic at helping us create the look we wanted. We are immensely pleased with the result. read more

Doc Wenzel was professional and full of information. We had 8 young adults he had to work with. Doc had plenty of outfits to fit all sizes. We undressed to put on a tube top with our bra straps tucked in and you either had shorts or a skirt to wear, then he assisted putting on the costume. You have a choice of western, roaring 20s or cowboy. We chose western. We did several pictures...smile, look angry and surprised. Lots of fun. The price was reasonable. Get the package where he emails you all the photos well worth the price. I would do this again. Great guy and funny! read more

Doc Wenzel's Old Time Portraits - Color photo with us smiling - Session Photography Near Me - Monterey, California

See all

My beautiful bride of 40+ years, loves to have our picture taken at these type of places. Natasha & Diana did a great job of making a camera shy old dude look as good as his woman. Well, almost! The experience was the highlight of our Cannery Row visit. read more

We're trolling through the area and saw this place. Wifey is a big of these and the prices were reasonable. We got suited up for roaring 20s and got ours pics. We bought 2 and frames. Staff was super A+ for the 5 Star review!! read more

Best service ever!! My husband and I had so much fun getting all dressed up and taking photos! The young lady who helped us was great! She made the whole experience a blast! I just wish I would of gotten her name to give her props! read more

We just did our photo's with Diana. She did an outstanding job! She was so helpful and patient with our 10-month-old and we got awesome pictures. We did the Roaring 20's for family photos and also had the baby do his own pictures with the bar background. We will definitely be back next time we are in town. read more

At first when you see the prices you're like, ehhh, really? But trust me, it's worth it. The girl working was about to close shop but took us in at the last minute out of the goodness of her heart. We did the "formal" photo. It came out hilariously well. Our photographer was really good about choosing the right costumes, props, etc. She definitely knows what she's doing. We love our photo, and every time we look at it we crack up. read more

Doc Wenzel's Old Time Portraits - Session Photography Near Me - Monterey, California

We stopped by on a whim and we were so glad we did. The whole experience was great, the costumes, the props and the overall service was excellent. It was my wife, 3 year old son and I in the pictures, the photographer was really professional and took several shots to give us several options. Overall the price we paid was worth the experience and the memories we made. We will definitely be coming back soon with the rest of the family. read more

Tyler took pictures of both my friend and me. He knew which pieces went to what era and helped me with my costume. He gave suggestions as to how to pose, where to look, props, etc. He took so much time to help me . . . I was surprised how much time he took to help me. He took even more time with my friend who is more into Instagram. He went over and above to make sure she was happy with her pictures. I cannot say enough about Tyler - he was the ultimate professional and from the way he knew his photography, I assume he is a professional photographer!!! read more

Fun, affordable, all ages and a great thing to do during the off season. The only reason for less than 5 stars is because of the theme selection (you have a choice of only 4 themes). You can order more of your prints on their website. They have high quality costumes, as opposed to the kind us normal folks can get. The photographer was fun, interactive, personable, professional and made our experience even better. My boyfriend wasn't loving the idea of me dragging him away from the Aquarium to go play dress up and take pix, but once we got started and the prints came out, he was over-the-moon excited about our experience here. One thing to remember, it is DIRECTLY on the street front, so people stop and watch you sometimes. Also, there are security cameras that are monitored during biz hours...don't get over zealous and run around half naked like I did! read more

I have always wanted to have a family wild west themed picture. The costumes and settings were great the photographer's demeanor was not. While deciding which photos to buy the guy said my son, who is 1 yr old, "well he looks like a dork" in one of my favorites where my baby boy is SMILING. This guy has no idea how much that hurt me. My baby was born with a birth defect although it is not physically visible, I am still very protective of what people say in regards to him. I do not believe saying a customer's child looks like a dork is ethical at all. I was expecting an apologize or some acknowledgment that he had made a mistake but he didn't seem to care. I held back my tears and put on a smile bc my child to me looked amazing but this guy totally ruined it for me. (I still picked the photo where "he looked like a dork ") read more

The gentleman that helped our family was wonderful. He says he has been there for over 4 years. Extremely family friendly (adults, kids, babies). They had 4 "scene" type options with tons to costumes (all sizes) and props. I believe they were civil war, roaring 20's, wild west, formal wild west. I suggest, as others did, to let them select the clothes for you. We found him very helpful. It was a great experience. We did not feel rushed. He had great suggestions. We watched him help a large group in front of us (also of all ages) with ease. Cost was $10/pp. The printed pictures ranged from $15 -$17. Additional ad on are: Matt picture holder is an extra (under $10). The large wood picture frame was (around $20). There are several options other options... Such as buying a cd with the image(s). I would strongly recommend this place. read more

We all have those crazy friends that will talk you into doing anything. May it be dancing on the tables or staying out all night. My friends talked me into dressing up as hooker and taking pictures. Ok maybe not a hooker but a woman of loose morals. The boys dressed up in ten gallon hats and chaps. While the girls were laced up in corsets and wore feather boas around our necks. The pictures turned out great and will help me forever remember the good times spent with wonderful friends. read more

I was in Monterey for a long weekend with my mom and two older sisters. Because my sisters are married with many young children, this was an important girls-only vacation which may not happen again for a long time. We were walking Cannery Row one day back in April and walked past Doc Wenzel's studio. Mom is big into playing dress-up and capturing moments in photography, so she insisted we get a unique memento of our girls-only trip. There was no wait when we walked in, and the gentleman working that studio that day (the owner, I assume), was super friendly and patient with us--not that we were high maintenance, but we were a bit energetic. We picked the Wild West theme, and he picked us out very nice costumes to wear, and staged a few fun scenes. We really had a blast, and were very pleased with the photos! He took several shots, and let us view all of them on the computer so we could pick which ones we wanted to purchase. I don't remember the prices, but they were very reasonable, especially for the memories we took home with us :) The next time I'm in Monterey, I'm dragging my boyfriend here with me. There were some very entertaining scenarios on the wall display to give some ideas. read more

Super friendly staff. They have great props and are affordable. They make you feel very comfortable.

This is one of those things "I always wanted to do!" (Can you hear yourself saying that lol) so for my moms 60th she demanded it so we obliged and i am so glad we did! The man who helped up was hilarious and he made sure we looked good (no closed eyes or foochie faces!) If you are in the area you must stop here read more

I don't know the name of the girl that helped us, but she made the experience so much fun for me and my girlfriends. If you're looking to do something fun in Monterey then be sure to do this. You may have to wait a while, but its definitely worth it. read more

Had a great time taking photos here with my girlfriend! The costumes are great and the pictures we go were amazing. In addition I left my keys behind and Natasha was super helpful in getting them back to me. The one thing that would be nice would be to receive a digital copy of the photos upon purchase of some prints. read more

I honestly don't even want to give this jackass a star, but we bought pictures to make my mom happy. First off, this owner doesn't even acknowledge that you're waiting and doesn't list his price. Then when asked,his smart ass remark was that he didn't need to post it since it was only "$10/pp" plus photos. Well I don't care how simple it was I didn't want to wait just to be ignored and then have to ask for pricing. We had our 3 year old son with us and all he did was get in my son's face and lecture him about the damn cowboy hat because he was being a typical fidgety 3 year old. My son kept touching it and apparently that was enough to upset him and tell my son to respect the hat. It's a damn costume!my son just touched it to fix it on his head.He was Rude and short and made things awkward real fast. To the point where I was ready to leave for how he talked down to my 3 YEAR OLD. When my son kept asking him if he could be the "bad guy" and hold the fake gun, multiple times like a 3 year old would do, his exact words were "didn't I already tell you yes? Why do you keep asking a question I already answered?" While getting in my son's face. I had to tell him to back off, that's how pissed I got! If you're a mother you would understand my frustration. My husband was ready to put him in his place. Only if my mom wasn't there. Yea pictures were cool but don't give this man business. You can get old time photos anywhere. read more

This place is so fun and reasonable prices. The quality of the pictures are amazing but the best thing is how friendly and patient Jaymie was. She was really helpful and super easy to talk to as well. I took my out of town friends Erin and her boyfriend Chaz here and they had so much fun taking couple pictures. The costumes were also great quality and they were really happy with the results! read more

Found Doc Wenzels by doing some Internet searching, called to confirm their hours and location. Spoke with nice gentlemen who said no appointment necessary come on down until 6pm located inside the red cannery row building near Starbucks. My fiancé and I drove down from Gilroy walked in and greeted Martin. He instructed us to choose from one of their 4 themes, we decided Wild West theme. He chose great period costumes for us both. Throughout the session he was friendly and helpful to get the best shots. Also knew his history ensuring things were authentic to the time and shared many fun historic facts. Highly recommend them and will be sending our friends and family down. They are also the only one around, the Santa Cruz boardwalk no longer has old time photos. Reasonable prices and great inexpensive rustic looking frames to show off your pictures. read more

That place is a complete rip off. For a touristic place in the middle of Monterey i guess they can get away with this but it gets to be so much, too much. Not only it was an older gentleman who was very condescending but when it was time to pay you realise that there is a huge catch. It is advertised as 16 dollars (up to under $20) per picture, but after you r done taking pictures and want to pay u ll see your bill shoot up to 80 dollars. The catch is that they will actually not only charge you 16 dollars for the picture but there is a 16 dollars charge for every person on the picture. So a single picture that was supposed to b costing you 16 ended up costing us about 80 dollars because there was 4 people on the picture. Plus tax and fees n additional dollar for the color instead of black and white. Welcome to Doc Wenzel's Old Time Portraits. read more