I asked Derek if he could shoot my surprise proposal and he did such a fantastic job. Communication…read morewith him was super quick and easy and he delivered big time on the day of. The photos were turned around super quick and all looked fantastic. Couldn't recommend his services enough!

From the owner: Sports photography for the entire family!read more

This review is long overdue. With all of the stress with planning a wedding, it was such a…read morepleasure to work with Mike. Mike was extremely professional and accommodating. I booked Mike to do my wedding and engagement photos about seven months before the wedding. We waited for better weather to take our engagement photos and ended up taking the engagement photos a month before the wedding. We took pictures at several locations in San Francisco, which took several hours because I wanted both day time beach photos and city lights pictures at night, and Mike was such a trooper! Even under the tight time constraints, Mike pulled through and put together gorgeous pictures for us. Mike and his assistant were so nice. They are so creative and perfectly captured this time in our lives that we will keep forever. Mike's turn around is super quick. My wedding package arrived before I was back from my honeymoon. Even though Mike was quick to turn the photos around, he did not skip on the quality.

Mike is fantastic! He photographed our wedding in San Francisco (yes, he drove up from Santa Cruz!)…read moreand we just received the pictures and we are extremely happy with them. Neither of us are photogenic and yet we look extremely happy, relaxed and natural. I provided a list of must have pictures & Mike made sure they were all taken as well as taking pictures of places that we had not even thought of, the building (even capturing a cable car in front), the foyer, hearts in Union Square, etc... Mike was like the invisible man during the reception and captured so many candids that really tell the story of how intimate & enjoyable our celebration was. Thank you so much Mike, can't wait to collaborate with you on putting together a wedding album.

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!!

Adam took photos at my daughter's ceremony and did an incredible job! He is professional,…read moredetail-oriented, and truly talented. I highly recommend him!

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!

There's truly no way to express how blessed my husband and I feel to have worked with Celeste and…read moreher husband Bobby. They were so flexible with our wedding day. We did not have a wedding coordinator, nor did we have any idea of what kind of wedding photos or shots we wanted and yet somehow they captured everything and more that we could have ever wished for! They were so kind and sweet with each other and clearly loved what they did! They made us look like models in our photos and we're still not very sure how they worked that magic :) They made us the most amazing highlights video that we literally watch morning and night and it just never stops making us smile. These photos that we will have and cherish forever are nothing short of perfection and will allow us to relive our beautiful day over and over. We can't thank Celeste, Bobby and their family enough for working with us and venturing out to our wedding on the outskirts of Salinas ! Our day was certainly captured exactly how we wished for and we look forward to working with them in the future !

Celeste and her husband Bobby are fantastic! They did a lifestyle photo shoot for a media project…read moremy team and I are launching and the images are unbelievably awesome. The focus of the shoot was to capture images that convey a sense of community, friendship, and belongingness. The photos and video clip are lighthearted and fun, the perfect way to portray the values and culture of our company. They are kindhearted, fun to be around, and outstanding at what they do. The whole experience was magical. We are beyond blessed by the kindness and expertise we have been shown. Thank you for helping us get our project off the ground!

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.

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 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!

I have worked as a teacher for a decade and of all the school photographers and photography…read moresessions I have observed and had to help with, Pascale was, by a landslide, the best photographer I have ever observed. She is the toddler photo whisperer; and every single one of the children LOVED being photographed in my classroom. I didn't have to assist whatsoever to cajole any of the kids to sit for a photo-- they all sat, loved how entertaining she was, and I personally adored all of the photos of the children from my classroom. I also love her natural outdoor backgrounds, and the sweet little chair stool the kids loved sitting in. As a teacher, I also loved my photograph. She was patient and shot photos from all different angles so that we could be sure to find one I really felt good about-- none of the weird paint-splotched grey generic/ dreaded teacher photo we don't want to leave the confines of the school yearbook. My photo was so great I ended up personally purchasing it from her to use with other professional projects. Almost as soon as I paid (I used paypal but she also accepts paper checks) I was sent a digital file with all the instructions I needed to use or print the photo. Can't recommend her highly enough!

Wow! Professional, talented, and amazing! She shot our class of 75 graduating nurses. Our group…read moreshot turned out amazing. She got through 75 individual head shots in 2 1/2 hours and we all look GORGEOUS!! We could not be happier!!!

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!!