We used Rachel earlier this month for family photos after our son turned one and we loved her! She was prompt in responding to my inquiry and her prices and packages are competitive. On the day of our shoot, my husband woke up very sick. He wanted to cancel but I begged him to hang in for a few hours until our session was complete. He agreed but he was irritable the whole time. Our son was cranky and teething and hadn't slept through the night for at least a week. Plus we had just partied for three days with out friends at our family beach house in Moss Landing so I was super tired! To top it off, the weather on the afternoon of our shoot was unforgiving. When Rachel arrived we sort of rushed her through our session because we all wanted to get back home to the Bay. I figured we wouldn't get a lot of good shots but if we got at least a few it wouldn't be wasted effort. She was gracious and patient and gave us just the right amount of direction that we needed since my husband and I feel super awkward in front of the camera. Despite giving her zero workable material, the photos came out gorgeous! (And we received them in a week!) I couldn't believe it. She made something out of nothing and now we have these beautiful and precious photos of our family to cherish forever. We will definitely be using Rachel again! We are so so full of gratitude! read more

Rachel Zee Photography - Session Photography Near Me

Amazing! My wife and I are overjoyed the photos we got from our session. Rachel was a great photographer and quickly made us feel at ease in a usually awkward situation. read more

Rachel was such a pleasure to work with! My fiance did an awesome job finding her to take our engagement photos (which I had no idea about!). You could tell she was experienced and knew how to pose us and make us look natural. It was extremely fun having her snap pictures of us that time flew by so fast. She also did an awesome job editing our pictures. They turned out so beautiful. It captured the right emotions and she knew all the angles and shots to capture our faces and my ring. It was also a cloudy day on the beach but you couldn't even tell with the pictures. Thank you so much Rachel for being part of our day, you were AMAZING!!! read more

Highly recommend Rachel as a family photographer! From the in booking until we received our photos, every step was easy, professional, and polished. She made our whole family feel at ease during the photos - making my girls laugh, using little toys to distract them - it was really great. All the photos were stunning. Loved working with her and hope we can again in the future. read more

I LOVE the photos she did for me and my fiancé in a hurry for a quick Christmas present! We booked a last minute photo sesh to fulfill a last minute Christmas gift for my mother. Rachel was flexible and professional, and made both of us feel comfortable (even though we hate being in front of a lens). She sent us back edited photos way quicker than expected, and way more awesome then expected! She captured our love for each other effortlessly, and used the urban setting to give us the shot we wanted (even if it meant dodging cars in the middle of cannery row)! Highly recommend Rachel and her amazing eye to capture beautiful photos! read more

Rachel Zee Photography - One of the fun Christmas photos taken! - Session Photography Near Me

Rachel was an excellent help in locating a venue for my wife and I to take after wedding photos! And she delivered! The location was everything we wanted and more! She's very friendly and super easy going. Rachel explains exactly how stand so there's no guess work and she has a good eye for a perfect shot. Our pictures are amazing! Thank you Rachel! Brian and Karla read more

Rachel Zee Photography - Session Photography Near Me

Rachel was one of the preferred photographers our venue suggested. Upon getting engaged we scheduled an engagement shoot with her (her suggestion). Since neither of us had ever taken professional photos this was CRUCIAL. We communicated over email and she suggested a great nature preserve in Carmel. Not only did it get us more comfortable in front of the camera but we had a bunch of professional photos to use for our Save the Dates, Christmas card, etc. She gets the finished photos back to you in a reasonable time frame (I think 2 weeks for our engagement shoot and a little over a month for our wedding). She sends you a link to an online album where you can order or just download the pictures you want. It is so fun to share the link with family and friends. Shortly before our wedding she sent over a really detailed questionnaire of the photos we wanted. This was soo helpful! It is hard to be the bride and groom and wrangle family over for photos when they are trying to get to the party. Rachel and her assistant were clear and instructive. They even had a list of exactly which photos we needed. Besides being organized, on time, and soo sweet Rachel and her assistant had such a thoughtful and creative eye. Our pictures turned out absolutely beautiful. Our favorite shots are some really creative night time scenes that we didn't even ask for! I would highly recommend her! read more

Rachel went above and beyond in making our engagement on the beach in Carmel so special. The photos she took are stunning and we received all of them so quickly! She has a ton of knowledge and experience, definitely knows what she is doing and we did not feel "staged" in the poses suggested. We cannot thank Rachel enough and hope to work with her again in the future! read more

I really can't begin to say how happy we were with Rachel on our wedding day. She was easy to communicate with while planning our destination wedding and offered several great suggestions. On the day of the ceremony she arrived early, was professional, and was very easy to work with. She took her time to make sure she got the shots and that we had a huge selection. Then we got our photos - WOW! We were blown away with how stunning they were! She captured our personalities so well and they are truly my favorite pictures of all time. We are so looking forward to working with her again in the future! read more

Oh my gosh! We LOVED working with Rachel so much! She is incredibly talented and captured everything we hoped for and more. The photos are beautifully shot and we can't wait to share them with our friends and family. She is kind, helpful, and has such a gift for shooting special moments in a stunning way. We arranged our shoot with Rachel several weeks before our trip to California, and she made our experience such a fun and easy one. We hope we can come back to Carmel in a year or so and have her take some family photos for us, too. If you want photos that you will be looking at everyday and love for years to come, book her now! read more

Where do I even begin? Rachel was our photographer for our July wedding in Carmel Valley and she was perfect! Planning: We did all of our initial communication via email (since I don't live locally) and from the very beginning she was prompt with replies and thorough with relaying information. She gave us a questionnaire to fill out so she could get a better understanding of the type of photos we were looking for, what the venue was like, bridal party and family details, etc. She even coordinated a walk-through at the venue so we could choose the best backdrop for the day of. Wedding day: She arrived on time (I think she might have even been early! :) ) and got straight to taking photos. She made sure everyone knew where to go and when they were supposed to be ready for photos. My husband and I are not the most photogenic people (fake/forced smiles, awkward poses, etc.) but Rachel made us feel so relaxed and told us exactly how to pose and what to do with our faces :D so our photos turned out beautiful! She captured the best candid photos of our guests at the reception and she even stayed a bit overtime because our cake cutting was delayed. Bonus: she got our photos to us exactly 1 month after our wedding!! (I have friends who have had to wait at least 2 months for their photos from other photographers) I would definitely recommend Rachel Zee if you're looking for a friendly and talented photographer in Monterey Bay! read more

My husband and I were photographed by Rachel last January. We always wanted to have a professional photo session, and Rachel did a wonderful job! She suggested a great location for the photo shoot, the photographs came out really awesome - bright and clear. Rachel prepared a CD with hundreds of pictures of us, so we had plenty to choose from. I definitely recommend this photographer, she is very easy to work with, friendly and creative. read more

Rachel Zee Photography - One of the photographs from the photo shoot last January. By Rachel Zee Photography - Session Photography Near Me

I can confidently say you will not regret booking Rachel as your photographer. Rachel is gracious and so kind- She made us feel completely at ease during our home session. Plus she is super talented and so creative! Her work is stunning. My husband and I are not originally from here so I had to do a bit of research before I stumbled upon Rachel's work. I'm so glad I went with Rachel for our at home session. She was a joy to work and very professional! Being a event planner myself, I would trust her with any event of mine. It was apparent to me that she has a real passion for what she does. read more

Rachel was great during our engagement shoot at Lover's Point. She made us feel comfortable during the shoot and offered a lot of recommendations for poses and spots to stand/sit in. She even helped us decide on our outfits/accessories that we brought. She was on time, professional, and made the experience tons of fun! She got the photos edited in less than two weeks. All we had to do was download the edited pictures from online and they are ours. The pictures turned out great and we get tons of compliments whenever people see them. She knows how to use the sun to her advantage and I have had several people ask if she used special lighting to make my hair glow. We had lots of good photos to choose from for our save the dates and photo guestbook. I would recommend her if you are looking for a good photographer that creates high quality photos. read more

Rachel is an INCREDIBLE photographer with an artistic eye that can also satisfy the most traditional desires. Her supreme organization skills and friendly demeanor put everyone in my wedding party at ease, allowing some beautiful moments to be captured. We ended up with so many usable images, it's kind of ridiculous trying to pick out "the best" of a series. Thank you so much for helping us remember our wedding day! read more

Rachel Zee Photography - Carmel-by-the-Sea - Session Photography Near Me

I have one problem ... and that problem is DECIDING WHICH OF RACHEL's PHOTOS TO ORDER!!! Seriously, there were 12 of us: 7 adults and 5 little boys, and Rachel kept everyone happy throughout the shoot... and we ended up with FABULOUS keepsake pictures. I would highly recommend Rachel Zee to anyone! Rozanne R read more

Rachel is a wonderful photographer and one of the most professional business people I have ever encountered! I cannot imagine having a better photography experience! I called her in crisis-mode last Friday after another photographer canceled our session at the last minute. I was looking for someone who could just take a few nice shots of me ASAP to give the prints to my husband for his birthday, and Rachel saved the day!!! Rachel scheduled a shoot with me ON THE SAME DAY, took some amazing photos, and then had them posted and ready for my review that night!!! I was amazed at her efficiency and am incredibly grateful for her willingness to help me with everything I needed on such short notice. I don't know any other photographer who could have pulled off a minor miracle so quickly and beautifully! And the photos came out great. I have to admit that I do not photograph well AT ALL, but I looked lovely in the photos she took. She guided me expertly during the shoot, and was very sweet. I can't wait to receive the prints! read more

Rachel did a fantastic job with our engagement photos! She was so easy to talk to and did a great job at making us feel comfortable. She really went out of her way to ensure we got the best photos possible, including climbing on rocks and walking through tall grass just to get a good angle. I had a good idea of what I wanted our photos to look like, and she absolutely exceeded those expectations. I would highly recommend her! read more

We recently used Rachel Zee Photography for our wedding at The Perry House in Monterey on October 12th. Rachel is wonderful for some many reasons and a talented photographer. First of all, she is a great person. She is so friendly, calm, and just plain happy - all qualities you want in your photographer who will be with you for 8+ hours on the biggest day of your life. She is so calm and easy going and as the photographer was able to lead the way and provide guidance throughout the day without ever coming across as bossy or over-bearing. Rachel has the ability to make everyone she photographs feel so comfortable and at ease. Rachel was so great at accommodating all of my requests. When I gave her several pages of Pinterest examples and a very long list of family photos and "must have" shots she tackled it with confidence. Even during the wedding day she was great a reminding me of certain shots I discussed with her (which as crazy as the day is I would have totally forgotten about). We were so happy with the beautiful photos she captured on our wedding day. She captured all of the big moments plus all of the little details. She has a great eye for beautiful lighting too! In reviewing all of the photos she took there was nothing that we felt was missing and we were beyond impressed. What wonderful keepsakes we have for years and years to come! Thank you Rachel Zee!! read more

We loved working with Rachel for our Wedding. She is so creative and has such a great eye for the best backdrop. Rachel made me and my husband feel very comfortable taking photos and we had so much fun working with her! read more

Rachel photographed our wedding day and was absolutely one of the best decisions we made. I knew that photography was one of the most important parts of my wedding and I was pretty picky how I wanted it done. Rachel was so patient and extremely thorough in being sure to get every shot and so much more . She vastly exceeded my expectations and my family was blown away with the finished product. To top it all off, the day turned out to be a crazy windstorm and not only did she make it work but made the wind create incredibly beautiful photos. AND I'm not done yet. I handed her an almost impossible timeline to work with as she had to be in multiple locations in such a short period of time. She was extremely punctual and made the timeline work so we were able to get all of the important photos throughout the day which was entirely affordable. I would absolutely recommend having Rachel take care of your big day, I look forward to asking her to photograph many more future family events and would trust her with any of those important events!! read more

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Rachel did an great job as our wedding photographer. She was experienced and professional, easy to communicate with and took awesome photos. Rachel was able to direct us to get some great shots as my husband and I were pretty clueless on what type of photos we wanted. After the wedding we got our photos back within a couple weeks. Couldn't have been happier with Rachel, would highly recommend her. read more

Rachel did our wedding photos in Big Sur. I can't say enough good things about her! I found her on yelp and she did not disappoint. Our wedding was in the forest and the lighting can be tricky with all the shadows, but she did AMAZING!! Our wedding photos are absolutely gorgeous!! We hiked all through the forest to get some really awesome shots and Rachel was great at finding really cool spots for us. Throughout the planning process you learn that you really need vendors who return calls / emails promptly and Rachel did! She is also very sweet and makes you feel at ease. She literally just blended in during the wedding. There were so many shots she got that I can't even remember her being there. Also, she was really organized and had made lists of all of our family members and friends, grouped them, and then that way when it came time for family photos it was quick and painless. I really can't imagine using anyone else but Rachel! read more

I don't even know how to start this review. I can tell that Rachel Zee WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND, like she knew exactly how I wanted the photos to be, caring with every single detail and getting the best shots (I mean, getting the best fusion of us+ beautiful view). I live on the east coast and we eloped at Big Sur. I had no idea in how to get a good and reliable photographer and Google got me to Rachel Zee. Couldn't be better - she knows the best spots all way by the west coast. She took us to Pfeiffer beach to get some beach pictures and Garrapata where we exchanged the rings and get some shots from the cliff. Absolutely perfect!! Friends are even encouraging myself to send them to magazines (with Rachel's blessing of course!) :-) She had perpetuated this special moment through the photos that translate itself our feelings at that moment. read more

I would not recommend this photographer. My daughter contacted the photographer initially through the internet. My daughter was going to have a wedding in California this summer when the road to the venue was wiped out by a landslide. She attempted to find another venue in the area, but the prices were too high. She attempted to cancel and get a refund with this photographer since I had paid 1800 dollars down, and Rachel Zee refused. She also lists no address on her website or contract so that she can avoid lawsuits. My comments are also available publicly at the Better Business Bureau, and the California Attorney General's office. read more

We absolutely LOVEEEE our engagement photos!!!!! Thank you SO much Rachel!! They look fantastic! You can't even tell it was a cloudy day and I'm still in shock that you got my fiancé to smile like that! Hahaha! It was such a pleasure working with you! Thanks again!! :) read more

I wanted to gift my mom some family photos for her 60th birthday and needed a photographer in the Monterey Bay/Carmel area since we were doing a short weekend trip there to celebrate, and found Rachel through Yelp. She was so easy to work with (both prior to and day of) and I'm really glad we went with her. We were a decent sized group (my parents, brother, myself, husband, and two daughters aged 3.5 yrs and 3 months!) and we got a nice variety of group photos as well as smaller combinations. I'm most impressed with how she was able to get my preschooler to smile and stay happy (as happy as 3.5 year olds can be about wearing nice dresses and sandals to take family photos around dinner time lol) throughout our session. The photos turned out SO well - I wanted something relaxed, not super posed or rigid, and Rachel was able to capture "ourselves but better" versions of that. Thanks so much Rachel!!! read more

Rachel is absolutely amazing, I know whatever I say won't do her justice. Rachel photographed our wedding this past august and she was my favorite wedding vendor by far. I fell in love with her profile on her website for her artistic eye and style. I also loved that she is involved with Elizabeth's Library International which establishes libraries and supporting educational opportunities in underserved areas of the world. Once I met her I knew I had to have her photograph our wedding as she was genuinely interested in me, our love story, and what was important to us on our wedding day. She responded to emails quickly and was very flexible with our day and customized a package that met our needs. She even stayed a couple hours more than originally scheduled since dinner went long and we wanted more photos dancing. My husband and I wanted to do a color smoke bomb effect during our bride and groom photos during cocktail hour and since Rachel was concerned that it may be a fire hazard and didn't want to risk it on our wedding day (which we appreciated) so she offered to do a second photoshoot no charge. So thoughtful and generous! She captured our day beautifully- from the decoration details, family shots, and candid moments of the day. Looking at the pictures I didn't even remember her being there taking pictures, she was a calm and warm presence when interacting with her yet she maneuvered around non-invasively. She captured our ceremony from so many different spots and angles and everyone kept saying that we didn't even notice her taking most of them which was perfect- as it made our pictures feel more natural and authentic. I can't stop looking at our photos- I'm obsessed with them! People keep saying they're the best wedding photos they have seen. Not only is she an amazing artist and photographer, she is a wonderful person. I could go on and on- just know that you will be so happy with her and her work! We will definitely book her in the future- like maternity and family photos ;) read more

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We used Rachel for our family photo session and our daughters 1st birthday was coming up as well so we also turned our session into a mini "1st b-day" session. Rachel was absolutely amazing with her and we ended up with some really amazing photos capturing great family moments. She recommended some great local spots in Monterey to take pics at. I will definitely be using her in the future! read more

Stop your search! Rachel is your lady! She's great to work with and makes you feel very comfortable - important for those boudoir shoots ladies! You don't feel rushed. She gives you plenty of photos to choose from and wonderful discreet book you can give to your significant other. Very classy and everything in good taste! Thank you Rachel ~ Hubby was speechless after receiving his birthday gift. read more

If I could give Rachel a 6, I would. One of the best decisions of my wedding planning was choosing Rachel Zee for my photography at Carmel Valley Ranch - she is a driven entrepreneur and incredible artist. I had very specific guidance around themes, people, details, timing, and Rachel impeccably executed on all fronts. Not only does Rachel have an incredible talent and eye for beautiful and timeless photography, she was also a calm, sweet, friend to have around during the hectic day. Thank you Rachel for making my wedding day so special! read more

If you want to be over the moon about your photos, have a fast turn around time, have an entire gallery of epic shots to smile over, and furthermore enjoy your time during the shoot--pick Rachel Zee. As a hobbyist photographer myself, details are important to me. Rachel omits none. Her keen artistic eye works in chorus with her creativity and range of experiences and the result is top notch photography that will have exquisitely captured your special moment for years to come. Thank you Rachel! read more

Rachel is wonderful! My husband and I hired her to take the photographs at our wedding in April. She is a true professional. Rachel is flexible and open to what you would like for "your day". The photographs are beautiful. I would highly recommend her if you are looking for a photographer. read more