Smeeta worked her magic again. For the second year in a row, Smeeta deftly pulled through for us at the tail end of the holiday season and conducted a fun, smooth, and productive family photo session. Smeeta's instincts about where our toddler would thrive -- and be the least distracted by or cognizant of the camera -- were spot on. Our photo shoot spanned the portion of Golden Gate Park between the de Young Museum, Japanese Tea Garden, and the Music Concourse. Although our trio of two parents and a toddler was constantly on the move during the shoot (to keep the toddler engaged), Smeeta managed to capture family, action, and artistic shots. In less than two days, she finished editing the photos and transmitted them to us in time to print holiday cards. Highly recommended! read more

Smeeta and her husband were so fun to work with at our wedding! They were on time, professional, experienced, and created an amazing wedding album. They also turned it around in just one month, ahead of our expectations. They gave us a fair price, did high-quality work, and we would absolutely hire them again in a heartbeat. read more

I don't mean to take anything away from the many physically blessed and ?hard working? models out there, but since Smeeta makes EVERYBODY look like a model, you have to wonder how much of that beauty actually comes from behind the lens. Her photographs are art. They go way beyond just a picture of a person's face, and somehow grab the entire aura surrounding the subject. They are striking and beautiful! And she's fun too. So hire her before she gets all famous and too busy. read more

Smeeta did an amazing job with our engagement photos. She worked with us on price, helped us to come up with a fun location to shoot (we had no idea where we wanted to go), and had our photos back to us edited and all a week later! She made us feel extremely comfortable throughout the pictures and they turned out amazing. She was easy to reach and even helped to direct me on what to wear (again, I had no ideas). I am so happy we were able to work with her, I can't wait for her to shoot our wedding! read more

Smeeta Mahanti Photography - I had a hard time choosing a favorite. One of Smeeta's shots from our engagement shoot. Love! - Photographers Near Me

So we've worked with a few photographers for our fam over the years...we were anywhere from pretty happy to happy but never over the moon. Until now :) Things we love about Smeeta: 1) you'd want to hang out with her and grab a cocktail. not a prereq, but it sure is nice to hang out w/ someone engaging, no? 2) she knows how to get the little ones out of their shell(s). our 3 yr old had just woken up from a nap...but Smeeta coaxed her out and and her smiling ear to ear in the most subtle and natural way. 3) she has an amazing eye for what's going to work & with whom...and she gets her shots lickety split (~ 40 min in our case!) 4) most importantly, her visual artistry is just awesome. we got incredible shots. it's that simple oh, and as an added bonus she delivered our finished shots early. grateful to have found her! read more

Just received our photo album from our (really fun!) shoot with Smeeta and can't rave enough. The pictures are stunning and just what I was looking for. Had set out to find a photographer who does something a little different than the average, someone who is able to capture the energy and "story" of our family and was so pleased to have found Smeeta. As others here have written she is also super interesting, kind, funny, beautiful and great with kids. Highly recommend and will use her skills again and again! read more

Smeeta is an amazing photographer- easy going, quick at getting the perfect shot & great with children. We had a really quick turn-around with our photo's and ended up with family pix that will be cherished forever. Bonus: Her studio= comfortable/fun environment read more

Smeeta has an exceptional eye and talent. She turns every picture into a masterpiece. She has taken many photos of my daughter and it is really hard to explain in words how moved I was when I first saw them. I was actually speechless and stunned at her work. She is truly capable of effortlessly bringing out the best in people. I highly recommend her to anyone who can appreciate superb photography. read more

Over the years we have used several photographers, but by far Smeeta has been the best. My girls are quite picky and my little one doesn't like to take pics she'd rather be playing or watching TV, but somehow Smeeta managed to capture her beautiful smile, and made my older daughter's beauty radiate in the photos. Smeeta takes her time, is patient, and playful. She starts off by surveying the grounds, looking where the light reflects, takes a few shots to get you comfy, and before you know it she's done. The best part is how quick she is. I was overly happy when I got a CD full of photos that looked like a photo shoot from a magazine. She made me & my family look beyond beautiful. I'm so happy that I found Smeeta and can't wait until our next family photo shoot. read more

I met several photographers before I selected one for my wedding. When I met Smeeta, I instantly knew I wanted to her to photograph my wedding. When we met, it was like we were old friends. She was so easy going, nice, and genuinely interested in my husband and I. We probably talked for two hours that night - and not just about photography. The day of, Smeeta arrived on time and immediately began taking photos. When she was taking them, I felt like I cold do no wrong. Every position, every look, Smeeta would tell me was perfect - and I truly believed her. Looking at the photos, she was right! During the ceremony, I didn't even see her. She was able to take amazingly close up shots but without being in the way. Smeeta was such a pleasure to work with. If I am ever in need of a photographer again ( babies perhaps??) Smeeta will be first on my list. I really can't say enough about her. Thank you Smeeta!! read more

Smeeta photographed our wedding in 2013. It took me to 2020 write the review, but seven years later, I love the photos even more than ever. We look at the wedding album with our children now, and feel like we are right back on that day. She does more than document an event. She captures the feeling. I am transported back to all the moments when I see those photos. read more

Smeeta is absolutely incredible. She makes the shoot fun, stress-free, and produces beautiful shots in a way that looks nearly effortless. She uses fantastic equipment to produce the highest quality photographs, and her artistic vision shines through in every one. I look forward to working with her more in the future!! read more

Let's just start with I take horrible pictures. Hate them. And yet, I still needed professional head shots and more natural ones. I contacted Smeeta and she was absolutely incredible from start to finish. She makes you feel like a supermodel even if you aren't and she's so chatty you forget how ridiculous you feel. And the pictures! The *unedited* pictures are so beautiful, I can't even imagine one the edited ones will look like. I could not have chosen a better person to work with. Work with her while you still have the chance. read more

We loved Smeeta. She shot our engagement and wedding photos and was just amazing. She's so easy to work with. She's fun and laid-back. She doesn't force you to pose in unnatural positions. We just can't recommend her enough. She was really good about finding cool locations around our hotel and wedding venue for interesting shots. And she made everyone feel really comfortable being themselves. She got to our hotel early enough to shoot the ladies getting ready, so she was prepared for a long day. But when our reception got behind schedule, she was super cool about it and said she wanted to make sure she didn't miss the first dance. I don't think most photographers would do that. She's an amazing photographer and just a delight to work with. I highly recommend her. read more

Smeeta is awesome! She not only takes great photos but she is a lovely person as well. Highly recommend her to anyone.

Smeeta has taken many pictures of my twin girls. They just love the experience. She makes them feel very comfortable and care free. She lets them be themselves and take charge. They laugh and always have a great time. She has a fabulous personality and works wonders with everyone. Her pictures are amazing. They look like a piece of art. No matter if you are inside or out she makes her models look and feel like models! read more

I really can't say enough about how much I loved having Smeeta as wedding photographer. She captured all the best parts of our wedding day, from poignant to silly moments, from groups to details, and brought her zesty, fun, delightful personality to the party. She blended right in to my group of girls: she started the day with our prep session and put me right at ease, and my friends and I loved her right through the whole day until she was with us on the dance floor at the end! She was completely professional, warm, and thorough. We had an "unplugged wedding" and happily were able to entrust all of the duties for preserving memories to Smeeta - our album is perfect. I think the unanimous five-star Yelp reviews have it absolutely right. I may actually be verklempt, having just reviewed the pics. Perhaps I'll be able to add more later, but til then, I'll just say, Smeeta has been one of the many absolutely perfect parts of a perfect day. Call her, hire her, make this lovely woman rich and famous. Do it! :) read more

Smeeta is AWESOME. she's super fun to work with, highly intelligent and creative. my brother was out from the east coast and we decided to do some sibling shots for fun...which were stellar read more

Smeeta is fantastic. My friend and I worked with Smeeta for 2 hours at the de Young museum to get professional pictures for our websites and it was such a blast. We were both a bit nervous before hand but Smeeta put us at ease right away. She was comfortable and made the whole thing playful. We laughed, talked as if we were hanging out with a friend and all while she was snapping pictures at us. She is creative and has a great eye for photography, composition and light. The pictures turned out fabulous, not only do I have amazing professional pictures I also feel like myself in the pictures and Smeeta beautifully captured my essence. I look natural and relaxed and I'm happy with my pictures. I highly recommend working with Smeeta and am telling all my friends about her. read more

Smeeta is a talented photographer. The way she connects with kids and adults while snapping photographs is amazing. Her keen eye for color and composition is present in every shot, delivering the most beautiful images. We LOVE our photographs. I highly recommend Smeeta Mahanti Photography to document all your special occasions. read more

Smeeta was a perfect fit for to photograph our wedding bc of (1) personality and eye and (2) economics. (1) I'm not really given to ridiculous platitudes but it's been scientifically proven that she is, in fact, a rare phenomenon called a "ray of sunshine." She is absolutely easy to get along with, wants to hear your preferences, but on our wedding day, was totally unobtrusive, just snapping away. I think the style she photographs in is called more of a "photojournalistic" style? Think more candids, less posed photography, although she was happy to oblige our mothers in composing a few family photos. She really used our site (SF City Hall) to great advantage. We loved our photos. Really. Loved them. My husband actually pulls them up on his laptop from time to time to look at them. Let me indulge in some male stereotypes here, but for any of you who has a male significant other, just ponder a sec about the momentousness of this -- when has your male signif other ever, of his own free will and just for his own personal satisfaction, looked at photos of some past event that's occurred in your life? That's right -- never. (2) Economics. Get out there in the wedding photographer market and check it out. Other photographers will (a) charge you an arm and a leg for a schmaltzy photo album or some DVD of photos set to Michael Bolton songs; (b) not give you the digital files of your own photos in order to force your friends and family to buy prints directly from them; and (c) sell you "package deals" that involve much buying of aforementioned albums, DVDs and prints. Smeeta cut through all of that BS for this poor couple who were paying for their own wedding, aka me and my husband. For a bargain basement price, she took the photos, edited and did other "photo magic" on them, and then gave us ONLY the digital files on CD, which is exactly what we wanted. So then we were able to take them to a photo shop and print only what we wanted, how we wanted it. I'm pretty sure she can do all of the other stuff if you want it, but other photographers won't even give you the "a la carte " option, bc that's how they make all their money. Highly, highly recommended. read more

Priceless. Priceless. The photos, the art, that Smeeta has created for our family I will cherish forever. She captures my children in a way that no one else can. I have no idea what her magic potion is but I have a piece of advice for you if you are going to hire her to shoot your family: Do not boss your kids around saying "smile, smile". Just walk away and let your kids be themselves and let Smeeta do her thing. It's unreal. She's so awesome. I love her work on adults and portraits--again you get photos that are on different amazing level. But if you have kids in your life, your own or if you want to borrow your niece or nephews to create a surprise gift for the parents, You will get a priceless priceless piece of art that you will love forever. read more

My girlfriend and I were lucky enough to find Smeeta through a friend's recommendation and we were very happy to have chosen her. She took some amazing images (including my profile image for many sites and LinkedIn) and I would refer people in need of a photographer to her in a heart beat. Work with Smeeta Mahanti Photography and I am sure that you will enjoy the results. read more

We have worked with Smeeta for our wedding in June 2013 in Marin county. We have experienced a better work than what she did for us. Our engagement photographer have delivered a better pictures and photo book - comparing both work; we clearly noticed a difference in quality, angle shoots and artistic touch. Over all we were disappointed with the pictures we received even thought her online pictures were interesting... We're guessing she was busy at the time she edited our pictures and book because it took us almost 3 months to receive the book. read more

I found Smeeta on while search for engagement photographers on yelp. I sent many emails to many different photographers, but Smeeta's pictures stood out immediately. I was pleasantly surprised that she responded to my inquiry within 2 hours, and it was late evening during the week. That was my first clue that she was extremely dedicated to her business. A second pleasant surprise was how affordable her rates are. It was a no brainer to choose Smeeta just based on the quality and affordability of her work. Our shoot was really indescribable. She took our suggestions, had many of her own, and made us feel like we've known her for years. Her husband, Seth, is wonderful with the lighting and has a great eye for what will work and what won't. She had our pictures completed within 3 weeks, and I get new compliments every day on them. I would recommend Smeeta to anyone in the area needing any kind of photographs done! read more

Smeeta is an INCREDIBLE photographer and team player. She creates exceptional content for my company, Samudra Skin & Sea which is both product and lifestyle focused. I am grateful for her keen eye and ability to connect with her subjects in a genuine and intimate way, it really comes through in her photography. We've been able to elevate our look and evolve our brand to the next level with her help, thank you Smeeta! read more

Smeeta came to our home to photograph our daughter when she was about 5 months old. Smeeta was amazing. We all felt so comfortable with her from the start. She was professional and warm. She started photographing our little one right away in so many creative ways. She was very open to suggestions from us, as well. The photographs are beautiful! We're planning on working with Smeeta again in the future! read more

Smeeta has photographed our family of 5 a few times now and every time she delivers amazing shots. We have received so many compliments on the photographs in our home. Smeeta is a person who makes you feel like you have known her forever even if you have just met her. Her personality makes you at ease which in turn makes for an amazing photo session. She is warm, calm, patient and able to easily connect with children of all ages. Her photos are natural and captures the moment. I definitely look forward to working with Smeeta again. I recommend her to anyone looking for a photographer for all occasions. read more

Smeeta has taken some amazingly beautiful photos of my family. She's super talented and really knows how to relate/connect with kids. She was able to draw my four year old out of her shell and helped her to enjoy herself during the photo shoot. She's easy to be with, and helps to put you at ease. We really enjoyed working with her and would hire her again in a heart beat! read more

love my pictures, great eye and creativity.

Smeeta does a brilliant, touching, amazing and authentic job taking photographs. Her shots are both technically sound and more importantly, come from the heart and soul. Her aesthetics are impeccable and she will make everyone she shoots feel comfortable and welcome, let alone have a lot of fun. Having fun getting photos taken is quite an accomplishment in my experience.... Couldnt recommend her more highly! read more

Smeeta did an amazing job with various events that we hired her for. She did our engagement photo session at baker beach in SF, our henna party and our fusion Indian wedding. The photos were artistic, captured various important moments, colors, were natural and candid, and truly creative. She was able to work with both our families, grandmothers, a very large wedding party, all of whom were quite different from each other and some didn't even speak English. Looking back at my wedding photos make me feel like Cinderella! Smeeta thank-you for all your hard work. read more

No matter how awkward or clumsy you've felt in front of cameras in the past, you'll be reborn in front of Smeeta's lens. Her creativity and enthusiasm is infectious, and the photos you'll get are of your best self. And if she's photographing your kids (something I cannot recommend highly enough) they'll be little stars for Smeeta. Whether they're bubbly or brooding, she'll make them comfortable so that you get honest and gorgeous portraits. I hate quantifying such creativity and talent in economic terms, but I have to say I think she's a bargain. read more

Smeeta is lovely. Her photography is AMAZING. Smeeta has a very relaxed, natural way with people. My oldest daughter really dislikes being photographed, but opened up to Smeeta and stole the show. It was a beautiful experience and we LOVE our photos. read more

Smeeta took family photos of my family of four and then later of my extended family of 12, both all at once and individually. She was so much fun to work with! She is charming herself, and immediately put us all at ease. She has a way of talking to both adults and small children that keeps everyone smiling and feeling beautiful, which later translates into everyone looking beautiful in her lovely photographs. She made my kids, who hate having their pictures taken, smile and ham it up and beg her to take more pictures. She made my 74 year old mother feel gorgeous. Her photographs appear both natural and beautiful. I highly recommend her, especially for children, she has a special touch. read more

smeeta, on very short notice, took gorgeous photos of our family. she got them back to us in just a few days, which i think is her norm but was very appreciated so we could use them for our holiday cards. she has a great eye, makes you feel so comfortable while she's shooting, and is awesome with kids. i appreciate her willingness to shoot at the location of our choice and all the time she spent with us - she will not rush you to get done in an hour! and we received far more than the 25 promised photos because she is just so good. she has a very photojournalistic style and is all about capturing you as you are, not trying to pose you or shift you or telling you to tilt your head this way and that way. i am very glad to have found a great photographer we can use to capture our family each year and a new friend as well! read more