Ryan Chard Smith Photography

Ryan drove all the way to Sebastopol to do our engagement photos at our home and it was the best decision we could have made. Not only did Ryan manage to make sure the couples shoot thing was not awkward but it was incredibly comfortable and so much fun! We couldn’t be happier with our photos and our only concern now is trying to choose favorites among the literal hundred that we’re in love with!! We just keep remarking on how many of them really “feels like us!” We would choose Ryan a hundred times over!

There are many things to say about Ryan but I will keep it somewhat short and sweet. Although I haven’t previously worked with a wedding photographer before, I can say that Ryan is top of the line and the best of the best. Ryan not only has a gift in capturing the perfect, beautiful and grand moments but he has an eye for capturing the little details that are easily overlooked but are very meaningful. Not only are the photos impeccable, Ryan as a human is brilliant. He made us feel so comfortable throughout the day. He didn’t feel like an addition to the wedding day but like being around an old friend. He is professional, responsive any time we had questions, thorough, creative, handles time management well, and just all around a super person. There are not enough kind words to describe Ryan and his amazing talent. You will not be disappointed in hiring him. He is very thorough and took into account all our wants and visions we had in capturing our big day and exceeded them times a million. We don’t even have all of our photos yes but the ones he has sent us are going to be treasured through many lifetimes.

From first contact with Ryan, he was an absolute dream to work with. Responsive, thoughtful, considerate - and very talented! He was such an easy vendor to coordinate with. Our wedding day had a lot of twists and turns and Ryan was so patient and kind and rolled with it - in the end, everything worked out wonderfully and we got beautiful photos, and I was so thankful to have hired a photographer who was not only talented, but compassionate as well.

Incredibly talented photographer. He captures the candid moments so beautifully and he is so talented with lighting and all aspects of photography so your photos will turn out EXQUISITELY! Could not be happier that we chose Ryan as our wedding photographer.

Ryan is by far one of the most talented photographers we have ever met. He did both our wedding and engagement photos and absolutely exceeded our expectations. He is extremely hard working and professional while being simultaneously calm and relaxed. We could not be happier with the quality of his work and would recommend him to anyone and everyone!

Ryan was an amazing photographer and an incredible person to work with from our first phone call to our final photo album. He cared about understanding what was important to each of us about our wedding, and captured those moments beautifully.

On the day of the wedding, Ryan brought a lovely energy, brightening the mood around him while never getting in the way or drawing attention away from the ceremonies and festivities. When we met up with Ryan for a day after shoot we were pretty tired, but the hours we had booked with Ryan flew by as he kept us chatting and exploring some jaw-dropping places. It felt like a delightful time with an old friend and it was one of our favorite parts of our whole wedding experience.

And that’s all before we got to see his pictures! Ryan’s photographs from our wedding are full of life and magic and beauty. He is a gifted photographer who plays with lots of styles to fit the moment he’s capturing. Exquisite elegance, raw joy, warmth and love, color and definition. Ryan’s photos remain a glowing reminder of the highest highs of our wedding. We couldn’t recommend Ryan more highly.

My husband and I had a specific style we were looking for, and found several in the Carmel area who fit our vision. While they were all nice and talented, Ryan just stood out to us for a number of reasons. Right away he was genuinely friendly, asking us about ourselves, our wedding and sharing a bit about his life.

We noticed his range of photography includes very intimate and personal moments, which signaled to us his ability to disarm his subjects and also make them feel very comfortable. This was important to us as my husband and I don’t like to be in the spotlight.

Our wedding was the same day as the Big Sur Marathon, which threw a wrench in the arrival of our wedding party and vendors. Ryan went out of his way to get to the area before the road closed, hours before we were scheduled to begin. He even arrived at the bridal changing room early to ensure he wouldn’t miss any big moments, and stayed later than our scheduled time to capture our cake cutting.

Ryan made sure we stayed on time with our schedule and got all the photos we wanted. When we ran into some snags or had to wrangle family members for portraits, he was patient and calm. He also warmly accepted our friend’s partner who is a professional photographer and wanted to shoot the ceremony too.

Many of our guests commented afterward about how helpful and kind Ryan was, and we would enthusiastically recommend him to anyone looking for a wedding photographer in the future.

We totally love our photos - they capture our day and the people and the vibes so beautifully, and it's a joy to look at them and relive how happy we felt! We also just loved working with Ryan and our conversations leading up to our wedding, and the day of - he is not just a photographer but a wedding adviser in many ways, and so pro-love, and his presence and enthusiasm was so deeply appreciated. We just loved spending time with him and having him as part of our wedding.

We are absolutely obsessed with our wedding photos. I was going through them again today and find new favorites every time I look at them. Our photos are stunning, and Ryan captured the spirit and emotion of the day perfectly. Ryan is very professional and easy to work with – he also made me feel incredibly comfortable when taking our portraits and I didn’t feel overly posed or awkward (which I was worried about because I am not photogenic). We also had a second shooter and the guys all loved working with her (Molly). I never thought I could have so much fun taking pictures. He went above and beyond and delivered a preview of photos quickly – and provided us with way more total photos than we were expecting! And I think one of my favorite things about Ryan is his love and inclusion of all people. I would love to have him photograph us again – and definitely recommend him.

Ryan was wonderful to work with! He captured candid moments and told a story of our wedding, while making us (two extreme introverts) feel very comfortable. The outcome exceeded our expectations :)

We cannot say enough about how wonderful Ryan is as a photographer and a person! When our wedding location changed last minute due to wildfires Ryan was completely flexible and understanding driving many hours out of his way to photograph our special day. His work is beautiful and he was such a calming presence on a potentially very stressful day. Our backup wedding venue was unconventional but Ryan was able to quickly find picturesque spots and deliver us the wedding photos of our dreams! His photos are cinematic and gorgeous but most importantly really beautifully captured the emotions of the day.

We were so happy to have Ryan be apart of our wedding day while of course capturing every amazing moment. From the beginning he was so easy to work with, great communication and so helpful. We had a wedding of around 25 people in Big Sur and I had no idea what I was doing. He got to know us and what we were looking for and he gave great tips on places he knew about, he knows the area well, and was easy going which helped me relax during all the crazy planning. The day of the wedding he was very professional but also got along great with everyone. He kept everyone laughing including us, thank god because we’re so awkward when it comes to photo sessions. He had great spots for photos and had a great balance of edgy/creative shots while still sneaking some of the traditional stuff. He has a great eye for lighting, poses and doesn’t over edit his photos which was something I was having trouble finding when on the hunt for a photographer. We even had a few bumps through out the day and he was kind enough to jump in and help out, and also adapt to our changing schedule. I can’t have anyone mention my wedding, whether they were a guest or not, and not say how amazing my photographer was. Every time we’ve received photos we’re blown away. Thank you for everything Ryan and hope we meet again soon!

If you are looking for a unique approach to your wedding Ryan is your photographer. Calling him just a wedding photographer is an understatement to the level of creativity he brings from behind the camera. He got to know my husband and I on a personal level which translated into photos that were distinctly us. He took the time to listen to what we wanted and exceeded our expectations. If you are looking for a visionary photographer Ryan is your person.

The first thing you need to do when you are done reading this review is to pick up the phone and call Ryan. The search ends here. Ryan is literally DA BOMB. My husband and I (and my parents!) cannot say enough good things about Ryan as a person, his spectacular work and our amazing experience working with him from day 1 all the way to the big day. We love Ryan's work so much that we had 2 engagement shoots. The photos are un-be-lievable. We were so blown away by how beautiful they looked.

Ryan is an extremely talented artist. His stunning photos with unique aesthetic and authenticity are true works of art that we are very lucky to be in. They convey emotions. They capture the moment so perfectly that it makes you feel like you are living through it over and over again every time you look at them. On top of that, Ryan is so kind, easy-going, professional, fun and calm. Just so wonderful to work with. You can be stiff as a board but being around Ryan's incredible energy, you will discover a new self through his creative lenses. Working with Ryan is THE best decision we’ve made in wedding planning.

All I can say is Ryan is so creative and fun to be around and completely comfortable to be around. His work is unbelievable!!!! We loved him so much!!! We love his work so much!!!! He captured my husband and I so beautifully!!! Look no further! He’s a dream