"Meryl is just awesome. I took my 8-month-old son to get his photographs taken, and the experience was wonderful. Meryl rolled with the flow on so many levels. When we arrived, my son was asleep. No problem, she said. She took time to talk to me about what kinds of photographs I was looking for. When he finally woke up, we took some photographs of him naked. She kept him smiling and engaged, and didn't flinch once when he peed on her stuff. Then we took another round of photographs downstairs, and when he peed again on the floor, not a problem. I was so impressed with how kid-friendly and professional Meryl was, and I'm thrilled to recommend her for your baby and other portraits. The photographs really capture his goofiness, and I can't wait to send them to his grandparents as gifts this year. They're going to love them"-Phuong Le
"We were so taken with Meryl's photographs of our newborn that we asked her to photograph the babe a year later as well. In both cases, we wanted to document what life was like at the time: washing baby's bum in the sink, wrangling her into a diaper, dressing her while she pulled clothes out of the drawer, playing "upside-down baby," her delight in the swings at the park, the mess of meal time. So, we were looking for a professional photojournalist. Someone who could see a great image in the middle of the action and get it. Meryl captured the beauty in those everyday moments. Or maybe she made them beautiful. The photographs are truly a treasure.
Meryl is super laid-back, with a dry sense of humor, which makes the shoot feel easy. Her rates are more than reasonable, and she doesn't hold the photos hostage or force you into a preset print package. (Or act like the photos are more important to her than to you -- like one studio photographer who declared, "I don't do sepia," in discussing how to fix overly cold print tones.)
If you're looking for beautiful photographs with minimal attitude -- and if you value actually good photography, rather than the most images for the cheapest price-- choose Meryl."- Tracy Cutchlow
"What a fantastic experience with Meryl! She shot pictures for our triplet's senior portraits and I am so happy with how they turned out. She was able to capture their personalities and made the kids feel comfortable with getting their pictures taken. The pictures were all taken outdoors and she even suggested we come back a second day because of some crazy weather, just so she could get the right shots and we could be really comfortable with what we received. I would highly recommend her to anyone who wants natural pictures that capture who you are!" - Laura Crooks
"Meryl is amazing. She just is! I saw some of her pregnancy photo shoot images at Nurturing Expressions in West Seattle and immediately knew she would get my vision, and capture my pregnancy perfectly! I wanted to do bare belly black and white photos, and she was all for it! Pregnancy is so real, so raw, and so natural - it seemed to me that covering my belly and my body would detract from the realness and rawness of the entire experience. Not only did she get that, but she made me feel so comfortable and proud! She learned a bit about me before the shoot, went the extra mile to make sure the studio was perfect for the shoot, and took her time making sure we truly captured what I was hoping to capture! Such a personalized shoot for such a special time in my life. If you're thinking of working with Meryl on a pregnancy shoot - or in ANY capacity - stop thinking! Book her! She's talented, but beyond that, she's a wonderful person and so very easy to work with! "- Ingrid Kletzing
"To moms who may be looking for maternity portraits or professional pictures of their babies, kids, and families. I just had a maternity/family portrait session with Meryl Schenker at her studio in West Seattle. She managed to make my huge belly look adorable, and also got some unbelievably good pictures of my utterly rambunctious 2 year old son. I would highly recommend Meryl for your photography needs. Her rates are reasonable and she puts a lot of extra time and effort into getting you the product you want and deserve! "-Alys Yablon Wylen, 7/2010
"Thanks so much for capturing the Nishimoto spirit in the family reunion photos! We so appreciate your flexibility in accomodating our huge, crazy family!" -Judy and Amanda
"Meryl did family pictures for us in May - despite the rain, she did a fantastic job. She got great pictures of my very wiggly and shy 2.5 year old and of the entire family. She also had good ideas about how to get my little guy engaged. We are thrilled with the pictures and I highly recommend Meryl for both professional and family pictures."-Rebecca Andrews, 8/2012
"Meryl did fabulous maternity and new baby photography for us--and we have beautiful pictures of such meaningful times. Here's what I wrote as a thank you to Meryl: A big thanks for all your work to capture memories of such a special time for our family. I've read "The Happiness Project" recently and she talks about how happiness is made bigger by anticipation and recollection of the actual event--and your beautiful pictures have helped us celebrate Spencer's joining our family and our world, and thus have made our happiness even more profound. Thank you."- Yvette Gerrans
"Eric & I just spent the last 30 mins reviewing your photos. Oh my god, they're STUNNING! I am still wiping away the tears. I honestly didn't have any idea that these were going to be so beautiful."-Catherine Fleming
Oh Meryl ! I cannot speak highly enough of the experience we had with Meryl. Getting the perfect photos of our first born was so important and special to us. Meryl is an absolute artist and the results are worth every penny. Meryl was also so flexible with many variables; time constraints, multiple family members, pets etc. She really takes pride in her work, not settling until she knew she had the the perfect shots. We truly cannot be any happier and will happily use her again!- Trish L