Santa Cruz Photographer for Weddings, Families, Commercial, Food, Lifestyle and More!
Hey you. Yeah, you. Thanks for visiting my blog. Check here often for the latest and greatest photos by Chris Schmauch. I shoot weddings, food, architecture, families, events, models, products... well you get the point, I love it all!
Click on the "Categories" link up top to find posts related to certain types of photography. Most of my stuff is restaurant-related (architecture & food) or people-related (weddings, engagements, families, etc.)
Click the "portfolio" link to visit www.GoodEyePhotography.com, where you can order prints from over 130,000 photos in my always-expanding archive.
Oh, a little about me: I'm 32, happily married with two little girls, and am passionate about both Photography and Design (hence the business name). I'm a Nikon shooter, love both Macs and PCs, have that type of personality that gets along with anyone, am totally unflappable, and, well, I'm pretty good at what I do.
Visit often, and if you need to book me, don't hesitate to call: 408.431.4808!
If you’re familiar with my blog, you’ve probably seen photos I’ve taken at Kaama Lounge before. They’ve made some changes to the look of the exterior and interior, plus have added a lunch menu, indian buffet style. Here’s a few shots I took of the interior – it was pouring outside so there wasn’t much opportunity to capture the new exterior paintjob. Click through to www.GoodEyePhotography.com if you’d like to see more!
June 27, 2012 - 9:36 am - this is really good.
The Fairmont San Jose uses the best possible sources for the food the comes into the hotel’s kitchens. I took a little trip with Executive Chef Daniel Maurice up to Daly City to visit their mushroom purveyor of choice, The King of Mushrooms (Todd Spanier). I’ve gone-a-mushroom-hunting with Todd before, but unfortunately he was away today. In his absence, Al graciously let us take a few photos of Chef Daniel in the warehouse. It was really, really cold so I worked fast with the fungi and Chef, the fun guy. Many thanks to Joanne Tan, Fairmont’s Public Relations & Social Media Manager for putting the whole thing together. Here’s a couple of the pics, more to see at www.GoodEyePhotography.com.
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! If you’re looking for something a little different for your sweetie this year (especially if she’s a foodie), try serving her flowers instead of merely delivering them! I don’t recommend frolicking in the nearest field, picking flowers with wild abandon and hoping they’ll all be delectable – best to leave it up to the pros. Make a reservation at Fahrenheit Restaurant and Lounge in downtown San Jose tonight, and treat her to Chef Christopher Graze’s special Valentine’s flower salad. I tried it myself, and it’s truly tasty! If you are still dubious about eating the bouquet, check out these photos I took below…
I have nothing but respect for couples that choose to adopt children; it’s such a selfless and loving decision. John and Kathleen welcomed Adane into their home last year, and he couldn’t have asked for more adoring parents. Children can often be, um, difficult during photography sessions – but Adane had nothing but smiles and good nature to offer us today. We performed our family photography session at Lighthouse Field State Park and Dog Beach in Santa Cruz, California. Right now the field by the lighthouse is lush with tall green grass and beautiful white wildflowers and is a joy to shoot. Even Frank the dog behaved like a superstar for some of the photos.
Here’s some of my favorite photos from the family session, there’s 91 edited photos in total to check out at www.GoodEyePhotography.com.
Even though I just booked Joe and Nikki’s wedding date with another couple just days before meeting them for the first time, I’m so glad I got to spend some QT with this wonderful couple at Three Mile beach just north of Santa Cruz. They both went to Cal Poly, SLO (entering as I was leaving), so we had plenty to chat about while getting to know each other and take photos. Joe is a hobbyist photographer, so I got to geek out a little with him on the subject which is always nice. Nikki is free-spirited and didn’t mind getting picked up, spun around, carried, kissed or jumping off sand dunes throughout the shoot. Nikki said she liked dramatic clouds, and would be happy to have clouds in some of the pics – I think we accomplished this, no?
Check out my faves below, or click through to see all 139 edited photos from the Engagement Session at www.GoodEyePhotography.com.
Love these engagement photos? Getting married? Call Chris (831) 216-6210If you haven’t already, feel free to review our portfolio site, browse past weddings, check our romantic engagement sessions, follow our business on Facebook (like us while you’re at it!), or read our awesome Yelp reviews.
Louis and Freneau are a loving couple that also happen to create some great spiritual music. Their goal for the photo shoot was to get some cover-worthy art for their next album. They picked the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco for the grand setting, where we met near sunset for our session. They were very easy to work with – playful, fun and didn’t take themselves too seriously (my kind of clients!). The Palace of Fine Arts has this amazing dome and lots of colossal columns, begging to be photographed. I’m glad we stayed long enough to see the deep orange glow of sunset gracing the pillars and dome – it was a beautiful site indeed.
View some of my favorite photos from the shoot below, or click through to see all 120 edited photos at www.GoodEyePhotography.com.
Book Chris for your next Album Cover photo shoot (831) 216-6210I’m so looking forward to Justin and Erin’s wedding later on this year. They’re going with a Great Gatsby / 1920s theme for their wedding, so I’m definitely gonna have to sport a bowler hat to get in with the spirit of things. The engagement shoot took place up at their friend’s house in Bonny Doon (Santa Cruz mountains), as they wanted a woodsy setting to work with. Since we were in the woods, it wasn’t a problem to start at around 1pm – the sun was high, but filtered through the tall redwoods on the property. Justin and Erin we’re totally easy to work with, and didn’t mind rolling with my goofy ideas. My favorite was how we artificially lit the antique lamp in the first photo below – instead of busting out a long extension cord to the house, I used a “justin clamp” to attach a gridded nikon speedlight to the lamp’s pole, remotely firing directly up into the lampshade to give the illusion the lamp itself was casting light. A quick photoshop job to get rid of the speedlight in the pics, and the illusion is complete!
There’s 112 photos in all to check out at www.GoodEyePhotography.com, or browse through my favorites below… leave a comment if you dare!
Santa Cruz wedding photographer Chris Schmauch loves themed weddings. Book him today! (831) 216-6210If you haven’t already, feel free to review our portfolio site, browse past weddings, check our romantic engagement sessions, follow our business on Facebook (like us while you’re at it!), or read our awesome Yelp reviews.
February 23, 2011 - 5:07 pm - Adorable!!!
June 28, 2012 - 8:40 am [...] and her husband’s engagement shoot was also 20′s themed, which can be seen here. It’s amazing how elements of a traditional wedding, like wearing a white dress, is probably [...]
Fahrenheit Restaurant and Lounge, located on the corner of San Fernando and 3rd in San Jose, is truly one of downtown’s secret gems. It’s known for its nightlife, but not so much for the fantastic gourmet food they produce. Christopher Graves takes food creation seriously, and I’m here to prove it. We shot a bunch of his as-yet-to-grace-the-menu dishes today, and man do they look good! I only sampled the ribs and flower salad, but they all looked fantastic, and I’ve never had a bad experience eating here. Owners Danny and Eric know how to find talent – both behind the bar and in the kitchen. If you haven’t considered Fahrenheit for lunch or dinner, do so now. Look at the beautiful dishes below, or mosey on over to www.GoodEyePhotography.com to feast your eyeballs on all 128 edited photos.
I had a quick (See: 10 minute) photo shoot with Maxi this morning for the next cover of Tastes of San Jose Magazine. We rushed into the Japanese Friendship Gardens in San Jose and did our thing – quickly deciding we got the money shot five minutes into it. Good ’nuff for me! Here’s the shot, look for it integrated into the next ToSJ mag cover soon!
May 4, 2012 - 4:26 pm - GREAT PIC...WHERE CAN I FIND YOUR MUSIC.
July 31, 2013 - 2:44 am - you look marvelous...50 is new 30 :)
July 31, 2013 - 2:44 am - you look marvelous...50 is new 30 :)
The all grown up Ray siblings got together in Saratoga to catch up on old times and visit with mom. They live in different parts of the country, so it had been over a decade since they’d all been in the same place, but you wouldn’t know it the way they playfully joked around and innocently harassed each other. At times I could easily imagine them as kids, carousing and rough-housing, but all in good fun. It was a pleasure to spend times as a “fly on the wall” – catching some candid moments and getting some nice, posed group photos. Here’s some of my favorites from our session, there’s 182 edited photos to view/print at www.GoodEyePhotography.com.
This morning I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing Christy Evans, a recent SoCal refugee looking to ply her Yoga trade up in these northern parts, more specifically downtown Campbell, California at aptly named The Yoga Studio. Christy is spunky, vivacious, cute, and talented – and I learned all that in the first five minutes. Her goal was to get some professional photos of herself in different yoga poses to use for her website, as well as headshots to use for wherever she happens to be working. We went for a clean, bright approach to lighting and styling the photos without any props to clutter the scene. I think they came out pretty well, but judge for yourself! Here’s a selection of my favorites below (not necessarily Christy’s faves, mind you!). There’s 66 edited photos to check out at www.GoodEyePhotography.com, if you like.
It’s not too often I have a photo session with a grandma and grandson – maybe this is the very first one. But it really is a special treat to see the loving interaction between them, the way Thomas can make Joanne’s face alight with joy by handing her a flower – it’s truly precious. We spent a little time at Seacliff beach in Aptos – the one with the cement boat. My favorite shots, however, were in the field up on the bluff before you get to the 151 stairs leading down to the beach (good workout by the way, especially when carrying a bunch of photography and lighting gear). My faves are below, all 52 photos can be seen at www.GoodEyePhotography.com.
Who cares about football anyway – not me, Jenn or Jacob, apparently… While everyone was glued to their televisions watching stupid Superbowl ads, the three of us were having a blast at Central Park in Santa Clara. It’s an expansive public park with playgrounds, large fields, old trees, a baseball field, a large pond with tons of goose crap around it and a nifty pavilion area that probably looks stunning during non-winter seasons. Enjoying the string of beautiful spring-like days we’ve been having, we walked all around the park shooting at this location and that. Jenn and Jacob brought their softball gear to add a little unique props to some of the photos, as they’re both avid players. The engagement shoot was romantic and playful, and I hope serves to get them both super excited about their upcoming wedding – I can’t wait!
Here’s my favorite photos from the engagement session, there’s 154 edited photos in total at www.GoodEyePhotography.com.
If you haven’t already, feel free to review our portfolio site, browse past weddings, check our romantic engagement sessions, follow our business on Facebook (like us while you’re at it!), or read our awesome Yelp reviews.
October 7, 2011 - 3:34 am [...] first photographic encounter was at Central Park in Santa Clara for Jenn and Jacob’s sexy engagement session (bat and balls included). I had so much fun with this couple I knew their wedding was going to be [...]
I’ve been the un-official, official photographer for the Four Seasons since they opened up in Palo Alto five years ago. They use me for all the important stuff they can make room in their budgets for, and it’s always a blast – the management at this Four Seasons hotel is SO cool – every year at the company holiday party they perform on-stage for all the employees – that takes some serious cojones, my friends. This year the management team did a little ballroom-dance-turned-lady-gaga, replete with ripped off clothing to reveal the sassy dance-party undergarments. Very entertaining, indeed! Here’s a few photos from this evening’s very special fifth anniversary holiday party. If you’re looking for more photos, or would like to order a print, there’s 339 edited photos to peruse at www.GoodEyePhotography.com.
I will forever remember this photo shoot – not because of the lovely Anna and all the great photos from her Senior Portrait session, but rather for the wicked case of poison oak I acquired during said shoot. I was dressed in a t-shirt, shorts and flip-flops (typical Santa Cruz attire, mind you), which was fine for most of the shoot. But we found this cool spot down by a creek in the middle of some tall redwood trees and I wanted to get a long shot of Anna looking contemplative on some rocks by the water. This required me to romp precariously about through the brush lining the creek. I know what poison oak looks like, but as I’ve never succumbed to its evil oils, I don’t pay that close attention. A week after the shoot I’ve considered amputating my left leg, if not for the possibility (or damn near likelihood) of “phantom itching” forever haunting me. It’s terrible, and I wouldn’t wish it upon my worse frenemy. Well…
Back to Anna’s Senior Portrait shoot – Anna is quiet, maybe a little shy, but really quite stunning and easy to photograph. Her mom, Suzanne, assisted throughout the shoot and helped make my job easier. This was really only my 2nd senior portrait session ever, I don’t know why I’ve never tried to get this type of work before – it’s fun! Here’s some of my favorite photos below – if you like you can see all 99 edited photos at www.GoodEyePhotography.com.
Are you looking for Santa Cruz Senior Portrait Photographers? Add GoodEye to your list of studios worth checking out! (831) 216-6210
Santa Cruz, California – January 25, 2011: WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, is thrilled to announce GoodEye Photography + Design has been selected to receive the prestigious annual WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 for wedding photography!
Recognition for the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 is determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 750,000 WeddingWire newlyweds. Our past clients are among those that shared their experiences on WeddingWire, the largest wedding review site in the nation.
GoodEye Photography + Design stands among the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community, representing quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. Awards were given to the top wedding professionals across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, and were based on the overall professional achievements throughout the past year.
“WeddingWire is honored to celebrate the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire community,” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “With the annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program, WeddingWire has the unique opportunity to recognize the best wedding professionals across the US and Canada. We applaud GoodEye Photography + Design for their professionalism and dedication to enhancing the wedding planning experience last year.”
We are happy to announce that GoodEye Photography + Design is among the very best wedding photograpers within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Project Wedding and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for nominating us to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011.
For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today.
For more information on the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.
June 27, 2011 - 8:38 pm [...] Bay, San Francisco, Bay Area, and all destinations international). If you’re looking for award-winning Santa Cruz wedding photographers, you came to the right place! My primary focus is wedding [...]
January 23, 2012 - 9:36 am [...] Cruz, CA – January 23, 2012 – For the second year in a row, WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding Marketplace, is excited to announce GoodEye [...]
I met Lisa, Michael, Ariel and the Dynamic Duo – twins Aster and Bronte for their family portrait session at University Terrace Park (on Meder St.), Santa Cruz, California. These photo shoots last anywhere from one to two hours, it really just depends on how long the kids can stand it. I break frequently, and we walk around a lot which helps offload extra energy, but it never really seems like enough. The only thing to do is channel that energy into lovely, spontaneous photos. I try not to have too many canned ideas in my head before a shoot, choosing rather to simply roll with it. It’s a dynamic, fluid situation and the clever photographer adapts to it second by second.
Lisa and Michael are incredibly patient with their daughters, which really helped keep the shoot fun and lighthearted. Some parents get stressed out by their littles, but this shoot was nothing but good times (until I had Ariel stand behind a plant which cut her finger when I asked her to touch it… sorry Ariel!!!). Not all my shoots end in blood, but we were pretty much wrapping up when Ariel’s finger got sliced up, the poor sweetie.
Here’s more than a few of my favorites below (I have a hard time narrowing it down, can you tell?), if you’re up for it you can see all 142 edited photos from the family photo session at www.GoodEyePhotography.com. Feel free to leave a comment below, it’s super easy, especially if you’re logged into Facebook!
I don’t shoot a lot of real estate photography. Ok, well I shot this beach house recently. And of course this really, really sexy mansion in Portola Valley, but mostly it’s not something I’m asked to do much. Maybe I’m too expensive, I don’t know. But it’s fun, and waaaay easier than chasing toddlers around on a beach and getting them to look at me and smile. So in that respect, it’s refreshing to shoot a house once in a while.
Monique Pacurariu is the listing agent for this house, and she’s familiar enough with my work to know I’d make her look good, which means the house should attract more potential buyers. Maybe you here, reading this post, are looking for a home in Scotts Valley, California (only a stone’s throw from Santa Cruz!). If so, please contact Monique for serious inquiries.
Here’s a few photos from the session…
Selling your home? Great photos make it SO much easier!Not every couple I photograph is engaged or getting married – many are celebrating their Xth anniversaries, which I think is so cool! Ok, so maybe sometimes the guys are like “I’d rather be at home watching football, but my wife made me come here,” but by the end of the session even the reluctant husbands are digging the shoots. I’m speaking in general terms here, not specifically about Aaron – he was a good sport (even though I said “don’t wear black,” he came with black jeans and black shirt haha). I can work with anything and anyone, but most of my clients are surprisingly cool, laid back and take direction well. I try not to abuse my power, but that doesn’t mean I don’t try my best to get all artsy and creative. Because if you love photography (as I do), it should be a creative outlet for all that pent up energy and passion brewing in your soul.
Enough of that, let’s check out some photos from Shannon and Aaron’s 6th wedding anniversary photo shoot. We did it at Lighthouse field and an unnamed beach off West Cliff Drive. If you like these pics, leave a comment – for Aaron and Shannon’s enjoyment of course. If these aren’t enough to get you excited, there’s 55 edited photos to check out at my proofing website, www.GoodEyePhotography.com.
Cafe Cruz in Soquel, California is a well-known gem of a restaurant for locals and visitors alike. They’ve got tons of great Yelp reviews, and for good reason! Nikki and her husband have done a great job over the last 15-odd-years making thie restaurant into a part of Santa Cruz culture and frequent destination for discerning diners. The food and drinks are great, and the atmosphere is very friendly to families and intimate date nights alike.
But enough of that, on to the photos! Here’s some photography of the superb kitchen and waitstaff I captured while visiting. More photos to see at www.GoodEyePhotography.com. Leave a comment if you can think of something clever to say.
by Chris Schmauch
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