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Author Archives: Chris Schmauch

PotD (Photo of the Day) – Conrad Family

PotD: 2010.10.11 Date Taken: 2009.11.01 Photo Specs: Nikon D3 + 28-70/2.8 lens @ 45mm, f/3.5,  ISO 220, no flash Why it’s cool & how I got it: Sometimes photography is all about changing perspective. Whether it’s crouching down low to shoot a newly-crawling baby to see life from their point of view, or taking a […]

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Nici + Dalas (Wedding)

Nici (“Nikee”) and Dalas (“Dallas”) are one of those couples that are just meant to be together. They’re laid back, funky and ironic in a cool way. We met at beautiful Highlands Park up in Ben Lomond; for those of you not familiar with the area, this is in the Santa Cruz Mountains past Scotts […]

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Rocio, Sebastian and Aiden (Family Portraits)

Rocio, Sebastian and 18mo Aiden are residents of Capitola, so it made sense to get some professional family portraits done near their home. We met downtown at Zelda’s and trekked to the east side of the beach, near the cliffs, for most of our photos. It was a quick session, not even an hour, but […]

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San Jose City Hall (Architecture)

The city of San Jose hired me to get a professional photo of the new-ish city hall. It’s a beautiful structure, and I’m sure there’s thousands of photos floating around of it, so I was flattered to have been chosen for the assignment. Of course I have a *little* experience shooting architecture, so I was […]

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Jennifer Astone (Portrait)

I met Jennifer near her home this morning, a short walk from Seacliff Beach in Aptos. She is a consultant for foundations and international organizations that give back to communities all over the world. She brings her vast organizational skills, networking connections, and just plain  good ol’ experience living and working for over 20 years […]

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Milo Z (Poster Design)

R&B Productions, the promoter for the Milo Z tour coming to the Bay Area this week, hired me to design the posters for all the venues Milo Z would be playing at. Of course the band only had a photo – no logo or anything else to support the design. Luckily the photo (photographer unknown) […]

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Gutter Patrol Fall Postcard (Photography + Design)

Back in May, I got together with Gutter Patrol owners Eric and Amanda Branecki to create a truly unique postcard for their window-cleaning service. I had this idea to go extreme with the visual message of dirty windows, and luckily they loved the idea and went with it. Needless to say it was one of […]

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Karen + Jack (Anniversary)

Although this looks more like an engagement shoot, this was actually a celebration of Jack and Karen’s third wedding anniversary! Usually I don’t see a whole lot between newly married couples and those celebrating their 50th anniversaries, so it was a treat to see someone celebrating in-between, just for the heck of it. Karen surprised […]

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Protected: Global Thermostat / Villa Lauriston (Event)

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Social Business Trends: Why Survive When You Can Thrive?

Social media is changing the way small business works. Now word-of-mouth can be amplified to a cacophonous roar, and spread across the masses like a virus – and this is both good and bad. To the unscrupulous business owner that cuts corners, treats your staff and customers like crap, thinks service with a smile is […]

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Forest Nymph, Captured (Portraits)

Janice has loads of personality – she’s crazy, spunky, vivacious, energetic, and has a mouth that would make a sailor blush (which she’s not afraid to use in her several hundred Yelp reviews – I fear for my future review!). She wanted to get some off-beat, yet professional portraits done–simply for the hell of it, […]

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Jada Giberson (Sunrise Yoga Portraits)

I met Jada, a fellow resident of the Seabright area of Santa Cruz, at 6:30am over at Aldo’s by the harbor. I got dressed in the dark this morning, so I was glad to see I hadn’t put on anything backwards when we saw each other. When we’d discussed the plans for the shoot the […]

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Tim + Heather (Engaged)

I met this lovely couple a few weeks ago during our initial wedding consultation, and they wasted no time booking a date to get their engagement photos done. They are beach people, and it just so happens I live in a beach town – so it was a natural fit! We actually went up to […]

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CEFPI Group Photos (Portraits)

The Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI) needed a group photo of their team as they were visiting San Jose for their annual meeting of members from around the world. I didn’t research the organization too deeply, but according to their website, they’re a: “…worldwide professional 501 (c)(3) non-profit association whose sole mission is […]

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Dee + Andrew (Wedding)

I met Dee and her twin sister way back in college, and thanks to Facebook we reconnected last year. We’d known of each others’ goings-on in a general sense through common friends, so she knew I’d gone professional with photography since the college days. As she was recently engaged, Dee contacted me to see if […]

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Tally Hoe Down at the Menlo Circus Club (Event)

As the official photographer for Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park, I donated my services to the annual Tally Hoe Down event they help put on. It’s basically a fund-raising effort to benefit the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, so I was perfectly content contributing my time and resources for the good cause. Many local restaurants […]

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Rachel + Brandon (Wedding)

I met Rachel and Brandon when we had our engagement shoot back in July of this year down in my old stompin’ grounds, Morgan Hill. During that shoot – I discovered they were a special couple – not only are they both incredibly easy on the eyes, but they have a chemistry that makes them […]

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Kwapinski Family (Maternity)

Okay, where do I begin… Well, I met Jen Kwapinski, owner of Jen’s Cakes, a few months ago at a networking event at Morton’s Steakhouse in San Jose. She had some amazing cupcakes for people to enjoy – and I fell in love with her red velvet. We got to know each other a little, […]

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Karyn + Grant (Wedding)

I met Grant and Karyn through Franco Uomo, the upscale men’s clothing store at Santana Row. While there, Grant got a few items for his suit, and when he mentioned he was getting married in a few weeks, Franco asked if he had a photographer. A couple days later, Grant and Karyn ended up hiring […]

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Matt Mermod’s New Menu Creations (Kaama Lounge, Food Photography)

I’ve shot Chef Matt’s food before, but he’s got some new menu items at Kaama Lounge so I was obliged to do my thing! Kaama’s menu is motivated by “childhood comfort food with a gourmet twist” – and they’ve certainly made a splash in the foodie scene with a number of entrees and appetizers motivated […]

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