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!
Junnoon wanted to freshen up their photo archive so they kindly called on my services for new interiors, headshots, details, food, cocktails, etc. I spent about 3.5 hours over two days to complete the project. There’s so much going on in the well-designed interior that it’s a joy to shoot in. The lighting, the decor, the clientèle all contribute to a pleasing ambience. I’d definitely bring my family here!
April 27, 2010 - 2:26 pm [...] shot Junnoon in 2008 a couple times. The first time was overall coverage of the place, my typical new-client-gets-a-little-bit-of-everything [...]
My buddy Josiah Slone, owner and chef of Sent Sovi in Saratoga, CA, whipped up some of his famous salsa for his “how to” feature in The Wave Magazine. Here’s a few photos from our session. Here’s a link to the Wave story.
The ingredients splayed out.
Josiah sports a humble grin for the cam. “No, this photo won’t appear in the magazine” (didn’t say anything about the blog, did I Josiah?)
My basic two light setup with the “Bees”
The finished salsa laid out on some seared fish tacos. Yum!
This place doesn’t look like much on the outside (or inside, for that matter), but the sushi…oh, the sushi is amazing. Looks great. Tastes great. Definitely a hidden gem. Check out the picks below…
Here’s a few pics of Kobe Sushi. Haven’t eaten the food any place with bridges and flowing water is A-Ok in my book!
OK, so this place insists it’s “Cafe Amilia” but honestly, what would you think looking at the logo? Regardless, the owners did a great job renovating this old Flames location on the El Camino in Santa Clara. The colors pop, it’s clean and just has some nice Chi going on.
This place has a fantastic spread of sake behind the bar. If you like sake + sushi, check it out!
Ok, so the nice, truly Italian people at this new Campbell restaurant pronounced the name of their place multiple times (slowly), and I still couldn’t get it right. After much inner reflection, I’ve concluded it’s most likely “TEE-huller-REE-yuh”. Regardless, the owners did a really smart job with a pretty small location, using the space well. I enjoyed taking photos there, including some high-dynamic range pics for the interior.
Josiah and Khin Khin, owners of Sent Sovi in Saratoga, CA asked me to shoot all their latest creations for their marketing purposes. It was a marathon shoot, only spending a couple minutes on each dish, but Josiah’s creations really inspire the photographer in me. There’s just so much detail to each dish I could spend an hour on each…but time is money, so I did the best I could. I hope you enjoy the photos.
Oh, and I have no idea what most of these are, so don’t ask. Just go to Sent Sovi and tell them Chris from GoodEye Photography sent ya!
I ended up using the photo above for my design of The Wave Magazine’s big Spring dining issue, pictured below.
June 17, 2008 - 5:11 pm - Wow.......this stuff sure does look Yummy to the max! Actually, it looks as good as it tastes since I have sampled much of Josiah's creations over the years. He has his chops down! Keep doing what you are doing Josiah!! Also, Good Eye is to be complimented as he (or is the eye female?) has a more than a good eye, might I say Great Eye??????
This is truly a unique dessert – variations of candied apples with some fruit and cheese. I’ve seen a lot of the stuff nice restaurants put out there, and so much of it is really getting tiresome. I mean, yes, I’ve had chocolate lava explosion or whatever you choose to call it. “Oh? You say the inside is warm and gooey? Yeah, well, so is everyone else’s.” You get the picture. Enough ranting, enjoy this unique dessert, it’s a visual treat.
March 18, 2010 - 12:54 pm [...] the craziness of St. Patrick’s Day was upon us to get a few food shots done. Nothing fancy or foo-foo here. This is comfort food, so just relax. Yesterday I shot Siam Taste, which is across the [...]
Here’s a few updated interiors of Sent Sovi in Saratoga. I think this “candid headshot” of Josiah is an interesting accident.
Chef Josiah Slone, Sent Sovi
Sent Sovi, Private Dining
Sent Sovi, Main Dining Area
Jon and Dara are a wonderful couple, and it was obvious from the first time I met them that they are truly, deeply in love. They have a casual intimacy about them that puts them at ease in front of the camera. We had a great time with the engagement session at Baker’s Beach in San Francisco, and after such a successful outing I knew the wedding day was going to be spectacular. The church in Portola Valley has a spectacular backdrop for the ceremony, and everyone was in high spirits. Oh, and did I mention we even had the opportunity to use Santa Claus as an “extra” during our groomsmen formals??? Click here if you’d like to see my “Photographer’s Top 100” gallery.
Dad observes Dara getting made up.
As we were walking around the church grounds looking for a place to take pictures, the jungle gym seemed a natural location for a bunch of guys! This could be a band publicity photo if you think about it…
Jon Stapleton, head groom.
Dara’s son prepares for his big job as ringbearer.
What an amazing forested backdrop for the ceremony!
Jon & Dara’s playful personalities show through in this photo.
No peeking!!
Not sure what decision is being pondered, but there’s definitely some thinking going on here.
This guy is a ham for the cam…what a goofball!
Happiness, being one with the moment, captured forever.
Jon playing with makeup? That foundation isn’t workin for ya buddy.
Another timeless moment captured. One of my favorites.
Those kids can dance! Check out the hover move!
It’s always nice to put the rings in a different context. I know the flowers are kind of cliche but it works here.
Rhonda White, one of the bridesmaids, is so full of life in this photo [and many others]. Tragically, she was the victim of a senseless highway shooting on 4/4/08 [almost exactly four months after this picture was taken]. She will be missed dearly.
Yes dear, I’m coming!
Perfect end to the perfect day. See more photos here.
Rain could not keep this loving couple from tying the knot…although it did complicate things for the vendors! Luckily it never poured, and the sun came out for the reception at the beautiful location – Monarch Cove Inn, Capitola, CA.
Here’s a small sampling from the day I’d like to share. Click here for my “Photographer’s Top 100” page.
The flower vendor soaks it up…
Dawn takes a pull from the “loose juice” to ease the jitters
Keith eases the tension by giving his best man a well deserved bear hug!
I love this dress shot…it has drama. The dress is patiently awaiting it debut in the sunlight.
Not an award winning photo, but it’s a lesson to all you future flower girls – get changed BEFORE you get your hair done! This girl’s “favorite shirt” had to be cut off…boo hoo!
Nothing accelerates drying deoderant than a good puff from the bride!
Proud papa protects Dawn from the misting rain right before the ceremony.
At Monarch Cove Inn it almost goes without saying you’ll let some butterflies loose at some point 🙂
The happy couple, together at last.
If you don’t like the food, just say so!
Now that’s dancing!
Precious moment…
I’m gonna eat your foot!
Not only are bubbles fun, they’re really neat to look at!
Nearby Capitola Beach
And lastly, I love the color in this shot.
Thanks for looking!
OK, so I don’t know if it’s simply by chance or my clients recently *just happen* to choose beach locations with “clothing optional” northern sections. Luckily this time we were able to keep our distance and I didn’t have to worry about “units” in the background of my photos, but still… When we were leaving the old naked guys were actually getting a game of volleyball going!
[insert ball joke here].
On another note, I don’t recommend shooting any engagement shoot in the full sun at 1:30pm at a very windy beach. It was supposed to happen earlier, but the stars simply weren’t in alignment for either party that day. I *almost* called it off within the first 15 minutes, but we all know what a PIA it is to reschedule, especially now that I’m getting into my busy wedding season. So we roughed it out with low expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised by how many “keepers” I ended up with after getting home. Check out the rest of the pics here!
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.
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by Chris Schmauch
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