GoodEye Photography + Design

49ers Patrick Willis and Alex Smith (Portraits, Charity)

Chris Schmauch — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:53:19 +0000

Morton’s the Steakhouse (San Jose) is partnering up with the San Francisco 49ers for their upcoming “Celebrity Servers” event. It’s a fund-raising effort to benefit different charities that each celebrity chooses to represent. If you’d like to be served by Alex Smith or Patrick Willis and have the opportunity to bid on signed sports memorabilia at the auction, seats will set you back at least $250 (price not set). But that’s a small price to pay to not only rub elbows with some of the 49ers finest, but also increase your karma by benefiting the charities.

Patrick and Alex were totally cool, we had fun during our 20-minute shoot. I didn’t ask them to do anything crazy – they’re bigger than me so I didn’t want to push my luck. Here’s a few photos from this morning’s shoot below, the rest can be seen here.

Alex (Portrait) Alex is looking into a modeling career, and needed a...
Sammy & Josh Davidson (Bro + Sis Portraits) Samantha and Josh Davidson are only 15 months apart, making...
The Kemlings (Family Portraits) Kurt Kemling is a good friend of mine (even though...

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Rachel + Thom (Wedding Album)

Chris Schmauch — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:18:02 +0000

Rachel and Thom had a lovely little wedding in San Jose earlier this year. I designed the album below from their favorites… enjoy!

Hint: click the “Fullscreen” icon to really see the album!

Open publication - Free publishing - More wedding

Rachel + Thomas (Wedding) It was a rainy weekend in San Jose, but luckily...
Catheryn & Sebastian (Wedding Album) Catheryn & Sebastian had a wonderful ceremony at the Sainte...
Lauren & Branden (Wedding Album) I’m pretty happy with how Lauren and Branden’s wedding album...

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Rachel + Brandon (Engaged)

Chris Schmauch — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 02:16:32 +0000

I met Rachel and her mom a few months ago through a common friend – they were both so sweet, and I was excited they wanted to use me for the upcoming wedding. Rachel drove down from Sacramento today with her fiance Brandon, who I met for the first time. Talk about a good looking couple! I felt like I was shooting professional models. Plus, they have a natural ease with each other that comes from chemistry and of course, a deep and spiritual love. Rachel wanted a rustic feel to their engagement photos, and had seen some photos form a previous family shoot that had the setting she was envisioning. We both battled traffic (them from Sacramento, me from Santa Cruz) to get to Morgan Hill, but even though we were both late, we had plenty of lovely early evening light to play with. Plus, I always bring my own lights to enhance what nature provides

We had a great time exploring off Coyote Creek trail and poking around some abandoned buildings. We saw lots of field mice and even a white barn owl during our adventure. Rachel and Brandon never objected to my crazy ideas – even when I had Brandon “wear” the graffiti sombrero hat! I love being the boss… here’s some of my favorites from the shoot, the rest are here.

Rachel + Thomas (Wedding) It was a rainy weekend in San Jose, but luckily...
The Farquhars (Family Portraits) Today I met up with Wayne and family at the...
Gaurav + Isha (Engagement) I met Gaurav through my Yelp profile, he originally wanted...

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The Kemlings (Family Portraits)

Chris Schmauch — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 05:12:38 +0000

Kurt Kemling is a good friend of mine (even though we’ve only met a couple times) – it’s weird how you can get to know someone without ever spending time with them. He’s also a professional photographer that I admire, with two adorable girls near my own girls’ age, as well as a wife named Beckie (mine’s Becky). Needless to say, we’ve been meaning to have our families meet up so we could “shoot” each other. Because we’re both busy, we set up a day two months ahead of time – today the day finally arrived, and it was SO much fun! Not only are the Kemlings fun to hang out with, they make some great photos. Here’s a few of my favorites of Kurt’s family. All of them can be viewed here.

The Farquhars (Family Portraits) Today I met up with Wayne and family at the...
From Alabama to California (Family Portraits) I got a call from a nice lady from Alabama...
The Carvills (Family Portraits) Kari Carvill told me she’d basically never had a real...

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#1 “Best of Yelp”

Chris Schmauch — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 20:42:22 +0000

I just happened to be looking for something on Yelp today and noticed that the Yelp Folks were headlining their “Best Of” businesses on their main page. It defaulted to the Santa Cruz area as that’s where I live, and out of curiosity I clicked on the “Professional Services” category. My jaw dropped when I saw that GoodEye Photography + Design held the #1 spot – not only among photographers, but among all businesses in the “professional services” category. Sweet! All credit goes to the clients that have taken the time to write about their experiences with me, of course, and for that I’m eternally humbled and grateful. I don’t know how long the page will be up, so I took the screenshot above as proof

Advertising: More Necessary Than Ever in a Depressed Economy I deal in the advertising business every day. I know...
New Year’s Issue (The Wave Magazine Cover) Alas, I can’t always shoot every cover for the magazine,...
Skin Sprit (Local Biz) I love Stacey, the manager at Skin Spirit. She’s full...

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From Alabama to California (Family Portraits)

Chris Schmauch — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 01:32:50 +0000

I got a call from a nice lady from Alabama whose family was coming together to celebrate her 70th birthday by spending the weekend together in a rented beach house in Santa Cruz, California. She wanted a group photo of the whole family on the beach, for which I was much obliged. At 5:30pm I met the family at their house and we all walked down to Twin Lakes beach together. Of course it was packed, so we had to walk down a little further to find a spot near the shore to get some unobstructed photos. Of course as I was warming up for the first shot, the waves decided to come in and soak everyone’s feet! That got me a couple of great candids, though, and we quickly got the main group shot done. I suggested letting the kids play around for a bit so I could capture some more candids, and the kids were eager to play in the surf. I got quite a few good shots, they were all the more fun because the kids were still dressed in their semi-formal attire. Luckily I finished up the shoot without soaking my gear. Here’s a few of my favorites below – all of them can be found here.

Lorig Family, Natural Bridges OK, so I mainly chose the location because of the...
The Farquhars (Family Portraits) Today I met up with Wayne and family at the...
The Carvills (Family Portraits) Kari Carvill told me she’d basically never had a real...

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Jenn + Leon (Hitched)

Chris Schmauch — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 06:15:13 +0000

I met Jenn & Leon in November of 2009, they were a referral from a previous wedding I’d done (as is usually the case these days). We chatted over coffee, got to know each other and as the minutes flew by, I got more and more excited about their upcoming event. They have this spark, you see, and when there’s chemistry involved, my job is that much easier. When a couple comes together naturally, I don’t have to fuss over adjusting awkward poses, which means I can focus more on great composition, light, and of course, timing. Luckily they didn’t make me wait long after our initial consult, they wanted to book me for their wedding the following July.

Early 2010 Jenn contacts me, wanting to add an engagement shoot to the package – which is great in my opinion, as it’s a “trial run” for makeup, hair, and sets the photography expectations high for the Big Day. Plus it give the three of us a chance to develop a more natural rhythm and comfort. They’ll know what I’ll need from them with less prompting, and we can take the time to explore different ideas in a low-pressure setting. I highly recommend engagement shoots to all my brides.

Everyone loved the shots we took at the e-session at Carmel Beach, so the pressure was on for me to really shine on July 17th which, as I write this, has come and gone with great success (and relief!). The venue was Hotel Valencia at Santana Row, so right off you know this is going to be a night to remember. The ceremony was held at 5pm on the 3rd floor in an open courtyard, but being surrounded by 7-floor buildings, we didn’t have to deal with any direct sunlight, much to my (and the videographers’) delight. Splitting the rows of guests was a long, rectangular pool of water with artfully placed lilies. When standing at the front with the priest, Jenn & Leon were beautifully reflected in the water. The ceremony was meaningful and full of emotion, and just the right length.

After the ceremony and quick run through of family & bridal party formals, the four of us (my highly talented assistant photographer Sam Fontejon joined us) ventured out into the busy, early-evening Saturday crowd milling about The Row. Since I’ve shot here several times before, I knew all the cool places to check out, and we had no shortage of attention from the crowds, people constantly shouting out their congratulations to the perma-smiling couple. We had a good 45 minutes to explore all the photographic opportunities Santana Row has to offer, which was great as I usually have much less time for these important photos.

The reception was a blur of dancing – this was one of those weddings where the tables are practically empty because everyone is up socializing and shaking their collective booty. Looking back at my photos form this time, I realized that 95% of my candids were on or around the dance floor, the center of all the action. I left exhausted, but pleased and excited to see what my cameras and I had captured that day. Here’s my usual “Top 150,” I hope you enjoy. Print orders can be made here.

Flowers: Bloomsters

Bride’s Makeup: Aimee Lam

(I was very impressed with her professionalism and attention to detail. Very natural look. Read my Yelp review of Aimee here.)

Dress: Trudy’s Brides

DJ: Joel Nelson

Video: AVR Films (David and Brian Ethridge)

(These guys were super-nice and were highly conscious of working with us photographers at every step. Read my Yelp review)

Cake: A Piece of Cake Bakery

(Brilliant execution, my Yelp review is here)

String Trio: www.sfcm.edu/

Jenn & Johnny (Wedding Album) I’ve known Jenn & Johnny for a looong time, and...
Jennifer & Leon (Engagement) After one postponement due to the rain, I was determined...
Gaurav + Isha (Engagement) I met Gaurav through my Yelp profile, he originally wanted...

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Bonny Doon Residence (Real Estate)

Chris Schmauch — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 01:46:34 +0000

My parents-in-law are selling their lovely property they’ve raised their kids in – it’s about 30 minutes out of Santa Cruz in the mountains, near a small town named Bonny Doon. It’s a large piece of land with expansive yard, beautiful garden, separate garage, storage, play area, and of course an amazing three story-ish house that I have many fond memories of. Their kids are in middle/high school now, so it makes more sense to live closer to town. I’m sad to say goodbye to the place (as I’m sure they are as well), but hopefully it will go to a family that will appreciate all it has to offer. I was honored they asked me to take all the photos of the property – this will help everyone remember it at its finest state. Here’s a select few, the rest are here.

Strawberry Day at Gault Elementary Stawberry Day at Gault Elementary (my daughter’s school) is full...
Beautifull! New Restaurant (Exteriors/Interiors) After opening their first San Francisco restaurant in 2009 (see...
The 26 Million Dollar House (architecture) Nestled on 28 acres of extremely private property in Portola...

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Morton’s VIP Party

Chris Schmauch — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Morton’s Steakhouse San Jose held a VIP event this evening promoting their newly expanded space that can be used for events, receptions, or even dinner (haha). It was bedecked with cool, glowing, kiosk-like tables, beautiful bouquets, fancy lighting and chic furniture. Next to the bar was a beautifully sculptured ice luge that was being used to serve the sweet martinis (burdened with enormous, alcohol-displacing ice-spheres) to guests – and speaking of guests, I was under pressure to get some shots of the space in situ before the army of guests broke down the doors. Luckily I work quickly and got the necessary shots before the VIPs got too cranky, and afterward had a great time mingling and taking the occasional candid or group photo over the next couple of hours. Here’s some of my favorite shots – click here to peruse all the photos from the event – and even order a print if it strikes your fancy!

Like what you see?

Click here to see Chris’ Event Photography Portfolio

Inquire today about scheduling your next photo shoot (408) 431-4808

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Meg & Jack (Pregnant + Toddler)

Chris Schmauch — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 20:41:51 +0000

Meg wanted a few photos while she was in her third trimester – but because she also had her toddler with her, we of course included him as well. Toddlers are usually, well, challenging when it comes to trying to tell them what to do, or stay in one place, or look at the camera, or – well, anything! But we gave it our best shot, and Meg was happy – so we can all breathe a sigh of relief Here’s a few photos from the session, click here for more.

Hargreaves Family We were a little worried about the weather after it...
Lauren & Branden (Wedding Album) I’m pretty happy with how Lauren and Branden’s wedding album...
Lorig Family, Natural Bridges OK, so I mainly chose the location because of the...

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