Trust the Pros. We won’t screw this up.

Chris here, owner of GoodEye Photography here in Santa Cruz. I know all the best beach and forest locations (including Aptos, Capitola, Soquel, Monterey and Carmel) – plus, we travel throughout the Bay Area as well. I work with small local families, and I often cater to large, multi-generation families that come here from out of town. I’ve worked with thousands of big and small families, and have amassed almost 200 5-star reviews on Yelp, so I guess I’m doing something right. Right? You may be wondering, how much do family photographers cost? In short, there are many cheaper photographers than me, and there are no shortage of more expensive ones. I try to have packages that cover most budgets, you can review them here. Like what you see?

I promise this will NOT be a stressful photo shoot

I know what you're thinking – my kids, my family isn't like all the pretty portfolio pics on this page. Listen, for every portfolio-worthy image I get, there's at least 15 in-between shots where half the people aren't looking at the camera, or a child is crying, or a 4-year-old boy has decided to run off waving a newly-discovered stick in the air, only to be chased down by dad. I've experienced snot pouring from noses, streaks of tears pouring down little red faces, stressed parents, and sympathetic – yet, glad-they're-not-my-responsibility expressions on grandparents. 

I simply ask you to put a little trust in me, your friendly camera-man, to dig deep into my well of patience and bring out the best in your family. My secret is a combination of zen-like patience, confidence that comes from experience,  and being lightning quick – it's pretty rare that I can't come out of any session without some real gems. Worst-case scenario, I offer you a reshoot at no additional charge. If you still aren't happy, I'll refund your investment. I can comfortably offer this guarantee because I rarely need to use it.

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San Francisco to Carmel

We're based in Santa Cruz, so the vast majority of our clients prefer to tap into our local knowledge of all the best locations to take portraits. However, we know you have your own special places, and it's not unusual for us to travel all over the Bay Area to photograph our clients at their homes, places of business, local parks or other private & public locales. 

So – come to our neck of the woods, or we'll come to yours. The bottom line is we want to make you look amazing! 

General Availability

Weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) are a precious commodity, so if I'm not shooting a wedding I'm spending time with my own family (we hope you understand). All non-wedding shoots are typicaly scheduled during the week (Monday through Friday). This includes families, portraits, most events, most commercial and editorial work. Exceptions can be made – so it doesn't hurt to call and ask (831) 216-6210. Keep in mind that most portrait sessions happen about an hour before sunset – so most families can work around this when scheduling in advance.

Click here to see our availability and make a no-cost reservation. If you have questions that aren’t addressed on our FAQ page,  go ahead and contact us and we’ll email you back quickly (or call / text (831) 216-6210. If you’ve read everything above and you’re like, “Chris – I just want to see your pricing before reaching out,” then simply click here.

About GoodEye Photography:

Chris Schmauch here (yeah, that's me and my adorable family right there), owner of GoodEye Photography. I shoot all kinds of subjects throughout the year – 25 to 30 weddings, lots of family portraits and plenty of commercial / corporate / editorial photography for the business community. It doesn't matter if I'm shooting food, little kids, or huge weddings – I love it all! And I prefer being busy throughout the year so I stay on top of my game.

I often shoot more than one job per day (I average 200+ shoots per year), so just because your day seems to be taken, don't hesitate to contact me. At the very least, if I'm not available I can refer you to a trusted professional.