I grew up between climates and cultures, which is why I think I feel at home anywhere — a redwood grove, a Big Sur clifftop, a backyard in the East Bay, in the heart of San Francisco. Growing up I was relentlessly competitive (younger sister energy, IYKYK), which eventually pushed me toward ecology sciences and photography, which then led to me hauling camera gear into remote places around the world. I've been photographing weddings since 2017, but before that I spent years leading wilderness trips for luxury tour companies - guiding groups through places with no cell service, learning to read people as well as landscapes. Turns out that's exactly what wedding photography is.
Hi, I'm Natasha. Canadian born. Hawaiian raised. Santa Cruz rooted. Former wilderness guide and avid film photographer.
meet your santa cruz Wedding Photographer
I didn't come to photography through weddings. I came through the wilderness, a film camera, and a group of strangers I was responsible for getting home safely.
Why i got started in this biz
For years my job was to lead people through places that were genuinely wild... think remote trails, open water, terrain that had no margin for a bad call. You learn a lot about people in those situations. You learn when someone needs direction and when they need space. You learn how to keep a group calm when something goes sideways. You learn how to find beauty in the middle of chaos because that's just where it lives. I had a film camera with me almost the entire time.
The wilderness taught me how to read a room. Turns out that works pretty well at weddings too.
Backpacking
Kickboxing
Wildlife rehabbing
Traveling
Rock climbing
Salsa dancing
Photographing concerts
Horseback riding
In my spare time you can find me...
1. Bad Bunny
2. Espresso, Sabrina Carpenter
3. Hot To Go!, Chappel Roan
4. 360, Charli XCX
6. listening on repeat
1. Ko'olu Mountains
2. Tuolomne Meadows
3. Washington Pass
4. Wherever nature takes me
5. favorite hiking spots
4. I love to spend weekends...
3. next on my bucket list
a. Heated Rivalry
b. The Pitt
c. Jury Duty
d. Also all of the above
2. TV guilty pleasure
a. coffee
b. boba
c. sparkling water
d. all of the above
1. Drink of choice
Let's see if we have anything in common...
Weeklong horsepacking in New Zealand
out in nature climbing, backpacking, or snowboarding
a. coffee
b. boba
c. sparkling water
d. all of the above
What I mean by that is... I'm not hovering at the edges waiting for the designated moments. I'm in it with you. I'm cracking up at your uncle's toast, getting low to photograph the flower girl who's given up entirely on her duties, noticing the way your person looks at you when they don't realize anyone's watching. That's the stuff that makes a gallery feel like a memory instead of a highlight reel. If you want someone who treats your wedding like it matters to them personally (because well, it does) - that's exactly how I work.
I photograph your people like they're my people
