Today we’d like to introduce you to Natasha Lozanoff.
Hi Natasha, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’m Natasha Lozanoff, a wedding, elopement, family, and portrait photographer based in Santa Cruz, California. My path into photography has always been deeply connected to nature, movement, and adventure. I remember receiving an Olympus Stylus from my mom when I was 8 years old and starting my longest standing interest – photography
Before photographing weddings full-time, I spent years working as an ecologist, a backpacking, climbing, and kayaking guide that took me all around the US and the world in my 20s. I studied both Ecology and Photography at the University of Washington, and that blend of art and environment still shapes everything I create today. I have documented dance (I am the main film photographer documenting Western Wednesday at Moes Alley in Santa Cruz), climbing, and boxing. In these fast-paced environments, I love how intentional you have to be in documenting. Always one step ahead of the action, anticipating the perfect frame and moment.
I’m inspired by honest connection, by landscapes that hold meaning, and by the fleeting emotional moments that pass too quickly. Weddings are full of those moments. I love focusing on the the joy of celebration unfolding naturally.
Film has always been part of my personal work, long before it became part of my professional offerings. Adding it into weddings has been incredibly meaningful, especially as film has had such a resurgence. I think people are craving something tangible again. In a world where so much of life happens through screens and online interaction, film feels like a return to presence.
At the heart of my work is helping couples feel seen and giving them a record of their love that feels alive and not contrived. I think of weddings not only just of the love and ritual between two people, but also the importance of documenting all their most important people in their life that have helped them get to where they are today.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I love photography for the artistic expression, and when I decided to do it full-time for work, I didn’t realize the extent I would also have to take on the business side of things. It has been a slow and arduous process to learn how to be an entrepreneur. I’ve grown to love it and embrace the multitudes of this profession.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Film is a core part of my wedding work. I offer hybrid coverage because I love blending the reliability and flexibility of digital with the artistry of film.
Many couples come to me because they want their wedding images to feel timeless, not trendy. Film brings editorial richness and documentary realism that elevates a gallery in a really special way. It’s especially beautiful proven in portraits, golden hour, and those quiet in-between moments.
Film isn’t just an add-on for me. It’s part of how I tell the story. It is included in all my wedding coverage packages. It is so much about the narrative storytelling part of wedding photography for me. Film also helps me slow down to really capture those images that set my work apart.
I also am known for my emotional connection to my couples. They often talk about how fun the photoshoots are when they were expecting it to be uncomfortable and rigid. I love to meet couples where they are at. No forcing poses or ways of being. I am most proud of a couple telling me it was their first time they ever liked pictures taken of themselves during their proposal/engagement shoot, and for that reason are hiring me to document their Maine wedding because they trust me. Being a wedding photographer is so intimate, and it means so much when my couples trust my creative process and also feel like they can just be themselves. That’s why my work feels relatable and why couples find and book me.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I moved from Canada at the age of 6 to Hawaii, which was a big change to say the least. I grew up in Hawaii and feel so thankful for being around so many different cultures and the amazing outdoors.
I was an inquisitive little one. Always asking questions and exploring. I remember in fourth grade I was doing three sports – gymnastics, tennis, and outrigger canoe paddling, and realized it was too much. This theme seems to have stayed true throughout my life. I have always had so many interests. I was a jock, a punk, and a nerd in high school. I studied hard in school while still having lots of fun. I picked up a camera at the age of 8, and then in high school, my friend wanted to model, so I started taking photos of her. Word and photos spread, and I became a photographer for so many of my peers who were trying to model or have senior portraits taken. My hula teacher also found these images and asked me to be the photographer for his hula school, which led to me going on an East Coast tour with them, which I think fondly of my beginnings as a professional photographer.
I was also a daydreamer as a kid and was always looking for the next adventure. Another aspect that has followed through to my everyday life.
Pricing:
- Average spending for my wedding photography is 7k
- Photos sessions (includes engagements, proposals, maternity, family) start at 850
- Elopements Start at 3k
Contact Info:
- Website: https://natashalozanoff.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natashalozanoffphoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natashalozanoffphoto/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@natashalozanoff5463
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/natasha-lozanoff-santa-cruz
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@natashalozanoffphoto
