Family sessions at Panther Beach work for the adventurous-family type — the kind who don't mind a 5-minute walk down a cliff path for a photo set that doesn't look like everyone else's. The wide flat beach gives kids room to run; the arches and tide pools give the older kids something to explore between portraits. Best at low tide.
You may see a few photos from nearby locations here. Many shoots span multiple spots in the same session.
Mini family sessions (5 files, 30 min) start at $500 weekday. Standard (25 files, ~1 hr) is $1,050 weekday / $1,350 weekend. Hang With Chris (full day, all files) is $3,250.
Panther Beach
Pick what you're planning and we'll pull up the right pricing. Not sure yet? Start with a free 10-minute call.
Where we shoot, on a map
Panther Beach is a working coastal landscape, not a manicured destination. Deep red sandstone cliffs carved into hollows and arches. Rewards the adventurous, gently punishes everyone else.
Most of Highway 1 between Santa Cruz and Davenport rolls past mile after mile of pretty-but-bland coastline. Panther is the exception. The cliffs here are a different geology entirely: deep red sandstone, shaped by relentless wave action into hollows, arches, and tunnels. The headline feature is "the hole" (also called "hole in the wall"), a giant portal carved through the southern bluff that lets you walk from one stretch of beach to another. Stand inside it at golden hour and the red rock glows in a way you won't see anywhere else on this coast.
The lay of the land
Logistics & comfort
Parking
Pull-off space on both sides of Hwy 1 near Rodoni Farms, never full. From there it's about a 10-minute walk south to the trail down. (May 2026: the official Panther Beach lot is closed for renovation — this will resolve eventually.)
Where we meet
For most shoots we meet roadside at Rodoni Farms, by the cars, and walk down to the trailhead together (the trailhead itself is unmarked and easy to miss alone). For surprise proposals, I head down ahead of you and wait on the beach, dressed casually so I blend in. You walk in like you're just exploring, and I'll already be in position by the time you arrive.
The walk in
Two routes down. The more direct path can be walked without using your hands, just careful footing. The other route has been eroded by seasonal water drainage and includes sections where you'll need to crab-walk down or take a few big steps. Both have seasonal poison oak in spring and summer, usually not enough to block the path. The hike back up takes about twice as long as the descent.
Weather call
I shoot in any wind, advisory only. The real cancellation flags are heavy storms or high tides that cut off the south beach entirely. If conditions force a reschedule, you'll hear from me by morning. Fog softens the scene rather than ruining it.
One time I had a guy who was dead set on proposing inside the hole. We had the timing, the light, the ring, everything. He went down on one knee, opened the box, and a sneaker wave hit us. He held on. She said yes anyway. The shots stand as a quiet warning to other adventurous guys.
