about

here’s a little about me

A woman with long blond hair sitting in an open door of a vintage cream-colored Volkswagen Beetle parked on the side of a road with desert landscape and hills in the background.

Hey, I'm Courtney Bow

I’m a portrait photographer + videographer based in Santa Cruz, California.

I got my first camera in elementary school and fell in love. I would have photoshoots with my friends throughout middle school and high school which led to me to photographing my first wedding when I was 17. 


I moved to and fell in love with Santa Cruz right after getting my BFA and jumped right into figuring out how to start a business. I’ve captured hundreds of weddings, families, and brands and honestly feel like I have the best job in the world. My business has evolved into photographing amazing people while also helping small businesses with their brand strategy and fellow creatives navigate the world of entrepreneurship. So whether you’re looking to collaborate on a project or someone who wants to build a brand with your art, I’m stoked you’re here and excited to see what we create together.
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Clouds in the sky with varying shapes and sizes, some fluffy and white, with a light blue sky background.
A young woman with blonde hair wearing sunglasses, a brown leather jacket, and dark jeans, making a playful face with her tongue out at a marina with boats in the background.
A young girl with blonde hair wearing shorts and a tank top touches the base of a giant redwood tree in a dense forest.
A woman with long blonde hair sitting on the ground in a forest clearing during sunset, wearing a mustard yellow dress, with trees and sun in the background.
A young woman with long blonde hair wearing sunglasses, a white t-shirt, and a skirt standing on a sidewalk by a harbor, with boats and a hillside with buildings in the background.
Three people swimming in the water at a beach, with a crowded sandy shore, palm trees, and buildings in the background, and an American flag to the right.
A woman with long blonde hair standing on a beach, looking through a camera, in front of a harbor with boats, a rocky hill with houses, palm trees, and string lights overhead.
A smiling man and a young girl sitting on a sandy beach. The man is shirtless, wearing red shorts, and sunglasses, holding a sandwich. The girl has blonde hair tied up and is wearing a sleeveless top and shorts. In the background, there are beach towels, backpacks, and palm trees, with a clear blue sky.

i come from a family of entrepreneurs.

My great grandma's family immigrated to the United States from Arsoli, Italy in 1907. My Nana was 16 when her parents passed away and her twin brothers, Michael and Angelo were put in an orphanage. My Nana visited the orphanage one day to take the twins for a car ride but never took them back. They ended up moving to California and starting Italian restaurants on Catalina Island. I feel so lucky to have strong entrepreneur examples to look to and still have family on Catalina. I visit the island every year and always feel so connected to the people who paved the way for me to build a beautiful life on the California coast.

A woman and a young girl standing next to a large sign advertising Caruso restaurant and Italian dinner specials, including soup, ravioli, spaghetti, veal, salads, desert, and coffee, with prices.
A vintage black and white family portrait featuring a man, a woman, and eight children, with some children sitting and others standing, dressed in old-fashioned clothing.
Black and white photo of three young boys in suits standing in front of a brick wall with painted signage for a restaurant, reading 'YVILLA MARTHA RESTAURANT, GENUINE AMERICA ' HAN DINNERS, ST. LA' with some additional text partially visible.