Cutting the Christmas Tree at Radonich Ranch
I followed a family into the Santa Cruz Mountains to cut a Christmas tree and document the day as it happened. No posed moments, no staged smiles — just the small, honest actions that make a family outing feel like a story. The goal was simple: capture the action, the light, and the way the place shaped the day.
The ranch sits low and green in winter light, a place that rewards patience and movement. I moved with the family rather than in front of them — shooting from the edge of the action and staying ready for the quick, unrepeatable moments. Natural light did the rest: backlit needles, a brief rim of sun through the trees, breath visible in the cold.
Because these images were intended for social sharing, the sequence favors immediacy: short, kinetic frames of motion, close details of hands and gear, and wider frames that place the family in the landscape. The result reads like a short film — a series of honest frames that, together, tell the story of a single, well‑spent morning.
What I focused on as a photographer
• Action over pose: keep the camera moving and trust the moment.
• Natural light: use available light to shape faces and texture, not to flatten them.
• Place as character: show the ranch and the trail as part of the story, not just a backdrop.
• Shareable sequence: create images that work individually for social posts and together as a gallery.
We finished tired, cold, and smiling — a tree ready for the living room and an afternoon that felt like a small adventure.
If the outdoors is part of your story, I make natural‑light portraits that reflect it. Inquire: matthew@matthewduncan.net
An opportunity for bonding - mother and daughter.
Hands on the saw — everyone leans in for the cut.
Shoulder load — everybody helping!
Heading back to the car.
Heading back to the car.
Carrying and passing — small actions that make the story.
Strapping it down — getting the tree ready for the ride home.
Finish line — Hot chocolate stop before heading home.