Premier Photography for Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur & The Bay area
John on the 17th hole at The Links At Spanish Bay.
Insta - @highorbitmedia
Twitter - @highorbitmedia
My name is John Ruddock and I grew up right on the California coast in Half Moon Bay. Inspired by its beauty, I fell in love with video and photography at an early age and later received my BA in film from San Jose State. I have sense moved my focus to photography. Because of my degree in film, I bring a very cinematic eye to my images. When I’m photographing my clients I think to myself, “If this were in a movie what would be THE shot? What would be the one that really tells the story?”
I really enjoy photographing the Monterey Bay area as there’s so much it offers. You have the sandy, calm beaches in Monterey and not too far away there’s the scenic, rocky shore of Pacific Grove. A little further south down Highway 1 you’ll find Carmel Beach which is always a fantastic location and is very popular with my clients. There are countless State Parks and vista points that make for great proposal destinations. I could go on and on. I am so lucky to live on the central coast and am stoked to be able to photograph you here.
The name “High Orbit Media” came from my love of astronomy and all things space. In 2019 I moved from San Jose to Salinas where I live with my 2 cats, 1 dog, and 1 wife. I can easily cover your needs from the Bay Area to Big Sur. Whatever you do, tap one of the buttons below to get started! Let’s make you look good!
“John is truly a professional. He is very personable and very talented at his craft. He captured captivating photographs of my daughter's wedding with ease that we will treasure forever. He shot beautiful angles, in the best light and which gave us flattering shots. He was engaging and created a unique experience which put everyone at ease capturing magical moments that produced stunning photographs. I would very much recommend him to anyone that wants a true gifted professional to create a unique photography experience.”
-Jan
I was recently named by peerspace as one of the
top 8 best sports photographers
in the south bay!
Check out the article right here:
November’s Featured Photo
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is aglow over the city of Monterey, California at dusk.
October highlights!
Moody couple’s session along 17 Mile Drive.
Wedding photos at the Monterey Stone Chapel.
Popping some bubbly on Carmel Beach!
The fog lifted for this view and she said yes!
Five Star Review
“John was such a pleasure to work with for our engagement photos. He was very personable and professional. We ran into issues that were out of our control and John was able to quickly remedy them. We weren't able to do the photoshoot at the planned location and John suggested a new spot which turned out to be perfect. It was great to have John instructing us on how to pose for the photos since it can feel awkward to have a camera pointing at you and not knowing what to do. He also gave us the freedom to do any poses that wanted too. It felt very comfortable and natural having him photograph us. The photos turned out well beyond our expectations. We're so happy that John was the one to capture such a special moment for us. Don't hesitate to book him for any of your future special moments!”
-Jonathan
My Best Images Of 2024
Soaring Through The Gauntlet. A pelican avoids the spray of the Pacific Ocean off the rugged California coast.
“Working with High Orbit Media was such a seamless process. From the moment we started inquiring, John was very professional and attentive via phone call, emails, and text. During our wedding day, he took phenomenal photos and he made us feel at ease without any extra stress. During the reception John was actively taking pictures of the venue, our guests, and special requests from our friends and family. Our family and guests love the photos he took (we have been sharing the digital link!)”
-Elizabeth
“Awesome experience for our surprise wedding proposal shoot in Monterey. John was on-time, hidden initially, and took amazing photos that we will have for the rest of our lives. After the initial proposal, he had us do various things for 30 minutes to take additional photos. All of which came out great. After the shoot, he has been responsive and helpful with downloading the photos. Highly recommend.”
-Luke
Engagements
Engagement sessions are included with two of the wedding investments I offer.
“John was very professional and did a great job on my surprise proposal photos. John was very very nice and punctual and always responded to my questions and took the time to explain how he works and how we can pull off this very special surprise on Carmel beach. John’s work and quality is very good and his prices are excellent. I highly recommend John for any event and will use him again in the future.”
-Jesse
“John was great, easy to work with, a lovely guy and his work is of a very high quality. I would highly recommend him!”
-Rachel
“John photographed our family and did a beautiful job capturing both portrait and candid shots. He had beautiful ideas of what to capture and did a great job in the space that we requested. He traveled to the spot and was flexible and patient with the young kids.”
-Natalie
“John was amazing from the very beginning! Great transparency & open communication every step of the way. Both my niece—high school senior pics— and I—professional pics—booked a session with him on the same day. The whole experience was awesome and the photos were absolutely amazing! I highly recommend John and his stunning photography.”
- Mario
“John was great to work with and I appreciated his willingness to shoot in various locations on the UCSC campus. He also showed me the pictures on his camera periodically which was great. He has a great eye for the backgrounds and framing of photos as well as poses! I definitely recommend him for graduate portraits and family photo shoots.”
-Divya
Blogs
Informative and relevant blogs by photographer John Ruddock.
Based in Salinas, CA.
High Orbit Media Advertisement
It’s not just photography. If your business needs sharp new video content for your social media or landing page, High Orbit Media has you covered. Here’s an example of what I shot for Fusion Steel Design.
“We brought in John to develop our company website by integrating professional pictures and video and the results are nothing short of amazing. He was fantastic to work with and is highly recommended by our whole team.”
-Tyson, VP of Fusion Steel Design
COVID-19
Last year during the thick of Covid I made this video for a physical therapist in Monterey. If you need a video like this, it doesn’t have to be Covid related, contact me today and let’s talk about your project.
The Reviews Are In
“We loved working with John. He was professional and creative. He had cool suggestions for poses and different locations. We received the pictures in a timely manner and we’re very happy with the results. 10/10 recommended”.
-Karen, Salinas
“John was such a pleasure to work with for our engagement photos. He was very personable and professional. We ran into issues that were out of our control and John was able to quickly remedy them. We weren't able to do the photoshoot at the planned location and John suggested a new spot which turned out to be perfect. It was great to have John instructing us on how to pose for the photos since it can feel awkward to have a camera pointing at you and not knowing what to do. He also gave us the freedom to do any poses that wanted too. It felt very comfortable and natural having him photograph us. The photos turned out well beyond our expectations. We're so happy that John was the one to capture such a special moment for us. Don't hesitate to book him for any of your future special moments!”
- Jonathan, Los Angeles
“We did a couples photo shoot to announce our pregnancy. John met us all the way at Pinnacles National Park and completed a 2.5 mile hike with us! He went above and beyond. Always responded quickly, showed up early to our appointment and returned the photos very promptly. We had a lot of fun on the hike and had a great time talking with each other. He made us feel very comfortable and most of all the photos turned FANTASTIC! Couldn’t stop smiling looking through them.”
-Kaitlin, Scott’s Valley
“Obviously I haven’t read the 2,000 comments, and I’m sure there are many that say something about John and this fantastic production, but I really felt that I had to add my own comment. Just as IMAX film itself is way beyond standard cinema, John shows how showing an IMAX film is an incredibly complex process. He also shows the care and diligence required by an operator. Yet he does this in a manner and style of imaging that makes the whole thing so easy to follow - even for people who may have no idea how a film projector of any kind works. He also makes it interesting, so that you want to keep watching it to the end - That’s the mark of a good film-maker!”
-Jerry, on The Incredible Process of How a GIANT 70mm IMAX Film is Played
"I have had the privilege to work with John on a wide range of feature, short, and commercial productions. On over 70 sets, with more than 200 days of shooting, John always demonstrated a high level of competence and attention to detail while continuing to keep the audience's and clients' vision close at hand. I not only view John as a very talented and creative professional, but as someone I can absolutely rely on to deliver his best work every time he sets out on a new production."
-Aaron, Copperopolis
"John is an incredibly talented videographer, and one of my closest friends. I have been watching videos he has produced for over 15 years now and they have all been very well done and very professional. He really went above and beyond for our wedding and delivered an absolutely incredible video my wife and I to enjoy for years down the road. I would highly recommend John for whatever project you have to capture on video. From documentaries to scenic videos to weddings. His work truly speaks for itself."
-Stacy, Cameron Park
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