I know that this is a ridiculously long post for an engagement session, but these two looked so good in every single frame, so I had to share them all. Emily and Zac flew from Boston for this session so I knew that there wouldn’t be any re-scheduling if the weather didn’t co-operate, but thankfully it turned out to be one of those amazing fall days in California full of lovely light. The second I saw these two, with all of their chemistry together and their awesome outfits, I knew that it was going to be an amazing afternoon. Indiana at The Makeup Dolls did a beautiful job with Emily’s hair and makeup and I loved that they brought a vintage Corvette too add some Mad Men inspired sexy to the shoot. We had so much fun at each of the locations, but I think my favorite was our last stop when we got to witness the most beautiful sunset on a beach that we had all to ourselves. I’m beyond excited to document their wedding day at Hans Fahden Winery in Calistoga next year, and I’m preparing myself now for the painful process of choosing favorites when a couple is as photogenic as these two are.
Tag Archives: wilder ranch
jackie & matt | santa cruz engagement session
Jackie and Matt live in Memphis, but are getting married at the Hollins House at the Pasatiempo Golf Club next year so they wanted their engagement photos to show the coastal beauty of the area. I’m happy to report that California co-operated perfectly that day with its warm weather and amazing golden light. All we needed was one camera, two people in love and 3 locations with three outfit changes (minus two pairs of shoes that were accidentally forgotten, but thankfully bare feet look best at the beach and my shoes looked great with Jackie’s last look.) This was one of those days that made me feel so thankful to live in such a beautiful town, and thankful that I chose a job that often doesn’t feel like work. Jackie and Matt, I had a blast with you both and I can’t wait to document your big day next year!
lara & anthony | engagement session | santa cruz
I think this has to be my new favorite engagement session…and that would explain why I’ve included just about every single photo from that session into this post. This was one of those fortuitous and inspiring days and I loved the company I was able to spend it with. Things didn’t seem so promising at the start though, as I had arrived early to find a huge fog bank moving towards our location. I was sure that within minutes the blue skies would turn grey and poor Lara would freeze in her summer dress, but thankfully we were able to start sooner than planned and the fog stayed at the perfect distance and diffused the light in the most amazing way and only started to sweep in just as we were packing up.
I’m convinced that there is no better way to start an engagement session than with a tandem bike. I loved all of the props that Lara and Anthony brought to the day, like their vintage blanket and custom banner, but my favorite one was the old frame that Lara randomly found on the ground when we were shooting near some hay bails. It was such a perfect fit for their vintage-inspired style that they’re planning on using it at their wedding too. Double score. Props can’t make a picture though, but personalities can, and Lara’s and Anthony’s definitely did. They both showed their sweetness, their humor and their love…and they could go from sultry to goofy in two seconds flat. I blame those two personalities and their photogenic ways for making it so hard to choose favorites and to keep my blog post brief.
katrina & robbie | engagement | santa cruz photographer
Katrina and Robbie are both talented visual artists working in the film industry, so I was excited (and slightly intimidated) to get creative with their engagement portraits. I really wanted them to love their images, and I think by just documenting them doing some of the activities they enjoy together, we were able to really capture who they are as a couple. Robbie is from the UK and he loves to have a beer or two at the pub, so we started at the Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery. There’s nothing like a pint to ease the awkwardness of having a camera follow your every move and to help amplify the fun. We then headed over to Wilder Ranch to wander around the old farmstead and do some crossword puzzles in the orchard. We followed the sun to where it set over the coastline and watched the full moon rise into the dusk light. It was one of those atmospheric evenings, one that made me feel so incredibly lucky to get to meet cool people, go to cool places and simply document love for a living.