engagements
For Ree and Osceola’s engagement session, we chose my favorite redwood grove in the Oakland Hills. They, too, find nature a grounding force so it felt right to spend some time among the trees. They arrived on that cool spring morning barefoot and dressed in gorgeous bright outfits that popped against the dark forested backdrop.
For Becky and Sam’s engagement session, I met up with them in the Outer Sunset as they wanted capture some photos of the first home they shared together. They were planning to move to Gualala in the next month and this shoot would be a love letter to the San Francisco neighborhood that shaped them. We wandered the streets nearby before heading over a few blocks away for a lovely sunset at Ocean Beach. I couldn’t have picked a better way to say good bye to one chapter of their lives.
Amigail and Alan met up with me on a warm summer day at Lands End for their sunset engagement session. We wandered around under the cypress trees and ocean cliffside before a quick outfit change for the Sutro Bath ruins. We couldn’t have asked for a more lovely evening!
Lexie and Tyler decided that North Beach would be the perfect backdrop for their engagement session. As it’s the neighborhood where they live with their sweet dog, Louie, Lexie and Tyler wanted to feature the place where their relationship blossomed. We wandered around the streets and alleyways taking in the beautiful sunset views that North Beach has to offer, some of which were new for me. (Hot tip: Get a local to show you the non-touristy vista points!) We wrapped up the shoot with some pizza on the street from one of their joints. Always fun to see different corners of San Francisco. Looking forward to their wedding in a few weeks!
I first met Erin and Real when they booked one of my holiday mini sessions last winter. After enjoying their time with me on that foggy, wet morning in the redwoods, they decided they wanted to work together again for their wedding next year. And even though they loved their photos from their mini session, they wanted a sunnier engagement session featuring the city that they love. We met on a lovely summer evening in North Beach where we explore tiny parks and gorgeous brick alleyways before wrapping up the shoot at one my favorite North Beach intersections for that classic Transamerica Building shot.
Lands End is one of the more popular engagement session locations in San Francisco but every time I visit, it always looks a bit different. For Hilary and Simon’s summer engagement session, we explored the cypress trees and the cliffside on an unusually warm and hazy evening.
Stephanie and Kirk love spending time at Ocean Beach so we chose to do a quick engagement session at sunset among the sand dunes. I can’t wait to share their Muir Woods elopement soon!
Jin and Kevin met at Stanford while practicing wushu and taiji, two forms of Chinese martial arts. For their engagement session, we chose the beautiful Stanford University campus where they spent many hours at wushu practice growing their relationship together. The afternoon started with their sweet cat who expertly walked on a leash before hanging out in a bubble backpack for the rest of the shoot. (Big thanks to their friends for helping carry kitty around!) After some photos around the Memorial Court, we headed over to the campus meditation building, also known as the Windhover Contemplative Center. This spot on campus was where Kevin proposed to Jin so we made sure to spend extra time there. We also made sure to showcase Kevin’s sword collection while he demonstrated wushu moves. They told me their wedding will feature a lot of wushu and other performances and I can’t wait!
I met up with Brenda and Micah on a warm spring afternoon in Tilden Park for our engagement session together. The sun was setting in the canyon as we explored the trail to Jewel Lake. After a long winter, it was so lovely to see the park alive with greenery.
June Gloom came early for this Alamo Square mini engagement session. But considering we were trying to capture the iconic San Francisco skyline behind the Painted Ladies, the addition of Karl the Fog was fitting. I can’t wait for their Marin Headlands elopement next month!
Teddy and Claire met up with me on a warm spring morning for our redwood grove engagement session. Our session was part of my “Give Back” mini sessions where couples donate $200 to a charity of their choice in exchange for a 20 minute engagement session. It may not seem like a lot of time, but with the redwoods, I have my favorite spots to make our shoots go by efficiently. Teddy and Claire chose the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center. Thank you for supporting our local community!
Jen and Joe spent one of their first dates at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve exploring the tide pools and taking in the coastal views. For their engagement session, we headed back with their sweet golden doodle, Nala for some sunset portraits. The park was quiet and practically empty when we arrived which made the evening sunset glow between trees even more magical feeling.
