Anything new you want to experience together?

I love when our sessions double as a chance to experience something new as a couple. It makes the memories that much sweeter AND you get to keep beautiful photos to remind you of it.

For R + C, that meant visiting a SoCal beach together. They originally met in Japan during his work trip, and she had only been living in California for a couple months when we did their engagement session. Since they were planning their wedding in Laguna Beach, it felt perfect to take their photos at Crystal Cove State Beach. It’s one of the most stunning and spacious beach locations in Southern California that I highly recommend to all my nature couples! (And yes, the sunsets here are GORGEOUS!)

Even though they were a little shy at first, the excitement of being at such a beautiful spot together brought out the best in them. I guided them gently, and it was such a wholesome experience to see them being so present and interpreting my suggestions/ideas in their own way. Their reactions to the previews said it all, especially when he admitted the experience was going so much better than he thought. It’s completely normal for photos to feel a bit harder for men, so it meant the world to hear how comfortable he felt and how happy they both were with the results!

I was also grateful to connect with her in Japanese, which helped put them both at ease because there was no language barrier to worry about. By the end of the evening, it didn’t feel like just any engagement shoot; it felt like a glimpse of what their life together in California would look like. Watching her take in the gorgeous SoCal sunset, smiling the entire time, was such a wholesome reminder of why I love what I do.