Almost three years into living here in the Bay Area, and I’m still horribly sentimental about the sights and sounds that come with living at the edge of the world. I’m so glad I got to share this experience with Carly and Luis, who traveled all the way to San Francisco from Atlanta, GA for their engagement session. There were so many moments during our time together where it felt like the entire city was celebrating their arrival! We started our session at Sutro Baths, which was about the emptiest I’ve ever seen it on a sunny weekend evening. We had an amazing time exploring those old bathhouse ruins and watching the tide come in. For our second location, we hopped in a car and drove over the Golden Gate Bridge and into the Marin Headlands. Can you believe those coastal views?!

I honestly kind of love it when my couples warn me beforehand that they’ve never had a formal portrait session done before, or don’t consider themselves photogenic (I’m calling you out CARLY). To me, it’s the kind of challenge that always seems to be the most meaningful to tackle. My favorite part of what I do is getting to show my clients how I – and the people who love them most – see them. I think there’s a certain combination of factors that makes a HUGE difference on how we see ourselves in photos, whether that’s setting the right mood for a session, carefully listening to client opinions, or providing little tips and advice here and there on ideal lighting.

I’m so grateful for how these two trusted me with planning these photos and their portrait locations. These are seriously some of my favorite engagement photos and I absolutely can’t wait for Carly and Luis’ wedding in Atlanta later this fall! Enjoy!