As a photographer, you always hope to work with wonderful people who happen to love each other; really, if you have that, you’re going to be able to make something beautiful with them. If those clients trust you and can see themselves in your work, that is icing on the cake. We are so fortunate that Catherine and Jeyel were just this type of couple.

When we broached the subject of their engagement session with them, Catherine and Jeyel immediately expressed that they wanted to do something in the city, but not necessarily with anything identifiably San Francisco. This sounded great to us, knowing that in these limitations was actually carte blanche to really dig deeply into the lest often photographed environs of The City. After throwing around a few ideas, we settled on making this San Francisco engagement session localized around the Financial District, adjacent Embarcadero Center and newly refreshed swath along The Embarcadero from Piers 15 to 27. These areas are actually quite a distance apart, especially if you’re walking around in heels, but luckily Catherine and Jeyel were planning on making an evening of it with us.

Catherine and Jeyel actually proposed that we start the evening with a couple drinks at Wayfare Tavern, which was a masterstroke. This set the tone for the shoot as "new friends on the town" with some business to discuss. Maybe. We put back a few drinks (Bulleit Old Fashioned, thank you very much!) at the house that TyFlo built, and we were well on our way through the canyons between the buildings of the San Francisco Financial District.

Early on, it was apparent that it actually didn’t matter where we shot with these two; they were going to be great on camera and our mix of cool/sexy/sweet anywhere. Just find some light, and GO! April and I were so glad to hearfrom Catherine and Jeyel that they felt that we understood how they wanted to be seen; I think this went a long way to how well they fit on any backdrop we put them on. They looked appropriately edgy on the weathered brick alleys just north of the Transamerica building, but looked sophisticated enough to play well under lights and the austere faćades of Embarcadero Center. We found our way to Vaillancourt Fountain, which while out of commission and dry, was where Cat & Jey managed to give us maybe the most distinctive image of the shoot.

We were inspired by imposing, square hewn, serpentine-postured water outlets that visually contained Cat & Jey’s verve and passion for each other. It was welcoming and not in the center of the frame, and cold towards the edges that was undeniably beautiful, if not unconventionally so. There was not soft light, round edges, or smooth gradients; there was stark and dramatic contrasts, rough and interesting textures, and just hard purposeful light. It was really this vibe of being cool and unexpected that came to be emblematic of this couple.

The evening ended the way it began, with some drinks between friends at Fog City near Pier 27. It was a perfect way to say good bye for now; lucky us, we'll be there for their wedding day next year. We know to expect a lot of style and chic, but more importantly, the simple joy of people who belong together.

-Joseph & April