Gabriella + Andrew - Santa Cruz, CA - Lighthouse Field State Beach, UCSC Engagement

People often express that they are uncomfortable in front of a camera, so we’ve learned how to coach our couples through their engagement session to great result, but we’re always learning.  The lessons come infrequently, but they’re always when they come.  In this way, Gabriella and Andrew were an education in joy; specifically that you can’t control it, you can only hope to contain it.

It’s a testament to their relationship and truly deep connection that in they’re time with us, they were always laughing together.  They were downright charming how they’d try to keep it together for us, but more often than not, they would both break out in laughter.  That’s not to say that they would let go of each other; if anything we found that they actually came closer together, grabbed onto the other a little more and tighter.  This worked out great for us once we figured to really embrace the lighthearted sincerity between them.

It was clear that this phenomena of falling closer together for comfort was a manifestation of what they meant to each other; they’re engaged to marry, but you also get the sense they’re best friends.  We can’t think of a better, more fun dynamic between couples, and that their relationship is beautifully expressed in this obvious joy makes thema lot of fun.  We should all be so lucky!

We spent time at their Alma Mater, UCSC, and Lighthouse Field State Beach, and they were fun incarnate.  It felt like catching up with old friends as we explored campus and the beach, and had just a great time.  We couldn’t help share the laughs with them, and their joy proved to be wonderfully infectious.    As we worked them, we saw a strong dramatic side, but we always came back to the laid back joy that defines them.  We became grateful for their easy going nature when we miscalculated the reach of the waves on the beach, that caused Andrew to unwittingly sacrifice his dry shoes/socks to the photoshoot gods.  In a fashion we came to expect, this turn of events didn’t result in any more than grins, laughter, and being thankful for being able to share the experience with us.

We couldn’t ask for more from an early evening hangout by the beach, and we can’t wait to be with them for their wedding day this Fall.

Erica + Ryan - San Francisco, CA - Palace of Fine Arts, Downtown SF Engagement

After a quick meeting over a Google Hangout, we felt a little bit of pressure when it came time to meet Erica and Ryan in person; Ryan grew up in the Bay Area, but now lives in the heart of a rejuvenated and bustling Downtown Los Angeles.  We had some work to do to impress Ryan in his hometown against the backdrop of his current dig with Erica, and chose a cool bar in the Mission District.  Unfortunately, when we arrived at Laszlo we were greeted by construction signs that told us they were closed for renovations.  The rough start to our evening was our fault, but Erica and Ryan rolled with it, and as a group we rallied to another bar nearby.  Situation averted, GOOD TIMES CONFIRMED.

It was a small incident, but it went a long way to showing that on top of being hip and fashionable, they are just really great people.  Over a few cocktails, we learned about Ryan’s work in a number of famous visual effects houses in Hollywood, Erica’s work at a top defense contractor, but most of all how important family is to both of them.  Erica and Ryan love food and travel, a love expressed through Erica’s food/travel blog Table for Two and Instagram which are replete with their adventures experienced through the food that they’ve shared.

A recurring theme throughout the evening was the love they both had for their pup Simba.  Simba started with Ryan, but Erica has long since adopted him as her own as well.  When we broached the subject of their engagement session, they knew they wanted to use Ryan’s hometown San Francisco as the backdrop and Simba was going to be there.  The day of the shoot, we were worried that the windy chill in the city that day might spoil things a bit, but just like that bit of adversity Laszlo situation presented us when we last met, Erica, Ryan and Simba powered through and helped us make some beautiful stuff.

With Simba in tow, the whole session had the vibe of the coolest dog walk ever (see above).  Simba needed a little coaching every now and then, but like his dog-dad, he was a gentleman.  Erica was stunning in her red dress that became a character unto itself in the wind at the Palace of Fine Arts, which also gave us some fantastic chances to play with the light.  We couldn’t ask for more from Erica and Ryan who were good enough to let us in on the love between them everytime we had the camera pointed their way.

We are incredibly excited to be with Erica and Ryan again for their wedding later this year.  They are some of our people who are are absolutely fantastic together; well that, and we’ll take any chance to hang with Simba that we can get!

Liana + Bradford - Alameda, CA - Naval Air Station Alameda Engagement

Growing up in the 90’s, T-Boz, Left Eye, and Chili were the unstoppable R&B/Pop crossover group TLC who hit their zenith with the album CrazySexyCool.  The album was just that; crazy successful, definitely sexy and because of that indomitably cool.  There are tracks off that album that are still fresh [90’s parlance!] to this day that were the background to some of the best moments throughout grade school.  It comes as no surprise then the intense satisfaction and heavy pats on the back we gave ourselves when Liana said the pictures she got back from us were exactly what she wanted — photos of her and her love at their best being crazy, sexy, and cool.

Liana and Bradford are nothing if not gracious, and while they appreciated what we gave them, we could not take all the credit.  They were truly fantastic to work with, sharing our vision and enthusiasm for our shoot, and it shows!  It no doubt helped that they let us creep around Naval Air Station Alameda for their shoot, since decommissioned but still an iconic space in the city where Liana grew up.  We were excited to be there with the enormous hangers that provided an uncommon scale, military-industrial textures, and the fantastic light that we were lucky to have that evening.  Despite all that, the energy between Liana and Brad still stood out above it.

As medical residents in hospitals in Philadelphia and New York, they’re playing a bit of a long distance game for the time being, so time together for them is a bit more special.  This translated into some fantastic stuff on camera, but also in between locations in Alameda where their spirit intimated that they were just happy to be there, together.  We couldn’t help but notice how well they played off each other, with always a sweet glance or subtle caress just when we needed it; it was all roses for us on the camera end, just fantastic.

We did a stint in and around downtown Alameda, a special place to Liana throughout her life and where they continued being CrazySexyCool™.  They were consistently wonderful, no doubt because they were truly diggin’ on [eachother].  We’re so happy to have been able to spend an evening with them, and we’re honored to be there in a few months for their wedding.  Congratulations!