Elsie+Prince - San Jose, CA - San Jose City Hall, Downtown San Jose Engagement

Thinking back to the first day of middle school as a nerdy 6th grader/budding saxophonist/avid Magic: The Gathering tournament goer, we remember upperclassmen, especially of 8th grade and popular variety, being equal parts cool and terrifying.  You wanted to be like them, but you dare not attract their gaze unless you were really into feeling uncool.  You could spot the cool kids from a mile away, impeccably dressed with a cooly disconnected air of knowing they were rad but didn’t care they were.

Spotting Elsie and Prince from across the courtyard in front of San Jose City Hall brought about those same cool-kid feelings.  There was something in their strut, their manner, that signaled a powerful confidence that might have terrified my younger self.  The parallels to middle school life ended there though, because these were just about as gracious and genuinely grateful as you could hope; huge bonus points that they were incredible on camera (especially because, you know, engagement session ;-) ).

Elsie said that she imagined clean, modern,  and dramatic for the shoot and was appropriately dressed the part in a great black full length gown.  Prince matched her perfectly and provided a nice punch of color in a smartly fitted maroon button down.  Their outfits looked great against the stone, metal and glass of San Jose City Hall, striking the exact notes Elsie was going for.  As great as it was for them to play cool, it was really fun to see them let loose a little and show their sweeter sides.  They were incredibly well rounded, and it was obvious how they were meant to be together by the way they so naturally fell into each other in any scenario I asked them.  The connection between them was powerful \ even in photos where they weren’t next to each other; somehow they managed to put on a subtle expression or turn of their body to connect with the other across the frame.

After a quick wardrobe change, Elsie stunned in red number that matched perfectly with Prince’s shoes (so we obviously had to do something with that ;-) ).  Their more casual look was great againstDowntown San Jose where we ended the night.  Hanging out with them that evening was like hanging with old friends, and we have to thank them for being the most down to earth, wonderful, considerate people for which you could ever hope.  We got them for the evening, and hope to have them again!  Big thanks to Elsie and Prince for helping us avoid middle school PTSD for being an example of cool that is also kind!

Janelle+Danny - San Francisco, CA - SoMa, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Pre-Wedding

If Janelle and Danny seem familiar, your déja vu is warranted; we previously featured them in their full engagement session a few months ago.  While we were planning that misty session on beach session in Marin, the idea of doing something with a city feel came up in discussion.  We assume they never really let go of that wish, and they approached us for a short session in San Francisco.  We were only too happy to oblige them!  The Yerba Buena Center and the adjacent glass, concrete, and steel structures endemic to it and adjacent SoMa areas served as the backdrop for this shoot.  We traded sweeping vistas into the ocean and the craggy dioramas of their engagement session for clean lines metal and pure planes of glass.

They were equally great in this setting as they were on the beach, which was no surprise; at their core, Janelle and Danny are a great balance of a great love, the ease that only comes with knowing each other so well, and the passion from understanding what the other needs.  All told, we’re only more excited to cover their wedding soon!

Her Outfit Fashion Nova || His Wardrobe Express, Aldo Shoes

Anayency+Adam - San Francisco, CA - Battery Godfrey, Fort Point Engagement

We knew we were going to love working with Anayency and Adam long before we met them at Fort Point.  Anayency was impeccably kind over e-mail, so it was no surprise that she and Adam were an absolute dream to work with; no matter our expectations, they were better than we could have hoped!

Planning their session, Anayency and Adam expressed that they wanted some mix of elegant, edgy, and classic; a tall order, but we’d have to say they pulled it off.  Strong choices in a fabulous green maxi dress from Lulu’s and a slick burgundy blazer with black trimmed lapels and splash of Versace set the tone for our great time at Fort Point.  We loved the way they were able be tender with eachother, but also channel their inner models, flitting deftly between between intimacy and sheer badassery on a whim.    

After a quick change into dark denim and leather, we were at Battery Godfrey where we were took advantage of the military ruins and views of the coast.  We loved the images we made with them there, though we wish we could take more credit for how they turned out; perfect sunset sunlight and the chemistry between Anayency and Adam made it incredibly easy to make something beautiful.

We’re honored and lucky to have caught Anayency and Adam's eye on Instagram and get the chance to work with them at these iconic San Francisco locations.  We wish them nothing but the best for their wedding next year!

Dress by Lulu's || His wardrobe by Express, Versace