Erin + Cameron Engagement | Sand Dunes Pismo Beach Engagement Session

September 12, 2016

This Pismo Beach Sand Dunes Engagement Session is going down as one of my favorites you guys! I cannot get over that soft sunset light, those pastel tones in the sky and the beauty of the ridge of sand that lies behind the part of the beach affected by tides. The sand dunes are so incredibly breathtaking to see in person! I really felt like it was just us out there, not a single soul other than us. The mounds of untouched crystal sand made for a perfect intimate location. These two were so easy going , playful and charismatic. They truely compliment each other ! They walked around, admired the view of the mountains and made footprints worth remembering.

Erin & Cameron are tying the knot in June and I feel so honored to get to capture this special time for them!

Xoxo-

PS : I actually think that you can feel so much more of the emotional connection thru a lot of the B&W shots taken that day, so I added significantly more in B&W to bring out that emotional connection.

Erin + Cameron Engagement | Sand Dunes Pismo Beach Engagement Session

Alesia + Garrett | Crystal Cove Engagement Session

April 21, 2016

Alesia + Garrett | Crystal Cove Engagement Session

Alesia & Garrett were so much fun to photograph! For their engagement session we decided on Crystal Cove State Park to really get the diversity of the scenic there, the rocky areas and long stretches of sand plus those gorgeous ocean view cliffs you can’t beat. We strolled the beach , they giggled and hugged along the shore line and explored the rocky areas for some even cooler shots. When we headed back up the beach we decided to throw down a blanket to enjoy the sunset. These two requested to incorporate their fav drinks in their session to add a little bit of personal sentiment, so they had a refreshing few sips while enjoying the sun making its way down the horizon. I love when my clients come out of their shells, and these two did just that with their playful piggy back rides and beach wandering. I try as much as possible to get clients to a relaxed state so they can just have fun and be themselves, because thats when we are able to really capture the raw emotion and connection, the realness between two people in love. For this session we wanted to go for a more soft romantic vibe so we looked for a long flowy blush pink dress for Alesia to wear and thought a pop of color in Garrett's pants would add some character & contrast too so went for a forest green tone. I usually cling to lighter tones for my sessions but for this one we went toward the deeper & richer tones being near the rocks and romantic cliffs. It was a great day for an engagement session , we got some killer sunset colors in the sky!

Congrats Alesia+Garrett! Cant wait till your wedding!

Congrats Alesia & Garrett, can’t wait till your wedding!

Romantic Crystal Cove Anniversary Session | Leilani + Shane

December 17, 2015 in Laguna Beach Photographer, Wedding Photographer

Romantic Crystal Cove Anniversary Session

The Haileys

Leilani & Shane contacted me for an anniversary session to commemorate the 7 years they’ve spent together as husband & wife . These two have had their share of struggles with Shane having been in the military so early on in their marriage and Leilani often home awaiting for his deployment to end so that they could be in each others arms again. Despite the distance, these two stayed strong and wrote letters back and forth constantly. We wanted to find a way to incorporate this very unique part of their story into their session, so we thought what better way then to bring all the letters he wrote to her on his deployments, with us to our session? This added a touch of intimacy and reminded them of the strong connection they share. We started at Crystal Cove State Park with open dirt paths to really connect to the nature around us and then walked down toward the beach to get those gorgeous cliff views. These two cuddled under the sunset with cliff views overlooking the ocean, wine glasses to toast the 7 years of marriage they’ve shared and a cake to celebrate too. It was such a beautiful moment to witness as their friend + photographer.. Sometimes I would step back from the camera and just soak up their joyful presence. Their love could honestly light up a room.

I am truly honored they chose me to capture this incredible love they share, 7 years later.

PS: Wondering about the dress she’s wearing and where it’s from? This gorgeous fall colored dress is the Sienna Maxi Dress by For Love & Lemons. It can be found at Free People or directly from them by clicking here.

Melissa + Bobby Whimsical Engagement// Thomas F. Riley Wilderness Park Engagement Session

November 18, 2015

Melissa + Bobby Whimsical Engagement// Thomas F. Riley Wilderness Park Engagement Session

My dear friends Bobby & Melissa are engaged! Finally! (I’m aloud to say that, right?) I am just saying, if you know Melissa you know she’s been planning her wedding since she was in diapers! Ok . ok. ok . Maybe a little harsh, but she’s definitely laughing reading this. Am I right, Mel? No, but really this sweet woman should have been married long ago. I am lucky to call her my friend and was honored when she asked me to capture this special time for her & Bobby. Pretty crazy to think just a few years ago Melissa was a single mamma to ONE and now she’s a fiance’ AND mamma to THREE! Woo hoo!

For this engagement shoot we wanted to incorporate lots of important details. Melissa's mom is an AMAZING florist and wanted her contribution to be sentimental by her being the one to pick out and make the bouquet + flower crown arrangement . We also hand picked vintage finds from various flea markets because Melissa's a vintage junkie at heart . The cake, this soon-to-be bride made it herself & topped it with flowers! Not to mention we wanted to stay true to Melissa's personality when it came to picking out what to wear . For those of you who don’t know Melissa, she loves all things whimsical, romantic, timeless & elegant. She’s a softie at the core -so we had to find her a dress that encompasses all of who she is ! (or close to it at least, because she’s a badass too don’t get me wrong ;) I also can’t go without mentioning the heart locket which Melissa's mom really wanted her to have as her blessing. Each detail of this shoot was very sentimental, I can’t say that enough. When you see these photos, I hope you feel all the emotion in them. The connection, the laughter, even the longing. I felt it as I edited each one. Thank you Bobby for making my friend SO incredibly happy and for always making her burst with laughter !

These two. All the heart emoticons for you two . times a million.

Xoxo-

Cori