Laguna Beach Engagement | Nelson

One of my favorite spots in Southern California to photograph an engagement session is in Laguna Beach! The rock formations, the sunset, and the beautifully pristine beaches make for an epic background during your session. This gorgeous couple brought all of my favorite elements to an engagement session- they played, they cuddled, they kissed– they got vulnerable in front of the camera, and they didn’t stop until I called it well after the sunset.

You’d never know, but the start of this session was off-script. Parking was unusually challenging, and we arrived on location 30 minutes later than planned. When we did arrive, the beach was crowded, and the sun was setting fast. Despite all that was stacked up against us, I knew we’d get an epic gallery of images for this Laguna Beach Engagement, and that’s exactly why you choose me for your session. I kicked it into gear as soon as our bare feet hit the sand! What were the three key elements that allowed us to overcome our delayed start?

Know your light!

I knew where the sun was, and exactly how I wanted to capture all the delicious light in these photos. I was sure to position my clients backlit throughout the session.

Use your angles!

I was able to position this sweet couple in spots that allowed us to appear to be fully alone on this gorgeous spot of beach. Once I had them in place I was moving front to back, and side to side with my feet to maximize the compositions I could capture in each pose.

Practice your cues!

I knew all the cues I wanted to give this engaged couple to capture each of these love-soaked portraits. I start with their base pose, usually with their feet, and then I work on hands and faces. In their base pose, I’m able to call out cues for hands and faces in various positions to maximize poses in one spot. I also use my free arm to point in different directions to help them see where I want them to look!

As a client, then best thing you can do to get a gallery of gorgeous portraits is to have fun, stay flexible, and get vulnerable. Sometimes a pose might feel silly, but I promise it looks amazing on camera! Following my direction, and trusting me are the biggest compliment you share with me during your engagement session. I’m always so grateful for your trust and vulnerability- together we capture love-soaked photos!