Romantic La Jolla Beach Engagement

I drew inspiration for this engagement shoot from the iconic scene in the Notebook where Allie says “If you’re a bird, I’m a bird”. If you were a teenager in the early 2000s like me, you know how instrumental this movie was in our future romance daydreams.

When I asked Nicole and Ryan how they wanted to feel when they look at these images, their answer was “We want to remember how blissful this engagement period is. I just want these pictures to be a snapshot in time - to convey how happy we are with each other and in this wonderful phase of our lives. We want these pictures to be a pause, a reminder to be present and just embrace how blissfully happy we are with each other.”

I knew that this session in La Jolla should be fun, light, and warm, but also represent a deep meaningful connection. We focused on playful movements and laughter but also slowed it down for small periods of time to give them a moment to reset. Before our shoot, I wanted to know exactly what drew them to each other so I could do my best to capture that quality.

Ryan - "What doesn't draw me to you? Haha. Your laugh - it's very pure and genuine. You're silly when you're not stressed. You're driven and motivated and beautiful."

Nicole - "Ryan completes me and is the yin to my yang. He makes me better in every way. When I'm stressed, he's calm. When I'm anxious, he's steady and patient. He thinks of all the little things and completes all of my sentences and thoughts. Being with him is like being with another part of myself. He's also very handsome haha"

My biggest advice to anyone who wants to capture honest emotion in their images is to truly get to know their couples. Ask the right questions, be open and honest, and tailor each session to who they are as a couple.