It was so much fun to meet up with Kayla + Aaron in Santa Barbara for their engagement photos! We had the best time exploring both the mountains and the ocean and catching those rays of that late summer light. We started up in the hills, surrounded by the prettiest golden grass. (I’ll never get tired of shooting in it, it’s like sunshine growing from the ground!) Because Kayla + Aaron wanted to shoot in two locations, we made sure to give ourselves plenty of time to drive down to the beach for more photos so we could capture both scenes. The contrast of the mountains and the ocean is so perfect for engagement photos in Santa Barbara because they’re both easily accessible! Having explored much of the coast, I’ve found the perfect secret spots for photos and I love showing them to my clients. Shooting in the mountains is always an adventure, with each season the landscape shifts and changes, making for different images with each shoot. Many of my couples love exploring and hiking in the hills + mountains of California and it’s always such a treat to incorporate their favorite landscapes into engagement photos.
Once we were down on the coast, Kayla + Aaron got the party started by popping a bottle of champagne and sipped straight from the bottle. (Totally my style, who needs a flute on the beach?!) We spent time shooting in and out of the waves as the sun dipped down on the horizon and gave us theeeee most beautiful, glowy Santa Barbara golden hour for these engagement photos. It was so buttery and yummy, I just wanted to scoop it up and eat it with a spoon. Kayla + Aaron sipped champagne and ran around on the beach, just letting loose and having a blast which created such a fun set of candid and relaxed images! I’m all about a few sips of spirits to set a fun tone and bring on the relaxation while we shoot. Because they love biking along the boardwalk, they brought along one of their beach cruisers for some photos. Nature took its cue and gave us such a delicious, color soaked sunset as we wrapped up so we grabbed their bike and found a stunning cliff edge view for their final photos.
Honestly?! Kayla + Aaron had such a great time during their photos because they followed my 5 tips for rocking their session. After many shoots, I’ve really concocted the perfect recipe for success and it works like a charm! Not only did they bring some bubbly to set a fun tone and shake the nerves, but they also shot in secluded locations where they wouldn’t have a bunch of gawking bystanders. (That REALLY kills the vibes, let me tell you.) We really wanted to capture the excitement and energy of their relationship so they made sure their outfits would let them walk, run, and goof around without feeling uncomfortable. Kayla is the real MVP because she’s so comfortable in heels, she hiked in them! Shooting their Santa Barbara engagement photos was so much fun, I can’t wait for more sessions like this!
