Last week we had an amazing Engagement Photo Shoot in San Francisco with a beautiful couple! Monica and Devang were dressed to impress when we met at the Palace of Fine Arts, one of San Francisco’s most stunning architectural marvels that was originally constructed to host the World Fair.

My goal when photographing Engagements is just to jump in and have fun! We start with the warm up shots and rather than “pose people” I get them to “do things”. This makes the experience way more enjoyable and gets them loose and ready for anything! We walked around all the great spots and came away with a variety of images that I think work perfectly for these two!

After the Palace of Fine Arts we headed to my all time favorite beach for engagement photo shoots in San Francisco, Baker Beach. This spot has excellent views, free parking, and easy beach access so we can quickly get our shots as it gets cold quickly! Before heading to the sand, I love photographing in front of the old iron doors that were once part of a fort that secured the edge of the city. The stairs make the perfect spot for a couple to sit on for a few shots and we got some touching moments there before heading down to the beach!

I absolutely love the beach! I could shoot there everyday and always be happy and never get bored! I make it fun for our couples even if it is cold, as you can see in the photos, Monica and Devang had a great time even though they could not feel their toes! Adding some B+W images here makes a really nice timeless feel. I think 20 years from now these images will even become more powerful!

One of the things I like to do most during an engagement shoot is shoot around sunset and right after! That’s how I can pull out those beautiful rich dark blue skies, while using light to highlight the couple and make a dreamy effect. We shot around their home near the Embarcadero and got some unique shots at places I had never photographed before. We then went down to the bridge where we captured the beauty of the moonlight reflecting off the water and Monica and Devang enjoyed a dance together. It was much nicer on this side of the city and less windy! My light stand only fell over once!

Our final stop was the steakhouse at the water’s edge that graciously allowed us to grab a few shots (and a drink) before we called it a day! My LED light came in very handy as I did not want to overpower the beautiful ambient light with flash. The kiss of tungsten LED light was just perfect in this scenario and the final shot is another one of my favorites! I absolutely love the look in Monica’s eyes.

We are super excited for their wedding that will take place over Memorial Day Weekend in San Francisco so stay tuned for that in the coming months!