Garrapata State Park Engagements | Big Sur, CA
Big Sur Engagement Photos—
Though we lived on the Central Coast for ten years and still pop back for work monthly, I will never get over that one liner. Big Sur is absolute magic always, and I will truly take any excuse to get up there to capture love (or simply to go for a hike 🤠). And when Big Sur is at its best, on a day like the one we had for Annabel and Jordan’s engagement session, it truly cannot be beat. Warm sun, a soft layer of clouds overhead, enough of a breeze to kick up a bit of sea spray, this spring day was absolutely idyllic.
Annabel and Jordan met in the redwoods and will soon wed in that very setting, so opted for the coast for their engagements. On a weekend when I was already in the Bay Area capturing an elopement, they asked if I’d come down to Big Sur, and I very, very happily said yes. Please, give me any excuse to get back here! We opted for the northern end of Big Sur, at a couple of my favorite locations in Garrapata State Park, what I believe to be the best area of the region for engagements!
We began the evening on one of my favorite trails in the park, and I really think the photos speak for themselves. The coastal breeze caused the sea spray to linger in the air as the strong sunshine lit it all up and cast a glow on the rocks— one of my favorite little phenomenons we get here, especially on the windier Central Coast. I really wanted to capture as much of this tasty light as we could, so we moved quickly toward the ocean facing portion of the trail. We scampered up and down the rocks, captured the dramatic cliffs, and I was so grateful to get to know Annabel and Jordan better on our walk. These two are full of life and absolutely radiate joy. I love these little intimate bits of time when I can get to know our couples before we spend the biggest day of their lives with them. It helps us to capture the day in a way that feels unique to them, why we’ll never stop offering complementary engagement sessions with our packages.
The narrower trails and rock scrambles of this part of Garrapata make for some more stagnant photos, but I got the feeling Annabel and Jordan would really come alive if we had more space to incorporate movement into their photos. I suggested we head over to my favorite beach just a few minutes down the road, and they were so excited about the idea! I am so glad we did. On our way to the beach, the sun dipped a bit lower in the sky, and the evening fog was beginning to roll in, making the light a little softer. I could not believe the colors my camera was picking up. I am so happy we opted for a second location.
We basically decided at this point we’d just run around until we had no more light. Annabel and Jordan’s very light hearted, lively love for one another really came alive as we incorporated all kinds of movement into their photos. The laughter was so contagious! Looking at these photos on my back screen, I really felt like I was photographing a Hollister ad campaign, circa 2006. This evening roaming Garrapata with Annabel and Jordan was so life giving. I cannot wait to be back in Big Sur a few more times this year for a few more sessions, and can only hope for more sunsets as gorgeous as this one 💓.
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We’re Katie & Joseph, destination wedding photographers.
We love our job because we get a unique, intimate, deep dive into a couple’s life that not many others get to see. We make close friendships with our couples, and these days, often end up working with them from their proposal, to their wedding, and in all the milestones that come after.
We are big fans of documenting wedding days in an unposed, raw, genuine, and honest way that allows our couples to maximize their experience on their day while also receiving a gallery full of stunning images that communicate how it felt to be there.
Though we’re based in Arizona, we’ll travel anywhere, like our second home on the Central Coast, for a good love story (and dance party). We invite you to follow the links below to learn more about us and our services, and to get in contact with us!
