Lisa & Daniel's Montana de Oro Engagement Session
Montana de Oro is the best place to take engagement photos in San Luis Obispo County.
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it a million more times. I will even die on that hill if it comes to it. I challenge you- show me anywhere else on planet earth in which you can walk through a dense eucalyptus forest, scale a massive sand dune, have the classic California beach experience, climb one of several mountains, and watch waves crash from atop towering cliffs, all in one day. And when you consider all the options of backdrops and activities possible during a Montana de Oro engagement session, well, you two may just realize why this is a place we photograph couples at least once a week.
And so Montana de Oro became the location for Lisa and Daniel’s engagement photos too. Lisa and Daniel will be joining many of our other couples in escaping the hustle and bustle of Southern California for a Central Coast wedding later this year, at one of our favorite San Luis Obispo wedding venues, Swallow Creek Ranch. Their planning trip up to Cayucos this past fall proved to be the perfect time to take engagement photos, and we truly couldn’t have gotten a better evening at MDO.
As Lisa and Daniel had never been to Montana de Oro before, we wanted to make their engagement session feel more like a tour of the best parts of the park. We began with the eucalyptus forest. The way the tall trees caught the golden fall light that evening was one of the most ethereal scenes I’ve ever seen unfold. After an absolutely magical time there, we headed over to the park’s main beach, Spooner’s Cove, to capture Lisa and Daniel’s very tangible love for each other amidst the rugged coastline this part of the Central Coast is well known for. At Spooner’s, we were greeted with the absolute lowest tide I have ever seen on this stretch of San Luis Obispo’s coastline, and it allowed us to venture so far out onto the rocks that are usually deep under the ocean.
It was here Lisa and Daniel changed into a stunning formal outfit (Lisa’s dress is from Revelry!) and quite literally became show stoppers on the beach. As the sun began to dip below the horizon, we moved up to Montana de Oro’s Bluff Trail for some ocean views from the towering cliffs, even taking in Morro Bay in the distance on a wildly clear evening. The colors the sky turned as sunset gave way to blue hour were absolutely nuts (seriously, keep scrolling to see them!), and we got to capture a final few images of Lisa and Daniel with the cotton candy clouds and Valencia Peak in the background.
I know words can paint a pretty picture, but you’ll just have to keep scrolling to see why YOU should take your engagement photos at Montana de Oro too ;)
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Hi there! We’re Katie & Joseph, a husband & wife team, and wedding photographers on the Central Coast of California.
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 are based in SLO, we’ll travel anywhere 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!
Featured Couple Sessions ~
High school sweethearts Samantha and Tom have spent much of their relationship hiking in geologically unique places, and it was only fitting they take their engagement photos in a similar setting!