I just finished up Katie and Anthony’s guest book from Finao. Going through the images as I designed the pages gave me time to reflect on the wonderful evening we had six months ago.
A little about the engagement shoot below:
Last spring Katie, Anthony and I did their engagement shoot in San Luis Obispo. You may recognize Katie and Anthony from the promo video (link: HERE) we shot at the same time. Daniel (our videographer/hired stalker, ha!) did a wonderful job gathering the footage during our evening session. Katie and Anthony’s engagement shoot was incredible and I couldn’t have asked for a more photogenic, fun and overall awesome couple to work with. Our shoot started off at the San Luis Obispo Mission where we got warmed up for the rest of our adventure. For couples that choose a catholic ceremony, there are fewer places on the Central Coast that offer more tradition and rich history than the San Luis Obispo Mission. The Mission was founded in 1772 and hosts 40 to 60 weddings a year. Many of the couples I photograph at the San Luis Obispo Mission are having a destination wedding. The Mission’s on site wedding coordinators are extremely helpful with the planning of a destination San Luis Obispo Mission wedding. The pillers in front of the Mission are unique and I always enjoy the simple beauty of this aged building. In the back of the Mission, you will find a lovely garden complete with the Mission’s old bells on display and a circular water fountain.
Across the street from the Mission is a brick alleyway. The brick walls are tall enough to keep the light cool and fresh even during the blaring mid-day sun. During the evening a small breeze often shoots straight down the brick alley, giving a dramatic, studio wind machine look to the images. I love this alleyway and often find myself back in search of new and interesting angles.
After shooting in Downtown San Luis Obispo, we headed out of town to some of my favorite mustard fields. The fields are only full of yellow mustard flowers for a small amount of time so, this San Luis Obispo wedding photographer doesn’t hesitate to use this gorgeous backdrop as often as possible before they get plowed under. Around San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Paso Robles there are a lot of mustard fields, but this one spot Katie, Anthony and I went has a very photogenic tree line and mountain view on the horizon. When the sun is just right, the whole area pops and the engagement photography images are simply stunning! I can’t wait to get a couple out there on their wedding day as the images will be marvelous!
Our last stop was a private cherry blossom orchard that I was able to obtain permission to photograph in. The orchard has pink blossoms on it for a month or so and I was very happy that Katie and Anthony were game to check this place out. The orchard is deep in a canyon, so timing the sun is a bit difficult. We were very fortunate to have just a little bit of sunlight left to get some of my very favorite engagement shoot images ever. By this point in the shoot, Katie, Anthony and I really began to trust and enjoy each others company. I think the images really portray how much in love these two are. Each year I become more thankful for the wonderful couples that I get to work with. I am inspired by the freshness of each couples love, the unique story each couple has and the excited anticipation each couple shares for what’s to come.
I hope you enjoy the guest book images from Katie and Anthony’s engagement shoot. This guest book is a handmade, custom Finao guest book. I really enjoy all of the different cover options Finao offers. Finao swatches can be seen: HERE.
Engagement Pictures | Wedding | San Luis Obispo
