Viewing entries tagged
panther beach engagement

Santa Cruz Panther Beach Proposal / Engagement

Santa Cruz Panther Beach Proposal / Engagement

Let’s be honest, Asha has a PRETTY GOOD IDEA her boyfriend was going to propose today – maybe it was seeing her BF’s friend’s car in the parking lot of the beach. Maybe it was the nice dinner reservations. Maybe it was the fact that she knew a photographer (yours truly) was there to take couples’ pics of them. So many maybes… but the clincher was seeing all the framed pictures of them arranged on the beach with candles and a sign that said “Marry Me” that was the real clincher lol. I love proposals that happen in the middle of a planned photo shoot – I don’t have to hide or pretend to take pictures of waves. I just do my thing and at the appropriate time, the proposer does their thing and I’m in the perfect spot to capture it.

Here’s a few of my favorite shots from Satya and Asha’s proposal / engagement at Santa Cruz’s finest hidden gem, Panther Beach (aka Hole in the Wall beach).

If you’re interested in planning your proposal / engagement / wedding with me, start here: http://www.BayAreaWedding.Photography

Panther Beach, Santa Cruz Engagement Session - Kate + Ryan

Panther Beach, Santa Cruz Engagement Session - Kate + Ryan

These guys live in Oregon, but love the beach down here and wanted their save-the-dates and engagement photos in general to capture the natural coastal beauty we have here. Thing was, this was a friday night and some kinf of epic party was happening on the beach when we arrived. Can you tell from the photos? No? Well I guess I did my job right then... enjoy my faves below!

"Trash the Dress" Bridal Portraits @ Panther Beach, Santa Cruz, California

"Trash the Dress" Bridal Portraits @ Panther Beach, Santa Cruz, California

So yes, trash-the-dress bridal portrait sessions ARE a thing – albeit not too frequent (for me at least). The most common way to "trash" the dress here along the coast is to get wet. In the ocean. Safety is always top-of-mind, and we save the wet part for the very end of an otherwise normal bridal session at the beach. I found a rock outcropping that was making for some pretty good splashes, and of course once I positioned the couple in front of it we had to wait like FIVE MINUTES for a decent wave – but man was our patience rewarded with an epic splash! Alicia and Dylan, thanks so much for trusting me with this special shoot, I had a blast with you both!

Panther Beach Engagement Photography

Panther Beach Engagement Photography

I love Panther Beach in the winter - it tends to be calmer (and often warmer) than the summer. However, one thing is pretty much a guarantee – the waves will be large and unpredictable. Even though we arrived at LOW tide, we got surprised several times by waves – the cameras managed to stay dry but my couple, well... let's just say they now know the exact temperature of the ocean here. They were super easy to work with and had a positive attitude while both dry and wet. I'm looking forward to their wedding later this summer. Enjoy a few of my faves from their beach engagement session below:

Panther Beach Santa Cruz Engagement

Panther Beach Santa Cruz Engagement

Patrick and Kelly met me at Panther Beach in Santa Cruz for their mini engagement session - technically these sessions are only 30 minutes long, I usually am having too much fun with couples so we spend 2x as much time together taking pics! Even though our shoot was two days before Christmas, it was really nice out – no wind at all, which is rare for this west-facing beach. Here's a few of my favorite pics from Kelly and Patrick's engagement session, enjoy!