La Jolla Cliffs Engagement | James & Brittany

Zack and I had met Brittany and James through a FaceTime call and instantly liked them. However, when we met them in person for their La Jolla Cliffs engagement session, we just fell in love with them! They are adorable! Both of them are so personable and engaging! Not only that, but they were just so fun to work with because they did not shy away from displaying how much they love each other. Quick to giggle, snuggle, play, and laugh. Their wedding this August at the Catamaran Resort Hotel in San Diego is going to be so much fun!

James grew up in La Jolla, so choosing the cliffs for their engagement session was an easy decision for them. They love being near the beach and even plan to have their wedding near the water, enjoying the beauty of Mission Bay. They did a great job capturing what is important to them. They seem to really be such a casual, relaxed couple, comfortable with who they are as individuals and as a couple. This cliffs are a perfect location for couples just like them. Here is a link to other couples who also chose the La Jolla Cliffs for their engagement session.

How to shoot a La Jolla Cliffs Engagment Session

Photographing clients for a La Jolla Cliffs engagement session can be quite tricky! As photographers, we know that light is EVERYTHING. San Diego is usually quite sunny and on the cliffs the sun can be very harsh if there is no cloud cover or marine layer. As the sun sets lower and lower, the sun softens, but this is just a small window of time. So, what is the best way to tackle this problem?

First, I almost always put my clients’ backs to the sun. This puts even lighting on their faces. However, on the cliffs, the light that is reflecting off of the ocean can be so bright that it completely blows out the background. So I try not to shoot directly into the sun. I scoot myself to one side of the couple in an attempt to capture the blue of the water and not the harsh sunlight on the ocean. THowever, this can often leave a bit of light on one of the couples’ faces. To avoid random patches of light hitting their forehead, nose, chin, etc. I use what Katelyn James calls “body blocking.” This technique works by using the taller of the couple to have their back to the sun and block the light off of their partner with their body.

More Tips for Photographers

Other tips I would suggest are to bring an assistant with you. I ALWAYS bring someone when I am at the beach. Usually this person is my amazing husband, Zack. He is excellent at using a reflector to block the rays of the sun from hitting my lens, helping me avoid “haze.” This allows me to shoot more directly into the sun than I would normally be able to. Sometimes he also will block direct light from our couples, putting their faces into shade. It works every time!

Lastly, I would encourage you to start your session on the cliffs when the sun is the harshest. I have my clients begin in their more formal attire for this part of the shoot. We start with close-up portraits while I instruct them on posing and then we move to the broader, more epic shots once they feel more comfortable. Since I am far away from them and cannot give them directions, it helps that they already know some poses. As the sun begins to set we head down to the sand and they change into a more casual outfit. This allows them to relax more and have some more candid, playful moments on the beach.