Sweetwater River Bridge Engagement | Joseph & Belle

When Zack and I met Joseph and Belle at the Sweetwater River Bridge, we knew right away that they were going to be so much fun to work with! Joseph was a little quiet at first, but by the end of their engagement session, he was relaxed and snuggling his fiance with ease! We are so grateful for all of our couples, but Joseph and Belle were especially joyful and full of life. They were so enamored with each other that photographing their relationship was incredibly fun!

These two made our job easy as they were so quick to giggle, snuggle, and just be adorable. They brought their beloved dog with them as well, which is always fun. What better way to make a couple smile?! Of course they were wise to bring Belle’s sister to help with their fur baby. We always recommend this since dogs can be easily distracted. She was such a great snuggle bug though!

Zack and I are so excited to be able to be by Joseph and Belle’s upcoming wedding! Thier wedding at The Black Barn in Jamul is sure to be just like them: intimate, authentic, personal, and joyful.

The Sweetwater River Bridge

The Sweetwater River Bridge is one of my favorite places for portrait sessions and I would highly recommend it. Here are some of my blog posts from this location which show the variety that this lkocation offers. Keep in mind that this spot can sometimes be difficult for clients to find. There is a new parking lot to the south of the bridge off of Campo Road, which I recommend. I always meet my clients here and then walk to the bridge. Since I start sessions two hours before sunset, we begin on the bridge and stay there for about 15-30 minutes. Keep in mind that the sun will dip behind the hills thirty minutes before true sunset.

This beautiful, large steel bridge is the obvious draw for so many photographers in San Diego. It offers a beautiful backdrop for portraits. However, this is not my favorite spot to shoot at this location. The bridge is probably one of the most photographed locations in the county, so it can often be crowded, especially on the weekends. This is especially true during the Fall. Try to shoot here during the week if possible. The bridge offers a wonderful “frame” for portraits, but my favorite place to shoot is in the glowy fields.

Other Portrait Locations Near the Bridge

After we are done shooting on the bridge, we walk to the open fields southwest of the structure. Depending on the time of year, these fields are either green or a beautiful gold. I prefer the golden fields of late Fall, but Spring can also be beautiful. These images were taken in the Spring. The key is to have an assistant with you so they can block the sun from entering your lens with a reflector. This way, you can get spectacular backlighting on your subjects without getting haze in your image.

Another popular location southeast of the bridge is the enormous sycamore tree in the middle of the field. It has a low hanging branch which is perfect for seating subjects and kids love to climb on it. The bark of the tree is white, and since I love bright images, this is perfect! The tree is completely surrounded by fields, and there are many options to choose to place your subjects!

My last location near the Sweetwater River Bridge is the plateau. To get here, take the San Diego National Wildlife Reguge path heading west. You will go through a little cover of trees, over a bridge and then up onto an open space. This is the last location near the bridge that I choose because there no shade. This is the perfect spot to end a portrait session. The sun will dip down behind the hills and the light is perfect!

The Images!

This bridge is stunning! However, in the Winter and early Spring, the vines have not grown back yet. In the Fall, there is beautiful greenery growing on it.

Near the sycamore tree, there are beautiful grassy fields. The plateau is the perfect place to turn your subjects toward the sun as it dips behind the hills.

The hill in Jamul make such a beautiful backdrop for an engagement session.

This look is best achieved when you have an assistant blocking the sun from getting into the lens. If the sun gets into the lens, you will have haze. This is not my style, but you may love the hazy look!

Bringing a dog to a portrait session can be a lot of fun, but it is best if there is another friend or family membe there to take care of them when they aren’t in the images.

This location is right next to the parking lot! I can’t help myself when the sun is so beautiful and I have to get in the last shots before the sun completely disappears.

A large sycamore tree is in the middle of the field and has a natural “seat!”

Dogs just bring out the best smiles!

Up on the platueau there is a really cool rock formation that is perfect for portraits

For engagement sessions and weddings, I always bring my 100mm so that I can grab close up images of the ring!

I can’t help myself! Even when we are walking to the car (the parking lot is just to the left of my subjects), if the sun is perfect, I ask for ONE LAST SHOT! Thank goodness Belle and Joseph were still open to more images because this one is my favorite!