Audrey + Ben | San Francisco Engagement Photography

One of my greatest joys as a photographer is watching a couple express their love for one another freely and naturally in front of the camera.  I am incredibly fortunate to get to work with couples who enjoy the photographic process as much as I do, which is one element that factors into a relaxed and authentic shoot.  A stellar location, great lighting, and a splash of spontaneity–these are also integral to a fantastic shoot, at least in my world.  But the clincher?  A couple so in love that their interaction with one another exudes passion, depth, and commitment.  Audrey and Ben from San Francisco are just one such couple and I am so excited to introduce them as my first feature couple on the new blog!

Audrey and Ben live right smack in the city and are getting married in San Francisco, so it seemed only natural that they should choose San Francisco’s stunning Embarcadero for their engagement photos.  (For those of you not acquainted with either San Francisco or any other city that maintains an embarcadero, it’s essentially a seawall that lines the water’s edge, and in San Francisco, features shops, markets, and restaurants).  We met up at the famed Ferry Building and strolled up the embarcadero for a good hour, shooting and chatting along the way.

You know the saying ‘time flies when you’re having fun’?  Well time whizzed by way too quickly for my taste, and I just didn’t want the fun and creative flow to end, so I asked if Audrey and Ben wanted to continue.  After all, we’d only done one side of the street!  They were totally up for it and in my opinion, that extra hour was totally worth it for several reasons:

1) More time with this great couple!  I love building relationships with my clients and getting to know them better.  Knowing my clients enables me to tune in to their style and personalities, which makes all the difference on the wedding day.

2) More momentum.  We had such a great creative flow going and since the time was there, I was really curious to see what it would bring.  Since I knew we’d gotten enough shots to qualify as a solid engagement collection, we could spend more time exploring angles, locations, and interactions and just letting the momentum carry us.  I am truly happy with what occurred in the second half!

3) The shady side of the street.  While the sunny side was perfect for beautiful scenic shots over the water, vibrant hues, and a sharper look, the shaded side of the embarcadero was ideal for softer portraits, gentle tones, and a romantic feel.  While we were definitely able to duck into the shade on the opposite side of the street during our first hour, it was really nice having some extended time out of the sun both for relief from it and for the results.

All right, by now you’re probably tired of my analyzing, so without further adieu, let me now (finally) introduce Audrey + Ben!!!

So, ‘fess up.  How many times did you sigh?  You cannot imagine how excited I am to photograph Audrey and Ben’s wedding!  The only downside…having to wait until September!!!

Actually, if you want to send me a little something to help distract me from the wait time, nothing would make me happier than your feedback.  Here are a few things I would love to have your take on:

1) Favourite photo (or two, maybe three if you absolutely cannot pick!) and why.

2) One-hour versus two-hour shoots.  Your thoughts on both shooting them and posing for them.  Help me better serve my fabulous clientele!

3) A little love for Audrey + Ben.  Share your compliments here and I’ll make sure they come back to check them out!

Thanks so much to all of you for checking out Audrey + Ben’s Engagement Shoot.  This coming weekend I’m photographing the wedding of Hilary + Jeff here in Livermore’s wine country.  You’ll definitely want to come back next week for a sneak peek at their wine country wedding!

Until then,

Jaime