Cara Dee once said, “Darling, in LA, you decide who you are. Every neighborhood has its own culture and population. Once you find the right one for you, you’re home. Los Angeles is a way of life.” And we think she was right. The city is known by many nicknames, Tinseltown, coined due to the courtesy of bright and shiny lights of the buildings, and another one of our personal favs is the City of Flowers and Sunshine, thanks to the warm and sunny weather of the city, L.A. is home to multiple experiences, and is a great place to be especially if you’re in love. With the blinding city lights and the vibrant vibe of the city with so much to do, it is a great place to fall in love and be in love. Our engagement photographer in L.A. had a chance to meet a lovely couple. Amanda and Jonathan, from the moment our engagement photographer met them, was enamored with their presence, smiles, and genuine love. The couple met our photographer late in the morning and were excited to start off the day. Their smiles and amazing excitement had our photographer wanting to get things started as soon as possible. Amanda and Jonathan’s engagement photos turned out to be perfectly adorable and showed their true sleeves, which we thoroughly enjoyed as we went through the photos.

The late winter engagement photo session of the couple took place on February 20th, 2022. Before we get into the details of the engagement photo session, let’s talk about the frills first. The engagement photoshoot locations were simple, green, and abundant in natural beauty. We also had a chance to see some of the better places, with rivers, footbridges, and tunnels. The nature-inspired engagement session was filled with lovely moments and a good time. Amanda and Jonathan had chosen the footbridge, the Taylor Yard Bridge, which connects Cypress Park and Elysian Valley. Then the two decided to move to the Elysian Valley for some great photos, surrounded by amazing greenery, and lastly, found a beautiful tunnel to pose for some striking photos, the tunnel gave us a view of the amazing Figueroa Street Tunnel-like tunnels that are famous in the area. When our photographer met the two, the couple was happy and wanted to work with natural-looking photo poses. The couple had begun their wedding planning, they confined, and it was coming along as they had expected. They were excited about the photo shoot because they thought they’d find some photos to send as their wedding RSVP cards. Our photographer was more than happy to help them. 

For the day of the photo shoot, the two lovebirds were dressed in casual clothes. Being smart about their engagement photo shoot outfits, they had picked out some outfits that complimented each other’s outfits, instead of opting for a “twining effect.” Amanda chose a beautiful white lace top, which had elaborate designs on it. To go with her ensemble for the day, she picked out a light pink long pleated skirt. And to finish the outfit, she had a pair of block heel sandals. And we approve of her choice of footwear for the engagement outfit because it helped her walk around without being uncomfortable. For the day, Jonathan, following his fiance’s outfit, had a deep mauve polo shirt and he matched it with a pair of beige pants. To finish his outfit, he chose black suede shoes. Both of them had decided to keep things simple and had no jewelry on for the engagement photo session. The outfits, in hindsight, since we’ve seen their engagement photos, were a great choice. For an outdoor photo session, much like theirs, the outfits blended well with the surroundings without making the two of them look out of place. 

The first destination for the day was the footbridge. The couple shared a few reasons why this place had been on their list for the engagement photo session. The Taylor Bridge is a biking and pedestrian bridge that cuts across the L.A. River Trail. The bridge’s beautiful architecture is a heroic geometric design, which added amazing detail to the couple’s outdoor photo session. From the bridge, the view of the river trickling over the small stones and boulders is easy to find. The couple had that as their backdrop. When Amanda, Jonathan, and our photographer reached the first destination of the day, the couple was mesmerized by the beauty of it. They shared that they had been there before, but the fact that it was sunny and warm and their engagement photo session day, the two found more beauty in it. The air was light and the sun was shining as the two readied themselves to strike a few poses. The first few photos of the two were simple. The two stood next to each other, smiling brightly into the camera. And then, our photographer helped them with some more photo poses. Our photographer gave them a few ideas on romantic photo poses, and the two got them right in the first go. A few of our favorite shots of the two are when the two were walking toward the camera. The couple held hands, and walked towards the camera, but did not look away from each other. That photo was immensely romantic and showed how deep in love the two were. Another one of our favorites from the bridge was the beautiful photo of Jonathan planting a very soft kiss on Amanda’s forehead. This uber-romantic photo was made even better because of the angle our photographer took the photo, the sunlight was streaming into the photo frame, and the sunlight also made the background of the rocks, the river, and the minimal vegetation on the river bed look as though all of it was sparkling in the sunlight. We also especially enjoyed looking at the solo photos of the couple. Both of them had posed in different poses for the camera, but they were beautiful. The sun was falling on their back and made their hair glow with a dreamy charm, and the fact that they were turned away from direct sunlight, the photos turned out to be brilliant. 

Once done with the first location of the day, the couple decided to move to the second location, which was exploring the beautiful Elysian Valley. This was the place the two were super excited to explore. Jonathan and Amanda wanted to explore the beautiful greenery that surrounds the valley and wanted to use some of the picturesque scenery as their photo backdrops. Our photographer helped the two select different spots in the park. The couple was natural in front of the camera. They had unique photo ideas for this location. Jonathan twirled her around and made her skirt fluff up a little, and our photographer captured that photo. The two looked like teenagers in love, and ecstatic. Then the couple found a few more spots that they were interested in. As they walked hand-in-hand, our photographer followed them, waiting for the right moment to take a photo. Then the two found a spot with tall green grass that they absolutely loved, and wanted to take a photo there. Our photographer helped them find the right area so that the photo would turn out as amazing as the couple. The tall grass with a few ferns sticking out from some random areas made the photo look absolutely stunning, it was worthy of framing and putting it up on a wall. The couple loved the photo as well. The two still wanted to explore the valley a little more before they headed out to the tunnels. As they walked, our photographer walked ahead of them and asked them to pose as they walked hand-in-hand toward the camera. In the same area, our photographer also took a beautiful shot of the engagement rings they had. Our photographer helped them pose in a simple yet eloquent photo pose that showcased their love and the rings. Suggesting that Jonathan should have his back turned towards the sun, and Amanda should stand close to Jonatha, our photographer asked them to lace their hands together to capture a photo. The two did just that, and the photo showed the tender love that these two shared while showing the engagement rings with all of the details. Amanda’s engagement ring was beautiful, it had a delicate band around a diamond nestled in the center. 

For the next location, which was the tunnels, the two wanted to change their outfits. The second pair of outfits was brighter in comparison to the first set, and fit the dark ambiance of the tunnels. Since the two wanted to add the charms of the tunnels to their photo session they had carefully chosen a pair of outfits that made them stand out from the darker look of the tunnels. Jonathan had chosen to wear a sky blue shirt and paired it with a pair of straight-fitted black denim, keeping the footwear the same as the earlier outfit. Amanda on the other hand chose a beautiful red floral shirt. The half-sleeved shirt had delicate flowers printed on it and then paired with well-fitted blue denim. For the footwear, she chose to put on a pair of block-heeled platform shoes. The duo looked impressively stylish and happy. Then our photographer and the couple walked to the tunnels to find the right angle and spot to take the last of the day’s photos. The sun was about to make its descent, so the beginning and the end of the tunnel looked open and inviting. The beautiful lights from inside the tunnel were also adding to the charms of the place. Our photographer helped the couple try out a few poses in the tunnel they picked. The warm orange glow of the accent lights in the tunnel, paired with the stone details, made their photos look implacable. 

In the tunnel, the couple tried warm and romantic photo poses. One of our favorites is the one where both of them are turned sideways to the camera and are shyly bumping their heads together for the photo. It gives us a warm, fuzzy feeling whenever we look at it. Then before posing for more photos in different poses, Jonathan turned Amanda around and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. Surprised, Amanda smiled and blushed slightly. Then the two posed for a few more photos while embracing each other, before beginning to walk out of the tunnel. Our photographer had the idea of having them pose as they walked out of the tunnel. To make it better, Jonathan, candidly, put an arm around Amanda’s shoulder and pulled her closer. Our photographer captured that photo too. Before our photographer and the duo parted ways, Amanda and Jonathan’s eyes landed on a quaint place with a few big rocks. Seeing a photo opportunity, the two and our photographer took some photos there as well. Jonathan sat down on a rock, and Amanda hugged him from the back, smiling brightly. Jonathan’s smile too was big and genuine. The two of them not only enjoyed the surroundings but also each other’s company. As the two were walking out and our photographer was about to part ways with them, our photographer took a few last shots. The paved paths lined with greenery were too good of an opportunity to miss. Amanda hugged Jonathan from the side, to pose for the photo, and then, for the last photo, which was absolutely lovely, she turned around, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him, and as it is a mandate, one of her legs went up! The photo turned out beautiful. And just like that, our photographer ended their photo session with a warm smile and wished them all the best for their wedding day, which they were planning so keenly.