There are approximately one million beautiful engagement photos on the internet. Gorgeous light, perfect outfits, iconic locations, the whole thing. But the engagement galleries I always remember are the ones that feel like the couple actually exists inside them. Not like they were dropped into a pretty location and told to look romantic for an hour.
As a San Francisco photographer, I don’t think authenticity comes from asking you to laugh on cue or recreating a pose you saved on Pinterest. Those images can absolutely be a source of inspiration (I save plenty myself), but the sessions that feel the most personal usually start much earlier. With good questions, thoughtful planning, and getting genuinely curious about who you are together.
That’s where the planning piece matters. I plan for the type of intentionality that makes for an amazing shoot and an overall comfortable experience.
In this guide, you’ll find:
- A Great Engagement Session Starts Before You Ever Pick Out an Outfit
- The Best Ideas Usually Come From Your Real Life
- Beautiful Locations Matter. Meaningful Ones Matter More.
- The Details Matter More Than People Realize
- Leave Room for the In-Between Moments
- A Few Tips for Planning Engagement Photos That Feel Like You
- Why We Chose These San Francisco Engagement Photo Locations
- Book Your Engagement Session With San Francisco Photographer
A Great Engagement Session Starts Before You Ever Pick Out an Outfit
Before we talk about outfits, locations, or whether you’re more “coffee in the city” or “running around the beach at sunset,” I want to understand the two of you a little better. Because the best engagement sessions usually do not start with “what backdrop do you want?” They start with better questions.
What does a normal weekend look like for you? Where do you go when you want to feel like yourselves? Are you coffee people? Beach walk people? Let’s bring the dog and see what happens, people?
Aubrey and Jeremy shared elements of their lives in their client questionnaire when we first got started. They also used my mood boards and inspo images, which gave me a feel for what resonated with them. From there, I was able to design a session that would turn their references into a session that still felt like them. And the result? A relaxed but dynamic shoot that put the couple in locations that made them feel like themselves.
The Best Ideas Usually Come From Your Real Life
One thing I’ve noticed over the years as a San Francisco photographer is that people become remarkably comfortable when they’re doing something familiar. Not because they’ve forgotten I’m there, but because their attention shifts back to each other.
That’s why I love building an engagement session around the things you already enjoy together! So, when Aubrey and Jeremy shared that they love a cafe date, I knew we had to hit up Cafe Zoetrope for baked goods and coffee. And when they mentioned taking walks on the beach with their dog Violet, my mind went straight to Golden Gate Beach!
That is the kind of information that lets me build a session around your actual life instead of just picking a pretty place and hoping it works. And honestly, that is the goal, to not make your engagement session feel like a performance. More like a slightly elevated version of a day you would actually want to have together. I always like to tell my couples that their engagement session is a perfect date, with me as a third wheel following them around with a camera!
Beautiful Locations Matter. Meaningful Ones Matter More.
Listen, I love a dramatic location, but a pretty backdrop only gets you so far if it has nothing to do with you!
For Aubrey and Jeremy’s San Francisco engagement session, we mixed a few different locations instead of staying in one place the whole time. We started in the city, stopped at Cafe Zoetrope for coffee and pastries, made our way toward Battery to Bluffs Trail, and ended at Golden Gate Beach with Violet running around like she had important business to attend to.
Looking back, none of those places stand out because they’re iconic. They stand out because they felt familiar, they felt like Aubrey and Jeremy. The afternoon unfolded the same way one of their favorite weekends might have. I think that’s why their San Francisco engagement photos feel relaxed. We weren’t trying to manufacture chemistry. We simply created space for it.
The Details Matter More Than People Realize
The little details can do a lot of heavy lifting in an engagement session. Not in a “bring props because Pinterest told you to” way. No random picnic basket unless you are genuinely picnic basket people!
But if there are pieces of your real life that feel like you, your dog, a book you both love, a coffee order, a jacket you always steal from them, a board game you play at home, handwritten notes- those details can give your session more texture.
They also give you something to do, which is secretly very helpful if you feel awkward in front of the camera. Holding coffee, walking your dog, flipping through a book, fixing a sleeve, laughing because your dog has decided she is the creative director now, all of that creates movement. And movement usually makes photos feel more natural.
Leave Room for the In-Between Moments
Even though I plan every engagement session intentionally, I never want it to feel overproduced. There is a difference between having a plan and forcing every second into a shot list. A plan gives the session direction. The breathing room is what lets the good stuff happen.
Some of my favorite photos happen between the “official” photo moments. Walking from one location to the next. Holding the door open as you leave the coffee shop. Your dog is going rogue at the beach, because of course dogs will be dogs. Those are not interruptions. Those are the little pieces that make the gallery feel like yours.
That’s one of the reasons I loved photographing Aubrey and Jeremy. The afternoon felt more like spending time together than moving through a shot list, and I think you can feel that when you look through their gallery.
After I delivered their photos, Aubrey sent a message of their response to seeing the gallery for the first time. “Thank you SO MUCH for our photos! We love them!! I feel like you captured us, and Violet, so well.” I love that so much. It wasn’t about their inspo board or the latest trends. The couple loved the photos because they felt like them.
A Few Tips for Planning Engagement Photos That Feel Like You
Choose Locations That Actually Mean Something to You
I know the Pinterest-famous locations are tempting, but don’t feel like you have to pick a place just because everyone else does. Some of my favorite engagement sessions happen somewhere that’s part of your everyday life. I’m talking about a neighborhood you love, your favorite beach, or the coffee shop where you spend Sunday mornings together. The photos usually feel more relaxed because you’re somewhere that already feels familiar, and that’s hard to fake.
Plan a Little Activity If You’re Camera Shy
If the thought of having a camera pointed at you for an hour sounds intimidating, you’re definitely not alone! Having something to do can make a huge difference. Grab coffee, wander through a bookstore, bring your dog along, or stop for ice cream. It gives you something to focus on besides the camera, and before long, you’re just hanging out together. That’s when the best moments usually happen.
Bring Comfortable Shoes
This one isn’t glamorous, but you’ll thank yourself later. If we’re walking between locations, toss a pair of sneakers or sandals in the car. You can change into your photo shoes once we get there. You’ll be a lot more comfortable, and you’ll save your feet for the part that actually matters.
Treat Your Mood Board Like Inspiration
I love when couples bring inspiration because it helps me understand the overall vibe you’re drawn to. But your mood board doesn’t have to become a checklist. Every location is different. Every couple is different. Instead of trying to recreate someone else’s photos, we’ll use those ideas as a starting point and create something that feels like you.
Leave Room for the Unexpected
As much as we plan, my favorite photos are almost never the ones anyone expected. They’re the little in-between moments. Like the way you look at each other after a joke, fixing a loose strand of hair, laughing because something didn’t go according to plan. Those are the moments that make your gallery feel personal, so don’t worry about trying to make every second picture-perfect.
Why We Chose These San Francisco Engagement Photo Locations
One thing I always tell couples is that your engagement session doesn’t have to happen at the most popular location in the city. Instead, I like choosing places that feel like a good fit for who you are as a couple. For this session, we picked a few San Francisco locations that gave us plenty of variety, beautiful light, and space for those candid, in-between moments that make a gallery feel personal. Each stop had a different vibe, but together they told a story that felt authentic to them. Here’s why we chose each of the locations that we did:
Cafe Zoetrope gave the session an easy starting point. Coffee, pastries, sitting together, walking out the door. All simple things that help people settle in before we move into more portrait-heavy moments.
San Francisco city streets added movement and a little bit of that everyday-date feeling.
Battery to Bluffs Trail brought in texture, greenery, and coastal views without making the session feel too polished.
Golden Gate Beach was the perfect ending because it gave Aubrey, Jeremy, and Violet space to move. And if you bring your dog to your engagement session, I fully expect them to steal the show at least once. That is just the law.
Book Your Engagement Session With San Francisco Photographer
If there is one thing I want you to take away from Aubrey and Jeremy’s experience, it’s that your engagement session shouldn’t look like theirs, or anyone else’s. You deserve to have photos that document you, your story, your life because those underrated moments are what make your relationship special.
Does this sound like the type of engagement session you want to experience? Drop me a line here and let’s get started!
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