The magical place. Scott and I first happened upon it while visiting a park in Malibu, which we were considering for an upcoming e-session. Unfortunately after much walking and hiking and exploring (all in flip flops on my part – fail!), we left, realizing the park didn’t quite have the “wow” factor that made me want to rave about it to a couple. I was feeling a bit dejected (and sunburnt), as I had high hopes for the park, so Scott suggested we drive through the hills on the way back and catch some glimpses of the little hippie cottages that line the windy road (a sure-fire way to cheer up even the gloomiest of dispositions).

And that’s when we found it.

Right off the side of the road – tall trees, a mountainous backdrop, and the most delicious juicy light. I could have just drank it with a straw! It was, as Mary Poppins would say, practically perfect in every way.

So this is how we ended up at “the magical place” (as it has since been named) last week, with the wonderful Peggy & Ben for their engagement session. I had met Ben during our consultation, but it was my first time meeting Peggy, and I could see how her bright personality and infectious laughter were the perfect complement to Ben’s warm demeanor. They are so silly and sweet and in love and it was a dream to spend the afternoon with them. They live in San Jose but will be getting married in LA this June – can’t wait for their wedding!

We then headed to the Santa Monica Pier to soak up the remainder of the day’s light:

Love all the splashes of color!

When we were planning their engagement session, Clair & Paul sent me an amazing list of locations that had both the photographer and the LA-lover in me just bubbly with excitement. We had all the spots set, but a few days before the session I had a random Family-Guy-type flashback that took me to a beautiful field of wildflowers, with LA’s skyscrapers on the horizon, silhouetting the sky. I was first introduced to the lovely location by Serena Grace – we had shot together there earlier in the month along the park’s rolling hills and on the drive out, I had caught a glimpse of some bright yellow and purple blooms.

I mentally shuffled it away in my “I want to shoot THERE!!” list and when it popped back into my head, I knew the time had come :) I immediately emailed Clair & Paul and was so elated to hear that they were totally on board with throwing the location in the mix! I’m so happy we were able to spend some time there – they worked those wildflowers like no other!

Afterwards we headed back to their fantastic apartment to finish up the day…

Isn’t there just something terribly romantic about rooftops? Add a so-in-love couple and a fabulous cityscape in the background and you have the dreamiest of scenarios!

This last shot was 100% their idea and I can’t stress how much I LOVE it! They dubbed it the “Dolce & Gabbana” shot and it’s definitely ones of my favs from the session!

I first met with Clair and Paul in a cozy cafe below Clair’s loft apartment, nestled in a tall brick building in the heart of Downtown LA’s Arts District. We brainstormed engagement ideas, and they explained to me how they would love to do the session in the neighborhood right around the apartment, where they shared so many days and countless memories together. As we continued to plan the session through email they added in a few additional locations in downtown LA that were sentimental to them, including the very building itself. Worn wooden floors, an antique elevator, a rooftop that showcased LA’s brilliant skyline – the building was straight out of a classic movie and provided the perfect backdrop for Clair & Paul’s session (and had me nothing short of giddy with excitement!)

Clair and Paul – thank you for running around downtown with us and sharing your favorite spots in the city. There are so many moments to share, so please enjoy Part I for now!

I could have shot by these bougainvillea blossoms all day! And isn’t Clair’s headband just perfect?

After shooting some around their apartment, we headed to the 4th Street Bridge:

Scott grabbed this shot on the walk down:

We returned to their apartment to change outfits and hit up a couple more locations! Part II to come soon, including a fabulous wildflower field smack-dab in the middle of the city and a visit to the rooftop!