I’ve got something a little different for you this time…But first, a mini lesson on lighting :)  One of the most difficult lighting situations a photographer can face is when the sun is directly overhead on a sunny day.  Yes, I know it looks so pretty outside when the sun is shining directly overhead, but as a photographer, I immediately look for a more ideal lighting situation.  A LOT of flash power is needed to knock out all the shadows created by the sun, much more than what my on-camera flash is capable of producing.  That’s where my Alien Bee (aka “The Pink Beast”) is my best friend!  Chriss handled all the lighting at Monica and John’s Palos Verdes engagement session.  You’ll notice how soft and pretty their skin looks, because we diffuse the light from The Pink Beast with an octabox.  We also maintain correct exposure on the background, so the sky is bright blue, not washed out and white.  Ok, enough technical talk…

I love the spontaneousness of this image.  Doesn’t Monica look gorgeous too?!  This was shot on the walkway in front of Terranea, overlooking the ocean.

Had to do one shot with the sunglasses.  I guess John is too cool to wear his, haha!  Kidding…

The CAVE!  I’ll have to post some of the wider shots that show how huge the cave really is.

A new engagement session location is always exciting for me.  Monica and John chose a spot that is very special to them- the Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes.  I was a little skeptical about this location when John showed me the mound of rocks we had to climb over in order to get to the “cave” on the other side.  I will do practically anything to get a cool photo though!  Not many people have their engagement photos taken inside a cave with waves crashing only a few feet in front of them!  The cave was also a perfect place to take a break from the sun, and get some soft lighting for a different look.  Chriss and I had such a fun afternoon with Monica and John, and I really think the images show the love these two have for each other.  Mission accomplished!  John and Monica are getting married later this summer at Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church in Santa Ana, followed by a reception at The Turnip Rose in Costa Mesa.