#BAYTOUR SERIES: TAKING OUR OWN ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS
San Francisco Peninsula // Chris + Lupe
It's true what they say: photographs are the pause button of life.
When we decided to get married last year, we didn't think we needed to have professional photos taken. We are not even sure how we came to that conclusion, but it was something that later on we came to regret. Truth is, as much as we like to be behind the camera, there are moments that are worth living from a different perspective.
By now, you probably know that we have a soft spot for California [probably, we should call it more of an obsession]. How to resist the beauty of its landscapes? It's simply impossible. That is why, when we traveled in June to San Francisco for the #SFSessions, we decided to have a session of our own. Yes, you read that right! We were both in front and behind the camera. How, you may ask... Well, we got a few secrets of our own, and of course a little help ;) After all, what's family for?
Just like for the sessions with our clients, we wanted to put serious thought into every aspect of this photoshoot. For us , It is not just about pointing the camera and pressing the shutter; rather it's about combining the different elements to create the perfect image. Definitely, location and time play a big part in this scheme. We knew we wanted to have in the background big fields and mountains, with a layering of golden light. Also, we wanted to make sure the location wasn't too touristy or busy. Photoshoots are always a very intimate experience, and when there are too many people or other distractions, people tend to get a bit more tense and/or shy... Believe or not, we are not the exception! The area around San Mateo not only fulfilled all those requirements, but it also had a special place in our hearts, as that is where our family lives.
The day of the session couldn't have been more perfect: sunny and temperature in the 70s with a light breeze. We put together all the equipment, dragged out of the house our assistant for the day [shoutout to Phyllis for always following us in our crazy ideas!], and headed up the hills on a fifteen minute drive. We arrived around 7PM and by that time the area was pretty much "clear" [it was only us, and a couple of occasional joggers].
After scouting the area for a few minutes, we drew an itinerary for the shoot based on the location of the sun [we are total geeks]. Now, here is where the tricky part began...being both the photographer and the subject is not as simple as it seems! When determining the spot in which we wanted to take the photograph, we would take test shots using Phyllis as the subject. We would then proceed to decide on camera settings + framing + poses. That's when we would get in front of the camera and redo the shots with us as the subjects. If we didn't like something, we would retake that shot until we got exactly what we wanted... Definitely, there was a lot of back and forth, but it was totally worth it!
Going back to our initial thought about photography, we couldn't be happier to know that we get to relive this special moment through the images we took. Photographs are truly FOREVER <3
If you had a similar photoshoot experience you want to tell us about, feel free to leave us a comment. We love to hear your stories! Also, if you haven't done it yet, don't forget to click on the subscribe button. We always have special surprises for our followers and you don't want to miss it ;)
