San Lorenzo Park - King City, CA - Drew Zavala Photography - Location Spotlight

If one of my clients expresses interest in going to a park for their photo session, I always recommend San Lorenzo Park in King City. There are so many great park options in the area, but San Lorenzo Park is great for a lot of reasons. Here’s why you should consider it for your next photo session!

First off, this park is huge! There are 200 acres of recreational space, which means that there will be plenty of room for us to move around and make the most of our surroundings. The paths are easy to navigate and are perfect for family members of any accessibility level.

Having so much room also means that we won’t have to worry about potential photo-bombers! While this park can be popular during the summer, I’ve never had a problem with it being too crowded.

Sometimes, I like to use prompts to get some candid moments of movement between you and your loved ones. At San Lorenzo Park, we won’t have to worry about bumping into anyone or anything while you and your little ones run and play.

If your little ones are nervous about being photographed, parks like San Lorenzo are a great place to take them because it will give them a chance to do what they do best—be kids—in an environment that is familiar to them.

There is plenty of natural light, too. If the sun is too harsh on the day of our session, we will easily be able to find shade amongst the graceful trees or rustic buildings.

When you come to your session, be prepared for the entry fee. San Lorenzo Park charges $6 per car during the week and $8 during the weekend.

After your session, there’s plenty to do in the area. They have an agriculture museum with lots of old farm equipment, and the park also has plenty of camping and picnic spots.

If you want to make the most of your entry fee, spend the afternoon here! There’s plenty to do. They have playgrounds, volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, a softball field, and plenty of hiking trails.

Ready to choose San Lorenzo Park for your photo session? I can’t wait to book with you! Let me know, and we can get the ball rolling.

Asilomar State Beach - Pacific Grove, CA - Drew Zavala Photography - Jay + Akshata

In early December, Jay planned meticulously for his marriage proposal to Akshata, and he contacted me to see if I was available to capture the moment for them. I was all for it!

The proposal was going to happen at sunrise on Asilomar Beach. I was looking forward to dreamy sunrise shots, but as the day came closer, a huge storm rolled in. I advised Jay of the rain, and that if his heart was set on those romantic sunrise shots, we might want to reschedule. But he just said, “Let’s do it anyways!”

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting there to be much to work with during the rain, but Jay must have had a gut feeling because man, these photos turned out to be some of the most striking engagement photos of my career! His flexibility on the matter was very admirable. Sure enough, the day came, and there was enough rain that I actually had to cover my camera with a grocery bag to keep it dry.

Jay told Akshata that his boss wanted to see him out there before their day began to show him something. Jay is in tech, so I’m surprised Akshata didn’t suspect anything, but she went along for the ride.

Then Jay popped the question, and Akshata was shocked! With the rain falling around them, it was hard to tell if she was crying or not, but she was so touched and accepted immediately. Congratulations!

The wind was so fierce that I had to be careful which direction I pointed my lens. If it got wet, the images would turn out blurry, and I definitely couldn’t risk that. By positioning the couple strategically, we overcame this obstacle.

When I got home, I was still completely drenched. I’ve never experienced that on a shoot before, and it was definitely a wild ride. Even so, I would 10/10 do it again!

When Jay + Akshata saw their final gallery, they were in love with the photos. I can definitely see why! These two were so passionate and loving.

Thank you so much for choosing me to document this special moment, Jay! It was so much fun planning with you, and I’m so happy that we went through with the session despite the foreseeable challenges. Congratulations, you two!

Downtown - Monterey, CA - Drew Zavala Photography - Melissa + Kevin

Melissa + Kevin’s wedding is going to be amazing! I’m completely convinced of this, especially after our amazing engagement shoot in Downtown Monterey.

I’ve got to tell you, this was one of those sessions where I have my ideal client, they wear exactly what I want them to wear, and the weather was amazing. Gladly, we checked all the good stuff off on our lists.

If I had to nitpick, I guess it was just a little bit crowded in Downtown, so we had to shoot a bit strategically to avoid getting unwanted photo-bombers. Tourists and traffic can be tricky to work with, but with a little patience, we got some stunning images. Take a look!

First off, Melissa + Kevin are amazing. Melissa works in radiology tech, and Kevin works in agriculture. They both have such big hearts and big smiles, and I know they’re going to absolutely dominate married life.

They once again killed it with their outfits. Our first session was about two months ago with their kids, and they had the same energy and enthusiasm as last time. I loved it! Check out that post here.

With her hat, Melissa is totally the star of the show. You go, girl! But we didn’t count Kevin out. His plaid shirt added the perfect touch against Melissa’s dress.

The weather was absolutely perfect, too. With the couple feeling their absolute best, it was so easy to create organic moments of love.

I can’t recommend Downtown Monterey enough for photos! We found so many cool doors, murals, fountains, and trees to shoot with. This session was totally 10/10!

This will be the last time I see them until their wedding in August, 2023. I know it’ll be here so fast! I can’t wait until that day, and I know they can’t either!

Thanks so much for booking me for your engagement session and your wedding! I’m so thrilled to be able to photograph both events. In my opinion, August really can’t come soon enough! Best of luck with all the wedding plans.