San Lorenzo Park - King City, CA - Drew Zavala Photography - Nate + Paige

Nate + Paige have been together since high school. How adorable is that? As high school sweethearts, they radiated such a sweet joy throughout our engagement session. It was great to help them celebrate their biggest milestone to-date!

On the day of our photoshoot, San Lorenzo Park in King City was so gorgeous. We had some beautiful back lighting that made the couple just pop! They were so excited to be engaged. What a magical phase of life. Savor it!

The beautiful weather was a welcome change. King City hardly has any overcast days, in comparison to the Monterey Bay Area, so those sunshine rays were beaming all day!

Nate + Paige were so relaxed and easy-going the whole time, trusting my expertise all the way. They followed my instructions well, and had sunny attitudes to match the perfect weather.

Bringing multiple outfits is a great way to add variety to your photos. Nate + Paige brought two different sets, both of which were perfect for the golden sunlight and foliage around the park.

The dog was so energetic and playful! He wanted to run, play, and bark at others. Dealing with puppers can be tough, but Nate + Paige brought plenty of treats to reward positive behavior.

I always tell my clients to let me get the dog’s attention, because if the pup is turning to look at you, that’s when we’ll miss the shot. If you let me call them, I can make sure that everyone is looking at the camera.

After we took the necessary shots, we put the dogs back in the car so we could focus on capturing the love of this couple. Nothing is more precious than these moments!

Prompts are really fun, but I also loved letting Nate + Paige interact in a natural way for some great candid shots. These smiles are so genuine! It’s clear that you two have found your other half.

Congratulations, Nate + Paige! Our engagement session was a blast. Happy wedding wishes to you both, and thanks again for letting me document this part of your story!

Soberanes Point - Big Sur, CA - Drew Zavala Photography - Raymond + Johanna

It was a foggy day on Soberanes Point in Big Sur, California during Raymond + Johanna’s proposal session. Even so, the mist was beautiful!

Raymond and Johanna drove from Paso Robles, but they’re originally from the Los Angeles area. By the time they arrived, the stage was set for a romantic proposal!

Unfortunately, it was difficult and sometimes impossible to see the coastline. The mist was so thick that my lens kept getting wet and I had to wipe it a few times.

It took some strategy to position myself where the lens wouldn’t get wet. Back turned to the mist, I captured winning photo after winning photo! These two lovebirds were naturals in front of the camera.

While the misty day wasn’t what Raymond envisioned for his proposal to Johanna, the shots turned out so soft, which added a unique touch to their photos. They turned out absolutely fantastic!

Soberanes Point doesn’t have the best cell service, so sometimes it’s hard to find the right location. Luckily, I was able to spot Raymond + Johanna as they came down the road because Raymond let us know what they were wearing. I flagged him over to the correct turn when Johanna wasn’t looking.

Raymond + Johanna didn’t come alone. They brought their adorable Chihuahua puppy with them! The dog was so friendly and well-behaved, the perfect witness to what was about to happen!

When Raymond popped the question, Johanna couldn’t contain her happiness! She said yes without any hesitation. Congratulations, you two!

To celebrate, they popped open a bottle of champagne. Surrounded by soft pillows, blankets, and a pair of romantic candles, the couple enjoyed this special moment whole-heartedly.

It was amazing to document your proposal at Soberanes Point, Raymond + Johanna! Congratulations, and I wish you both the very best going forward.

Morro Bay, CA - Drew Zavala Photography - AJ + Ariana

I was in for a glorious treat on AJ + Ariana’s special day because their intimately-sized wedding took place on a boat! It was my first time taking my camera to a sea session, so I was more than thrilled to face any new challenges that came up!

The wedding party prepared at Front Street Inn & Spa, which was less than a quarter mile from the dock. This made things so easy for everyone involved! The transition from land to boat was seamless.

I can’t recommend Chablis Cruises enough for their amazing service. If you’re looking for the perfect intimate wedding venue, you really can’t go wrong with a boat like this! AJ + Ariana definitely made the right choice. This was a venue to remember!

The captain had to guide the boat in a zig-zag pattern to avoid rough waters, so the lighting changed frequently. We didn’t avoid the rough waves entirely, but that was a part of the day’s magic!

I needed to re-frame the shots consistently while photographing, but good coordination and communication with the captain helped out immensely. I can’t wait to do something like this again!

To combat the constantly-changing environment, it was crucial that I used a high shutter speed on my camera. This allowed us to capture crisp images even though I wasn’t nearly as steady as I am on flat ground!

With just their closest friends and family, the event felt truly intimate. I loved all of their theme and style choices. Atomic Blooms went above and beyond, translating AJ + Ariana’s floral dreams into a reality. This couple put so much thought into their special day!

The sun was actually out, unlike a few months ago during their engagement shoot. During that session, the mist and fog were so thick that we could barely see the horizon.

While that session was also amazing, I’m so glad that the weather was different today so that we could have the chance to capture the waves and Morro Rock in the background!

AJ + Ariana, I’m completely floored by how stunning your wedding was. These pictures are worth a million words! Congratulations, and I can’t wait to see what life has in store for you in the future!