It’s been lovely having a few months off from photography, but I have been itching to get back into it too. I am so excited that engagement sessions are starting up. I’ve been looking forward to photographing this couple because Anika is one of my coworkers. We went through a driving course up at the Sonoma Raceway together a couple years ago, which was a ton of fun even though I hate driving, haha. Despite being coworkers, as our company has grown 10 times bigger, we run into each other less and less. Luckily, through the power of social media, I get to keep up with Anika’s life on Instagram. I was so excited for her when Garrett proposed to her in New Zealand and even more excited when she asked me to be their wedding photographer. It was an honor to photograph their California hillside engagement.

I secretly love it when my couples choose to do their engagement session at Russian Ridge because it’s one of my favorite places to go for a walk, but I almost never make it up there except for sessions. It’s always nice to have an excuse to get outside! I love watching Russian Ridge change throughout the seasons. Usually, the hills are green in February from all the rain, but the dry winter has meant the hills were still golden. We were initially a bit worried about the weather, but we ended up hitting the week in February with the ridiculously beautiful 80 degree weather. It was still pretty windy up on top of the hill though, so there was lots of cuddling to stay warm. Anika and Garrett warned me they were awkward in front of the camera, but they totally lied! They were absolutely amazing and made my job so easy. I can’t wait until their wedding!

How incredible are these beautiful people?