E & C: Laguna Beach, California Bridal Portraits

For Ella and Colby’s bridal portraits in Laguna Beach, we had an entire evening to wander the coast without a timeline pulling us in another direction. We started with a first look tucked away from the beach before making our way toward the water, letting the evening unfold from there.

The California coast gave us just about everything we could have wanted — warm light, jagged cliffs, open stretches of sand, and the Pacific stretching out behind them. As the sun dropped lower, we moved along the beach chasing the last of the light.

Alongside their digital gallery, I photographed parts of the evening on 35mm film. There’s an imperfect, nostalgic quality to film that felt especially at home here — warm California light, ocean air, and moments that didn’t need to be too polished.

Mixing film into a gallery gives the story another layer. The softness, grain, and unpredictability feel a little more lived-in, complementing the more refined portraits while still belonging to the same evening.

This is one of those evenings I know I’ll remember for a long time. Wandering the Laguna Beach coastline with Ella and Colby, photographing without a timeline, watching the sun disappear behind the cliffs and eventually ending up barefoot in the water — it was the kind of experience that reminds me why I love documenting people this way.

Laguna Beach has a way of offering something different in every direction. Rocky coves and dramatic cliffs give way to open stretches of sand and ocean, creating plenty of visual variety without needing to overcomplicate the session.

And as beautiful as the coastline was, my favorite part came once the sun was nearly gone.

Shoes came off, the dress got picked up, and Ella and Colby ran barefoot along the edge of the water. It was a little messy, completely carefree, and the perfect way to end the night.

Whether taken before the wedding, after it, or simply as an excuse to put your dress on again, bridal portraits don’t have to feel formal or traditional.

They can be an extension of the wedding experience—or something entirely their own. A chance to create photographs with a little more freedom, movement, and room to experiment.

I photograph weddings and portraits throughout California, Arizona, Oregon, and across the West Coast, taking on a limited number of celebrations each year so each one receives the care and attention it deserves.

If you’re planning a wedding, bridal session, or portrait experience along the California coast, I’d love to hear what you’re dreaming up.