There’s something about turning your engagement photos into an actual adventure that makes the whole experience feel so much more like you. Julia and Chris’ engagement session on the Coast was exactly that. Instead of choosing one location and spending the whole session taking photos, we made a morning out of it, exploring a quiet stretch of the Southern Oregon coastline, wandering through the California Redwood forest, and leaving plenty of room for whatever we found along the way. These two love to travel and document their adventures together, so it felt very fitting to add another experience to that collection of memories!

Making Your Engagement Session on the Coast Feel Like an Adventure

We started Julia and Chris’ session at sunrise along the Oregon Coast. I had been keeping a close eye on the weather leading up to their session, and somehow we managed to hit a little window with no rain. The morning was misty and overcast, the beach was incredibly quiet, and they had so much space to just explore. We wandered through the wildflowers above the beach before heading down to the sand, where they ran around barefoot, found starfish, and basically treated the morning like a date that I happened to be photographing.

From there, we traded the coast for the forest and hiked one of my favorite trails through the California redwoods. Having two completely different environments gave them so much variety without making the session feel like we were rushing from photo spot to photo spot. Eventually the rain caught up with us, but instead of calling it, we pulled out the clear umbrellas and kept going. They ended their adventure with a champagne pop surrounded by the trees, which was such a fun way to wrap everything up.

Planning an Engagement Session on the Coast That Actually Feels Like You

When you’re planning an adventure engagement session, I always recommend thinking about what you want to do before worrying too much about where you’ll take photos. Maybe that’s hiking, tide pooling, having a picnic, kayaking, horseback riding, popping champagne, or visiting somewhere like the Redwood Sky Walk. Your session doesn’t have to revolve around posing in a pretty location. When you’re actually doing something together, you have something to focus on besides the camera, and that’s usually when everything starts to feel a lot more comfortable and natural.

The time of day matters too! Sunrise can be amazing if you want fewer people around and a quieter experience, while evening can give you completely different light and energy. I also look at the season, tides, weather, crowds, and what we have planned before deciding what makes the most sense. And when we’re heading into state or national parks, permits are another thing we’ll need to check ahead of time. Weather on the coast can change quickly, so being open to a little mist or rain helps too. Sometimes those moody conditions end up being part of what makes the experience so good.

Want Your Engagement Photos to Feel More Like an Adventure Date? Let’s Chat!

Christina Perhac Photo | Adventurous California Elopement Photographer

If the idea of standing in one spot and posing for an hour doesn’t sound like you, you don’t have to do that. We can build your engagement session around places you want to explore and things you genuinely enjoy doing together. Think of it as an adventure date where I get to be your guide, help with all the logistics, and document everything along the way. If that sounds more like your kind of engagement session, I’d love to start planning where we should go. Head to my contact page so we can chat about the ideas you have! If you want to learn more about me and what I do, click here. Can’t wait to hear from you!

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