Montalvo Arts Center Engagement

I recently headed up North to capture two of my very best friends’ Montalvo Arts Center engagement. We began their session at the historic property and finished in the golden hills of the East Bay. I’ve known Torrey and Aaron since my early college years and have been eagerly awaiting their engagement. I’ve witnessed their relationship since the beginning days and was honored to capture this for them.

Working with a couple that you already have a great relationship with makes photographing them so special. They have both been in front of my camera countless times before so this was an absolute pleasure. There was no warm-up time required which is typically the case. I also know their particular dynamic with one another so it was great to play off of that.

The Property

We arrived at Montalvo Arts Center in the late evening to take advantage of the warm, golden light. The property was fairly empty by then which allowed us to really explore and utilize the space. We began the session at the icon cypress tree walkway. It was beautifully lit for that time of day and we had it all to ourselves. Torrey donned a beautiful, subtly patterned white dress with a matching belt and black heels. Aaron kept it classy with a gray sport coat, dark blue jeans, and brown suede chukka boots. We walked the grounds together, catching up on life and laughing at old memories. Following the cypress walk, we made our way to the front of the main building. We made our way underneath the Romanesque columns. Beautiful afternoon light poured in from all sides and lit the pair like they were on a movie set.

We soon made it to the back of the building where we discovered a gorgeous courtyard filled with greenery. Following shots on the stairs and kisses by the fountain, we headed off to our last location of the evening.

Location Number Two

The East Bay hills were next on our list. I always strive to capture a variety of looks for my sessions so this was a great juxtaposition with Montalvo. We enjoyed the sunset together walking through the golden rolling hills. Torrey’s second outfit was a stunning forest green dress with white heels. Aaron swapped out the chukkas for a pair of brown wingtips and a light blue button-up.

I had the absolute best time with these two. In addition to photographing their wedding next year in St. Helena I cannot wait to be Aaron’s groomsman as well!