Santa Barbara Engagement

This dreamy Santa Barbara engagement session has everything I could hope for from working with a couple. I had the pleasure of photographing an incredibly fun (and ridiculously good-looking) pair of human beings that are head-over-heels in love with one another. We had the pleasure of traveling to one of my favorite Central Coast locations- the Santa Barbara sand dunes. From my first meeting with Joanna and Ryan, we hit it off immediately. I loved bouncing ideas off of one another for the most epic place we could travel to for their engagement session. As soon as they saw another session I had done earlier at a separate set of dunes they were sold.

It was cool and overcast on the day we met. The sun was hidden behind the clouds but we had the softest, most beautiful light to play with. The sand dunes were a 25-minute walk from the parking lot where we rendezvoused so as we headed over to our first location of the day we chatted about their wedding plans, favorite recipes they cook for one another, and all of their upcoming travels.

Joanna & Ryan’s outfits were wonderfully classy and timeless. Joanna rocked a stunning white off-the-shoulder dress white beautiful gold adornments on the arm and Ryan looked like he walked straight out of a movie with his button-down white shirt and Hollywood quality hair. Upon arriving at the dunes we were greeted with a seemingly endless rolling landscape that we had entirely to ourselves. The wind was calm and you could hear the seagulls off in the distance. It was pure magic. As we ran around the dunes together I captured endless amounts of kisses, sweet embraces, and full-on belly laughs. They just made it too easy for me!

We ended the session with a brisk romp in the Pacific and then headed back to our cars before we lost the last bit of daylight. I had the absolute best time with these two at their Santa Barbara engagement at the sand dunes and I can’t wait for their wedding later this year.

Springtime Vacation Around the Island of Iceland

This post is long overdue but better late than never! It’s thrilling to share this Springtime vacation around the island of Iceland. This trip was taken two years ago and thinking back to our adventure, it feels like just yesterday. We spent 10 incredible days driving over 1,200 miles around the island.

Never before in my life has visiting an unknown land felt so otherworldly. From the steaming natural thermal spas to the beaches filled with car-sized pieces of ice, Iceland is like no other. It’s mind-blowing to experience just how many unique features the island has to offer. We must have seen at least 50 waterfalls and hundreds of Icelandic ponies in the first day alone of our drive

The first few days were spent in the South where we visited Glacier Lagoon, Diamond Beach, and the Skógafoss waterfall. Let me just say right now that I could happily have my last days on Earth at Diamond Beach and Glacier Lagoon. Beautiful doesn’t even begin to describe the breathtaking sights at the two locations. Conveniently located just right across the road from one another, these two locations literally took my breath away. Glacier Lagoon is not just stunning to see but it’s so eerily quiet and peaceful, it would be a spectacular place to meditate, camp, or even have an elopement. As the glacier ice breaks apart and eventually melts, it makes its way across the lagoon and eventually onto Diamond Beach. There, among the black sand stands huge chunks of ice that’s as clear as glass.

The next morning, we continued our journey along the south until we arrived at our next destination- Black Sand Beach. This location is truly a sight to behold. While strolling along the beach you’ll hear the sound of pounding surf and admire the giant caves and geometric basalt columns that line the sand. Many people have been pulled out to sea by the force of the rip currents. Everyone was made well aware of the signs they passed to not suffer from the same fate and be careful.

During the loop around the island, we stayed in a different home every night. This was a fantastic opportunity to connect with the locals and learn about Iceland. One of the homes was located on an active farm which hosted sheep, horses, and the friendliest husky.

90% of the meals that were eaten were cooked and prepared ourselves. Before leaving Reykjavik we made a stop at the local grocery store and stocked up on produce, fresh fish, and local spices. I made the silly mistake of asking the staff if the sold coolers in the store. With befuddled looks on their faces, they replied, “This is Ice-land. No coolers needed.” So from that moment on, all of the food was packed in grocery bags and topped with snow. One night, in particular, there was no access to a fridge so the food was left outside to chill.

The East and North points of the island were still very much suffering from winter. Besides for epic amounts of snow, there wasn’t too much to stay around to see. The last leg of the trip, however, was definitely a favorite. If you’ve never seen a geothermal vent before, it’s quite a sight to behold. Just outside of the small town of Myvatn is a location called Hverir. Here, one is welcomed with the smell of rotten eggs thanks to the endless amount of sulfur being pumped out. The geothermal vents are incredibly loud and quite scary, to be honest. Steam is constantly shooting hundreds of feet outwards from the vents protruding out of the Earth.

The last stop, and what I would consider being the highlight of the trip was our visit to the Blue Lagoon. This geothermal spa had been on our bucket list for quite some time and it sure did live up to its reputation. The lagoon opens at 8am every morning and we were sure to be the first ones in the water. Without anyone else around us, we captured some truly incredible images! Most people only visit for a couple of hours but we made an entire day out of the experience. It was truly a memory we will never forget and we hope to return again soon!

If you’re considering making a trip out to this incredible country, do it. You won’t regret it.