Although I'm mainly a family photographer, I absolutely enjoy documenting engagement portraits, especially on the coast. And this beautiful couple has such a unique story so it made it that much more special.

He is in the army, and she is a former Navy Seal, but her passion is reading romance novels and she has even cultivated that passion into a strong following on TikTok.

One of my favorite things about this session was the couple's desire to incorporate their hobbies into their photos - her love for reading and his love for playing the guitar. You can tell that they lift each other up and enjoy doing things together. They also brought their dog, Henry, to their sunrise beach session and I love that! Henry was quite energetic at the shoot, running around in the sand and being playful with her Mama. I've included a shot below of them kissing Henry on either side of her cheek that I thought was so funny. Her face squished and cheeks smooshed, just like a little kid would look if their parents were doing the same thing. I included a black and white copy of this photo too, my favorite version of it, because I thought it humanized this dog in such a comical way. When I incorporate a black and white version of an image into a client's gallery my goal is to portray the emotion in the image. Turning an image into black and white should make the image stronger, and I thought with this particular one it did just that. I also loved the sign that Mama brought to their session "i loved her first", that said it all!

One thing I always encourage during a couple's portrait session, since you have time with it being just you, is two outfits. You'll want something a bit more casual, especially when you have your engagement photos done on the beach, then perhaps change into something a bit more put together in the event you want to switch it up for the engagement announcements or including your engagement portraits into your wedding album.

For her second outfit, I loved the pale pink, pleated a-line skirt and the cream fitted sweater. This combination spoke to February on the coast quite well, as well as romance, which she is all about. I thought it went beautifully with the soft light we had happening during sunrise that morning.

The second outfit worked so well for their vision! As an avid romance novel reader, and something she considers her passionate hobby, I thought the romantic look of this outfit worked so well for their engagement photos.