Nickee is from Ohio; David is from Los Angeles. Once married the couple has decided they will make the move and start their life together in Ohio where there can be closer to Nickee’s family. With that in mind the pair decided they wanted to take their engagement photos in a location that would remind them of their time in Los Angeles and how beautiful it is. They love the beach, and hiking, so we decided Malibu would be the perfect location. Unfortunately, Malibu can be a bit tricky for photography. Permits are required for many of the shooting locations, and weekends are sometimes off limits. We usually suggest weekdays for engagement sessions, since there are usually less people around. With work schedules we know this is not always doable or convenient. For Nickee and David a Sunday ended up being the ideal date.

We thought we’d take the chance and headed to Solstice Canyon which offers beautiful views of the ocean and lots of hiking trails. However, when we arrived the park was so busy the nearest parking was at minimum one mile up hill from the canyon. We are always up for a walk, but we didn't want to loose light and engagement clothing usually isn't exactly what we’d call ideal hiking gear.

We quickly pivoted and came up with a new plan, one we think worked even better!  Nickee was so relaxed and suggested one of her favorite spots in Malibu—Point Dume. Point Dume is a promontory on the coast that juts out into the Pacific Ocean. The point, a long bluff, forms the northern end of the Santa Monica Bay. Point Dume Natural Area affords a vista of the Palos Verdes Peninsula and Santa Catalina Island. The location provided a wide variety of backdrops and we were able to have some fun! We parked in a residential area, and made our way to the beach. Along the way we took advantage of the beautiful landscaping of the expensive homes and started shooting as we walked.

It was a gorgeous day, after the rain the day before, but still very cold. Nickee was a trooper dressed in summer attire. Looking at the photos you’d never know she was freezing! David was also a champ in his own way! Nickee secretly worried David would emulate the dreaded Chandler Bing face from the television series Friends. This is from one of our favorite episodes, where Monica eventually asks Joey to take engagement photos with her instead of her fiancé who couldn’t take a photo without making a funky face. Well, we are happy to say no stand-in was necessary. David killed it and was a natural!  Both Nickee and David were relaxed, and playful with each other!

If you fear you might be marrying a Chandler Bing a few tips we suggest to make them comfortable are: first of all don't let on to them that you think they are a bad photo taker! Boosting their confidence will get you a lot farther. Also, we like to chat and joke with our couples so things don't feel so awkward. While asking a couple to smile is sometimes necessary we find our favorite photos are the ones that come naturally. In short have fun, no pressure!

Nickee and David are so friendly and personable. We had had such a good time getting to know each other and we look forward to their wedding in May.