Sunset Engagement Session in La Push, WA - Celeste & Kenny
This particular shoot held a soft spot in my heart. I’ve known Celeste since middle school and there’s no doubt that she’s my best friend. So when she asked me to shoot her engagement photos I was ecstatic. I would like to believe she would be my maid of honor when the time comes for me to get married myself. It was truly such an honor to be able to capture their relationship at an intimate level and to capture it so authentically was even more memorable.
Everything about this shoot just felt so natural, as if we were just a couple of friends exploring the PNW together. We chose to explore the Olympic Peninsula that day, from Kalaloch Beach to Ruby Beach to the Hoh Rainforest, our last stop was in La Push, Washington where this beautiful beach came alive near sunset. I was especially excited because this would be my first time in the Olympic Peninsula. Celeste and Kenny had never taken professional photos before, so naturally, they were camera shy in the beginning. I kid you not spending the whole day learning about their relationship was a first for her and I. Surprisingly through this shoot I learned many new things about my favorite couple for example, they have their own secret handshake and prefer to interlock pinkies over holding hands.
Arriving at our last location, we decided to go for the classic beach walk. La Push, especially during golden hour is absolutely breathtaking. The sun hitting the horizon line just sets the sea ablaze and everything on the coast a tint of gold. I felt a little guilty because my boyfriend had been wanting to come here for a while now due to Twilight (LOL) but he can just vicariously live through these photos for now. The footsteps imprinted on the sand to the sea stacks rising from the ocean, the beach is littered with history. Photographing these formations that have withstood the relentless beatings of the ocean for hundreds and thousands of years gave me a sense of humility. These photos will come and go and thousands more will be taken of them but the photos I took that day will hold a special meaning for my best friend and her fiancé. That is why I’m so passionate about this, having the ability to give someone something so special to them and causing them to reminisce about those times.
I could really feel how authentic their love was for one another. Seeing how expressive Celeste was around Kenny brought me so much joy from behind the lens, it was like I wasn’t even there lol. Something about seeing your bestfriend smile so effortlessly and laugh so loudly with their partner fills me with such joy and confidence that they have found the one. They truly belong with each other and I couldn’t be happier for them in their journey. Please enjoy the images taken at one of my favorite locations to date.
