I love dramatic light. During Ilene & Mike’s Monterey engagement session, we found it out along the rocky coast of Pacific Grove, casting a warm glow on the crashing waves, which stood out against the grey fog that was rolling in behind us.

We got even more dramatic light at sunset: Clouds turning pink then orange, seagulls flying by, the wind in our hair. An amazing setting for pictures.

Ilene & Mike wanted to begin their engagement photos at Cannery Row, a famous tourist area of Monterey, and also the place where they met. We got some help from some nice tourists who directed traffic as we briefly paid homage to the iconic “couple in the middle of the street on Cannery Row” photo.

Ilene, Mike and I had a great time — though honestly we were all a little chilly once the sun went down. But the sunset photos made it all worth it. See a few of my favorite photos in the gallery below.