One of my favorite things to do in Big Sur is share it with people who haven’t been there. Our engagement session was Rafael’s first time there, and Jessica’s first since she was much younger.

When I met them in the parking lot at the start of our session, Jessica & Rafael were already making plans to come back and visit again. And we hadn’t even started exploring yet!

We spent the rest of their Big Sur engagement session seeking out new spots for photos and making great pictures in places familiar to me. We stood among redwood trees in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, we fought wind and traffic for views of sweeping vistas on Highway 1, we stood on the iconic wooden chairs in the water behind the Big Sur River Inn, and we ended the night making dramatic photos in the fog that enveloped Garrapata State Park.

And all the while we chatted about Big Sur, their upcoming wedding, all sorts of things. It was a super fun day in an always-amazing place.

My favorite photos are in the gallery below.