Cyn & Kawika

Corona del Mar, CA – Engagement Session

“Just FYI, we’re SUPER awkward in front of the camera!”

This is something almost ALL couples tell me before a shoot. I’m not kidding – everybody says it! Cyn reached out to book an engagement shoot and said she and her fiancé Kawika are really awkward and that she hoped I would be able to get some good photos of them because THAT is how awkward they are. When we met in Corona del Mar for their shoot, I was expecting some really awkward (okay, seriously how many more times can I use awkward in this paragraph), shy people – but that was TOTALLY not the case. These two are so friendly and sweet and sooo goofy with each other. 

They both are from Hawaii but didn’t meet on the island. Fate brought them both out to San Diego, where they met in a Hawaiian dance studio that doubles as a gym. Kawika was working out and Cyn was dancing, and at first, Cyn wasn’t looking for anything serious. But Kawika was sprung and fell head over heels. She soon realized she couldn’t resist his killer smile and hilarious personality, and the rest is history.

Also, note to self: taking pictures at sunset at the beach during the holiday season is a MISTAKE. You can’t tell because I maneuvered around the beach to make sure there weren’t people in the background, but there were probably 20 other photoshoots going on. Not even exaggerating. 

For you couples who feel super awkward in front of the camera, don’t worry. My shoots are more like hangout sessions with you two and me tagging along snapping photos. I’ll probably ask you a silly question or have one of you whisper in the other’s ear something that you love about them.

I’m not really a big fan of stiff poses and awkward smiles. I like candid, relaxed shots because those are the ones people end up loving the most. Do you know why that is? Because those are the photos that best embody your relationship.

Real smiles, real laughs, real emotion. I’m all about it.