Santa Barbara California Sunset Session on Leadbetter Beach :: Santa Barbara Courthouse Pre Engagement :: Lucero and John

Lucero and John met me at the Santa Barbara Courthouse in California just before closing time. The courthouse is such a beautiful building, with classic architecture and gorgeous grounds, and it's a popular place for weddings, engagements, and portraits in the Santa Barbara area. I'm sure you can see why! After wandering around the courthouse, we went out to Leadbetter Beach and photographed by the piers as the sun was setting. The water was cold (by California standards!) but these two braved some cold feet for some fun photos!

It's really so beautiful to be able to witness and even document love. The kisses. The quiet looks that say 'I love you'. Dancing on the beach. The whole body laughs and smiles. I mean, just look at Lucy's gorgeous smile (with that awesome bright pink lip color she was rocking) and the way that John holds on to her. They aren't engaged (yet!) but there is no doubt about how happy they are around each other! 

Santa Barbara California Sunrise Session on Leadbetter Beach :: Santa Barbara Courthouse :: Kelli and Jed

You can not help but feel good around Kelli and Jed. Their positive energy and love for each other, for life in general, is catching. I loved getting to be around them again. I'm not naturally a 'morning person' but there are just some things worth being up early for. Sunrise in Santa Barbara on the beach with these two.. that's one of them. We started at Leadbetter Beach right before the sun peeked over the horizon line, when there's that gorgeous glow to the world. The sand was pretty cold (though nothing like New England in March!) and the sun was welcome, it started warming everything up as we shot. 

After the beach, we went over to the Santa Barbara Courthouse. It was closed, it was still pretty early, but we spent some time photographing outside. It is such a beautiful building, definitely worth checking out if you visit Santa Barbara, and it is so different then anything in New England, something you might picture when thinking of Southern California architecture. The perk of an early morning shoot.. no one else was around! 

Santa Barbara California Sunrise Session by the Beach :: Kelli and Jed :: Sneak Peek

I had the pleasure of photographing Kelli and Jed's wedding a couple of years ago here in Massachusetts at a retreat in Worthington. So it was so incredible to catch up with these two again in Santa Barbara, CA where we hit the beach, with camera in hand, bright and early right before sunrise. And, even two years after their wedding day, they are still so obviously and beautifully in love. These are two photos from that session that we took at the very end at this little park theater that was just across from my hotel. 

*I couldn't believe the combination of timing and luck that put that seagull right in the middle of the image [on the left] here at just the right moment to compliment the scene!