Engagement Session with the Dog at Vasquez Rocks

Let me just begin by saying, I’m a huge nerd. So when I suggested this bucket-list location to Amy and Eric for their engagement session and they were into it, I was extremely stoked!!

But before I get into all the geekery, let’s focus on the couple and their dog! Including their handsome dog in their engagement session was very important to them, so I knew from the get-go that I would love working with these two. And they were indeed two of the kindest, most easy going and lovely people I’ve had the pleasure to photograph, as well as being adventurous enough to explore this rocky and steep terrain with me, with heels and a pup in tow! All credit goes to the bride-to-be for the brilliant outfits. Her red dress paired with his khaki pants and black suit jacket, plus the addition of the pup’s black bow-tie worked incredibly to create a desert formal kind of look! The second outfit combination of more muted colors was also beautiful and the perfect contrast to the bright red.

Now to the nerd alert - the famous Vasquez Rocks have been background to tons of Hollywood moments you may have seen. The most famous is an “epic” battle between Captain Kirk and a very 60’s alien in the original Star Trek series. My personal first time seeing it was in one of my favorite TV shows in high school on the dubba dubba WB, Roswell! (Max+Liz 4Ever! Also, one of the photos below has a Jeep driving off in the distance, which I left in on purpose. If you know, you know.) More recently, this is where the chapel lived in Westworld. And the list goes on and on! And I can certainly see why the film industry likes it, too. Aside from it’s proximity to Los Angeles, the sun sets at the perfect angle, the landscape is gorgeous and dramatic, and the colors are simply flattering. I wish I could say I was the first photographer to think of it for a couple’s session, but I definitely cannot. During our shoot, we saw at least 3 weddings occur here on a Saturday evening!

So just throwing it out there - if you’re hoping to tie the knot at Vasquez Rocks, I will happily take your photos! This is now one of my very favorite locations, so contact me if you like it too!