Karina + Mark [Abalone Cove Engagement]

PALOS VERDES ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY

I try especially hard to observe the rules of the road when driving home from a photo session. My shoots typically end later in the day, traveling back at night, and it's not uncommon to have an assortment of props from that day's gig splayed out next to me on the passenger seat: balloons, jump rope, bubbles -- weird stuff, right? -- not to mention a padlocked case full of cameras. I'm looking pretty tussled at that point, and after this particularly awesome session, my jeans were soaked straight up to the knees; sneakers soggy with surf and sand. Not a great time to be pulled over and explain what I've been up to.

There's a sweet story to be told here though. It's the story of how Mark proposed to Karina along the beaches of San Pedro, asking her to select a choice rock from along the stony shore, only to then best her pick with a gem of his own. It was a real treat to revisit the coastline dear to their hearts, and when they started walking hand in hand among the waves of Abalone Cove, I couldn't help but jump in as well, shoes and all. I've done many a beach shoot, often doing my best to avoid the ocean nipping at my feet. But sometimes the best angles are those less taken. Wet sneakers trump dry photos.

Mark raised the bar even further by scoring us some private time on the grounds of and inside Point Vicente Lighthouse, Palos Verdes. Sweet! The view from the top was outstanding, so thumbs up to Mark for being networked with the right folks to secure us this location. It's always nice to have the right connections, and with Karina now by his side, something tells me he's found his best connection yet.

A fantastically fun session, and nope, I didn't get pulled over on the drive home. Though if I did, probably best not to say

"I was out shooting people."