When I suggested that couples make their photoshoot into a date activity, Dani + Fabio didn’t hesitate! They turned one of their favorite weekend activities into the most stylish, chill engagement photoshoot ever, and absolutely nailed it.

We met around 3:00 PM at the pool to cool off from the April California sunshine. Normally, I suggest avoiding a mid-day shoot, because the sun can cause harsh shadows across your faces. (I have a blog post about the best lightingto plan your photoshoot or elopement here – but optimal timing can be dependent on each specific shoot + location.) Their case was different. Because of the layout of the hotel building and the mountains that reached close to the back, the sun was past the point of shining into their eyes, and we wanted to make sure the time of day still matched the poolside activities that the photoshoot centered around.

With luck, we had the hotel pool all to ourselves since it was a weekday before the SoCal tourism season hit. We had total privacy for the photoshoot, and they spent the hour dipping their feet in the water and sipping margaritas, laughing a ton and diving all in at the end of our session. Dani + Fabio gave off the most effortless, “vintage 70’s” vibe that made their final gallery feel so natural and fun! Congratulations on your engagement Dani + Fabio!