Direction, not posing. You'll learn exactly where your hands go — everyone asks — then get simple things to do instead of faces to make. Camera-shy? Good. Our whole approach is built for you.
SAN DIEGO & SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY — ENCINITAS · LA JOLLA · DANA POINT · PALOS VERDES
An afternoon that feels like a date, not a photo shoot
Here's how it goes.
You pick the feeling — a quiet garden in San Diego, the cliffs of La Jolla, the coast at Encinitas, Dana Point or Palos Verdes at golden hour — and we match the spot. You walk. You talk. You get simple things to do instead of poses to hold.
Ten minutes in, the camera disappears. That's when the real photos start.
And when your gallery arrives, the pictures look like you on your best day — because you were having one.
150+ weddings photographed · 50+ five-star reviews · Awards from The Knot & WeddingWire
Ask about California datesAsk about Southern California dates and pricing. We’ll help you plan a location and timing that suits the two of you.
A session for the two of you
Engagement session pricing.
These starting prices are for Oregon and Washington. Tell us what you have in mind for Southern California, and we’ll help you plan your date and quote.
| Session | When & where | Starting price |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor weekday sessionRain, snow or shineTravel included to the coast, Columbia River Gorge, and Mt. Hood | OregonWeekdays · 8 a.m.–1 p.m. Pacific | From $150 |
| Indoor studio weekday sessionIndoor studioAsk about a studio and date | OregonWeekdays · before 1 p.m. Pacific | From $250 |
| Weekend sessionIndoor studio or outdoors | Bend to SeattleWeekends | From $500 |
Planning wedding photography, too? If you book a standalone engagement session and later book wedding photography with us, the full amount you paid for the session is credited toward your wedding photography package.
An engagement session is included with every wedding photography package of eight hours or more, including our photo + video packages.
Every engagement session includes a free rain check. If it rains on your session day, we’ll reschedule at no charge.
For Southern California dates, start with a question. The Oregon and Washington rates and time windows above don’t apply here.
Ask about California datesEverything you're wondering about, handled
The location homework, done. Tell us the feeling — urban, garden, mountain, waterfall, coast — and get two or three spots matched to your season, your light, your drive. Permits, parking, and crowd patterns come pre-checked.
What-to-wear help. Before the session, you'll talk outfits with us: what photographs well, what still feels like you, which layers the Southern California weather will demand.
Editing that's true to the day. Skin looks like skin. Color looks like the evening looked. Blemish? Wind-blown hair? Fixed. Want more black-and-white? Ask. We edit to your preferences, not ours.
Your photos are yours. Full download and printing rights, always. Your gallery arrives in Pixieset and on Dropbox. Order prints straight to your door, or take the files to your own print shop.
Does any of this sound familiar?
You've scrolled a hundred photographer portfolios, and they've started to blur together. Pretty — but would any of it feel like you?
You love the idea of candid, unposed photos. You also have no idea what to do with your hands.
You need photos worth mailing with your save-the-dates. You'd rather not spend an afternoon performing for a stranger's camera.
None of that makes you difficult. It makes you normal.
Nobody teaches you how to be photographed, and almost no couple has done it before their engagement. That's not a flaw in you. It's the whole point of the session.
Meet your photographer before the wedding.
An engagement session gives you photographs of this chapter and a chance to get comfortable with your photographer before the wedding.
Outdoor weekday engagement sessions in Oregon start at $150, rain, snow or shine, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., including travel to the coast, Columbia River Gorge, and Mt. Hood. Indoor studio sessions in Oregon start at $250 on weekdays before 1 p.m. Indoor studio or outdoor weekend sessions start at $500, from Bend to Seattle.
If you book a standalone engagement session and later book wedding photography with us, the full amount you paid for the session is credited toward your wedding photography package.
An engagement session is included with every wedding photography package of eight hours or more, including our photo + video packages.
Every engagement session includes a free rain check. If it rains on your session day, we’ll reschedule at no charge.
Planning an engagement session in Southern California? Ask us about a date, location, and quote.
Outdoor weekday engagement sessions in Oregon start at $150, rain, snow or shine, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., including travel to the coast, Columbia River Gorge, and Mt. Hood. Indoor studio sessions in Oregon start at $250 on weekdays before 1 p.m. Indoor studio or outdoor weekend sessions start at $500, from Bend to Seattle.
If you book a standalone engagement session and later book wedding photography with us, the full amount you paid for the session is credited toward your wedding photography package.
Prefer email? jd@wildwoodweddingfilms.com
Your engagement session can be the beginning of your wedding story.
An engagement session is included with every wedding photography package of eight hours or more, including our photo + video packages. The same team can keep telling your story on the wedding day, with photography and film if you choose both.
Booking your engagement session first? The full session amount is credited toward your wedding photography package when you book it later.
Real couples, real words
"J.D. was not only talented but also incredibly personable. He made everyone feel comfortable and captured genuine moments."
150+ weddings · 50+ five-star reviews · Awards from The Knot & WeddingWire
