Enjoy these engagement photos from a Lake Merritt engagement shoot in Oakland, CA! The joy and love in this Lake Merritt engagement shoot are SO apparent. I love how the couple’s personalities shine through and they get into the silliness.

After a long fiancé visa process to get Chris into the US and able to live, work and get married, we got to work planning this Lake Merritt engagement session.

The wedding was just days away and were many other things going on in life. The couple actually had two other wedding celebrations, which I was honored to photograph.

They actually had a second, larger wedding celebration in Camp Mendocino some time after the small ceremony. Check out that adventure wedding in Mendocino, linked below!

Lake Merritt photo shoot

Lake Merritt seemed like a good choice to start as it’s a meaningful place to. It also represents iconic Oakland, the couple’s home.

Sara suggested incorporating some photos of the sign on their street. It was fun capturing this everyday scene in a romantic way.

If you’re looking for an Oakland engagement shoot location that combines nature, urban life, stunning architecture, water and wildlife, Lake Merritt might be a rad choice for your engagement session. Looking to do an engagement shoot in SF? Check out my locations below!

Port View Park photo shoot

Port View Park was the final shoot location. I love it because:

1) there’s never anyone there except the fishermen. Great for shy couples or anyone that doesn’t want to feel like they’re performing on their shoot!

2) related note: when shooting in deserted places, the session will flow much more organically. No stopping and starting every time a jogger passes by!

3) amazing and varied scenery! OK so I happen to love shipping containers. There is also interesting concrete & wood, water for miles and the Bay Bridge. You can see both the Oakland and San Francisco skylines!

Unfortunately the day we were there, authorities decided to close the park without warning, presumably because it looked a bit stormy. Maybe there were swells, high waves or a weather warning in place. Don’t you just love the Bay Area weather?

For more details about our engagement photography services in the San Francisco Bay Area, please check out the introductory guide and fun welcome video at the link below! I can’t wait to meet you!

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