A visual diary of your love.  Documentary style art for your own Nostalgia Tour.  Intimate weddings in Jackson Hole and the PNW, or anywhere your story takes us. 

06.
05.
04.
03.
02.
01.
ELAYNA RANAE  photo           film
and

Sessions, Videography

Big Sur Engagement Photographer | California Couples Photos

filed in:

Engagement Session in Big Sur California

I love photographing engagements in the places that mean something to my couples. During the pandemic, Dana and Sam moved in together in Monterey California. When we talked about places that may be special to their relationship, this was the spot they kept coming back to, and ultimately wanted to celebrate with an engagement session in Big Sur. All of my wedding packages include an engagement session anywhere in the US, so I excitedly packed up a bag and flew out to meet them in early November! I was hired as their wedding filmmaker, so this engagement also included a Love Story Film.

Monterey Aquarium Couples Photos

As a place they had visited together countless times, we started off their Lifestyle Engagement Session in the Monterey Aquarium. I was actually speechless walking through the halls of multi story height tanks. This part of the session was very candid and documentary based. My favorite part of the aquarium couples photos was playing with color grading and the silhouettes that were created against the glass of fish. I really wanted to play with the heavy color casting and the storytelling aspect of this date activity. An aquarium couples photoshoot was something that has been on my bucket list for a few years and this made for the perfect start to our session.

Couples Photos at Lovers Point, California

After the Monterey Aquarium date, we headed to Lovers Point for an afternoon of strolling. This is where Dana and Sam got engaged! They climbed the sea rocks and sat on the border wall to watch the waves.

Sunset at Point Lobos

In the lowering light, we watched one of the most beautiful fiery sunsets at Point Lobos. As a Big Sur engagement photographer, I take pride in knowing about certain locations that will allow my couples to have more privacy and unique photos. We walked the boardwalk to get away from the tourists before finding the PERFECT sunset spot. Here we took some of the more cinematic photos of the night. I wanted Dana and Sam to be able to actually enjoy their moments here, so it was at this point that I backed off and gave them some quiet time just together as I photographed from afar.

Blue Hour on the Beach

To end the night, we ran up and down the beaches until there was no semblance of light left. With the moon and only traces of a colored sky, it was a serene way to end this engagement session.

Big Sur California Elopement Photographer and Videographer

If you need a Big Sur photographer for your engagement, I would LOVE to connect with you. California is so beautiful and I love creating art for couples out here!! I don’t only do engagements either. Here you can see an elopement I photographed in Big Sur, a favorite of mine, all on film. If you’ve read this far, thanks for being here!! This job fuels my fire for life and I’d love to document your story wherever it takes place.

My approach is intuitive and grounded. I am not necessarily a high energy hype woman you find on viral reels, but I will be a grounding and calming presence on your wedding day. I have dozens of receipts in 5 star reviews from couples who chose me for that. I LOVE people and I love this job. I don't take the weight of documenting your relationships lightly and it is why I believe that intentional observation and care make me good at what I do.

Hi, I’m Elayna!! A Utah based, Jackson Hole grown, PNW road tripping photographer and videographer. Something my couples and I completely align on is the value and importance of real life. It's the real stuff that makes the best art. Real moments and emotions and memories are what make the most meaningful photographs, and that real stuff deserves to be photographed and romanticized just as much as any epic shot may be.

Documentary, intuitive art for your real life moments.

Meet your photographer and videographer