Ying + Shimin [Third Street Promenade Engagement]

SANTA MONICA ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY

Shimin and Ying confided an honest confession moments before our shoot: they were feeling that familiar intoxication of nerves, excitement, and curiosity that comes to pass for all couples on the day of their session. Emphasis on familiar.

Because, although some are less inclined to admit to these photo-butterflies, I think we all experience them to some degree, myself included. After all, it's usually our first time working together, there's no images "in the the can" yet, and there's an excitement of the unknown to come. But our mutual jitters do not equate me to being unprofessional, or you, unprepared. To the contrary, the tingly buzz reminds us we're alive, eager to embrace the possibilities, and very much invested in the success of your session or wedding day.

And as those first few shots materialize, it's amazing how quickly the uncertainties evaporate, clearing way for some really authentic moments to unfold. Shimin and Ying married locally last year and decided to capture a taste of their relationship here in L.A., to share with their family overseas when they return there for a ceremony in December. (I guess technically, that would make this my first post-wedding engagement :) We hit the streets of Santa Monica, in and about the Promenade, and down paths less taken. Urban grit and the timeless pier made for a cozy pair, and as the night drew to a close, I wanted to bottle up the pleased exhilaration all felt after a job well-done -- perhaps to share with the next couple, to ease the skip in their pulse and soften their heart.

Then again, isn't that the sweet discovery to be their own?

Shimin and Ying, many thanks and best wishes to you both!