So, to be honest, I don’t see myself getting over my obsession with Natsuko and Jenner’s desert engagement session, well, anytime soon. It was perfection. The sweetest couple who were so completely into each other that I barely needed to direct them, (which was great because for a decent amount of the session they were out of shouting distance and completely in a world of their own). Perfect location, perfect light, perfect weather, all in all the best engagement photo session.

Natsuko first found me on The Knot and when she emailed she said, “So my fiancé and I are looking to have engagement photos done when I visit him on vacation, we have a long distance relationship right now and he is in San Diego while I live in Japan.” Something about long distance relationships always gets me. Maybe it’s the idea that the couple has already been a bit tested and stuck it out, or perhaps just the thought of the phone calls, texts, emails, and letters that make up the day to day of their relationship – whatever it is, I’m always extra excited for them. Newly engaged couples who are planning a wedding knowing that they can’t wait to finally be together. When she first told me the dates that she and Jenner would be in town together I was so disappointed to realize that I was the one who was going to be out of town. I can’t tell you how honored and flattered I felt when they changed the date they to be one that could work with my schedule.

In one of our many conversations leading up to their session I mentioned that my husband had spent most of his high school years in Japan, (Navy baby), and when they showed up to our session, Natsuko had brought me a couple of Japanese treats to share with him. See? Sweetest couple. Of course, over the next few hours of photos and outfit changes the bag was pushed under the seat of his car and I accidentally left them, still disappointed!

My favorite things about this session?

• We went into it with a strong plan and design for what we wanted to do, so the timing and location were exactly what we had envisioned

• We took it slow- well mostly slow. We may have scurried a bit right before sunset to get back on top

• They took my advice and brought a wide range of outfits that worked wonderfully with our environment

• The hot white sun of the desert, the orangey pink of the slot canyon, how the sky went from orange to turquoise for the perfect sunset and blue hour- all my favorite hues in the same place.

• • Them. Two of them. They couldn’t take their eyes off of each other and every second was a smile or a new caress

I would do that 2.5 hour drive to the desert with them again and again, handpicked locations are always my favorite, and this session was a 12 out of 10. Extra-long engagement photo sessions can seem like a lot of work and a decent expense, but let me tell you, they are worth every penny! they’re going to remember how they felt in those photos for the rest of their lives and I am going to continue to feel like the luckiest girl in the world- to get paid to make new friends and witness new love, (and edit, and edit, and edit until my eyes fall out- but that is another story for another day!).