Pearson-Arastradero Preserve Session | Christi & Matt

Hi everybody!

Today’s blog post is about this adorable couple, Christi and Matt. I’ve known Christi for a few months now, as she is a fellow business owner (Christi Johnson Creative). She is super sweet, and she wanted to get some photos with her husband during their time here in the Bay Area! They are both originally from South Carolina, and are living here temporarily for work.

We decided upon the Pearson-Arastradero Preserve located in the Palo Alto Hills. Christi was looking for that tall, tan grass and the rolling California hills to remember her stay here. This preserve has a wonderful mix of desert-type landscape, with lush greenery and mountain silhouettes in the distance.

This particular October day was one of two cloudy days out of the entire month of October. We debated switching the date because of it, but I was comfortable shooting in overcast weather. Growing up in Chicago, where weather is often overcast and gloomy, allowed me to learn how to shoot in these conditions. A benefit is that the clouds diffuse the sunlight, providing a soft light for even highlights and shadows. In the end, the photos turned out beautifully, and I was able to provide warm, vibrant photos for them.

Christi and Matt did a quick outfit change - which I always recommend for my hour-long sessions, because it gives such a nice variety to the gallery. Changing outfits for a photoshoot doesn’t have to mean carrying around an entire extra wardrobe, Christi and Matt simply packed up a backpack with clothes and borrowed a colorful blanket from a friend, and it was the perfect pop of color for the tan background. Just as we were wrapping up our photoshoot, the sky turned a vibrant mixture of orange and purple, as the sun began to set over the hills. It was gorgeous; hands down one of the best sunsets I have seen since I have moved to the Bay Area. It was the perfect way to end such a fun engagement session.