The park's natural beauty provided a serene and rustic backdrop for the shoot. Towering trees, winding trails, and tranquil creeks created a peaceful atmosphere, perfect for capturing intimate moments between the couple. Vivian's choice of a bold red dress added a vibrant pop of color against the earthy tones of the park. Her dress stood out beautifully against the greenery, creating a striking contrast that drew the eye and added a sense of drama to the photos. As the sunlight filtered through the canopy, it created pockets of soft, dappled light in the clearings. These natural spotlights illuminated the couple, casting a warm glow that accentuated their features and added a touch of magic to the photos. Vivian and Riley came to me a year out from their wedding and we captured their engagement session so they could sprinkle their wedding day with these candid photos. We photographed their wedding day at The Turnip Rose in Costa Mesa and you can view their Wedding Gallery here. Throughout the session, the couple embraced the natural surroundings, whether it was walking hand in hand along forest trails or pausing to admire a blooming wildflower. Their connection with nature added an organic and authentic element to the photos. Orange County has many great locations for pictures but reflecting on our time at Thomas Riley Wilderness Park, I'm excited to continue to offer this amazing spot for more heartfelt and visually captivating images.
Thomas Riley Park
Vivian & Riley
Amy & Luigi | Photo
We had the pleasure of working with Aja for our summer wedding in July 2023, as well as for our engagement shoot. In addition to taking stunning photos, Aja is incredibly professional, responds quickly and is very organized. For the engagement shoot, she has locations and time slots you can pick from, and we appreciated the ease of setting up the appointment. She does a great job with the pace of everything, being really chill and helping to pose you, which makes the session fun and stress free. The quality of the photos speaks for itself but we absolutely loved how the pictures turned out. On the wedding day, Aja and her team were super easy to work with, taking photos efficiently, with good direction and attention to detail (like rearranging my hair/dress, making sure there were no hair ties on wrists, sunglasses on family members, etc). Aja did a great job keeping up with the timeline without making it feel rushed and keeping the stress levels low despite the busy day. We were grateful for her patience and in awe of her talent for taking the best shots and capturing the emotion of the day. The turnaround time for the photos was quick as well (around 1 month)! We loved how pictures felt very natural and as we reviewed the gallery, it felt like reliving the day. We couldn't be happier with how the photos turned out and would easily recommend her to anyone considering her.
"Aja is incredibly professional, responds quickly and is very organized"
Rio Honda Wedegwood