Elizabeth & Declan’s Fall Engagement Session at Carlsbad Cliffs
Elizabeth and Declan found me on Instagram, and I’m really glad they did. On a cool October morning, we met at Carlsbad Cliffs with their dog, Bennett, for their fall engagement session. These two are grad students, quick to make each other laugh. She loves how accepting and understanding he is. He loves how caring and sweet she is. So when I asked how they wanted their engagement photos to feel, their answer made sense: “Romantic, happy, cinematic, and heartfelt.”
THE SESSION AT A GLANCE
- Location: Carlsbad Cliffs, Carlsbad, CA
- Season & time: Fall, late October, morning
- Session length: 60 minutes
- Style: Romantic and cinematic, with candid, playful moments
- Outfits: 1 look, coordinated whites: a flowing white sundress and a white button-down with black trousers
- Best for: Couples who want a relaxed coastal session, with room for the dog to join in
A Humvee, a Turret, and a Phone Number
They met at the Miramar Air Show. Declan was there with his Marine unit, showing a Humvee. Elizabeth was there with her mom, who asked the Marines for a photo with her daughter. Before long, Declan was on the roof, trying to send her hunting for keys that didn’t exist. Instead, she ended up in the turret. Then they bickered for twenty minutes about whether he’d fall off. Eventually, she said goodbye and walked away, confused that he never asked for her number. A moment later, she heard boots hit the ground behind her. He wanted her name and her number.
The Proposal at Lily Pad Lake
Declan proposed in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains, at a lake from one of their early dates. After a ferry across Redfish Lake and a hike up the trail, he got down on one knee. Naturally, his speech disappeared. So he kept it simple: “I don’t know what to say, but I love you, and I want to marry you. So will you marry me?” The diamond came from her parents’ marriage. Now they’re planning their own wedding day for July 2027 in Boise.
Relaxed Prompts and Cinematic Light at Carlsbad Cliffs
Carlsbad Cliffs is one of their favorite date spots. It sits right by the beach, with the coastline stretching out in both directions. Before the session, I took time to learn what they like in photos and what they don’t. That way, the morning could feel fun instead of stiff. Once we started, I gave them simple prompts to keep them relaxed and out of performance mode. As a result, their personalities showed up fast.
I also mixed natural light with off-camera flash. The natural light caught the candid, easygoing moments. Meanwhile, the flash gave the romantic frames a more cinematic look. Together, they show both sides of this couple. Romantic and happy. Cinematic and heartfelt.
Elizabeth and Declan, thank you for an easy, joy-filled morning on the cliffs. And thank you, Bennett, for being a very good boy.
If you’re planning engagement photos at Carlsbad Cliffs, I’d love to hear your story. As a San Diego wedding photographer serving all of Southern California, I keep sessions guided and relaxed, so you can just be yourselves.
PMC Photography is an artist-led studio based in San Diego, photographing couples across Southern California and beyond. Your engagement session is where we get comfortable together, so your wedding day feels like working with an old friend. Ready to start? Let’s talk about your engagement session and wedding.
