Jacob Cabral Photography

A Desert Engagement Shoot… in the Bay Area?!

Check out the photos from Brinna and Jon Michael’s engagement shoot at the Arizona Cactus Garden located in Palo Alto, CA! When I first spoke with Brinna and Jon about their engagement shoot, they wanted a dessert vibe, something that wasn’t so Bay Area or California. I knew exactly where to shoot! I absolutely love shooting at the Arizona Cactus Garden, the dessert vibe looks so beautiful in photos. Despite what it says on Google and Yelp, this location is open to the public 24/7! Whenever I shoot at this location, I always aim to go here an hour or two before sundown. Why? Because when the sun hits the white sanded ground, it will look too overexposed in photos. Since we shot at a good time, where the sun was pretty much gone, I was able to utilize the whole garden without worrying about sun spots! It was a perfect night with perfect weather and a perfect couple to work with.

Brinna and Jon were amazing to work with! They have been together since HIGH SCHOOL so it was obvious how comfortable they were with each other. There were lots of moments where they’d look at each other and start bursting into laughter. So glad I was able to capture some of these! They took direction really well and eventually got the hang of it. They then got comfortable enough to start doing their own thing during the session, I love when this happens during my shoots. Congrats Brinna and Jon, I cannot wait to celebrate with you both in September!