Anna Wu Photography » engagements

Best of 2011: Engagements & Couples

Anna — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:53:43 +0000

2011 was filled with the most amazing couples. I got to shoot engagement sessions in New York, Atlanta, Seattle, and of course all over the Bay Area. I photographed a surprise proposal on the beach, a really disgusting (or is it cute?) gum wall, and even a baby pig! You can see it all for yourself below. Thank you to all the couples who made this such a fantastic year!

Sun & Elliot at Sutro Baths, San Francisco, California

Theresa & Rob at Muir Woods, Marin County, California

Debby & Justin in the Mission District, San Francisco, California

Jenny & Kevin’s Anniversary Shoot in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, California

Connie & Tony’s Engagement Session in downtown Los Angeles, California

Magali & Sam’s Engagement Session in San Francisco, California

Silvia & James’ Engagement Session at the Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, California

Shelly & Mark’s Surprise Proposal at China Beach, San Francisco, California, and their Engagement Session at the Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco

Evelia & Joseph’s Engagement Session at the Atlanta History Center, Atlanta, Georgia

Raquel & Andy’s Engagement Session at Lullwater Park, Atlanta, Georgia

Mega & Jason’s Engagement Session at Baker Beach, San Francisco, California

Catherine & Joe’s Engagement Session at Baker Beach, San Francisco, California

Janey & Lee’s Engagement Session on Treasure Island, California

Kristen & Ryan’s Engagement Session in Sunol, California

Cat & Dan’s Engagement Session in Buffalo, New York

Nina & Fernando’s Engagement Session in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California

Cami & Eric’s Engagement Session at Pike Place, Seattle, Washington

Anny & John’s Engagement Session at Baker Beach, San Francisco, California

Anny & John | Indian Rock & Berkeley Marina | Engagement Photography

Anna — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:20:34 +0000

They first met at summer camp in the Bay Area when Anny had just graduated from high school and John had been a long time counselor. Afterwards, they became friends and hung out a lot during Anny’s years at the University of California Berkeley, but it wasn’t until they parted ways, with Anny in optometry school in New York and John in medical school in Ohio– that they decided to try being more than friends. Perfect timing, right?

Four years of long distance later, they are now engaged and living happily together in New York!

We returned to Berkeley, the place where Anny and John really got to know each other, for their engagement session. First off, Indian Rock– a giant rock in the North Berkeley hills.

Lookin sassy. Love those green flats.

I love the little tree series. Anny & John sittin in a tree!

After a quick backseat outfit change, we were ready for part two at the Berkeley Marina.

That’s the San Francisco skyline off in the distance across the bay.

They took a little break lying on the hill. I know for sure that this was John’s favorite part of the shoot.

Hello gorgeous!

Whee! They hit this on the first try!

So much fun and climbing up and down things. Congrats Anny & John! Looking forward to your wedding next June!

Cami & Eric | Pike Place | Seattle Engagement Photography

Anna — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:53:47 +0000

It was almost exactly two years ago that I first posted this very adorable session of Cami & Eric at Lake Merritt in Oakland. These two have been in a long distance relationship for the last three years while living in varying combinations of Oakland, Seattle, Rome, and Phoenix. It wasn’t until this past June that Cami and Eric were finally reunited in their hometown of Seattle for good. And in July, in the city they love most, the place where it all began, and on Cami’s birthday no less, Eric proposed. Hooray!

It was an amazingly gorgeous day in Seattle when I met up with Cami and Eric at the iconic Pike Place Market to photograph their engagement session.

Moments in the hustle and bustle.

This is either disgusting or cute or perhaps a little bit of both– the famous “gum wall” in Seattle’s Pike Place. At least Eric and Cami are adorable for sure.

A very appropriate reaction on the right.

I am in love with Cami’s gorgeous eyes.

We took full advantage of the late afternoon light.

I love that we got to capture their city on such a gorgeous day. Eric is a huge sports fan so it’s nice we caught those stadiums in the background too.

If you squint a bit, you can even see Mt. Ranier back there.

Lens flare!

Congratulations Cami & Eric! Looking forward to my next Seattle trip up for your wedding in July!

Technical note: Four of these images were shot on 35mm Portra 400H film! Can you guess which? I think they blend in quite nicely.

Nina & Fernando | San Francisco Engagement Photography

Anna — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 04:17:38 +0000

They met in middle school, when Fernando was just a shy boy, struck by love at first sight. Nina just remembers asking him what middle school he was attending. Of course, they eventually started dating in high school, and after being together for seven years, Fernando proposed to Nina after dinner with her family at home.

Fernando and Nina came down from Santa Rosa to meet me at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. I love the images we got. These two were so sweet.

I love tunnel light.

So glam with those long lashes!

And more to come in December when we celebrate their winter wonderland wedding!

Cat & Dan | City Girl & Farm Boy | Buffalo, New York Engagement Photography

Anna — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:33:53 +0000

She was always a bit of a wild child, a party girl. He has always been a farm boy, born and raised in the small town of Eden, New York. But when they met back in college, somehow the pieces fit. He keeps her grounded; she keeps life interesting. And at the end of the day, they’re just laughing with each other like silly kids.

It was a big move when Cat left her job and her life in LA to live with Dan on his farm in Buffalo. But the city girl has found a home on the farm, and more importantly, she’s with the man she loves. Yes, it’s still crazy that Cat lives on a farm now. But it’s great to see how happy she is there with Dan!

We kicked off the engagement session at Ellicott Square in downtown Buffalo.

So gorgeous, Cat.

I love Cat’s laugh. She just couldn’t keep a straight face looking over at Dan.

Afterwards, we headed to Dan’s family farm. I wasn’t sure what to expect when Cat told me about shooting on the farm, but sure enough, it’s 500 acres of every type of vegetable imaginable. Corn, soybeans, peppers, cabbage, cucumbers, and I’m sure a ton more that I can’t even remember.

Maddox came along too. He’s huge, slobbery, and super friendly.

I absolutely love this running photo. It seems so fitting.

And for the grand finale, a baby pig. Cat loves pigs. Her excitement over this pig is only matched by Dan’s disdain for it– bad experiences raising pigs in 4H when he was growing up. But you know, Dan loves Cat, and so he went and borrowed this pig from a friend, just for her. True love.

Stinky, squeally, so worth it.

This photo cracks me up. I think Maddox wants a chunk of bacon.

And one last one in the soybeans.

Cat & Dan, thanks so much for hosting me over in Buffalo. I’m looking forward to partying with you all in February– Santa Monica!

Janey & Lee’s Engagement Guest Book | Wedding Books

Anna — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 19:05:45 +0000

More beautiful things arrived in the mail the other day! I love these engagement guest books, and I hope more and more couples just keep ordering them.

The beautiful wraparound photo cover features an image from Janey & Lee’s Treasure Island engagement shoot.

The book is ready for Janey & Lee’s wedding in a couple weeks!

Two sample spreads from the book:

The beautiful, thick pages lie perfectly flat, thanks to the hinged pages.

To see more engagement book and album designs, check out the photos on the facebook page.

Raquel & Andy’s Engagement Guest Book | Wedding Books

Anna — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 17:56:14 +0000

Raquel and Andy’s engagement guest book just arrived in the mail last week, and it came out beautifully! I love seeing my work in print, and I can’t wait to see this book in action at their wedding in the fall.

Here are just two of the many adorable spreads, with some blank spaces for guests to sign in at the wedding.

This photo from their Atlanta engagement session was the perfect fit for the custom wraparound cover.

Love, love, love books and albums. See more on our facebook page!

Kristen & Ryan | Sunol Engagement Photography

Anna — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 21:59:53 +0000

I drove past the house on accident and pulled over to turn around. A beautiful deer paused right next to me, gauging whether to resume eating leaves or run away. It eventually ran away. Later, going back up the road, a small pack of wild turkeys ran zig-zagging across the road as if they were having the time of their lives. To say Sunol is a cute small town is an understatement. When I pulled up to Ryan’s family home it looked like a storybook house, a blue Victorian home. All around, construction was under way. Ryan came out onto the driveway to greet me and explained that they were still doing quite a few last minute projects in preparation for their wedding (which is tomorrow!) So amidst the bustle, I borrowed Kristen and Ryan for an hour of time to just take a break and capture these engagement photos.

We started at Ryan’s house with its beautiful gardens and then ventured down the street to downtown Sunol with a cute train station and a little park. It was a lovely way to spend the day.

Thanks for a fun session, Kristen & Ryan. I’ll see you tomorrow when you get married!

Janey & Lee | Treasure Island Engagement Photography

Anna — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 19:17:52 +0000

They met through dance. After months of performing, rehearsing, dancing together, they slowly got to know each other, and eventually, they started dating. It was in a crowded restaurant that Lee got down on one knee and proposed in a chocolate syrup message written on a dessert plate. If there is one thing that strikes you about Janey and Lee right away, it’s that they do everything with heart. They share a sense of passion, all the while honoring each other’s individuality.

For their engagement session, we met on Treasure Island, the man-made Island that sits right in the middle of the Bay Bridge running from San Francisco to Oakland. Treasure Island used to be a military base, but has long since turned into abandoned buildings with the occasional church or warehouse where people hold events. I loved the idea of abandoned buildings, and it created a great backdrop for an urban, unconventional engagement shoot. Perfect for Janey and Lee.

This next one might be my favorite:

Abandoned gas station.

The shot of the Bay Bridge on the left was taken by my assistant Sammie. She just held the camera out and shot straight up into the sky. Awesome.

San Francisco skyline.

And a one more, not so serious, for kicks.

Here are two Instax shots we did at the end of the shoot!

Catherine & Joe | Baker Beach | San Francisco Engagement Photography

Anna — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 17:14:11 +0000

They met at work, and what began as friendship for over a year slowly turned into a romantic relationship. And then that turned Joe into a man with a plan and a question on Stinson Beach– Will you marry me? Of course, Catherine said yes. Over the years, Catherine and Joe have grown to find that sense of home in one another, and their easy laughter creates such a beautiful feeling of comfort. We headed to Baker Beach in San Francisco for their engagement shoot. We had to do our very best to not get blown away by the huge gusts of wind. But I think these two pulled it off like champions.

I just love this next photo, with the single bird in the left corner and everything.

So beautiful!

Thanks Catherine & Joe for a fun session! And thanks to my friend Yifan for helping out.