Arielle and Joel had decided to have their engagement session at Armstrong Woods in Guerneville when I sent them my blog post about preparing for your engagement session. They were good students and decided to add a stop on the way to Armstrong at their favorite weekend spot for a beer. The Whiskey Tip in Santa Rosa has a really cool back patio with games, benches, and mural art along the walls. Plus they had Blind Pig on tap, my favorite beer from the Russian River Brewing Company.
After the pit stop, we headed to Armstrong Woods in Guerneville. The towering redwoods let in a bit of warm afternoon light, which is all you need in the woods. We explored and found beautiful spots off the beaten path.
TIP: Many clients worry about redwood groves being too dark to photograph in. Timing is key. I normally shoot in the 60-90 minutes before sunset, but in the woods like that we time it about three hours before sunset to catch some rays streaming through the trees and so the ambient light is bright enough to create beautiful photographs.
