Sebastien Bicard
Bay Area Session
NorCal Coast & Half Moon Bay couple session
Half Moon Bay – it’s a pretty poetic name for this dreamy spot of California coastline. If you’ve never been there, it is a beautiful little bit of wilderness just south of San Francisco, where massive pines and redwoods mix with chalky cliffs, boulders and stretches of yellow sand. Just about anywhere on California Highway 1 is fabulous for images, but this little spot is gorgeous, secluded, and perfect for portraits.
Brazilians in the Bay
I’d been wanting to organize a shoot there for a while, so when I hooked up with Louize and Henrique via Instagram, we planned to head over to the coast for the day. The couple are originally from Brazil, but live in the Bay Area now. This isn’t an engagement session, but they still wanted to have some nice shots to remember this time in their lives and share the love. Perfect time to do a couples portrait session!
I think portrait sessions are awesome for couples, even if they’re not engaged. It gives you a special time to get to know each other and allows you have some high quality but casual photos of you without the stress of a big occasion. The sessions are always a blast, and the couple enjoys a fun couple of hours laughing and connecting in a different activity than their everyday routine.
Just relax and enjoy
Louize and Henrique shared with me that their ideal place for a portrait session would be a romantic place in Europe, they loved the idea of capturing their love in the beautiful Half Moon Bay. The day was a bit misty and overcast, which made for some really soft and dreamy shots with great color. It had a totally different feel to other Northern California locations like Lake Tahoe or wine country, and I really loved the look.
They were a sweet couple to work with – easy going, fun, and clearly in love. Louize and Henrique were a tiny bit nervous about posing or looking stiff. I hear that from about 90% of my couples! I assured them that they didn’t need to look like professional models, that I was there to capture their real moods and connection. All they had to do was relax and be themselves, and I’d give them some direction from time to time. I think the end result shows it – they did fantastic!
Check out their misty Half Moon Bay couple session below and let me know what you think!
Sebastien Bicard is a wedding and portrait photographer based in California. He specializes in international travel and intimate weddings worldwide.
