Elena & Brett – An Engagement Session from Hornitos, CA

Posted on December 9, 2009

When I first met Elena she told me she and Brett wanted to shoot their engagement session in Hornitos, CA. I had never heard of it, but it turns out there’s a little ghost town in the foothills north of Mariposa. It’s not completely deserted, but there are several abandoned buildings that date back to the 1850′s. The location was VERY cool and I hope to go back sometime in the future – I love all the different textures and colors in that little town. After spending some time in Hornitos, we went out onto Brett’s ranch that sits next to the town and finished the session among the oaks and granite. Below are a few of my favorites…

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Inquire about Engagement Photography

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a session cost?

Engagement sessions are offered for free, upon request, with any wedding booking; so if you haven’t hired a wedding photographer, we should talk! For a stand alone session, there is no fee, only a minimum purchase requirement. For local sessions that amount is $750 which would cover a custom designed guest-book or engagement album, a set of digital files and a few smaller prints, or a large canvas wall portrait and some save the date cards. How you spend it is up to you, and you’ll also receive a discount on any additional purchases that are made at your ordering session.

We saw some cool locations in your galleries, can we go out of town?

You bet! If you want to hit the beach, head to Yosemite, or take me to a Giants game in SF for your engagement session, the only difference is in the minimum purchase amount. For the Bay Area, Central Coast, Yosemite, and Central Sierra Nevada Mountains, the minimum purchase goes up to $1050 plus any park entry fees, Giants tickets, garlic fries, etc. :)

We don’t know where to go, do you have ideas?

The first thing I will say about engagement session locations is that they should mean something to you if possible. Someplace you hang out, maybe where you met, a hobby you share, or something else in that vein. If you just can’t come up with something, let me know and we’ll work together to select a location unique and special for the two of you.

When should we schedule our session?

That all depends on what you’re using the images for. If you’re planning on using the images for save-the-date cards or wedding invitations, you should schedule your session no later than 6 to 9 months before your wedding. If we’re doing a custom guest-book or engagement album, then we’ll need about 2 months. If you’re just ordering prints, then 3 to 4 weeks is usually sufficient.

Do you provide the digital files, the “disk”?

The color-corrected, high-resolution files are available for purchase after your session and their purchase applies to the minimum purchase amount for your session.