Coastal
15 final images
$750 – $950
Why Aptos
What we love about Aptos for proposals and engagement sessions.
Aptos is what Santa Cruz feels like before the boardwalk crowds find you. If you want to sound like a local, pronounce it Ap-toss (it's Native American, not Spanish). Seacliff State Beach gives you a wide, mellow stretch of sand with the half-sunk concrete ship offshore as your backdrop (fun fact, they used to have some epic parties on that ship back in the day). The neighborhoods inland have redwood groves you'd swear were Big Sur (hello Nisene Marks!). Most of our Aptos proposals happen at low tide on Rio del Mar at sunset, when the beach goes on for miles and there's almost nobody else in the shot.
Best time of year
April through October. Low tide afternoons are the sweet spot for the beaches. Summer fog is a thing, but we work with it.
Where we shoot
Destinations we shoot around Aptos.
4 spots we actually shoot around Aptos, ordered by how much work we’ve done at each. The Forest of Nisene Marks alone accounts for 347 of the engagement photos below. Every one has its own page with the access details, and the ones we get asked about most have a full Santa Cruz proposal guide.
Recent Aptos proposals + engagements
473+ photos from Aptos shoots.
Every photo below is from a real session at one of these spots — mostly The Forest of Nisene Marks, Seacliff State Beach, Rio Del Mar Beach. The grid is fed straight from our galleries rather than hand-picked for the site, so it keeps growing as we shoot and curate more.
Investment
Aptos proposal packages.
Three collections, transparent pricing, no deposit. Full breakdown on the main page.
Signature
50 final images
$950 – $1,250
Full
All edited images
$1,350 – $1,650
Santa Cruz proposal photographer
Other regions we cover
Planning your proposal
How planning an Aptos proposal works.
Every shoot follows the same process, so you always know what's coming next.
- 1
I text you.
Once you book a call, I'll text you personally within minutes during Pacific time business hours. Most proposals are planned discreetly so text keeps things flexible and all in one place. (Just make sure to mute the thread.)
- 2
We narrow down the location.
If you're unsure where to propose, I'll ask a few simple questions about the vibe (coastal, redwoods, vineyard, urban) and guide you toward strong options. I can send recent proposal galleries from any of our shoot locations for inspiration. Knowing where you're staying/visiting can also narrow down our location options.
- 3
You reserve the date.
Once we've had our initial discovery call, all you need to do is reserve a one hour session. No penalty if plans shift. If I'm already booked, you'll see the "team" option in the hour slots at time of the reservation. I'm still your main point of contact throughout the process, but I'll loop you in with my photographer on a 3-way text feed 24-48hrs before the shoot.
- 4
I coordinate with you leading up to the day.
Text me anytime with questions, adjustments, weather concerns, anything. If the spot has limited cell service I'll send detailed parking instructions, map links, and annotated/interactive satellite imagery so everything feels simple and clear on the big day.
- 5
Day-of coordination.
Send a quick selfie of you both that morning so we know who to look for (we don't want to "stalk" the wrong couple!). Share your location with us via Find My (iPhone) or WhatsApp (Android). We're typically on-site at least 30 minutes early, scouted and ready.
- 6
The post-proposal session.
After the initial proposal, we'll introduce ourselves and guide you through a relaxed engagement session together. 30 to 60 minutes depending on your collection and location(s). You don't need to know how to pose. We'll direct everything in a way that feels natural and fun.
- 7
Payment + delivery.
Payment is due same-day after the shoot. You choose your collection before the photos are delivered. Within 24 hours I'll text you a handful of sneak peeks. Full edited gallery within 7 days. Small retouch requests after delivery are almost always doable. And yes you can pay the difference if you want to upgrade your package after seeing the final gallery.
Ready to plan your Aptos proposal or engagement session?
No deposit. No commitment. We'll plan it together. Payment is due same-day after the shoot. Sneak peeks within 24 hours. Full gallery within 7 days.