For Sasha and Tobias’ engagement session we started the evening at Bar Cesar, a spot central to their early relationship. The familiar corners made a sweet backdrop for the beginning of this session. From there, we headed back to their place near Lake Merritt for an outfit change and some photos around their home. As the sun began to set, we strolled together toward the lake, catching that golden light that turns everything soft.

Sometimes an engagement session doesn’t need a sweeping landscape or a meticulously planned itinerary. It can be as simple as tagging along on a date night to meaningful places for the couple. The magic of being together somewhere you love—your favorite bar, a plant you pass every evening on your walks, the bench at the park where you meet after work—can be all it takes to create portraits that feel like you.

With these two, it was exactly that. Just them, moving through familiar spaces, laughing in the same places they’ve shared countless small moments before. And as the sun set over Lake Merritt, it felt like the perfect reflection of their story—calm, glowing, and deeply connected.

Check out how they incorporated nods to their Oakland home on their wedding day at The Haven at Tomales – here.