Capturing Dayana and Rodolfo's first look was a magical moment set against the enchanting backdrop of the Waterfall Lodge & Spa in the Santa Cruz mountains.

Towering redwoods above us created a beautiful dappled light. I had the bride descend the staircase flanked by lush ferns, with the groom awaiting at the bottom. I chose a narrow aperture to keep the attention on the groom's face, which was filled with nervous smiles in anticipation of seeing his bride for the first time.

I shot this using a Nikon Z6ii with an 85mm lens. The longer lens created just enough lens compression to subtly draw the bride closer in the frame.
This also meant a tighter shot and Iopted to crop the grooms lower half so the bride was fully in the frame. The midday timing necessitated some post-processing adjustments to soften the light.