Surfing Engagement Session on the Beach in La Jolla, Jenn + Karl

A couple with surfboards smiles and walks together in the surf during their La Jolla surfing engagement session at sunset.
I am so excited to shoot Jenn & Karl’s wedding, the couple that surfs together stays together! My husband and I also enjoy this wonderful sport and when Jenn & Karl suggested that we do a surf engagement session, I was so excited to go down to Scripps Pier which is their regular surf spot!

Location:
Scripps Pier in La Jolla is one of my favorite beaches for portrait sessions! Whether it is for family portraits or engagement session, this location is one of the most iconic Southern California piers and one of the most beautiful beaches for a photo session!

Vision or Style:
A surfing engagement session! I started my career in photography working for surf magazines so when this awesome couple suggested that they incorporate their love for surfing into their engagement session, I was totally on board!

Favorite Moment:
Definitely my favorite moment was when Jenn showed me the bottom of her surfboard which she painted with their wedding date for next year!

Favorite Photo:
I can’t pick just one of course! All of these photos turned out so good and I absolutely love working with this couple. Here are a few of my favorites, enjoy!

A smiling couple with surfboards walks outside in La Jolla; in the second photo, they pose together, happy and relaxed. A smiling couple holds hands in front of a white garage door after their surfing engagement session in La Jolla. A smiling couple holds hands on La Jolla Beach, the ocean and cliffs behind them—perfect for engagement photography. Left: Bare feet on wet sand, tiptoes. Right: Smiling couple at their La Jolla beach surfing engagement session. A couple embraces and smiles on a La Jolla beach, standing barefoot in the sand near the water. A couple stands barefoot under a pier in La Jolla, embracing during their surfing engagement session. A couple embraces and smiles under a La Jolla pier, waves in the background during their surfing engagement session. A couple embraces and kisses under a pier in La Jolla, with ocean water in the background—perfect for a surfing engagement session. A couple embraces and walks barefoot on a La Jolla beach near a pier, dressed in casual, summery clothes.

Woman in a long red dress stands on a path surrounded by greenery and flowering bushes, smiling at the camera.

Welcome

Take a look around, and click here to get in touch with me about your own photos!

Oceanside California beach family portrait photographer

family

A couple embraces in a sunlit garden; the woman wears a white dress and appears to be pregnant.

maternity

Newborn baby sleeping peacefully on a white bed, wearing a white diaper, with arms curled near face.

newborn

Woman in a white dress walks barefoot on a sandy beach, looking back toward the camera near the shoreline.

senior

A smiling couple stands on the beach, embracing, with a pier stretching into the ocean behind them.

couples

A person in a green dress holds soil with a small green plant growing in their cupped hands.

branding

Instagram

You keep saying you’ll book family photos when you feel more like yourself…

But the truth is—there’s always something. Life is busy. Your body changes. The timing never feels perfect.

And underneath that… it’s not really about the timing. It’s about not wanting to be happy in how you look.

But your kids don’t see any of that. They just see you. The way you hug them, laugh with them, show up for them every day.

If this has been on your heart, maybe this is your sign not to wait another year 🤍

When you work with me, you don’t just get a photographer—you get someone who plans, guides, and creates artwork you’ll love for years. If that’s what you’ve been searching for, let’s start.
For me, photography has never just been about images—it’s about people, relationships, and the stories we share. If that’s what you’d like in your portraits, let’s talk.
At the end of the day, portraits are about people—the ones you love most. If you’d like photos that reflect that love, I’d love to create them for you.
No two families are alike, and no two sessions should be either. That’s why I design each one with your unique story in mind. If you’d like that for your portraits, let’s plan something special.
Families often thank me for making the process so simple and stress-free. That’s exactly how it should feel. If you’d like that kind of experience, let’s chat.
Every stage of life deserves to be remembered—from newborn snuggles to senior year and beyond. If you’d like to capture your family’s journey, I’d love to work with you.

 

Vallentyne Photography is a portrait studio in Oceanside, CA, with a natural light studio in Carlsbad, CA, serving North County and San Diego.

With 20 years of experience, we specialize in natural, timeless portraits for families, maternity, newborns, and seniors—capturing genuine moments on location or in our beautiful portrait studio. We’re here to make the process easy and beautiful. Let’s start with a quick chat about what matters most to you. We’d be honored to create portraits you’ll love for a lifetime.

You keep saying you’ll book family photos when you feel more like yourself…

But the truth is—there’s always something. Life is busy. Your body changes. The timing never feels perfect.

And underneath that… it’s not really about the timing. It’s about not wanting to be happy in how you look.

But your kids don’t see any of that. They just see you. The way you hug them, laugh with them, show up for them every day.

If this has been on your heart, maybe this is your sign not to wait another year 🤍

When you work with me, you don’t just get a photographer—you get someone who plans, guides, and creates artwork you’ll love for years. If that’s what you’ve been searching for, let’s start.
For me, photography has never just been about images—it’s about people, relationships, and the stories we share. If that’s what you’d like in your portraits, let’s talk.
At the end of the day, portraits are about people—the ones you love most. If you’d like photos that reflect that love, I’d love to create them for you.
No two families are alike, and no two sessions should be either. That’s why I design each one with your unique story in mind. If you’d like that for your portraits, let’s plan something special.
Families often thank me for making the process so simple and stress-free. That’s exactly how it should feel. If you’d like that kind of experience, let’s chat.
Every stage of life deserves to be remembered—from newborn snuggles to senior year and beyond. If you’d like to capture your family’s journey, I’d love to work with you.

email directly:

heather@vallentynephotography.com

760-672-2416

A large, green, uppercase letter V on a white background.

located in carlsbad, california