Lake Tahoe engagement photographer Doug Miranda Photography has been capturing engagement sessions and proposals in and around the Tahoe Basin area since 2007. He has photographed many newly engaged couples in some amazing locations during all the seasons of the year in this popular high Sierra destination. This area is one giant postcard so why not have these special photos taken here of you and your loved one.

You might be asking yourself why do I even need engagement photos? The first reason to have these photos taken is to commemorate your engagement to your soon to be husband or wife. These photographs will leave you with a special reminder of your spouse and you before you started down the road as a married couple. One of the biggest reasons couples have engagement pictures taken is to get comfortable in front of the camera, so that come wedding day they are use to the camera. I highly recommend that my wedding couples do this so that they also get to know me better and get use to the process of having their photo taken. Most couples have never had professional pictures taken of them, so this is a great way to ease them into what’s going to happen on their wedding day. Come wedding day couples that have done this are much use to the camera and I can start capturing genuine photos right off the bat. One other reason couples have engagement photos taken of them is to have some great pictures taken of them outside of their wedding day and wedding attire.

Lake Tahoe is a popular area too have engagement photos taken for most couples in the Northern California and Northern Nevada area or couples that are vacationing in the area. The first thing to consider when planning a Tahoe engagement session is where to have these photos taken at? Lake Tahoe is massive and there are a ton of spots to pick from. Most sessions only last an hour or two, so when picking out a spot try and go for one that has a variety of looks or a couple great areas near by each other. This way you're not wasting an hour driving from one location to another. Yes, an hour Tahoe is really big and if you’re not familiar with the area this can easily happen.

South Lake Tahoe is one massive area that has many locations for a great engagement portrait sessions. Most of the beaches on the south shore have public access, unlike some north lake areas. Some of the more popular beach locations on the south shore are Kiva Beach and Zephyr Cove. Besides those two areas there are lots of other beaches to pick from for those classic South Lake Tahoe engagement photography photos. One other super popular area on the south shore is Emerald Bay State Park. This is one of the most sought after spots in all of Tahoe. Once you see Emerald Bay with your own eyes you’ll understand why some many people come here to take photos and have photos taken of them at this breathtaking area. If you’re looking to come to Emerald Bay be prepared for all the crowds that come here. It’s best accessed early in the morning or in the late afternoon. Your other option is to only come here during the late fall and early spring, since these times are the dead season for the basin. Besides lake front beaches on the south shore there are many forested and high alpine areas that just beg for your couples portraits to be taken at. Just because you’re in Tahoe doesn’t mean that your photos have to be taken by the lake shore. There are many small mountain lakes and areas that are just as beautiful or if not more scenic than Tahoe.

Now heading up to North Lake Tahoe and all of its beauty for engagement locations. Just like south lake the North Lake Tahoe area has lots of public beaches for your session to take place at. The only area that does not have public access is the whole shore line of Incline Village, which is all private access and gated off. With that being said one of the most famous beaches in all of Tahoe is just south of Incline Village and that area is Sand Harbor State Park. Most likely if you’ve seen a Tahoe postcard that photo was taken at Sand Harbor or near by on the north east shore. Sand Harbor has that crystal clear water that the lake is famous for, along with massive boulders in the water that give this area its distinctive look that is only on the east shore. With this much beauty comes lots of crowds. This area should only be used for portraits session during non summer months due to the amount of beach goers that come here in June, July and August. Just like south shore, North Lake Tahoe has many other areas besides the lake to take photos at. North of the lake is Squaw Valley, Truckee and the Donner Lake and Donner Pass area. These spots are prefect during those crowded summer months. Besides these areas there are many hidden and secret spots all around the lake basin that will give you amazing views, which will deliver great photos.

After finding a location to have your engagement photos taken at you then need to figure out what time of year you want these portraits taken at? Are you wanting those summer photos on the beach or those amazing fall colors that decorate the surrounding area or those famous winter wonderland pictures you see. Every season has its pluses and minuses. It’s up to you on what you want as a backdrop and what the weather will be like during that time of year. Let's start off with a summer engagement session. You’ll be able to access all of the surrounding area since all the snow will be gone. You’ll also be able to enjoy all the beaches and warm weather. With summer you’ll also get all the tourist crowds, traffic and trying to find more secluded areas to get away from those crowds. Fall is most likely the perfect time for engagements and weddings. The summer crowds have gone home and there is very little traffic. The weather is usually still warm and you get all those amazing fall colors as a back drop. Plus you still have access to all of the surrounding trails and beaches. Winter time is great, but be prepared to bundle up for you photo shoot. You can get some great shoreline photos since there will be no beach goers in the winter. The bad thing with winter is trying to predict the weather and picking a date so that it’s not a blizzard during your session. Other than that the ski traffic isn’t that bad to get around the lake. Spring is like fall where you get the best of both seasons, which would be winter and summer. The mountains are still covered in snow to give you that winter wonderland look, but the beaches are dry and have no crowds on them. I would highly recommend your engagement session to take place in spring or fall, but in the end it’s up to you on what type of engagement pictures your looking for.

I hope that this quick Lake Tahoe engagement photography planning write up helps you out with what you want after figuring out all the pros and cons of a session in the area.

If you are interested in having Doug Miranda Photography photograph your engagement photos please fill out the contract form on this website. You can also email me directly at doug@dougmiranda.com or give me a call at 916-422-2256. I look forward to hearing from you.