Eric & Cristina, among the oaks.

Oak Glen Preserve is one of the loveliest places in the Inland Empire — and one of the busiest. We started early, a little before ten, to have the trails before the crowds did. The weather was perfect. The light was brighter than I usually work in, and it asked for a different approach.

So I went with a different edit. My work is usually warm and golden. For Eric and Cristina I leaned into the greens instead — a quieter, film-inspired finish that lets the oaks and the meadow grass carry the frame. The Preserve earned it.

A place that keeps revealing itself.

Oak Glen rewards wandering. Old oaks give way to open lawns, lawns to stands of pine, and every trail seems to bend toward another spot worth stopping for. We found wonderful places to work — and I found even more afterward, walking the grounds on my own. I will be back.

Late summer gave us deep green. In the fall, the leaves here turn gold, and the whole preserve changes character. For couples planning an Oak Glen session, both seasons are worth considering.

“Call your Mother.”

Eric and Cristina will marry at a Novus Ordo nuptial Mass. Their rings rested for one frame on a small image of Our Lady with three words beneath her: Call your Mother. It is good counsel for any marriage — and a reminder that what they are preparing for is a sacrament, not simply a celebration.

An engagement session is where that preparation begins, photographically. By the wedding day, we know one another. They know how I work, and I know how they stand together when no one is directing them. That familiarity shows at the altar.

Eric and Cristina — thank you for an easy, beautiful morning. I am grateful to be part of what comes next.

Planning your own engagement session or Catholic wedding in the Inland Empire? Read how I photograph the Novus Ordo nuptial Mass, and if you are still early in the process, start with my guide to Pre-Cana.