Please enjoy these two lovely faces
There’s something about Stanley Park in April that feels like the whole city exhales.
The cherry blossoms are doing their annual show-off routine. The light filters through the Douglas firs in long, golden shafts. And if you’re lucky (if you show up with the right people) the whole place starts to feel less like a park and more like something out of a daydream.
Javi and Camilo were the right people.
The Session
We met at Stanley Park on one of those rare spring mornings that Vancouver actually delivers on: bright and soft all at once, with blossoms scattered across the paths like confetti no one bothered to sweep up. Javi and Camilo came in dressed simply (black, white, classic, understated), and within about four minutes of shooting, they were already cracking each other up.
That’s actually my favourite sign as a photographer. When we all started relaxing and bonding because we’re too busy being ourselves.
We moved through the park, from the dappled shade of the tall trees to a gorgeous blossoming tree that practically posed itself and what unfolded was one of those sessions I’ll keep thinking about.
The forehead-to-forehead moments. The laughing so hard. The quiet ones where they leaned in and the whole frame went still. That’s the stuff. Every time.
On Shooting Some Black and White
I made the choice to edit a lot of this session in black and white, and I think it was the right call.
Colour is beautiful and Vancouver in Spring is stunning in colour, don’t get me wrong. But there’s something black and white does to an image that colour can’t quite replicate. It strips everything back. Removes the noise. Suddenly all you’re looking at is light and shadow and the way two people hold each other.
With Javi and Camilo, the emotion was already so present in every frame that colour would have almost been a distraction. The laughing shot where they’re holding hands and she’s throwing her head back, that image doesn’t need anything else. Neither does the final forest shot, blurred and dreamy, where they’re sharing a quiet moment while a little cedar stands watch in the background.
Black and white, to me, is a love language.
Why Stanley Park for Engagement Photos?
If you’re planning an engagement session in Vancouver, Stanley Park is one of my top recommendations and not just because it’s iconic.
Here’s what makes it work photographically:
The light is extraordinary. The towering trees create natural diffusion. You get soft, even light even on bright days, which means more flexibility with timing and fewer harsh shadows on faces.
The variety is unreal. Within a short walk, you can move from dense forest to open meadow to cherry blossom-lined paths to ocean views. One session, multiple looks, zero driving.
It feels lived-in. This is a park that Vancouver actually uses: joggers, dogs, families, lovers. There’s a realness to it that more “curated” locations sometimes lack. That realness comes through in photos.
It’s meaningful to locals. A lot of my clients have history here: first dates, morning runs, childhood memories. When a place holds meaning, it shows.
For Couples Planning Their Engagement Session
A few things I always tell couples before we shoot:
Wear what you’d actually wear on a nice date. The photos where people look most like themselves are the ones where they dressed like themselves. Coordinating doesn’t mean matching, it means complementing.
Give yourselves permission to be weird together. The in-jokes, the dumb voices, the thing you do that only you two know about, bring all of that. I will absolutely use it.
Trust the process. The first two minutes of any session feel a little awkward. That’s normal. That’s everyone. We easily get through it, and what comes after is so worth it.
Seasonal timing matters. Cherry blossom season in Vancouver is typically late March through mid-April. It’s fleeting and gorgeous and books up fast. Spring and fall tend to be my most requested seasons for a reason. Having said that, there is beauty all throughout the year.
Let’s Make Your Photos
If you’re looking for a Vancouver couples photographer who’s going to make you feel like rockstars — not props — I’d love to hear from you.
Whether you’re dreaming of Stanley Park, the North Shore mountains, a quiet West Van or Kitsilano beach or somewhere completely unexpected, we’ll find the location that fits your story.
Tash Takes Pics is a boutique portrait and lifestyle photography studio based in North Vancouver, BC. Specialising in couples, maternity, newborn, family and personal brand sessions across Greater Vancouver and the North Shore.
