A Spooky Oregon Coast Engagement Session Full of Dark Academia Romance


What happens when your engagement session gets to be just as weird, romantic, and spooky as your wedding?

You lean all the way into it. 🖤

When Zoe and Matt told me they wanted their engagement session to feel connected to the spooky, moody atmosphere they were planning for their wedding, I was immediately on board. There was no trying to make their engagement photos look like everyone else's. No bright, traditional beach session. No standing in a field and smiling at the camera.

We wanted something that felt like them.

Something romantic. A little mysterious. A little eerie. And very much at home on the Oregon Coast.

Couple holding hands walking on wooden bridge surrounded by lush green forest trees.
Couple embracing and laughing by a rocky creek with a wooden bridge surrounded by lush autumn foliage.
Couple dancing together on a scenic coastal trail surrounded by pine trees with ocean views in the background.

Finding the Perfect Oregon Coast Location


The first step was finding a location that could give us the right mix of environments.

We scouted out a secluded Oregon Coast cove surrounded by forest, with the ocean opening up just beyond the trees. It gave us everything we needed to tell the story of the session without having to choose between an Oregon Coast beach session and a forest engagement session.

We started quietly in the woods.

Zoe and Matt wandered through the trees together while I photographed them naturally, letting the forest set the mood. The beginning of the session was intentionally subtle. Soft portraits, movement, laughter, and those little in-between moments that make engagement photos feel like you instead of a series of poses.

And then we changed everything.

A man and woman with teal hair stand on a wooden bridge surrounded by lush green trees in a forest setting.
Two young people laughing and cuddling on a wooden picnic table in a sunny autumn park setting.
Couple sharing a romantic moment near a scenic beach with tall trees and sunlight filtering through the forest behind them.
Two hikers stand on a wooden bridge surrounded by tall evergreen trees with sunlight filtering through the forest.
A couple embraces tenderly outdoors, woman with blue hair in red floral dress, man in gray jacket, surrounded by green foliage.
Couple sharing a romantic kiss on a rustic wooden bench in a sunlit forest setting.

From Oregon Coast Engagement Session to Something Much Darker


At some point, Zoe disappeared to change into a dramatic ball gown while Matt changed into something a little more sultry.

And suddenly, we weren't just taking engagement photos anymore.

We were creating an entire atmosphere.

We brought lamps, LED candles, candelabras, and real candles to scatter throughout the scene. We even brought an abalone shell and sage to create a little smoke and atmosphere as the evening unfolded.

The goal wasn't simply to make the photos look spooky.

We wanted them to feel spooky.

Romantic, but with a little darkness around the edges.

Like something out of a gothic love story.

Like dark academia had somehow found its way onto the Oregon Coast.

Couple standing on a reflective sandy beach with dramatic cliffs and evergreen trees in the background at sunset.
Silhouette of a couple sharing a romantic kiss on the beach at sunset with golden sky and ocean backdrop.
Couple in elegant dark attire sitting together on a rocky beach surrounded by lush evergreen trees at dusk.

When the Magic Happened


The timing couldn't have been more perfect.

As the sun started to set, the sky began shifting through completely different colors. The last bit of daylight was disappearing behind the trees while the ocean reflected what was left of the sunset.

Then we started lighting everything.

The lamps came on.

The candles were lit.

The candelabras began glowing.

The sage started to smoke.

And all of a sudden, this little cove had completely transformed.

The contrast between the darkening forest, the glowing candlelight, the smoke, the ocean, and Zoe and Matt dressed for the occasion was incredible.

It was romantic.

It was eerie.

It was dramatic.

It was a little bit haunted.

And honestly, it was exactly what we had hoped for.

This wasn't just a spooky engagement session on the Oregon Coast anymore. It felt like we had stepped into another world for a couple of hours.

Romantic couple silhouetted against a sunset beach, surrounded by glowing candles arranged on the sand.

Creating Engagement Photos That Actually Feel Like You


One of my favorite things about photographing couples is getting to throw the idea of a "normal" engagement session out the window.

Your engagement photos don't have to look a certain way.

They don't have to be light and airy.

They don't have to involve champagne on a mountaintop.

They don't have to look like everyone else's engagement photos on Pinterest.

If you're a little weird, let's make weird photos.

If you love the dark and moody stuff, let's make it dark and moody.

If you want to wear a ball gown on the Oregon Coast while surrounded by candlelight, smoke, and candelabras, please tell me everything.

Zoe and Matt gave us the opportunity to create something completely outside the box, and I think that's what made this session so special.

The location, the outfits, the props, the light, the smoke, and most importantly, the two of them all worked together to create something that felt intentional without feeling forced.

Couple holding lanterns on a dark beach at dusk with a skull in the foreground and forested cliffs behind.
Romantic couple silhouette kissing on beach at sunset surrounded by glowing candles on sand.
Couple sharing romantic kiss on beach at sunset surrounded by glowing candles and lanterns in elegant formal attire.
Gothic couple on beach at dusk, woman holding skull in lace dress, man with glowing lantern, candlelit romantic scene.
Couple holding lanterns on a beach at sunset, surrounded by candles, woman in elegant black gown, romantic evening setting.
Gothic couple holding candelabra with lit candles in misty dark atmosphere, woman with teal hair in lace dress.
Two people sit surrounded by glowing candles on a beach at dusk, one holding a lantern in a romantic setting.
Two people pose at dusk with candles, a skull, and a lantern in a dramatic Halloween-themed outdoor scene.
Two people sit on a candlelit beach at dusk surrounded by glowing candles and mystic smoke in a romantic twilight setting.

A Spooky Engagement Session on the Oregon Coast


The Oregon Coast is already pretty magical on its own. Add a little fog, some dramatic weather, a forested cove, candlelight, and two people wildly in love, and you've got something pretty special.

For couples planning an unconventional wedding or elopement, an engagement session can be a really fun place to experiment with the kind of atmosphere you want for your wedding day.

Maybe that's adventurous.

Maybe it's romantic and nostalgic.

Maybe it's colorful and completely chaotic.

Or maybe it's spooky, gothic, romantic, and just a little bit witchy.

I'm here for all of it.

And if you're dreaming up an Oregon Coast engagement session that feels more like a story than a photoshoot, I would absolutely love to hear what you're imagining.

Couple holding skull and lantern by candlelit beach at dusk in gothic Halloween aesthetic.