Tayla & Watto's Currumbin Beach Engagement Shoot

Some couples just get each other, and Tayla and David (better known as Watto) are one of them. They’re best friends first, and you can see it straight away in the way they tease each other, laugh at their own jokes and keep drifting back to each other between photos. Their engagement session felt less like a photoshoot and more like a morning hanging out at the beach with two new friends.

A morning session near Flat Rock, Currumbin

We met early on a spring morning near Flat Rock at Currumbin Beach, one of my favourite spots on the southern Gold Coast for engagement photos. The morning light at Currumbin is soft and even, and the sand dunes, rocks and wide stretch of beach give you a lot of variety in one location.

I found out later that Watto had proposed to Tayla only about a kilometre up the beach from where we did the shoot. I had no idea at the time, but it couldn’t have been more fitting to photograph them so close to where it all began.

Tayla wore a pastel pink dress and Watto went with a crisp white shirt. It’s a simple combination that looks timeless against the sand and sea, and it gave the photos a soft, romantic feel. (Planning your own outfits? Have a read of what to wear for your couples photoshoot on the Gold Coast.)

So at ease with each other

Some of my favourite engagement photos happen when couples forget the camera is there, and with these two that happened within minutes. There were spins on the sand, Watto lifting Tayla off her feet, and plenty of hugs that turned into laughing fits. My job was mostly to give a little direction and then let them be themselves.

That’s how I approach every couples and engagement session. I’ll guide you when you need it, so you’re not left wondering what to do with your hands, but the best moments come from just being together.

Capturing movement with slow shutter photos

Tayla and Watto are both runners, so movement was no issue for them. That made them perfect for a few slow shutter shots. With Tayla spinning in her dress and the two of them moving across the sand, the slight blur gives the photos a dreamy sense of movement. They feel more like a memory than a frozen moment. It’s one of my favourite techniques for beach engagement photos, and it suited these two perfectly.

Planning your engagement photos on the Gold Coast

If you’ve just got engaged and want photos that feel like you, Currumbin is a beautiful place to start. Morning sessions are calm, quiet and give the softest light, while sunset sessions bring warm golden tones. I’m happy to help you pick a location, from Currumbin and Burleigh to the Gold Coast hinterland. Here are a few of my favourite couples photoshoot locations on the Gold Coast.

Thinking about engagement photos? See my Couples & Engagement sessions or send me an enquiry. I reply to every enquiry on the same day.