Best Places to Do Your Engagement Shoot in Reno & Lake Tahoe

If you’re reading this then CONGRATS! You must be engaged! Double congrats if you’re in the Reno Tahoe area because this post is going to have some really great ideas for YOU.

As a couples photographer in Reno and Lake Tahoe, one of my absolute favorite things to do is incorporate the places and things that matter most to you into your engagement session. From props to locations, leaning into what you love just sets a more intimate and relaxed mood – and the more relaxed you are, the more confident you look on camera. I can almost guarantee you’ll love your photos even more if we’re somewhere you love or doing something you love together.

Sometimes it’s hard to come up with that sort of thing though, and that’s exactly why I’m here. One of my favorite parts of working with couples is getting to know them first – I send out a questionnaire to learn more about you and your story because as much as I love a scene just for the pretty photos, I also want you to feel something when you’re there. When you’re staring at the person you love and imagining your whole future. So after getting your questionnaire back, if I feel like your answers lean toward a different location than what you originally had in mind, I’ll suggest it. And while we don’t always end up changing the location, I might suggest props or activities that give you that “comfortable, genuinely loving every second of this” energy in front of the camera.

So without further ado – let’s get into what that can actually look like!

These are some of my favorites because they love to be on the water. And while I initially asked about using their boat, we ended up opting for the quiet shores of Sand Harbor instead – and honestly it was the right call. The turquoise water, the granite boulders, the pine trees framing every shot – there’s a reason Sand Harbor is one of the most searched engagement photo locations in Lake Tahoe. They love charcuterie dates and slow evenings together, so we leaned into that for the setup too. We arrived in time for golden hour and stayed through blue hour to capture all of the best light. Sometimes the first location idea isn’t the final one, and that’s completely okay – part of my job is helping you land somewhere that actually feels like you.

For a totally different vibe – these two love 1864 Tavern in Reno, and having their engagement session there was actually something they came to me with! I helped sort through their questionnaire to identify outfits and props that would really match the setting, and voila – a sophisticated, elegant, deck-of-cards engagement night at their favorite bar in town. This is a perfect example of why engagement photos don’t have to mean mountains and open skies. Reno has so much character and personality as a city, and when you pick a location that’s genuinely yours, it reads in every single frame.

These two love a picnic by the river, so that’s exactly what we created – and it wasn’t just an aesthetic choice. It’s actually how each of them proposed, so recreating that feeling for their engagement photos felt like the most fitting thing we could have done. From warm golden light to soft shadows through the trees, we made art. But more than that, we made something they’ll look at forever and feel. That’s the difference between pretty photos and photos that actually mean something to you.

So your dream is incorporating your babies – in this case, their two big horses! We headed out to the dirt roads at sunrise, found a stretch of open land, and just let the morning unfold. We laughed over the horses’ antics, soaked in that soft early light, and captured two people who were completely in their element. The best engagement sessions around Reno and Lake Tahoe aren’t always the most polished ones – they’re the ones where you forget you’re being photographed at all.

Their love for the season brought this one together – Christmas trees, candy canes, and a big sparkly diamond. Wanting a specific season is a completely valid reason to plan your session carefully! Wildflowers in the Sierra Nevada are typically only around for a short window in early summer. That golden fall light along the lake? Maybe six weeks before it shifts. When the timing is right, it elevates everything – and these photos are proof of that.

Similarly, if you’re after a specific vibe – like the stars over Lake Tahoe – your session needs to be planned with intention. We spent golden hour exploring the location, then passed the time playing card games waiting for it to get well and truly dark before the Milky Way came out. It takes patience. But standing under that sky with the person you’re going to marry? That is a once-in-a-lifetime feeling that no iPhone is ever going to capture for you.

I think these sessions show exactly what’s possible when you lead with what you love. Whether you’re searching for a Lake Tahoe engagement photographer, want to shoot somewhere local in Reno, or have a completely wild and creative vision I haven’t even thought of yet – I would love to be considered. I’m always a quick email away.

XO