Fantasy cottage at Nestldown in Los Gatos, CA.
Los Gatos, CA- There’s nothing more magical than engagement photography at Nestldown. You’ve found your photographer, you’ve booked your venue, and your wedding may be only a few days away. This is a really special time in your life! Let’s capture these precious moments in the most fairytale setting you can imagine. That’s where Nestldown comes in.
Nestled in the redwood valleys of the Santa Cruz mountains, Nestldown covers 180 acres, 36 of which are very pretty, well maintained gardens, offering multiple locations for photo shoots. Here you can host your wedding, corporate event, or other gatherings. In this blog we will follow Sowmya and Direndra as they explore the grounds for their engagement session with High Orbit Media.
Keep in mind that the following photographs were taken early in the morning in December 2021. The foliage will look different other times of the year.
Engagement Photography At Nestldown
Outside The Barn at Nestldown.
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We began our journey at The Barn which is sort of centrally located on the grounds. As this was an early December morning, I suggested we take some photos utilizing the pretty light-wrapped trees by the Koi Pond. The sun was rising and it was getting brighter and the effect of the lights was going to be lost soon. So we strolled around to the far side of the pond where the lights were very beautiful.
Love the bokeh on the foreground lights here. So much depth.
They should call this the Forest of Lights. So nice in the low morning light.
No photography session at Nestldown would be complete without exploring the Fantasy Cottage. Perhaps their most popular attraction, the Fantasy Cottage is surrounded by a hedge maze, “The Alice & Wonderland Table”, over-sized chess board, and if you can find it, a sleeping dragon.
Very hard to not feel like a kid in this garden.
The detail that went into this cottage really makes you feel like you’re in a different realm.
Yes, that is the rose from Beauty and the Beast between them.
Once Sowmya and Direndra were done playing in the cottage, we had to make a stop at the giant chess board. Direndra, a chess player himself, easily felt like a king, or at least a knight, in hopes of taking Sowmya’s hand in marriage.
These two had a great sense of humor and were really fun to work with.
Mate? ✅
Moving on with our morning, we made our way through the very elegant Apple Knoll. There is a very pretty winding pathway through the orchard on your way up the knoll. This is an 88 foot long pergola with fire pits and chandeliers making it perfect for large social gatherings.
You wouldn’t guess by looking at it, but it was about 41 degrees this entire shoot.
Sowmya and Direndra walking into the sunrise.
If you need room for dancing, the Apple Knoll has a clearing for that too. It’s a spectacular location for morning events with the low light.
Repeat customers save 10% when they book their next session with High Orbit Media.
Sowmya and Direndra wanted multiple outfits for their session so right after this they changed into their traditional attire.
For the second half of their engagement session we went down the long staircase to The Chapel. This beautiful location is in a clearing in the forest that borders another pond. When you host your wedding or event here, you can decide to face into the redwood trees or the pond. Personally, I would choose the forest view with it’s 200 foot tall trees towering over you.
Now, as a photographer, I’m a big aisle guy. Love my aisles. In all my time shooting aisles at weddings, I’ve never seen a more elegant and natural way for a bride to walk down the aisle than the staircase that descends into this clearing.
When you look at it out of context, it can seem long, but in the moment, when it’s you who’s walking down to meet your soulmate, it’s the perfect length. Another positive aspect is that it doesn’t run straight down, there is a slight curve or two. These bends allow me to add depth to your photos making them even more intriguing.
Lastly, we took a few photos under the vines along the water to wrap up our session. On this day we spent 90 minutes exploring what Nestldown has to offer. There are so many places for photos and so much ground to cover that time can easily slip away. I would highly suggest booking 2 hours minimum to ensure you get all the photos you want.
To learn everything you want to know about Nestldown including pricing and booking, make sure you visit their website right here. I am not affiliated with them but would be happy to photograph your weddings, engagements, and other events you hold here.
Let’s make you look good!
Go ahead. How many times do you get to hit a LAUNCH button in your life?
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John Ruddock is a professional photographer based in Salinas, CA. John grew up on the coast in Half Moon Bay and has spent over 30 years on the beautiful California central coast. He photographs weddings, engagements, families, sports, and landscapes from Half Moon Bay to Big Sur. Contact him today to book your session! You can also buy prints of his best images right here.
