A Gothic Elopement Editorial on Cannon Beach, Oregon

Cannon Beach has been one of my favorite places to photograph for a long time, so getting to spend an afternoon there with Katelyn and Yara was an easy yes.

This shoot came together pretty randomly. Kaylee of Thistle & Veil Photography is based in Mississippi, and somehow we both ended up in the Pacific Northwest at the same time. She wanted to put together something with Katelyn and Yara, who are a real couple, models, and also happen to be creators themselves. Katelyn is a photographer and Yara is a videographer, so they already understood what it means to be on the other side of the camera.

It ended up being one of those shoots where nobody was trying too hard.

We met on Cannon Beach, brought a few veils, wandered around, played with the water, and let the photos happen.

A Dark, Romantic Take on the Oregon Coast

Katelyn wore a tiered dress with huge puffed sleeves that had a slightly pirate-y quality (non-derogatory) to it. Yara wore a suit with her tie loosened, which gave the whole thing a little more umph.

We brought black and red veils, along with a long cathedral veil that I had thrifted the day before at Two Weird Sisters Freak Boutique in Astoria.

That was about as complicated as the styling got.

I actually liked keeping it that way. Cannon Beach already gives you so much to work with. The rocks, the water, the huge stretches of sand, and the Oregon Coast light don't need much added to them.

The goal was gothic, romantic, and editorial, but we didn't need to build an entire wedding around it. We just needed two people who looked good and in love and were willing to get a little weird.

Luckily, Katelyn and Yara were very much up for that.

Photographing Katelyn and Yara on Cannon Beach

Because they're photographers and videographers themselves, they were incredibly comfortable in front of the camera. More importantly, they trusted Kaylee and me enough to let us experiment.

There wasn't a complicated posing plan. I gave them some direction when I needed it, but most of the afternoon was spent walking around, playing in the water and on the beach and seeing what happened.

One of my favorite parts of the shoot was photographing their reflections in the puddles left from low tide.

The water gave the images this strange, hazy quality. Katelyn and Yara almost look like they're appearing out of the beach rather than standing on it. There's something a little ghostly about those photographs, which I think fits the whole concept perfectly.

The Oregon Coast Is Already Pretty Gothic

This is one of the reasons I keep coming back to Cannon Beach.

The weather doesn't have to cooperate in the traditional sense. Sunny days are beautiful here, but I love the coast when it's cloudy too. The light stays soft, the colors become muted, and everything feels cinematic af.

For a gothic or alternative wedding session, it's hard to ask for a better backdrop.

We also ended the shoot with a few spotlight photographs. Those were probably the most obviously editorial images we made that day. With the rest of the beach falling away into darkness, Katelyn and Yara looked completely otherworldly.

I love how different they feel from the photographs before the sun set.

Why I Love Styled Shoots Like This

I wasn't looking for another elaborate styled shoot when this came together. Mostly, I wanted to meet other creatives and spend some time making photographs on one of my favorite beaches.

That's part of why I loved this one so much.

Kaylee and I were both there to photograph. Katelyn and Yara were there as a real couple, not just models playing a role. Everyone knew what we were doing, but nobody needed the evening to be overly structured.

Most of the time, all you need is a couple in love and a cool backdrop to make something absolutely cinematic.

Cannon Beach Wedding and Elopement Photography

If you're planning an Oregon Coast elopement, Cannon Beach is one of those places where you can keep things incredibly simple and still have a lot to photograph.

You could get married on the beach, explore around Haystack Rock, stay somewhere nearby and make a whole weekend out of it. It also works beautifully for couples who want wedding portraits that feel a little darker, more editorial, or less traditionally bridal.

And if you're coming from Portland, Cannon Beach makes an easy addition to an Oregon Coast elopement itinerary.

For me, this shoot was another reminder of why I love photographing couples in places that already have a strong sense of atmosphere. I don't need to turn every session into a production. Sometimes I just want to see what happens when two people I like are somewhere beautiful.

And this one happened to be on Cannon Beach.