Romantic Balboa Park Engagement | San Diego Wedding Photographer | Iris & Kurt
A walk through Balboa Park is one of my low key favorites for an engagement shoot. As long as it’s on a weekday, you will have several opportunities for intimate photos, in popular locations, all to your self. Some of my favorite locations for a Balboa Park engagement would have to be the secret cactus garden, Japanese Friendship Garden, Alcazar Garden (when it’s blooming), and the gardens at Friends of Balboa Park. If you are looking for something unique and the Japanese Friendship Garden truly is incredible. It will set your romantic Balboa Park engagement session on fire. The best time to visit would be in the spring during the cherry blossom season. Keep in mind that engagement shoots at the garden will be a little pricier due to the admission fees and photography fee/license.
For this particular reportage Balboa Park engagement shoot, the couple had a few areas they liked, so the day prior I visited the park and mapped out a path that would highlight each area at the perfect time. I’ve lived around the park for a few years, and ride bikes there often. My boyfriend and I, have spent a lot of time scouring the area on our bikes searching for secret locations. There are many spots in and around Balboa Park that not many people are aware of, as most visitors stay centrally located where the museums and zoo are located. A few other locations that I love; palm canyon trail, Mingei International Museum, Casa del Rey Moro Garden, and the Spreckels Organ Pavillion. Balboa Park really is a great place and everything everyone says it is. It’s perfect for getting lost and exploring and has SO much to offer. So please enjoy this very romantic Balboa Park engagement.
Looking for info on my engagements? Get in touch and I’ll send you my Pricing Guide! teresalojaconophotography@gmail.com
My photography is a blend of art, experience, and instinct—a little bit of this, a little bit of that.
For over 15 years, I’ve been immersed in the world of photography. It all started when I was 18 and stepped into a darkroom for the first time. That moment sparked a lifelong obsession with capturing the world through my lens. It eventually lead me to the fine art space, collaborating with artists, managing studios, and working alongside galleries and museums.
Through years of studying art and photography—both in undergraduate and graduate school—my aesthetic evolved under the influence of critical theory and contemporary art. I found myself drawn to the intersection of traditional documentary photography and spontaneous, unfiltered moments of real life. My goal is to create images that are raw, honest, and deeply human.
Travel plays a huge role in my creative process. I find inspiration in the unfamiliar—letting light, movement, and emotion guide my eye. Photography is my way of making sense of the world, turning fleeting moments into lasting stories. With a camera in hand, everything becomes a canvas, and every frame is a chance to reveal beauty in the unexpected.
