Mokoto & Sarina | Couples Session in Bankers Hill | San Diego, CA
I got the idea stuck in my head that I wanted to do a night session after walking to my car late one night after sushi. A red light glowing in the distance caught my eye, then I noticed the elaborate patterns of light it was giving off on the ground. It was really beautiful and I couldn’t get it out of my head. So I reached out to a friend of mine to see if she and her partner wouldn’t mind modeling for me one night. So glad I did because these images turned out so good! The cinematic feel and spongey grain, all feel like a dream. This couples session is one of my favorites. The dark, moody light set into the quiet streets of San Deigo is so much fun. Would love to experiment more with this.
We roamed around and about through Balboa Park and around Bankers Hill. It was an interesting challenge working with only the light around us. Frustrating as all hell at times, it was a risk I wanted to take the chance and probably risk failure or embarrassment. At the very least it’s practice, and if I ever find myself in that type of worst-case scenario, I should be okay. At some point in our lives, we all go through a make-it-work moment. I think it would help to be mildly prepared.
All the images were taken with surrounding light (light posts, cars, store signs, parking garages, etc.) I shot everything with my Sony a7iii. Locations are all in San Diego and include Balboa Park, Bankers Hill, and Quince Street Bridge. If you are looking for other cool places to have a couples session at checkout this post of my top 5 favorite not so secret locations in San Deigo.
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.
