Noor & Matt's Industrial Wasteland Engagement Session
I thought about letting these photos speak for themselves, because when a couple asks to shoot in an "industrial wasteland" and one of them is wearing a saree, you know the photos are gonna say something.
But Noor and Matt's pre-wedding session, which was shot by Matt, had more backstory that needs to be shared. Noor is a Pakistani who has lived in the U.S since 2008, but her family still lives in the motherland. She moved to DC in 2012 and fell in love with Matt at a May Day rally and protest at the White House, where they battled some racist neo-Nazis together. So when they inquired I was already like YES YOU ARE OUR PEOPLE.
I'll let Noor tell the story from there: "We flirted, and dated and have consequently been together since May Day 2013. I work at a DC based worker-owned collective and Matt works at a HVAC company in VA. Matt is born and raised in Richmond and loves it nearly, and we've spent a lot of time back and forth from DC and Richmond. I come from a family who had always imagined me to be forever betrothed to a man that fit the demographics of Muslim+Pakistani. But, now I got this white punk kid I love dearly from Richmond, Virginia. We don't have any nice photos just being our silly selves, just selfies of us sweating at marches. So, this request is for a photo-shoot the morning before our wedding lunch (in December we're all headed to Pakistan for a big old wedding there), just us looking fly."
I love their story and these photos and I'm so thankful for couples who care about making this world a better place. And I'm thankful for my associate photographer, Matt, who totally nailed these images.
E & C Engagement Session at Humpback Rock, Virginia
I'm trying to blog more, despite being knee-deep in my editing pile, so here are a few favorite moments from last month's trek to Humpback Rock with C, E, and their two pups. I love spending time with my couples before their wedding day so we can get to know each other, laugh together, talk about favorite music and vacation spots, and just generally diffuse the jitters. I don't always recommend doing this on giant rock cliffs but these two are pretty adventurous people, so...
gunnar + katelynn // engaged in austin, tx
In April, I was so excited to travel to Austin, TX to shoot Krista and Mike's wedding (coming to the blog soon)! While I was in town, my friend Lauren and I decided to explore the nearby Hill Country, and ended up at Jacob's Well one afternoon. By TOTAL coincidence, we arrived just in time to see Gunnar proposing to Kaitlynn! In one of the most genius proposals ever, Gunnar free dove down 30' to the bottom of the main cave, came back up, and presented Kaitlynn with her ring after she asked, "did you find any treasure?" -- and actually RECORDED THE WHOLE THING!
Of course, when I have my camera handy, I can't help but capture magic moments like this. Enjoy!
maureen & nathaniel // old town alexandria engagement shoot
When I met Maureen and Nathaniel at Busboys and Poets in Washington DC, they were the third of four appointments I had on that pretty hectic day. Fortunately, my meeting with them didn't feel like work at all--it felt like hanging out with old friends! We ate tasty baked goods, joked about wedding colors, and laughed a lot. It was awesome. Needless to say I was really looking forward to doing their engagement photos (which had to be rescheduled once due to late-April sleet in DC. Sleet).
We spent the evening in Old Town(e?) Alexandria, soaking up the lovely backdrops and charming views of the river. Oh, and there were some photos happening too. The only mishap was that we lost the tiny chalkboard we brought along...but we're sure it found a nice home!
sarah & reid // charlottesville, va engagement
My first meeting with Reid, before he was officially my client, was magical. Unbeknownst to me, he was in Richmond for the Neutral Milk Hotel concert at the National, a show that I had tried in vain to get tickets for. To add insult to injury, the coffee shop where we met up was staffed with employees who were excitedly discussing their VIP ticket access to the show; needless to say I was bumming about it. However, when I asked Reid about why he was in Richmond (instead of Charlottesville where he and Sarah live) and he told me about the show, he also added: I actually have an extra ticket; do you want it?
So I knew it was a [photography] match made in heaven! Later, when I met Sarah and realized what a wonderful person she is and what an absolutely perfect couple they are, I was even more thrilled! We spent a short, rainy afternoon in Azalea Park in Charlottesville, snapping away in the light snow. The results are adorably early-winter-y (perfect since they had a Christmas wedding!) and ever-so-slightly Wed Anderson-y (at their request). Enjoy!
nathalie & joseph // [post-wedding] engagement session // brooklyn, ny
Autumn might very well be my favorite time of year to take photos. The light is beautiful, the foliage color is just stunning, and the clothes are awesome and cozy. Fall lends itself well to walks in the park, snuggling, and cider. So it's winning all around!
Last month I visited NYC and spent an afternoon with the delightful Nathalie and Joseph (whose incredible wedding you can see here) to do some [post-wedding] engagement photos in Prospect Park. These two lovebirds showed me the place where the proposal happened, and we even stood on the bridge awhile watching another couple get ready to be married at the Boathouse. Adorable!
