Categories
adventure Engagement fuji x Shenandoah National Park

Rachel and Roger – A Dusk-time Big Meadows Engagement Session

engagement session couple walking in big meadows Virginia at sunset - natural edit film based fuji160C

Describe the perfect evening, I’ll go first: we book a session with Rachel and Roger at Shenandoah National Park. When it calls for crazy thunderstorms, we don’t call it off. Instead, Aneila and I ride there on our motorcycle and show up absolutely drenched. I mean, saturated. We meet in the parking lot of the Byrd Center, and just then, the sun emerges. We proceed to slosh around the meadow for two hours in wet shoes and make some of my favorite images of the summer. We stay until it’s too dark to see and get silhouette photos with a wild sky. On the dark walk back to the parking lot, we converse about interesting travel including the insane cost of a mixed drink at an airport in Iceland. 10/10 would recommend.

engagement session couple walking in big meadows Virginia at sunset - natural edit film based fuji160C
engagement session couple laughing blurry photo - big meadows Virginia at sunset - natural edit film based fuji160C
black and white lifestyle photo of couple in big meadows Virginia - Ilford hp5+
engagement session couple portrait in big meadows Virginia at sunset - natural edit film based fuji160C
engagement session couple portrait in big meadows Virginia at sunset - natural edit film based fuji160C
engagement session couple portrait in big meadows Virginia at sunset - natural edit film based fuji160C
engagement session couple portrait in big meadows Virginia at sunset - natural edit film based fuji160C
black and white lifestyle photo of couple in big meadows Virginia - film based edit Ilford hp5+
black and white lifestyle photo of couple in big meadows Virginia - film based edit Ilford hp5+
black and white lifestyle photo of couple in big meadows Virginia - film based edit Ilford hp5+
black and white lifestyle photo of couple in big meadows Virginia - film based edit Ilford hp5+
closeup of engagement ring - natural edit film based fuji160C
engagement session couple motion blur dancing in big meadows Virginia at sunset - natural edit film based fuji160C
black and white motion blur engagement session in big meadows Virginia - film based edit Ilford hp5+
black and white motion blur engagement session in big meadows Virginia - film based edit Ilford hp5+
black and white motion blur engagement session in big meadows Virginia - film based edit Ilford hp5+
couple silhouette with stormy skies in big meadows Shenandoah national park
black and white motion blur engagement session in big meadows Virginia - film based edit Ilford hp5+

Seriously though, the text in this post is intended to be a message about going with the flow when the situation seems iffy (at best). I can’t tell you how many times a shoot has been called off due to weather, and I think that’s just a shame. Sometimes, the day must be allowed to have a voice and we must be quiet and listen to it. The reward on this occasion: a low, soft magical glow of evening sun cutting through the end of a wild storm…

I’m working on a post that will be dedicated to this topic. It’ll be done when it’s done. Oh, and here’s our bike in the still-wet parking lot at the Byrd Center.

KLR650 parked in Byrd Center Parking lot, wet after a recent rain
Categories
elopement fuji x intimate wedding Virginia

Katie and Ollie – Sunset Elopement in Shenandoah National Park

bride and groom walking in meadow wide angle - sunset elopement in Big Meadows Virginia

On a chilly autumn evening, Katie and Ollie eloped at Big Meadows in the Shenandoah National Park. Katie let me decide the precise location of their tiny ceremony and so I headed for the best spot I knew. It did not disappoint.

bride and groom portrait at sunset elopement in Big Meadows Virginia - Shenandoah national park - natural edit
bride resting head on grooms shoulder - natural edit
bride laughing at sunset elopement in Big Meadows Virginia - natural edit
groom portrait at sunset elopement in Big Meadows Virginia - natural edit
Big Meadows at sunset Shenandoah National Park
bride and groom sunset elopement ceremony in Big Meadows Virginia - Shenandoah national park - natural edit
bride and groom portrait at sunset elopement in Big Meadows Virginia - Shenandoah national park - natural edit
Bride and groom hugging portrait with mountain backdrop in Shenandoah National Park - natural edit
black and white photograph of bride and groom walking through meadow at sunset - Ilford HP5+ - Shenandoah National Park elopement
bride hair florals lit by sunset - Shenandoah National Park elopement
Bride and groom sunset portrait - Shenandoah National Park elopement - natural edit
bride laughing in portrait at sunset - Shenandoah National Park elopement - natural film based edit
Black and white portrait of bride and groom hugging - Shenandoah National Park elopement - Ilford HP5+ - film based edit
black and white detail of grooms hands hugging bride with goosebumps - Shenandoah National Park elopement - Ilford HP5+ - film based wedding photographer
bride portrait at sunset elopement - Shenandoah National Park elopement - fuji400h - film based wedding photographer
Bride and groom silhouette - Sunset elopement in Shenandoah National Park elopement - Fuji400h - film based wedding photographer
wedding couple walking through meadow at sunset - Shenandoah National Park elopement - fuji400h - film based wedding photographer
Bride and groom hugging under tree - Shenandoah National Park elopement - fuji400h - film based wedding photographer
Bride and groom closeup hugging - Shenandoah National Park elopement - fuji400h - film based wedding photographer
Categories
intimate wedding pennsylvania

Alyse and Alex – November Wedding at The Awbury Arboretum, Philadelphia

black and white photograph - a couple reads vows at wedding ceremony

Welcome to the wedding of Alyse and Alex; a smitten Philadelphia couple who have a knack for planning beautifully simple rainy November weddings at the Awbury Arboretum.

awbury arboretum wedding program
rainy day wedding portrait film look
bride and groom snuggle up for a quiet moment
bride posing for portrait at awbury arboretum
brides bouquet
groom portrait at awbury arboretum - fuji 400h - natural edit
bride and groom walking away - Ilford HP5+

Alyse and Alex included a variety of subtle colours in their wedding decor…perfect accents to a rainy November day in Philly.

wedding decor at awbury arboretum
wildflower mix and juniper wedding decorations - fuji 400h - natural edit

The Awbury Arboretum has a tent, which is good because it rained all day and tents are waterproof…

…they also have a waterproof house, The Francis Cope House, which is essentially a large, organized pile of Wissahickon schist (in other words, it is made of stone).

The Francis Cope House at Awbury Arboretum - Ilford HP5+
guests await ceremony on porch of Francis Cope House at Awbury Arboretum - Ilford HP5+
bride entering wedding ceremony on porch of Francis Cope House - Awbury Arboretum
groom watching bride enter ceremony
rainy wedding ceremony on porch of Francis Cope House at Awbury Arboretum
Bride reading vows at Francis Cope house at Awbury Arboretum - Philadelphia - Fuji400h - natural edit
November wedding ceremony at Awbury Arboretum
ring bearer
funny wedding moment ring bearer got confused
bride putting ring on groom's finger
bride and groom kissing
bride and groom walking at Awbury Arboretum on rainy November day
bride and groom walking at Awbury Arboretum on rainy November day
bride and groom portrait at Awbury Arboretum on rainy day - Fuji400h - natural edit
bridesmaids group portrait at Awbury Arboretum
brides bouquet at Awbury Arboretum -  - Fuji400h - natural edit

Aneila and I offer creative wedding photography services in all 50 states (and Mexico). Hire us in the lower 48 and we’ll probably waive the travel fees. We live in a truck camper and travel constantly. Seriously, shoot us a message via our wedding photography contact form and I’ll reply as soon as I get signal. I’ve been known to reply from the sides of volcanos before.

VENDORS

venue – The Awbury Arboretum

catering – Farmer’s Keep