Arabia Mountain is the northern of two peaks in the nature preserve, in DeKalb County, Georgia and literally down the road from my house. I had never been there before this engagement session with Shea and Cody, but had heard of the mountain many many times before. This location is special to Shea and Cody because they, as a couple, spend a lot of time here. When they asked if I would take their engagement photos there I was beyond excited. It’s always fun for me to get to explore a new location with an amazing couple. So, I left it in their hands to show me around the mountain and I was able to capture just how much they love Arabia mountain and each other.
For me, going into a new place with a couple I have never worked with before (even if I had photographed them before the same would still apply) is always so much fun. It really gives me a chance to be creative and create something new for them wetiher it’s a new image or a new memory and mostly both at the same time! Especially in a location when there isn’t anything structural to rely on, like a gazebo or a set of stairs or in this case there were barely even trees. Creating images purely out of shear emotion is a nice change of pace from a timeline where we create images.
Atlanta Wedding Photographer
Taking these types of portraits really forces myself and my couple to have fun to get away from the standard portraits. Now, of course, we take those too, but we are forced to rely on other means to create enough images to make an album. Doing this is very much like a “first date”. I ask them tons of questions, and they do the same with me. We really get a chance to talk and get to know each other and in the process they really let the guard down and usually for one of part of the couple it can be hard. I really learn their limits with if they are comfortable with being picked up or twirled or cuddled for hours. The couple really learns my fear of bugs and the fact that I am probably always in some danger of falling or standing in some suspect shrubbery - but what comes from this is all this amazing and real imagery.
Atlanta Wedding Photographer
Your engagement session location doesn’t have to be extravagant, it just has to be special. Remember, you and your spouse are the subject and the location plays the supporting role. Now, sure, there are exceptions to every session like if you bring me to Iceland and there is a giant waterfall or something like that (hint hint to all my couples) - but even in that case we want to see YOU. We want to see your love. May 2020 they will marry at a private residence and I am so excited. They completely rocked their Atlanta engagement session.