When Michigan started to allow photographers to work again I had posted a BOGO deal for portrait sessions. Someone could purchase a session for their family and gift one to an essential worker they knew for supporting the rest of us. Lola reached out to me explaining that she was a nurse and her fiancé was a Detroit firefighter. Their wedding was coming up in the fall, but they did not have engagement photos yet. As a thank you for all that they do, I offered to do their Dexter engagement session free of charge. Together we brainstormed the perfect location and got their dates on the calendar.
Outdoorsy Couple
Chris and Lola love the outdoors and they wanted to make sure that their Dexter engagement session showed that. Between the walking paths, trails, and river I knew for sure that we would come up with something special. The day of the session Chris and Lola brought a bunch of different clothing options. It’s so much fun for me to get to pick out what my couples wear for a couple reasons. First, it ensures that the outfits are going to look best with the location we chose and not clash. Secondly, I can guide my couples towards clothes that will photograph the best. Sometimes there’s certain patterns and colors that just do not come across well in photos, and if I can save them the disappointment ahead of time then I am glad to do that.
Dexter Engagement Session
The Dexter engagement session started on land near the trails and forest area. While walking around, we found a graffiti “Rebels” underneath the overpass. It was perfect for Chris and Lola as they have been given a lot of grief for going ahead with their wedding this fall. Then we walked back to the cars and they changed clothes. Chris had brought his firefighter gear and Lola had the great idea of incorporating her stethoscope in the images. I borrowed their rings to place with details of their wedding day. I just love how these images came out!
Mermaid Love
During one of our planning conversations I asked Lola how they felt about getting in the water. She excitedly exclaimed, “Heck yes!” All the butterflies in my stomach happened at once. For a while I had been hoping to find a couple that would be adventurous and play in the water. The Huron River took your breath away at first, but compared to the heat of the day, it felt refreshing. Soon the two of them were splashing and really getting into in. The whole set of images were so much fun to create, despite being nervous about getting my camera wet. During one image, I posed the couple and Lola was really pumped as she called the pose “Mermaid Love.”
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