Blog— 2024 —
Colt State Park Engagement Photos
Amanda & Steven
Colt State Park, Bristol, Rhode Island
June 9th, 2024
As a wedding photographer, you never want to be sick in the middle of your season but, sometimes, you simply don't have a choice. I like to consider myself a pretty tough guy and it takes a lot to knock me out of commission so that's why I knew back in June that, despite having a cold that stripped me of my voice for two weeks, I simply wasn't going to miss the chance to photograph Amanda and Steven's engagement session at Colt State Park.
What I didn't know was just how fun their session would be and, more importantly, that even without being able to direct them verbally much, we'd still walk away with some of my favorite photos of the entire year.
But that's just what happens when you have a couple as awesome as Amanda and Steven. I didn't need to say much and I didn't need to do much but sit back and let their love shine through.
And, boy, did it ever.
I knew even before meeting up with Amanda and Steve that their engagement session was going to be fun. For one thing, it was somehow the first time I'd been back to Colt State Park, one of my favorite places to shoot engagement photos, in a year and a half.
For another, it was truly a perfect day. If that wasn't enough, Amanda and Steve were super excited for the session. They even brought along their dog for some photos and he was so well behaved I couldn't help but get excited at the possibilities the day presented.
As we went from spot to spot, the day somehow continued to get even better and I knew I'd be working with these two for as long as the light allowed me to.
Amanda and Steve began our journey through the park at the iconic bridge that is a must-see for anyone visiting the area and continued next toward the dock area and while I loved those photos, the sun was pretty harsh during our time there and I was looking forward to finding some shade for the second half of their session.
That's one of the reasons I've so glad I showed up early enough to scout the park out on this particular summer afternoon as I knew from my drive around that the Northern portion of the park would be nice and cool and give a great contrast to the super sunny shots we started with. Within moments, I knew Amanda and Steve loved the change in scenery as well.
While I could have worked with Amanda and Steve for a full day and not run out of places to shoot in Colt State Park, I knew there were two locations I wanted to hit before the sun set. The first was a quiet little stone wall you likely wouldn't know exists if you're not super familiar with the park. The second, and the absolute place I knew we needed to end at, was back at the docks for sunset.
This is why I loved this session so much. Because, even two hours into working with this future bride and groom, they were still down for one last spot and it turned out to be my favorite of the entire day. Talk about a beautiful sunset.
With our final photos in the bag, I thanked Amanda and Steven for a great engagement session and made the long drive back home. Now, sure, I may have still been under the weather for a few weeks after Amanda and Steve's engagement session but looking over the photos, I was stunned at how great they all came out despite my limitations on the day of.
If that doesn't bode well for their 2025 wedding, I don't know what knows.
All I do know is, thanks for this beautiful summer session, Amanda and Steve are a couple I can't wait to work with again so thanks guys for an amazing afternoon and I'll see you in the spring!