Steve & Karen
Goddard Park, East Greenwich, Rhode Island
September 26th, 2019
It's always odd to see people you know in ways that are different than how you know them and, because of this, wedding photography has taken me down some intriguing paths when friends and colleagues of mine have gotten engaged and asked me to photograph them.
Steve and Karen are a couple like this and, prior to their September engagement session at Goddard Park, I wasn't sure how comfortable I would be able to make the pair given that they've only ever seen me in my "real life" and not in my "professional" capacity.
Thankfully, any nerves I had went away almost immediately and when I really looked at the couple I had seen in front of me for years prior to this shoot, I could see them in different light: One in which they are in love and excited about their upcoming wedding.
And, that, is something I could definitely work with.
Steve and Karen recently moved from Rhode Island to Texas but they were in town on this early fall weekend for a friend's wedding and I am so thankful they were as their chosen location -- Goddard Park in East Greenwich -- was the perfect place to bring out their personalities on this shoot.
I started the pair off where I begin all of my Goddard Park sessions, the beach area, but we quickly began to explore a variety of locations around the park, which was flush green with beautiful trees that had yet to turn colors for the fall.
Steve and Karen were a lot of fun to work with but what I loved the most is how true they remained to who they are and what their relationship is.
Normally, I haven't seen a couple interact with each other much before their shoot but I've known Steve and Karen for years and could tell a lot of the more "Pinteresty" poses wouldn't really feel authentic to their relationship.
Thankfully, a simple adjustment and a focus on letting them be themselves led to them being much more comfortable in front of the camera as the session wore on and we were able to capture many of my favorite photos of the day toward the back half of the shoot (Such as the photo below.)
And, like all good couples, Steve and Karen were up for any of the nonsensical ideas I had: Like bringing them to a boat dock and having them wade their way through some unsteady ground to stand in the tall grass above while I shot them lying on my back to give a better angle on their photos.
Hey. Anything for the shot, right?
Steve and Karen chose to end their session down by the beach where Steve proposed to her and I think that was a fitting and beautiful spot to wrap things up.
And then I saw the lovely shaded area on our path back to our cars and, well, you're never really done with a photo session until the cameras are back in the bag and the memory cards taken out.
That last spot proved to be my favorite of the day as not only did it give us the two beautiful photos below but it gave us the cover image to this blog as Karen relived her athletic days and proved quite flexible when I asked if she'd be able to do a little dip. I'm glad she was.
All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better shoot with Steve and Karen on this beautiful September morning at Goddard Park. The pair are undeniably adorable together and I'd be lying if I said their 2020 wedding wasn't already circled in my mind as one of the dates I'm looking most forward to next year.
So congratulations on your engagement Steve and Karen and I can't wait to see you in a few months. Judging by the way the engagement session went, it's going to be a ton of fun and we're going to create some really awesome photos.
See you in 2020!
-PJS
