On a hill in a snowstorm you can see the engaged couple engage with each other.
I had the pleasure of doing an engagement shoot with Tyler and Chelsea Marie. We met through Chelsea’s modeling, and I did a fine art shoot with her that was discussed and pictured in a previous blog. The next morning, the day of our engagement session, the weather was dreadful! Freezing mist. Not quite snow. Just crud that was terribly cold falling from a dull gray sky. And there was no chance it was going to let up.
Here we’re in the little stone building and Tyler shows a cool look wrapped in Chelsea.
Here we have taken refuge in the Chautauqua Dining Hall.
We met in Chautauqua Park in Boulder, CO as planned. The Flatiron (Rocky) mountains that are normally beautiful from that location were completely hidden in fog and snow. Did we let that stop our 6:30 AM shoot? Nah. We just moved ahead. I had spotted a little stone structure that would give some shelter. So, we started there and worked our way around the park property using any cover from a tree, a building or the restaurant.
First, I’ll give a little background on the couple. They’re cute, but they are also very fit. Working out together is a favored activity. They met at Ball State and they have been together 8 years. The attraction was mutual and pretty much instant…it did take a couple of tries to make first contact, but they each knew the other was a good possibility. They moved on from getting lunch together to a full romantic relationship. The nice thing is that now 8 years later their love and freshness is still there. You’ll see it in the photos, I hope.
Most of the time they were all smiles A proverbial happy couple.
I brought along the roses. Then I had them climb up a hill and pose for me in miserable weather, but the shot still worked.
Towards the end, we took shelter in the restaurant on the premises, the Chautauqua Dining Hall. I told the maitre d that they had their engagement session made challenging by the sleet. The restaurant was off to a slow start with other customers, and they really showed us amazing hospitality. They started with complimentary chai for the couple, then brought us all a huge plate of absolutely delicious brussel sprouts. Yes. Delicious. Then I got them a bottle of bubbly. We might as well celebrate the morning away. In the meantime, we took photos all around the spacious and classic interior of this long established business, and a few on the wrap around porch as well.
It was a shoot that required lots of improvisation. Almost all my planned outdoor shots were down the tubes, but they were willing to do what I asked and we did find alternatives for a couple of hours of shooting. I could wish for better weather, but not for a better couple. Congratulations, it was an honor to do an engagement shoot with Tyler and Chelsea Marie.
The restaurant window provided good backlight. Warm and dry here.
Finally, an intimate moment. I did not have to direct this beyond telling them to touch foreheads.