Before yesterday, it felt like FOREVER since I had picked up my camera. I spent almost an entire week in the hospital after being left with serious complications following my emergency appendectomy. Sandy contacted me just when I had finally been sent home to schedule her engagement session and I was grateful she wasn’t in a huge hurry. We scheduled the session about a week and a half down the road, and it was exactly enough time for me to feel up to it.

We decided on Bushkill Falls, which I never realized was a National Park. It’s funny how when you live so close to something, you never recognize it as something special. So many times I forget exactly how beautiful my surroundings are — a big part of the reason we moved here from NY.

Without further adieu, we entered the park and I was pleasantly surprised when Sandy and Jeff were complete naturals at the art of “posing without posing.” They just plopped themselves on these chairs and started talking and smiling at each other. Their natural interaction made my job so so easy.

So either Sandy looked at a lot of engagement photos for inspiration, or I just really lucked out, but each time we went to a new location her and Jeff would start doing something I liked so much I didn’t want to interrupt with any unnecessary direction.

Sandy had such pretty blue eyes, when the two of them went in for a hug, I really wanted to capture them.

When we got down to within splashing distance of the falls, suddenly the bridge that had been empty for the last twenty minutes became the most happenin’ place in the park, on what was predicted to be a rainy day no less. It never ceases to amaze me how people see you taking pictures and just walk right into them anyway. Set aside the fact I’m a professional, you all know it happens with your point-and-shoots too! However, I did manage to get a few where I was able to crop out all passer-bys with my zoom.

I noticed a neat looking bench nearby, but not surprisingly, we had to wait in line for that too. I’m still trying to get over the guy who gave me his business card and ordered me to take a picture of him in front of the falls and email it to him. I’m actually going to do it, but only because I’m way too nice.

Once we returned to the park area outside the falls, I was really excited about this old crusty boarded wall I wanted to take pictures in front of. When we walked over, Sandy and Jeff didn’t even know which out of the four nearby walls I was talking about, but they were such good sports about making all my ideas happen!

It was a gorgeous photo every time these two laughed. Apparently Jeff was saying inappropriate things to make Sandy crack up like crazy, and I commented that I should hire him to get all my clients going like that!

There were a couple more locations I thought would make for nice photos, including on top of a stone wall. At first I was focused on getting shots with the nice wall texture, but then the couple drew me in with their awesome natural posing again.

On our way back to the cars, we noticed a little old fashioned water tower thing that looked like something you’d see on Little House on the Prairie. I saw the shapes created by the structure’s wooden base and came up with the idea for this picture.

It’s funny how we were so concerned about getting rained on, and totally prepared to take a “Notebook” type picture if it came down to it. Well, it didn’t rain, but when Jeff picked Sandy up off the water tower thing and I snapped this shot, it totally reminded me of the one from the movie anyway. Completely unintentional!

Sandy and Jeff’s wedding is in June, and I’m completely stoked to be working with such a sweet, easygoing couple. Congrats you two! And I hope these photos make it feel even more real!!!