It’s not often that I wonder what is going through my clients’ heads during a shoot, but as I was wading knee-deep in murky water and wedging myself between spider-infested boulder crevices during Jessica and Brad’s engagement shoot to get shots, the thought definitely occurred to me that these people must think I’m C.R.A.Z.Y!

Regardless of what they thought of me, I was thinking that Jessica was pure sweetness and Brad’s cute playful side got more and more apparent as the shoot progressed. We went to a park in Jim Thorpe, PA, for the shoot, and our first “playground” turned out to be a giant lawn, so I suggested one of the few shots you can do with a lawn…

It’s funny how you can immediately tell how far a person is willing to go for a photo the minute you ask him or her to lay on the ground. Brad: “What if it’s wet?” Jessica: “Noooo, it’s surprisingly dry!” haha. I have to give Brad credit though, he laid on the ground, and did every other crazy little thing I suggested short of wading knee deep in the water with me, and by the end of the shoot, I’d say he was actually diggin’ it.

I just put that photo there, because I know I can’t go too many paragraphs without one or I’ll lose my imaginary readers. After the swingset which – like its corresponding photo – came surprisingly out of nowhere, we found a little grungy beach. The beach was crowded and not terribly scenic, but we did have fun with the lifesavers they had laying around!

Next stop was boulder field, a short 20-minute drive through the park away! The boulders were actually a lot bigger than they looked. My husband: “Great, a good place for you to break an ankle,” Me: “…Or a Camera.” Luckily, neither my camera or ankles were sacrificed for this shot.

Doesn’t Jessica look like she could be a model? I know, I know, less talking, more illustrating. So here are some more of my adorable, matchy-patchy couple!

After boulder field, we still had time to kill, so we set out to see what else we could find in passing as we drove through the park. We stopped at a little clearing and I shot my focus through a little wispy bush, which happened to have dramatic natural lighting on the other side.

Finally, we drove past a HUGE flower-tree grove. I have no idea what kind of plants were blooming in the early summer, but from these photos you’d think it was still spring! Again, I give both Jessica and Brad props for trekking through that tick-infested high grass for these shots.

For one more image, I asked them to hold one of the flowers in a certain place and kiss. This photo was a happy rendition of my original idea.

Though we eventually did get to the image I was intending.

To the lovely couple: I’m so thrilled you chose me for your wedding! It’s always a privilege to be working with a couple that is able to appreciate not just my photos, but the over-the-top enthusiasm that goes into creating each one of them. That, and anyone who shows up rockin’ my favorite shade of purple has to be pretty cool!