Docks surrounded by century old city bridges, a cute boating couple & their pup…
Anne and Justin are a down-to-earth, caring couple with deep roots– they have been dating for 8 years.  They have been through a lot, including jobs requiring travel, so spending time together is very important to them.  Anne has a smile that can light up a room and Justin has big blue eyes and is a real gentleman.
I like this image of Anne’s engagement ring because it captures both the rugged, tough determination of this couple and the soft, natural side, too all in one shot 🙂

When I first met with these Anne & Justin they were concerned that everyone on my blog has something unique about them and they weren’t sure what their “thing” was.  They shared that the love to entertain family and friends and can’t wait to move back to the place they both grew up; but nothing really came to mind at first for the location of their engagement photography session, so we kept throwing around ideas.
They recently purchased a boat together which is docked on the Susquehanna River, right off of City Island in downtown Harrisburg, so they decided to use the river, docks and bridges as the backdrop for their engagement photos.  It couldn’t have been a better fit.
City Island is overflowing with greenery for Anne who has a soft spot for all things lush and pretty while also having a more tough, gritty side for Justin who tends to be more of “a man’s man”.

Anne and Justin were very interested in having creative wedding & engagement photography and loved the idea of personal, customized photography that would capture them and their personalities and unique story in an interesting way.  Anne mentioned really liking silhouettes and artful perspectives.  This photo is actually a reflection in a puddle…

Anne & Justin have a dog and he is such an important part of their lives that they really wanted to incorporate him into the engagement photos.  They ended up buying a bandana that said “I said yes, too” and having family bring him along to pop in for a few photos.  Jax is really the center of their world– the photos would not be complete without him.
These two are a perfect example of opposites attracting and complimenting each other– Anne has a corporate job while Justin works as a technician. They have pretty busy lifestyles and I like how this image sets out to capture that… I set my shutter speed to show the motion of them walking together:

Gritty background for the Motorcycle Man…

Soft, romantic feel for Miss Social…

I love reflections and was completely captivated by these arches…

Several weeks ago Anne and Justin took their first ride on the river at their new dock, and were also struck by the beauty of the arches.  She shared that as they rode out from under the arches, the river opened up and greeted them and how it felt like a new beginning.  What a perfect symbol for these two :).
Anne & Justin, it was a  pleasure getting to meet the two of you and Jax and a few of your family members, too, in Harrisburg.  Thank you for introducing me to more of City Island as well– I can see why you both like it so much.  I hope that I delivered the personal, vibrant, artful images that you were looking for!