Joyful, romantic engagement photography at Philadelphia’s City Hall…
Brittany & Chris first contacted me because I was recommended by the Omni Bedford Springs wedding coordinator, Bryan (he is amazing, and so is the Omni, for those of you who are still trying to find the perfect venue).
Brittany shared that upon reviewing my work, she and Chris were captivated by the effortless beauty that they saw and liked how vibrant & individualized all of my photos were.
They wanted photographs that would capture the genuine happiness that they share as well as the natural ease of their relationship and the fun they have together. I think this photo captures just that– the motion blur caused by the slow shutter speed only adds to the feeling of joy and spontaneity…
As Brittany & Chris build their lives together in Philadelphia, choosing a Philly location seemed like a natural fit for them. We had toyed with the idea of the Art Museum steps (Chris’ proposal spot), 30th street station and a few others.
We noticed that the forecast was calling for temperatures in the 40’s and 20 mph winds, so we wanted a location that would offer both that natural lighting and provide shelter from the wind. City Hall was the perfect engagement session venue for all those reasons *and* it was within walking distance from Chris’ workplace.
I love the French inspired architecture of the building. It was built with the intention of being the tallest building in the world, but after almost 30 years of construction, and walls that were over 30 foot thick in places, it was surpassed by the Eiffel town and Washington Monument. An interesting little bit of history for you, haha…
Brittany shared that what she loves most about Chris is his character.
He is genuine, brilliant and she considers herself incredibly blessed to be his closest ally. He challenges her while supporting her dreams and will be the perfect lifelong partner for her.
I thought you could really see all of those qualities, especially the support in this photo…
Chris shared that what he loves most about Brit is her optimism. She is passionate and driven. There is no dream too far out of reach and no goal that she won’t accomplish.
She makes him a better person and reminds him to look on the bright side daily. I thought this next image illustrates that concept well, with Chris looking over to Brittany, her face beaming as she appears to pull him into the sunshine…
While I love photographing creative images that tell a story and capture unique personalities, I also make sure to capture some traditional engagement portraits as well.
I’m not sure what was whispered here, but it is a pretty sweet moment. I like that you can also see the “Subway Concourse” lettering and the unique perspective of this photograph…
Brittany & Chris were fantastic to work with– they wholeheartedly trusted me and my vision so I was able to just “do my thing” and capture them being them. 🙂
Earlier I mentioned that the temperature was in the 40’s. You may have noticed Brittany was wearing a sleeveless dress. I was able to begin to see what Chris was saying about her drive and optimism…
She was determined to wear the lovely, springy Anthropologie dress she had selected and didn’t complain at all, but her goosebumps may have given her away. I happen to think that they are very sweet:
Brittany and Chris said that they are typically on the same page when it comes to most things in life.
They share so many of the same outlooks and even hobbies that their relationship tends to be super fun and easy. I think that really comes across in this image. I love the spring blossoms here, too:
Recently renovated Dilworth Park is positioned at the foot of City Hall. Dozens of fountains typically dance in this space, but appeared to be turned off (perhaps due to the high winds?).
I thought it would be fun to play with the reflections in the space and Brittany & Chris were totally game.
Here you can see their feet moving swiftly across the top left corner of the frame. Again, I used a slow shutter speed to capture their movement and give a feeling of spontaneity…
This next photograph captures a mirror-like reflection as well as the iconic Philadelphia LOVE.
A private, gravity-defying kiss…
Brittany and Chris scheduled their engagement session in timing with the sunset in hopes of catching a bit of it towards the end of the session. For Spring, that meant we would be in a transit hub during rush hour. I found more secluded spots through most of the session to give them time to get comfortable in front of my camera.
By the time we reached the SEPTA entryways, the foot traffic had died down a bit and these two were ready for their magazine cover photo ;). I love the light, color and pretty orbs of light in the background.
I am a huge fan of glass and wow, does that plaza have it! I could have spent an hour there, haha! I mentioned city hall reminding me of France– the angular glass protruding from public walkways totally reminded me of the Louvre.
Perhaps inspired by thoughts of art, I got a little creative with this photo. No, it’s not a double exposure. I like the bokeh and the blur– if you two ever start a band, this can be your album cover ;).
We did catch a tiny bit of sunset before the end of the shoot. Golden light bounced off of some buildings, while others seemed to already reflect the deep blue of the coming night and wisps of cloud seemed to hold pastel versions of both the blue and gold.
Brittany & Chris, it was such a pleasure getting to know you and I am eagerly anticipating your upcoming Omni Bedford Springs wedding.
I am thrilled to hear that I made you feel comfortable on a chilly day in rush hour foot traffic! I have to say the same about you two :).
