r1whiteweb-1-png

Philadelphia Engagement Photographers: Sara & Collin

Fun, vibrant, rainy day engagement for two Philadelphia physicians…
philadelphia-wedding-photographers-creative-best-1
Sara shared, “You were the photographer for Collin’s brother’s wedding.  When Collin and I were discussing  photographer options you instantly popped into his mind! He said you were passionate and shared a particular rain photo with him that you were very excited about, in fact that photo is hanging up in their living room now!”
She continued, “I knew I wanted someone who loved their work and was excited about the photos they took. When we spoke I felt instantly comfortable- you got my nerdy jokes which is always a plus and we both knew you were a match for us.”
They are a great match for each other!  Kind, affectionate, all smiles…
philadelphia-wedding-photographers-creative-best-3
Sara went on, “The entire day of our engagement photos was a beautiful, perfectly sunny day….until it came time to take the photos.  As soon as you walked into La Colombe to meet us the skies turned black and we were greeted with torrential rain fall.”
philadelphia-wedding-photographers-creative-best-2
She continued, “Despite that little wrench in our initial plans to go to Rittenhouse Park you easily worked with us to come up with a plan b.  Even though we had a last minute change in location we were able to easily get some photos in my old apartment building.  I felt so comfortable with our new plan and we had such a blast taking our photos!”
I love using reflections and depth in a photo, and love the timeless feel of this shot in this sentimental spot, La Colombe Coffee Roasters…
philadelphia-wedding-photographers-creative-best-4
Though it was our plan B, using an empty apartment was ideal for me, I had plenty of light from the large windows and a blank canvas to work on…
I love color and wanted to capture the rich, cool blue hues and rain along with Sara and Collin.
philadelphia-wedding-photographers-creative-best-5-2
Sara shared, “La Colombe was one of the first coffee shops we enjoyed together. Pretty soon it turned into our morning tradition. Every Saturday, we would wake up and head to La Colombe for our draft lattes and to share a cookie. There we would talk about our experiences during the week, thoughts, hopes and dreams for the future.”
philadelphia-wedding-photographers-creative-best-6
She explained, “Collin and I met during our residency,  which for our specialty is four years of rigorous training after medical school.  The first thing I noticed about him was his smile. Despite how difficult work got, he always had a smile on his face (quite the opposite of me).”
She went on, “The first time we ever interacted I remember my morning was off to a pretty rough start. Collin came by to help me despite having been on call the night before and working all night. He cracked a couple jokes and made my day brighter.”
philadelphia-wedding-photographers-creative-best-7
Collin shared, “La Colombe was the perfect setting for us.  I think it captures what our relationship was built on: our small moments together in the midst of chaos.  La Colombe tends to be a very busy place, but no matter what was happening in the store while we were there, or how many people were around, we always only had eyes for each other.  We would sit and chat and ignore the world around us, enjoying our coffee and chocolate chip cookie.”
philadelphia-wedding-photographers-creative-best-8
Sara shared, “Collin and I are always goofy when we are around each other.  Every other aspect of our lives are pretty serious so our time together is where we can both be free, silly and relaxed. I wanted our engagement photos to show that side of us.”
philadelphia-wedding-photographers-creative-best-9
Collin smiles, “Sara’s apartment brought back memories of our first date together. I showed up early (before she was done with her hair) because I stopped to grab flowers and didn’t know where else to go at that point.  Sara didn’t hesitate to let me in while she quickly finished getting ready. It is also the place she first cooked me a meal, and where we spent time watching movies and just enjoying each other’s company.”
philadelphia-wedding-photographers-creative-best-10
Collin explained, “In residency there is always a lot going on around us. We get held late or called in for long hours. So our Saturday tradition of coffees and cookies, or times in her old apartment were where everything slowed down and we had time just for us, are some that I cherish most.”
In this show you can see a bit of the traffic and pedestrians, streetlights, and rain all in the background, but their two silhouettes are sharply in focus…
philadelphia-wedding-photographers-creative-best-11
Such a gentleman, Collin holds the door and an umbrella for Sara and still manages to place his hand on her back as she steps out into the rain… I love the color and the authenticity and intimacy of this simple photograph:
philadelphia-wedding-photographers-creative-best-12
While I love to capture candid moments and authentic emotion, I always make sure to get a couple more traditional engagement photos for my couples, too.
philadelphia-wedding-photographers-creative-best-13
Sara shared about her place, “The building itself was an old mansion that was converted to a few apartments and the inside and outside are absolutely gorgeous- so much history and beautiful architecture. However, it will always be the place where Collin picked me up for our first date with a beautiful bouquet in hand and a nervous smile on his face, and where we first said I love you.”
I love working on a rainy day– the light is always so interesting– here we has the streetlight, oncoming traffic and my light illuminating them, too…
philadelphia-wedding-photographers-creative-best-15
A cute little peek and check out Collin’s socks…
philadelphia-wedding-photographers-creative-best-14
Sara reminisced, “Collin has kept me laughing and made these last few years of training fly by. I’ve always loved how genuine he is, how supportive he is of me, and how he manages to make the best out of any situation. I’m excited to have him by my side as my partner in life!”
We were lucky as the sun peeked out briefly with its warm, golden glow and being up for anything, they popped back outside…
philadelphia-wedding-photographers-creative-best-16
Collin explained, “Sara and I can have fun almost anywhere, and we always know what to do or say to make the other person smile. Sara has a way making me laugh despite my worst days and knows how to keep me calm when I am stressed or frustrated. I’m so glad I met her in residency because it is full of stress and frustration and I don’t think I would make it through without her.”
I love how Sara’s strength and Collin’s smile come across here:
philadelphia-wedding-photographers-creative-best-17
Sara shared, “I knew Collin was the one for me pretty early on in our relationship.  One particular moment that made it pretty clear to me was during a spontaneous picnic we had at Rittenhouse Park. It was a beautiful spring morning and Collin and I somehow had the same day off in the middle of the week (what a miracle), haha!”
She continued, “That day we decided that we wanted to grab some hoagies from a new sandwich shop near my apartment and have our lunch outside to soak up some well-deserved vitamin D. We walked to Rittenhouse where we picked out our tree (the one Collin also used to propose), laid out our blanket and sat together and ate. I remember it being one of our first pretty quiet lunches but despite that I felt comfortable, relaxed and at home. I knew then that I wanted to share all the little moments with him.”
Collin kisses Sara’s hand as raindrops fall past the window…
philadelphia-wedding-photographers-creative-best-18
Collin laughed recalling, “There was a night we had gone out for our friend’s birthday. We had not been on many official “dates” at that point, but we had been talking and texting every day. While we were out, and walking down the sidewalk with a few friends, I awkwardly blurted out “so you’re my girlfriend now.”
He continued explaining, “Sara, who was a little stunned, just smiled and said “excuse me?”  I, now recovering from my adrenaline rush, started to think a little more clearly and decided to just roll with my rash decision and said “yeah is that cool with you?” She said yes (not for the last time) and the rest is history. I was taking no chances when it came to the woman of my dreams.”
philadelphia-wedding-photographers-creative-best-19
Collin concluded, “During our engagement photography session, we just let loose and did whatever felt most natural for us. I think what came out was probably affection and goofiness, which is mostly what our relationship has been. When I am with Sara, I always have a smile on my face, and there is nowhere in the world I’d rather be.  During our engagement shoot that is what I hope came across the most, rain or shine.”
I hope so, too ;).
philadelphia-wedding-photographers-creative-best-20

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *