Engagement: Elizabeth and Casey

Elizabeth and Casey are the first session I am posting that allows me to proudly say I’M SHOOTING THEIR WEDDING! All caps are definitely necessary for such an exciting announcement. My first wedding happened last weekend, and with Elizabeth and Casey I’m doing engagement, bridals, and wedding. It feels really amazing to reach these milestones that I consider to be significant indicators in my professional development. If you didn’t know already, starting your own business is killer work, and I believe those who take on the challenge should take the time to recognize each milestone as they overtake it. So here I am doing my happy dance: *Happy Dance*

But this post isn’t about Jenna Cole, it’s about Elizabeth and Casey, their beautiful faces, and of course their sweet, sweet, love. They met at a concert (seriously, if you are looking for love go to a concert, so many people I talk to met that way) and have been together for 6 years now. They’re both incredibly grounded, taking time out of life to visit the family ranch in Walnut Springs for fishing and camping, and hoping to have a family of their own one day. The three of us had a wonderful time wandering around historic downtown Fort Worth in the early morning light before heading over to the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens for lots of “pretty” photos. I thought it was a great mix!

Not that great of a photo technically, but super cool when you look at it knowing that the blur effect was done completely in camera. No joke! I bumped up the contrast and saturation on this one, but that’s it! No idea how I did it, but I hope to make it happen again someday.

I think this Elizabeth’s favorite. The sunburt coming through the kiss is always a crowd-pleaser, and I think for good reason. Plus how many sunburst-through-the-kiss shots have you seen with a prickly cactus in the frame? Not very many I bet.

I like that this crop gives it a bit of a panoramic feel.

My cowgirl grandma likes this one the best!

Just in cast you were wondering, we did not visit this lot. Obviously, since it’s “Privite”.

A very close contender for That Shot for me. I tend to process for bright colors and glowing skin, but this shot was crying out for some heavier processing and a bit of desaturation. I think the cart of “junk” on the right side balances the photo out very nicely.

Downtown Fort Worth is the kind of location you could shoot at all day long. Filled with all kinds of nooks and crannies to explore and SO MUCH character

We arrived at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens about 15 minutes before the doors opened and so I suggested that we make the most of our time and take some pictures right next to the parking lot. These two can tell you that with each click of the shutter I exclaimed “Oh my goodness, the light out here is to die for!” I joked that we would pay to get into the gardens (because they charge a fee for professional photography on the grounds), and it would all be unnecessary because the best shots were happening in the parking lot!

Luckily we got some pretty amazing stuff inside as well, so I don’t think they regret the investment.

Casey deserves all credit for noticing this knot at the base of the tree that looked a bit like a heart. I suggested we add Elizabeth’s ring in the middle and so this purty ring shot was born. I hope Casey is planning on bringing that eye for details on the wedding day as well!

Elizabeth and Casey are getting married on October 17, 2009 in Arlington, Texas. And they are good kissers, as demonstrated here, so I know I”ll get something great when the big moment at the altar happens!

The doors to the gardens finally opened and we were disappointed to learn that the information concerning photography fees found on the website were completely inaccurate. We didn’t visit all of the areas we had originally planned on stopping by because of the outrageous fees they are charging, but I think photos like the one below prove you don’t always need to pay to visit the “popular” spots to get gorgeous locations!

This shot makes me laugh each time I see scroll past it. We were walking and I whipped around suddenly and said “Pose!” Casey drew Elizabeth close and I saw this. My clients can assure you that, if anything, I under-direct my shoots, but I like to throw people a curve ball every once in awhile and see if we can get something spontaneous that really works!

The rose gardens were a bit of a disappointment and it was already quite hot, so we stuck to the shade. I balaned precariously on a nearby park bench for this angle.

Remember that beautiful light from the parking lot? There must be something about the trees in Fort Worth because when you gather a bunch of them together in one place they filter the sunlight perfectly. I opened up my aperture to 1.2 and that’s when the magic happened. These are absolutely some of the best protraits I’ve taken to date, and they showed me why some of the best photogs out there swear by shooting wide open all the time!

I told them the jerseys screamed out for a “tough” pose. This is what I got.

THAT SHOT!

The way she is looking at him. The beautiful, beautiful skin tones. The way his pose and facial expression scream out how comfortable he is in front of the camera (or maybe he’s just a really good faker!). I would love to have a million pictures just like this one in my portfolio.

These two know how to have fun and make each other laugh. I count myself lucky to be able to spend so much time with them this year!

Elizabeth and Casey, October 17th can’t come fast enough! I’m looking forward to lots of laughs, a beautiful wedding, and spending the day taking picture of the two of you and your nearest and dearest. Thank you so much for giving me that opportunity. See you in a few!

Best,

Jenna