The anomalies we encounter during engagement sessions are usually the weather-related kind; there aren’t many curveballs my clients (or weather-gods) could possibly throw at me that’ll catch me off guard. Enter stage left (drum-roll): Fran & Joe. Here’s a guy that I’ve known since he was 13 and the only thing I remember is that he used to get into all sorts of trouble with my little brother. I shouldn’t have expected anything less, 17 years later :). If you were to combine Dennis the Menace, Bugs Bunny and sprinkle in a little bit of Stewie Griffin’s destructive ingenuity, you’ll have a pretty good description of my brother and Joe.
When Joe first contacted me earlier this year, I hardly recognized this well-mannered gentleman who inquired about my wedding photography services. What? Is this the same guy who used to shoot paintballs at police cars with my brother? The same guy who put monster truck tires on his pick-up truck then forgetting to recalibrate his speedometer? (“I swear, officer – my speedometer said I was going 35mph!”) We scheduled to meet the next time I was in town, if not to discuss wedding photography, then certainly to catch up on old times.
When we finally met for our mini-reunion, the reason for this great transformation was quite clear: Fran is one stunning bride-to-be, with the kind of humor that would make most cowboys blush :). No pretense and no frills, just the perfect kind of couple that we love working with.
We started our day at Fran & Joe’s place, which was just a stone’s throw away from our old neighborhood. This is important to mention because we lived in your typical gray-collar suburban neighborhood: chickens aren’t normally part of the natural fauna around these parts. And of course, Fran & Joe have about a half-dozen in their backyard. But to their credit, these are some fancy look’n chickens!
After having our way with their chickens, we continued on with our engagement session at the Loch Raven Reservoir.
It started to rain in the middle of our engagement session. Because we left our umbrellas in the car, we continued to get soaked.
Since we were getting wet anyway…
I’ve been wanting to take a shot like this for as long as I could remember.
I just couldn’t find the right couple…until I met these two.
…and this is exactly why we all love Fran.
Congratulations to Joe and Fran for their upcoming nuptials in just a few more weeks! You guys were such troopers for playing in the rain/water with yours truly, and I hope you enjoy these images as much as we enjoyed capturing them. You guys are two peas from the same pod, and I couldn’t be happier that you guys have found each other. We can’t wait to see you guys again!
As for us, we think there’s something we can all learn from this – and that’s to play in the water more often :).
Splash, splash!
Ben & Karis