A joyful, scenic, NYC engagement session for a colorful, happy couple…
Lisa first heard about Rhinehart Photography in 2012, when her cousin, Thomas and his wife, Lori, hired me to photograph their NYC engagement and Addison Park wedding.
Lisa shared, “It was years ago, before I even met John, but I knew I wanted you to photograph my wedding one day. You were the first vendor I contacted after getting engaged!”
They were looking for a photographer who could creatively capture their emotions and essence without forcing the moment. They shared that they hope to observe something new about their relationship after seeing what I document– what a cool idea! Let me know what you see, guys….
We met at the Brooklyn Bridge Park next to Jane’s Carousel. The carousel is a work of art really, designed nearly one hundred years ago…
I am passionate about photography for so many reasons, but one is because I love people. I enjoy affirming who they are, what makes them and their relationships unique and strong. I give them a visual representation of themselves and their love through my eyes.
In the first photo I posted of Lisa and John, you see the iconic Manhattan Bridge and the outskirts of Manhattan a city that is constantly changing– the crane in the background is kind of perfect, haha! They are moving, Lisa’s hair blowing in the wind , both of them are smiling ear to ear. For me it shows their positivity and optimism as well as their classic, modern style. The color is spectacular, what a gorgeous blue-sky day!
The second photo showed a softer, sweeter side– it reads more gentle and romantic. This image has a similar aesthetic but captures one of the qualities that John loves most about Lisa, what he called “her positive spirit and constant aura of happiness”. 🙂
I like the soft, dreamy feel of this next photograph. Lisa shared, ” I feel like I can take on anything when John is by my side. We share similar dreams for the future and I can’t wait to live them out together as husband and wife.”
John shared, “Lisa lifts people’s moods wherever she goes and it’s just fun being around her. She’s always willing to try new things and can make awkward or uncomfortable circumstances feel natural.”
I believe that sentiment is illustrated beautifully by this next photo– the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan skyline, the East River and even Jane’s Carousel are seen in the distance, while my focus is on Lisa and John’s close body language and joyful expressions…
Lisa shared, “I never understood what people meant when they said they were marrying their best friend until I met John…. I think we bring out the best in each other.”
Love, support and affection are paramount in their relationship and I think it really comes across in this next photograph:
Lisa explained why they chose to capture their engagement photos in New York City during autumn.
She said, “Fall is our favorite season so knew we wanted our engagement pictures this time of the year. We wanted it to feel fun and light while showing us in the city where our relationship started.”
I really love all of the beautiful gold tones that are visible here:
While most of the session is spent exploring the location and capturing emotion, I also make sure to photograph some traditional portraits as well. For me it is important that those portraits are flattering and authentic, so I pay careful attention to angles, body positioning, etc.
I knew that capturing Brooklyn in fall was important to them, so I captured all of those elements with the Brooklyn Bridge and autumn foliage in the background. 😉
These two felt like such a natural pair. John articulated, “We are not shy about sharing our feelings and emotions, and we communicate openly which makes us comfortable together in pretty much any situation.”
A beach in Brooklyn? Yes it exists! I was able to get everything I wanted into this single frame– the Brooklyn Bridge, a bit of the skyline, Carousel and happy couple! I used my camera aperture to keep them in sharp focus while allowing the other elements to become secondary to the photograph…
I used completely different camera settings for this next photo. I wanted everything to be crisp and sharply in focus, I also wanted to capture the vibrant blue of the sky and the colorful brick buildings. I wanted Lisa and John to be more shadowy and mysterious.
I love to play with reflections, color and silhouettes– all three came together here at Jane’s Carousel. I like how you can see the horses to the left, the bridge and city as well as Lisa and John…
Lisa and John’s wedding photography package included an extended engagement session, so I am happy to share that it is not over yet!!! These are just a few of my favorites from the first half of the session. More coming soon…