Ellen + Chris || Philadelphia Engagement Portraits
Last week, Ellen + Chris kindly met up with Jon for some adventurous nighttime portraits. Although the cherry blossoms had just begun to bloom, we managed to find some incredible spots to work with. Below is one of Jon’s favorite frames from that evening.
Thank you both for the opportunity!
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Jenn + Mike || Central Park Engagements
Mike and Jenn braved the summer heat for this July engagement session. With all of us juggling extremely busy summer schedules, it was a miracle that we could meet up for this! Fortunately, this lovely couple worked through the heat, sweat & humidity without a single complaint. We ventured around Central Park– under bridges, behind fountains, on top of boulders, and even to one of my favorite (secret) spots– and we have the images to prove it.
Congratulations once again to Mike and Jenn on their engagement, and we wish you two the very best in your new future together.
Andrew + Angelica’s Engagement
If you’ve spent any time with either of these two, you know that they’re both adventurous, passionate and unique individuals. Angelica’s travels have taken her all around the world, along the way having collected her fair share of interesting experiences and stories (did I mention she brought home a pet cat from her Peace Corps stint in Senegal?). Meanwhile, Andrew would rather be hunting & gathering than watching the newest Brangelina Cruise flick, proudly drives his own “batmobile,” and is pretty famous around here for making tasty lobster feasts. Andrew and Angelica aren’t your typical.. anything. Seriously, I think that’s really what makes them who they are.
Soon after they had gotten engaged, I remember discussing (read: battling) with Andrew about having an engagement session. Angelica was all for having one, but Andrew thought it was unnecessary and just plain silly. When Andrew finally sent me an email, it read: “we thought of something that we’d both be willing to do for an engagement shoot…skeet shooting.” I was sold.
Below is the only proof you need to our shotgun wielding adventures.. and the fact that we were also celebrating their recent engagement. We spent our Sunday evening at Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays (http://www.lvsclays.com/), a shotgun range situated somewhere in Pennsylvania between a bunch of farmland and some highways. Perhaps most enjoyable about this range, besides having numerous stations to shoot clays from, was the fact that much of the range had incorporated an already defunct, dilapidated mill factory. Best of all– when the staff was nowhere in sight– we snuck in to grab a few awesome shots.
Last but not least, pay close attention to the images below. It’s the first time we’ve ever imbedded a “.gif” file into our blog.
Congratulations again to Andrew & Angelica, and we’re looking forward to celebrating (and photographing) your wedding with next you summer.
Mark + Vivian Engagement
A few weeks back, we journeyed over to Princeton to meet up with Mark and Vivian. Since we’re no strangers to photographing couples there, we’re always in the hunt for new and exciting spots in and around Princeton campus. What makes it a whole a lot easier is having fun and relaxed clients to work with, and both Mark & Vivian were no exception.
Along with their goofy and fun personalities came some really sweet props. They brought along some Super Mario Brothers mushrooms, as well as a bunch of pink balloons. We travelled around the graduate school campus, saw some gorgeous architecture, the adjacent golf course, and ended our session at one of their favorite date spots– The Bent Spoon. This self-proclaimed “Artisan ice cream & bakery” shop is a must-have if you ever come by the Princeton area.
Enjoy the photos everyone, and to Mark & Vivian– we’re looking forward to your wedding THIS WEEKEND!
Brian + Sara Engagement
On the morning of their engagement session, Jon got to Princeton University a half-hour early to do a little more exploring of the campus. While wandering around the Theological Seminary, he kept hearing brief spurts of TAP TAP TAP, then a pause, then more TAP TAP TAPs. He soon realized the sounds were coming from atop a tree– a woodpecker in search of it’s early morning breakfast (See photo #1). What a cool way to start the morning!
Not long after, Brian and Sara arrived and Jon’s attention was reverted to bigger and better things. Princeton is a great place to take couples because the opportunities for photos are endless. Many buildings on campus are known for their High Victorian Gothic style of architecture. Since it was spring time, the trees and the flowers were all showing off their vibrant colors.
Here’s a super-quick listing of where we went & what cool things took place (photos ordered accordingly):
a. The woodpecker (can’t start off a photo blog without something scenery-related)
b. Speer Library- Brian spent many hours hitting the books as a student, and we also revisited the very place where he asked Sara to marry him!
c. Outdoor garden area of Speer Library- doors were locked, but we got access via the outer gates
d. Awesome gothic architecture around the general Princeton campus
e. “The Chapel” as stated on Princeton’s official maps.
Sunlight + Red stainglass windows = awesome red lighting
f. Magnolia trees had just shed their petals, making for some cool downward-looking photos
g. Very cool tunnel on campus
h. (Downtown) Small World Coffee – Brian and Sara’s official “first date” spot
i. (Downtown) Halo Pub – This great little ice cream & dessert nook is where we ended our engagement session. Ironically, I asked why Brian was covering his face and Sara replied, “He’s getting camera shy.” Moments later, it seemed to be contagious. (photos to prove it!)
Colin + Ann (Part 1)
Let’s start off with some fun facts I (Jon) thought about while putting together this blogpost:
1) About the Ceremony Location: Summit Adventure is a solid & unique outdoor wilderness ministry located in Bass Lake, CA. Participants and staff venture out into the backcountry for multi-day, life-transforming trips that include backpacking, rock climbing, rappelling, wilderness education and Jesus. International course destinations have included Ecuador, Mexico and Jerusalem.
2) I’ve only been in the women’s bathroom at Summit’s Base Camp three times in my life:
a. end-of-season cleaning in the summer of ’06
b. dying my hair RED in the summer of ’07
c. Ann & Colin’s wedding, March of ’10
3) All five groomsmen had THE EXACT SAME shoe size (and both sides of the bridal party wore TOMS shoes)
4) Don’t forget to check out the very last picture… The image screams “music album cover”, and for the record, it wasn’t my idea to pick up random tools & ice picks to pose, these guys were just that creative.
Colin + Ann Engagement
After one flight cancellation and 10 hours of traveling, Jon finally landed at the Fresno Airport in California. Upon getting picked up by some friends– you guessed it– we stopped by In-N-Out for one of their famously delicious Double-Double cheeseburgers (if you really knew Jon, you would’ve guessed correct).
Next, we headed straight to Hite Cove Trail in Mariposa County. Colin and Ann scheduled their engagement at just the right time of the year. The California poppies were blooming everywhere, and the hillsides were littered with more color than we’ve ever personally seen on the East Coast. Although the poppies weren’t fully opened (the sun wasn’t out that day), the overcast sky was just enough to grab some great color.
Included at the very end of this post are a few fun images from the wedding rehearsal. Overall, I really thought this photoset reflected the fun personalities that Colin & Ann are known for, and hope you all enjoy these.
(If you haven’t seen the teaser images, check ’em out here first.)
Paul + Jen Engagement
We ventured all the way down to Philly for Paul and Jen’s engagement session. Although this session took place in early January, the weather was only slightly chilly and overcast. Thankfully, both Paul and Jen braved the cold throughout the morning.
Our morning started at Fairmount Park with a gorgeous view of the Philadelphia skyline across the river. As usual, below are some of our favorite photos from that morning. Paul and Jen took us through Fairmount Park, the gardens & gazebos behind the Art museum, LOVE park, and the Eastern State Penitentiary. Also, we found these awesome, giant-sized Monopoly, Parcheesi, Chess and Domino pieces at Thomas Paine Plaza (directly across the street from City Hall).
We hope everyone enjoys this set!
Steve + Tesh || The Surprise Proposal in Chicago, IL
Hi Everyone! This is Jon writing up a very special post for a very special couple.
the background: Steve is one of my closest and oldest friends. So when he called me a few weeks ago, I thought it was another random phone call to check up on me. Instead, he called to tell me he was planning on proposing to his girlfriend and I had to book a ticket to Chicago the next free weekend I had. Within a few days, Steve had purchased the ring and I had confirmed my ticket.
the cover: Just in case, we concocted a whole story as to why I was flying into Chicago. I was scheduled to meet clients there for an engagement session on Saturday, thus leaving the rest of my weekend free to hang out with Steve and his then-girlfriend Tesh.
the location: After much research, Steve decided he would propose to her at the Garfield Park Conservatory, right off of the Green Line. This conservatory exhibits an amazing array of plant life from all over the world– palm trees, ferns, cacti, banana trees, etc.. Steve had secretly scouted the conservatory the weekend before I arrived, all the while Tesh thought he was at a teaching workshop. He then chose the perfect location to propose (the ‘Fern Room’) and sent me the details via email.
the friday before: I arrived at O’Hare around 1pm on Friday and immediately headed to the conservatory. I scouted the place out and quickly found the spot Steve wanted me to stand. As you will see in the photos below, the magnificent view of the Fern Room hits you even before you step into the room itself. Then I met up with Steve and Tesh after they had gotten off work, and we all grabbed dinner at Joy Yee’s and spent the night hanging out.
Tommy + Karen Engagement
At the peak of the Autumn season, we met up with Tommy and Karen to photograph their engagement session. This photoshoot took place at Buccleuch Park, a location that looks and feels worlds apart from the college town it sits next to (namely, New Brunswick). Since Jon knows both Tommy and Karen personally from his undergraduate days at Rutgers, it made the entire atmosphere a lot more relaxed for the four of us.
The weather was almost on our side that day. We had great sunlight, golden leaves that stayed on the trees, white wispy clouds, and overall mild weather. However, we were hoping for a little more wind to blow the fallen leaves around. So what did we end up doing? We improvised (read: cheated). One of us shook a branch while the other had the camera. Although posed, we thought it made for some great photos. And yes, no trees were harmed during the making of these photos.
Tommy and Karen: We both cannot wait to be at your wedding in a few weeks!
Howie + Diana Engagement
Hey everyone, Jon here. This was a particularly awesome engagement session that took place in New York City. In fact, we spent an entire day in NYC photographing great locations such as Central Park, D.U.M.B.O. and SoHo. What made the day even more enjoyable was having the chance to photograph two good friends– Howie (my other photographic-half/co-founder of Dreamlite Studios, LLC) and his fiancee Diana.
We visited the city during the peak of the fall foliage, so the leaves were as a-m-a-z-i-n-g as one could imagine. Although we encountered the usual crowds in NYC, the crowds all but seemed to ‘disappear’ at the most opportune photographic moments (see #8, #10, #11, #20). That’s right, no persons were photoshopped out of those photos!
Enjoy!
Eric + Wendy Engagement
We met up with Eric and Wendy on a cold and chilly autumn morning. When we first parked our car, the sun had come up just enough to give us a big warm greeting. This made for beautiful lighting, and yes, you guessed it, awesome photos!
Their engagement session began at the Highline. This park, located on the West Side of Manhattan, was once a network of train tracks delivering freight. Activists and locals fought for the preservation of this abandoned railroad for the last 10 years. This past summer, the park was finally open to the public. The Highline is an open-space public park filled with an abundance of flora and greenery. Definitely work checking out!
After the Highline, we travelled to D.U.M.B.O. right under the Brooklyn Bridge. Eric and Wendy were the perfect combination of relaxed and intimate– exactly the kind of couples we love working with.
Thanks for a great day, and we’re looking forward to your wedding in FIVE DAYS!!
Frank + Jennie Engagement
We had a lot of fun photographing Frank and Jennie’s engagement shoot on Douglass Campus at Rutgers. Soon after our shoot started, we realized how little prompting we needed to give this particular couple, since they easily got themselves warm and cozy. This made our jobs very, very easy! Better yet, they introduced us to some cool locations we may have never found ourselves.
Congrats to you both, and looking forward to your wedding next July!
Wendy + Silas Engagement Session
Rarely do we ever run out of memory card space at weddings. But on an engagement shoot?
Wendy and Silas’ engagement shoot took place down by the shore at Sea Bright, NJ. We had so much fun with them that we just couldn’t stop taking pictures. Here are some of our favorite shots from that day.
Looking forward to your wedding day on 10/10!
Ryan + Lauren Engagement Shoot
We recently joined Ryan & Lauren for their engagement shoot at one of the most beautiful campuses in New Jersey- Princeton University. Besides giving us a personalized tour of the Princeton campus, we had an amazing time capturing some great moments of them together. Their eagerness and enthusiasm made it all the more enjoyable, as you can all see in the photos below.
Congratulations Ryan & Lauren, and we’re looking forward to your wedding later this month!
