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It all started as a normal engagement session.
I met Julie and Don in the early afternoon at the Meadowlark coffee shop. We fueled up with caffeine and then embarked on a photographic journey on a nearly perfect October day. The sky was clear, but the early fall day kept the sun from being directly overheard and harsh.
The first stop of the day was Nine Mile Prairie, a 230 acre tallgrass conservatory. Julie had suggested this as a possible location and since I had never photographed a session out there before, I was game. We wandered around for awhile, but due to the lateness of the season, we were having trouble finding really pretty, green locations. Undeterred, we grabbed a few shots while discussing the ferocity of wild badgers.*
Having safely escaped the prairie, we decided to venture far south to Wilderness Park in hopes of better scenery. We made a brief, but uneventful stop for a few more photos at a small lake in Air Park along the way.
It was in Wilderness Park where, as they say, the story turns.
The three of us vanished into the trail system with nary a worry of the fate that awaited us. We got a few more shots right away and then decided to venture farther in. If this were a movie, this is where the ominous music would begin to play and the audience would be shifting in their seats as they tried to figure out which of us would be picked off first.
Our plan seemed simple enough.
There’s a big, cool bridge deeper in the park and our thought was to get some photos on it. The problem with this plan was a hitch that we were, at the time, oblivious to: The bridge is closed.
In fairness, we discovered later that there was a sign posted. The sign just didn’t happen to be posted on the trail we elected to take.
The thing about Wilderness Park is that, well, it’s kind of wilderness-like. Trails crisscross every which way and some of them merely loop around. I won’t come right out and say that the people who mapped out those trails were drunk at the time, but I think that possibility should be considered. If you’re just out for an afternoon of hiking, this is no big deal. If you’re lugging around 20 pounds of camera gear and you’re on a bit of a tight schedule for shooting photos, this is slightly more of a concern.
Upon finally reaching the bridge and finding giant chain link gates blocking it off, we decided to cut our losses and take a short cut back to the bike trail. Unfortunately, thanks to the previously mentioned crisscrossing and winding trails, there is no such thing as a “short cut” unless you have the ability to fly.
The trail we were on, if stretched to a straight line, seems like it would have taken us 3/4 of the way to Canada. Not wanting to risk actually winding up in Canada, we decided to forge our own path. After all, we knew where the bike trail was supposed to be.
In the end, we bushwhacked a path that makes me glad we weren’t on an episode of Mantracker, because he would have had no trouble following it even if you blindfolded him, tied both hands behind his back, and smashed him over the head with a 2×4. However, our efforts paid off and within about 5 minutes we were back on the bike trail.
Finally back at my truck and surprisingly hot and tired for a 62 degree day, we decided to go downtown, where sensible people go for photography.
All I can say is, if their wedding day is as weird and fun as the engagement session, we’re going to have a blast taking photos.
*I should note that, to my knowledge, there have never been ferocious wild badgers in Nine Mile Prairie. However, we did find a location that, were I a ferocious wild badger, I’d probably hang out and wait for unsuspecting photographers.
Back at the beginning of March I had an opportunity to photograph an engagement session for Marcia and Jeremy (and I’ll be shooting their wedding at the end of August).
March, especially in the early part of the month, is a very tricky time in Nebraska. The weather is, to say the least, unpredictable. It didn’t help that this year we had an especially harsh winter, making the prospects of outdoor shooting even more of a gamble.
To be on the safe side, we planned for two locations: The Haymarket and the Capitol Building. Both are locations I use often, as they are full of interesting and unique backdrops.
As it turned out, we lucked into some relatively decent weather, but wound up using both locations anyway when it started to get colder later in the day.
As isn’t all that uncommon, Jeremy started out a bit less excited about a photo shoot than Marcia. However, once he got over the initial awkwardness of being in front of the camera, he loosened up and, I think, had a good time. It probably helped that I gave him at least one shot where he got to look somewhat like a “badass” (see the shot below where he’s casting the shadow on the wall).
We even wound up having a small amount of adventure and intrigue during the shoot. While we were taking shots in the Haymarket, we noticed an amateur photographer with another engagement couple hanging around. At first it seemed as though he just was waiting until we were done in our location. However, as we moved around, it became clear that he was following us, as discretely as possible (but apparently not discretely enough) and using our locations as inspiration.
It was rather amusing. I hope he got some good shots!
The day turned out to be a lot of fun and we wound up not being the only people to brave the weather for a photo session.
The intrepid couple set off on their journey, capturing images for their photo album
Plotting their adventure...
I get enjoyment out of all types of photo shoots. However, the most fun are the ones that really stretch creativity. I love it when a couple is really willing to go all out for a fantastic and unique experience.
This was the case with Christine and Taylor. They had already had engagement photos done, but they really wanted something different for their Save the Date invitations. Their wedding reception is a Moroccan theme and they wanted to create a sense of world traveling adventure.
To set the proper mood, Christine and Taylor visited a local costume shop, as well as borrowed items from friends. I contacted a friend of mine who runs a bed and breakfast and obtained permission for us to do a shoot there. With that, the stage was set for the theme of a 1920’s to 1930’s era couple about ready to embark on a world adventure.
The day turned out to be a huge amount of fun. After spending a couple of hours at The Rogers House Bed and Breakfast Inn, we took a break and ate lunch at Lazlo’s Brewery and Grill, where we received many strange looks. Apparently it’s not every day that a couple in full costume comes in for food.
After the quick lunch refuel, we hit the train in the Haymarket to finish off the rest of the “story” for this shoot.
All in all, it was a pretty fantastic day and I hope to find another couple as adventurous as Christine and Taylor soon!
Before embarking on their journey, our couple tunes in the latest news broadcast...
One last tea break in the parlor before the journey of a lifetime begins!
Hair and makeup for this shoot was done by the very talented Samantha McCulloch.