Falling in love at Saint Francis
Levi & Caitlin are what I refer to as, one of my "legacy couples" - a sibling of one of my former bride or grooms. I had the honor of photographing Levi's sister Jordan on her weddings day - my very first "official" wedding season! There is nothing more special than returning to celebrate a second time with a family!
When Caitlin first mentioned wanting a fall engagement session, I was ecstatic! FALL IS MY FAVORITE! The perfect weather, the colors, glowing light - you simply cannot beat it! Then when she suggested the beautiful Mount Assisi Gardens at Saint Francis University, I could hardly wait! If you have had the pleasure of visiting this campus, you know how truly beautiful it is! Nestled in the Allegheny Mountains, it looks like something out of a story book!
After a walk around the gardens, we settled on this beautiful patio, nestled under a gorgeous maple tree for the first round of photos. Caitlyn and Levi both claimed to be "awkward in front of the camera" but about two minutes in, I realized that was not the case at all! The evening sun shone beautifully through the orange leaves and after a quick run through my core couples poses... magic began to happen! I honestly could have photographed the entire session just in this one spot.. it was that beautiful! It was obvious that these two are so in love, you could see it in their smiles. THIS WAS GOING TO BE A MAGICAL SESSION!
Once everyone was comfortable, it was time for a location change and to add some movement! So off we went further into the stunning gardens!
Just before it was time to change into their second outfit, the sun shone across a pond featured on the grounds and I knew we had to go for a reflection photo!
And away they went for an outfit change...
Since I had just had our second baby three weeks prior, Kevin and the kids came along. Kevin of course brought his drone, so during the change break he captured some fabulous aerial views of the campus, gardens and mountains. Mother Nature was dressed in full fall splendor, so the views could not be more beautiful! We also had a visit from a teeny chipmunk who had quite the mouthful! - ha
Once we were ready for the second half of the session, a couple of other photographers had arrived. Since we were now sharing the space, I decided to head to the back side of the garden. The light was still high enough in the sky and casting a perfect golden glow. I like to keep couple standing in dressier outfits (I would hate to ruin a nice dress!) I was ready for some creative sitting poses now that they had changed! I found a well lit set of stairs and ended up capturing Caitlyn's favorite photos of the night!
After a few ring shots the sun began to set, which meant it was time for the final photo set of the evening. Because the sun was now much lower than when we arrived, the beautiful maple tree had an all new glow. I decided to give that spot another go.. and man am I glad we did! Golden hour had begun and the previously bright orange hues were now more of a deep burnt orange.... stunning! The contrast of color against Caitlyn's white shirt and dark pants made every photo POP! What a way to wrap up the evening!
Photographing Levi & Caitlyn was hands down one of the best experiences of my career. I am counting the days until their July wedding and simply cannot wait to get them behind the lens again! So cheers to you both, enjoy the rest of your engagement! I will see you at the wedding!!
