At 7AM on a brisk November morning, I met up with Rebecca & Ian, guests of a previous wedding I’d photographed, at McNeill Bay. They got engaged on another early morning at this very spot.
Following the sunrise, we enjoyed a tasty breakfast at one of Rebecca & Ian’s favourite brunch restaurants, John’s Place on Pandora.
For an engagement shoot I try to keep things fairly casual. Unlike at a wedding, where photos are not the primary purpose of the day, the opportunities for purely candid shots aren’t as abundant. I still aim for a semi-candid style, however, requesting that the couple get up to whatever they’d like while I document it.
Rebecca & Ian no longer live in Victoria, but one of their favourite places around is Goldstream Park, which is where we went next.
Although the sun was out in full force, the trees and hills of Goldstream kept things fairly shaded and cool. We were dressed for it though and having too much fun to notice.
It’s quite fun to work dynamically with the subjects and allow photograph ideas to present themselves organically.
Tender moments between the two needed no prompting from me.
I feel lucky to be the one to photograph their weekend-long wedding in Alberta next fall. It’s an adventure I look forward to!
