Three destinations and a blissfully engaged couple were the premise for a late afternoon shoot in early September, where good fortune gave us stunning spring weather conditions, and I got to learn the story behind another bride and groom’s romantic beginnings.
I approached Tiffany not too long ago to capture their engagement by way of a photography session, and so we all agreed on a collection of locations that would encapsulate their personalities and the rawness of the new chapter in their lives.
The first location I took them to was Calm Reserve at Lake Joondalup, about 30kms directly north of Perth and known to provide a beautiful backdrop of pine trees. It was the perfect scenery for the newly engaged couple – pine trees (and in this case, hundreds of Norfolk Island pines) symbolise birth, health, fertility, fortune and love. Quite fitting for these two, wouldn’t you say?
It was here that I asked about their engagement – much out of my own interest, but also as part of my technique to have them relax and become playfully carefree for the lens. I knew Tiffany and Joe had just come back from a wondrous holiday in Europe, and I queried why he chose not to propose to his charming bride at the acclaimed Eiffel Tower like so many other people do.
As it turns out, the story is far more enchanting and personal. The couple had just bought land together to build their dream home, and while inspecting it, Joe got down on bended knee with a custom-made ring. For them, the Eiffel Tower was meaningless, while their newly acquired earth represented the next step in building a future together.
I’m hearing hearts drop in sentiment, am I right?
Our second location was Neil Hawkins Park, also at pristine Lake Joondalup but on the other side, where I utilised the late afternoon sun and environment as natural reflectors. This approach comes in handy to add an extra ‘punch’ of light on my subjects automatically, bringing a brightness to the eyes and a glow to the skin.
Shooting about an hour before the sun officially starts to head home is a special time of day where everything with lighting just always seems to go right! It’s more flattering than the harsh midday sun, and golden light is fun to play and experiment with.
Iluka Beach was our last destination, and timing appeared perfect as we drove up and then made our way along the soft sand beach. This setting was an ideal representation of Tiffany’s triathlon career, embodying her enjoyment and freedom of the swimming legs of the races. The light was still unbelievable thanks to blue skies and a droplet of clouds that provided an aura of bliss for Tiffany and Joe. I setup my external speed-light, and away we snapped – the couple getting a bit more cuddlier as the temperature dropped, which absolutely worked in everyone’s favour.
Celebrating Tiffany and Joe together during this exciting time in their lives gave me true insight into how much they adore one another, and it’s easy to see how well they will work together as husband and wife in everything they do. They are planning for their wedding in two years’ time.
