Ashleigh and I met up with Stephen and Meghan on Easter Sunday for their engagement shoot. It was a perfect sunny late afternoon to shoot! We split a pitcher of Shiner at Little Woodrows in the Village, and met their two pups Bishop (black) and Toby (yellow). They had both just gotten baths and haircuts and were looking their absolute best!
After we finished up our pitcher, we headed out to our locations. Having waited out the oppresive heat from the afternoon, we were treated to cool weather and warm sunlight at our first location. Stephen and Meghan had brought both a tennis ball and some treats as bribes for the pups, and they were more than happy to play along in exchange for a cookie or a good toss of the ball. I wish my dog Cash would stay in one spot for more than 20 seconds! Photographing him is like trying to get a shot of lightning!
Once we drove to Hermann Park, we were surprised to see how many people had come out for Easter! It was the most full I’ve seen the park in recent memory, probably spurned on by a free show that was playing at the Miller Outdoor Theatre later in the evening. There were families, kids and dogs everywhere! This made shooting a little more challenging than usual, but we all made quick work of it, finding quieter locations and, when nessary, shooting quickly between families on the grass. We got some great shots in the waning sunlight near the railroad tracks, as well as some near the “lake” that have an awesome “purple-y” tone to them. Always love the effects that shooting into the sun brings!
From there, we headed Downtown. Stephen and Meghan had wanted some dressed up “out-on-the-town” shots, so we thought that Main Street would be a great venue for that. We got some very nice shots at Market Square Park and the surrounding areas on Travis Street. Having spoke about their time in New Orleans earlier at Little Woodrows, I tried to replicate a New Orleans “feel” to these shots with bright neon and colorful bokeh in the background.
We wrapped up our set at the entrance to a closed bar. As we were packing up, we noticed these little warped faces that were set in concrete at the curb near the bar, and were laughing at their funny expressions. I grabbed a quick shot of them and decided to include them in the set as a funny memory from the shoot.
I am looking forward to Stephen and Meghan’s wedding. With the reception at the Houston Heights Fire Station, it will be a very different type of venue with a lot of great details and settings to exploit. Congratulations, you two!
Family and friends, you can see the rest of the set here: http://civitello.smugmug.com/Weddings/Stephen/
