Jess and Seth's Classic Philadelphia Engagement Session

On Sunday I had the opportunity to photograph a couple I've known since college (they've been dating for seven years and I was so happy to hear they were engaged!), first with their Great Dane Penny at a nearby park and then we headed down to Center City, Philadelphia for some classic Philly engagement shots, from the steps of the Art Museum to hopping a cab to City Hall.

Penny was a fun challenge. At 120 pounds, she was such a handful that Seth brought his dad and sister to help keep her focused, along with lots of treats. I had to laugh going through my photos later because you can see his sister holding her in place, then slinking off to the side of the pics and then you can actually see Penny walking off camera to get the treats they were hanging over my head. And I love that sign.

I don't know if I'm being too hard on myself (probably not) but while the lighting was great that day, I feel like I'm still not editing my photos to get the effects I really want to. I try to lighten, and sometimes I end up losing information or details. I try to darken and lose the details to the shadows. So then there comes the shadow highlights and then again sometimes I overuse. So I'm still trying to perfect my own editing and shooting style, but I'm definitely headed in the right direction and getting more experience. 

Apparently none of this bothers my clients though-so maybe I am just nitpicking. Word of mouth really is one of the best way to find new clients, I'm already getting more and more inquiries!

Most importantly, I'm really learning what I love to shoot. I LOVE engagement shoots, they're so much fun! At the risk of sounding cheesy, I love the opportunity to really get creative shots that capture a couple's relationship and personality. And I love their reactions when I show them their pictures. Jess said she actually teared up when I sent her the one of the two of them kissing outside City Hall. 

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