Danielle & Fernando {New York City Engagement Session}

posted November 12, 2012 in Engagements

Destination engagement sessions are always a fun adventure for me because I am rewarded with ample time to explore new surroundings and focus on creative portraits with fun people like Danielle and Fernando. Together, this cute couple radiates life and passion. They share a wonderful chemistry.

The sentiment of place hit home on their engagement session in NYC where we kicked off their shoot near where Fernando proposed: Central Park in New York. Then we explored sentimental places spanning Whole Foods in Columbus Circle to the Meatpacking district and the High Line where they had their first date (exactly a year ago to the weekend). The fall foliage and amazing weather made for a surprising Saturday morning treat, a stark contrast to Superstorm Sandy days prior. Our time together was meant to be.

I’ve known Fernando since college and he’s followed my work over the years on Facebook and contacted me to photograph their engagement session. We picked up where we last left off almost a decade ago; discussing liberal arts topics ranging from plant identification of a Tamarac, gluten-free baking, to the Botany of Desire.

Scroll to the bottom for a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how I created a new favorite image using the PhaseOne IQ 140 digital medium format system:
wpid-danielle-fernando-NYC-engagement-session-01-2012-11-12-01-311.jpg
Polaroids never go out of style… and they loved the little surprise of seeing one in action.
Then out came the PhaseOne IQ to create dramatic editorial-style portraits featuring shallow-depth of field, dynamic color, and incredible detail. wpid-danielle-fernando-NYC-engagement-session-24-2012-11-12-01-31.jpg
At the Irish Hunger Memorial, I was stunned to see how closely the monument’s landscaping resembles the traditional Irish countryside I photographed in August. Here’s a behind-the-scenes sketch of the lighting I used to create the first & last images in this blog post:
wpid-behind-the-scenes-nyc-engagement-session-2012-11-12-01-31.jpg wpid-danielle-fernando-NYC-engagement-session-27-2012-11-12-01-31.jpg
Thank you both for trusting me to document the adventure and beauty of your engagement session. You offered me an experience I’ll never forget!
__________