Oh this Engagement session has captured my heart! Not only are Patrick and Rachel an affable couple who are ridiculously easy to get along with, but they wanted city photos with great views and architecture. It was a match made in heaven.
With a couple as eager about city shots as I am, not to mention their willingness to wake up before the crack of dawn, I knew we needed an exceptional location. After a few phone calls and emails, I was able to get special permission to use the rooftop at CANVAS Hotel in Dallas. If you aren't familiar with this hotel, it is one with unparalleled design aesthetic and killer city views.
This absolutely paid off during Patrick and Rachel's Engagement Session! Rachel had a gorgeous flowy dress that paired perfectly with the blue tones of the city. And I can't get enough of the city lights sparkling behind them!
Later, they swapped to a more sophisticated look, and we headed to the arts district. The sun peaked out from the clouds and the city streets were free of traffic - things couldn't have gone better! I love how the look and feel of these photos are entirely different from the photos on the rooftop, and yet the heart and personality of Patrick and Rachel are still so clear.
Both Rachel and Patrick were naturals in front of the camera. They thanked me for giving them direction, but it was the little nuances of who they are - the way they held hands or shared tender kisses - that truly made the photos authentic, genuine and beautiful.
I must add though, for a while now I have wanted to try a photography technique where the subject is moving and blurry and the background is visible and clear. This seems like a crazy thing, because we might assume that the main objective with photography is always to create an image that is clear and visible. However, there is something mysterious about a motion-blur photo that pulls you into the moment captured in the photo. You no longer see the event or the action, but you are almost part of it.
At Patrick and Rachel's session I took a few opportunities to play with the focus, and get just a couple of those motion-blur shots. I surprised myself by how much I love them! They are unexpected but thought provoking and experiential. Watch out for these, as you scroll through the images below!