Engagement Session to Match the Proposal (Almost)

Man, this engagement session at Patapsco Valley State Park was absolutely breathtaking! Lauren & Brent made a picture-perfect choice in selecting this location! One of the reasons they wanted to have their engagement session here is because Brent actually proposed to Lauren in front of a waterfall that was inside of a cave in Iceland! In other words, it was a waaaay cooler and bigger waterfall but nonetheless, it was only fitting to find a waterfall closer to us here in the DMV area for their engagement session. Lauren & Brent also enjoy hiking, so this location was even more fitting to express their love for the outdoors!

I have to give props to the both of them for being so adventurous and willing to make the relatively short hike up to this waterfall in their dressier outfits! Though it’s only about a quarter-mile up to the waterfall, the terrain isn’t the flattest around so it’s definitely a good idea to bring some tennis shoes or hiking shoes for the trek up (which Lauren & Brent brought of course!).

Yellowjackets? No Thanks!

Another “fun” moment from our session was the fact that there so many YELLOWJACKETS around!! We thought they were some species of bee but I came home, did some research, and discovered they were actually Yellowjackets (yikes!). We made it through our whole session with only one sting to the finger (sorry Brent!) at the very end but wow, I had never seen so many at once! The whole Yellowjacket experience was even commemorated for us to remember because one of those suckers was crawling all over Lauren’s ring when I was taking some macro shots of it (see in the images below).

All in all, we had an amazing session and had so much fun just walking around to different areas of the park. I even learned that Lauren & Brent take dance classes together and Lauren danced all throughout her childhood! I was so impressed by their “dips”, their twirling, and how easily Lauren could point her toes (sounds weird but it makes a big difference in photos so always remember–POINT YOUR TOES!). Knowing this, I cannot wait to experience + capture their First Dance!

I truly feel so honored and grateful to not only have met them, but to also have the chance to photograph them on their wedding day in May of 2024 😊 I already know their day is going to be so beautiful and filled with so much love, laughter, and joy. Cheers to Lauren & Brent!

If you’d like to schedule your own engagement session with me (sans the Yellowjackets hopefully!), feel free to reach out here!