Engagement Session Botanical Gardens Asheville NC
Warning! Black bear sighting! Maybe not the best start to the most engagement session, but when I met up with Julianne and Zach at the Botanical Gardens of Asheville for their engagement session, in Asheville, North Carolina, it was the start of a storybook photoshoot! Engagement Session Botanical Gardens Asheville NC
From my home in Jonesborough, Tennessee, I parallel the Nolichucky River as I head through the gap in Buffalo Mountain and come out the other side in Erwin, TN. From there I hop on I-26 and continue Southwest down to Asheville, NC. The trip takes me about an hour to get to the city. I arrived a few minutes early to the botanical gardens to make sure my gear was all set up and relax a bit. I was standing outside of my car when I saw a young black bear making his way toward me.
Staying calm, I pulled my camera out and started shooting.
Once Julianne and Zach arrived, I told them that because there was the main road between us, we shouldn’t worry too much, but if the bear started to cross, it would be time to get into the cars. Fortunately, it never came to that. We were able to enjoy this apex predator from a safe distance. Engagement Session Botanical Gardens Asheville NC
Botanical Garden Asheville NC
It was great to meet Julianne and Zach. This California couple is living over here in East Tennessee and we decided to meet up in Asheville for the shoot. They were very excited to get their engagement pictures taken so that they could share them with all of their family on the other side of the country. Although Julianne seemed a little shy at first, I could tell that she had really prepped for the shoot! Her floral print dress and his solid denim shirt and kakis worked perfectly together. Engagement Session Botanical Gardens Asheville NC
She admitted that she had done her homework beforehand and picked out exactly what she wanted. Pinterest and a good fashion sense go a long way in prepping for an engagement session.
As we were walking between shooting locations, I had to share this story with them:
When I was in college, I had some friends that were taking a Film Photography course my senior year. Having just gotten my first ever DSLR and very interested in all things photography, I was determined to take that class the next time it was open. Unfortunately, the next semester the Film course was discontinued and replaced with an Intro to Photoshop course. I needed the credits and I thought it would be a fun class… so I signed up. Engagement Session Botanical Gardens Asheville NC
Immediately I was in love! It was so much fun to be able to learn how to get creative with shooting and editing. I did not have a computer good enough to run the software, so I spent countless hours in the computer lab on campus editing my photos from campus or from downtown Nashville. Obviously, I had no idea that this passion would someday turn into my full-time career!
In the Intro to Photoshop course, the professor always used the word ‘serendipitous’ to describe the way that moments of light sometimes works perfectly for a photographer to get an amazing shot. It was just one of those words that he used a little too much (like multiple times a class) and I just had to laugh about it. But as I grew and developed as a photographer, I have never forgotten that word or what he taught about light and well-captured photos. Engagement Session Botanical Gardens Asheville NC
So why did I take a stroll down memory lane? Simply because the shoot with Julianne and Zach was just that; serendipitous.
With it being just slightly overcast, the clouds instantly diffused the sunlight and made the most flattering light that I have ever shot in. Nearly every photo felt like it had studio lighting!
Check out these beautiful photos! I couldn’t have been happier with the way they turned out!Engagement Session Botanical Gardens Asheville NC
