Elizabeth & Kyle Engagement

A few weeks ago I was contacted by this very cute couple Elizabeth and Kyle. We discussed their plans and they really wanted to get engagement images soon. Kyle was set on getting some images at the Pendleton Oil Mill, a local institution in my little town. I was excited about this not just because it's only a block from my house but it is a treasure trove of old-south rustic (in some areas a little too rustic) settings. We got started about two hours before sunset to give us plenty of time but also the best light.

The time was so great, I was able to shoot available light a lot more than I am accustomed. Within a small area of the Oil Mill you can get several different looks and if you are careful to stay in certain areas is perfectly safe.

After a few hours of great shooting, Elizabeth and Kyle never complained and seemed to just keep going and going, we were having a great time. (photographer's note, in the south near dark in the summer, bring bug spray for your clients - and yourself). Even after all this time, the shots two hours into it, they were just as fresh and fun as the first frame.

We took a quick wardrobe change and tried to go to Clemson's Walker Golf Course but it was nearly pitch dark. We did manage to get a dramatic shot that I actually liked.

We later moved over to the reflecting pond in front of the Clemson University Library and I used three off-camera flashes bare for this. There were some focusing issues but I was really happy with some of the shots we got.

For the last segment of the session, I wanted to get a studio look. We found a white concrete wall under a set of stairs. I set up two flashes to blast the background for a clean white background and one flash using my Paul C Buff PLM umbrella to light them. I could've shot this all night, and they would've let me they were so fun.

Congratulations to Elizabeth and Kyle. If they can handle a 4+ hour engagement shoot with this much fun and energy, then they will have a happy life together.

Also a big shout-out to the best assistant I ever had, Rhonda. She knows exactly what to do and never complains even after being bitten by every insect known to man (and I think one or two that haven't been identified) and just smiles and even has some awesome suggestions. I'm a better photographer than her but she just knows people and sees things. An extra set of eyes is so valuable.