Arianna and Derek have been photographing their life together on old cameras, Polaroids mostly, and so we opened their session sitting around and going through some recent favorites they hadn’t looked at yet. Just the three of us and their three black cats. (As a black cat mom myself, we bonded over the cats immediately, because black cats are the best and I will not be taking questions on that.)
They had made catnip bubbles for the cats, which the cats were completely uninterested in. So instead they made tea and sat on the patio blowing bubbles themselves, which was possibly even better. They went through cookbooks deciding what to bake together next. And then, while we were just hanging out, they found a photo from their first date with a handwritten note on the back that neither of them had seen in years.
That’s the thing about the way I photograph sessions: you leave space for the magic, for moments like that, staying present to catch whatever happens.
Then we headed over to Emory University, which has been woven into their relationship from the beginning. Derek is working there, Arianna was attending, and the campus has its own specific geography of meaning for them. Nothing in particular, just wandering the places that matter, stopping for the camellias in bloom, noticing birds and bugs and plants. Being together in a space that feels like an extension of home.
An Emory University engagement session works the way this one did because the campus has real beauty and an ease to it. There’s architecture and greenery and quiet corners, and when a couple already has a relationship with the place, there’s no need to manufacture anything. It’s real from the word go. And this is why I’m so passionate about getting to know the two of you, so we can choose locations and activities that feel natural and that light you up.
If you’re thinking about an Emory University engagement session or anywhere else that holds meaning for you, get in touch and tell me about your version of the day.
