Michelle & Thomas decided to take their engagement session in the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. I have to say that planning an outdoor session in the NY area at this time of year is not easy with ever changing weather and light conditions. I always want a perfect day for the couple. Luckily, when the day arrived it was a splendid one and the gorgeous and famous cherry blossoms had made their Spring appearance.
I would like to share our fun adventure that day that included those cherry blossoms, lots of kisses and smiles, and a tough investigation by security guards in the main office of the Gardens :)
I am not sure if everyone knows, but the Brooklyn Botanical Garden has an unusually strict protocol with rather expensive permits for professional photography. After we presented the guard with our 45 minute pass, he pretty much trailed us everywhere to make sure we stayed within our allotted time. “Five minutes left”… “one minute left,” he regularly reminded us.
After he escorted us out, it seemed quite unfair that we had this very strict expensive permit to shoot and everyone else (on what was evidently a free open day in the Gardens) could stay as long as they wanted. We wanted MORE than 45 minutes in the Gardens. So, we decided that we would sneak back into the Gardens through the parking lot and continue our shoot :).
That worked out quite well and we got a nice number of extra shots, at least until we foolishly asked another guard for directions to a nice bridge we saw. The guard immediately hauled us off like petty shoplifters to the main office to provide an explanation. We tried to plead that we were actually just friends and that I was “not” a professional photographer. The manager eyed my belt, loaded with equipment and two heavy cameras hanging from my neck, and was more than skeptical. In the end, somehow, me (“the amateur” who just happened to have a lot of professional equipment) and Michelle and Thomas (who also had been magically transformed to two out-of-towners who had come ALL this way to the Gardens), were permitted to re-enter and shoot for a little bit longer.
After the Botanical Garden, we headed up to the Brooklyn Bridge and had a great time. It was especially nice to get to know Michelle and Thomas, who are extremely nice, warm and sweet. For me, it’s so important to do an engagement session before the wedding, as it really helps build a relationship that lets the couple feel more and more comfortable with me and the camera.
I really look forward to their wedding in the Brooklyn Museum in October. It’s going to be beautiful!
After I sent Michelle and Thomas the slideshow that I made, I received from them a very nice email that touched my heart:
“Thank you so much for the slideshow! The photos came out so gorgeous and we absolutely love them!! There is no doubt in our minds that we have picked an amazing photographer. We had a lot of fun that day and you really captured that so well.
Thanks again, so much!
Michelle”
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