Amanda & Josh
Scalloptown Park and Goddard Park in East Greenwich, Rhode Island.
May 21st, 2017
I pride myself as being a photographer who can read couples really well and that tool proved invaluable with Amanda and Josh during their May 2017 engagement session at Scalloptown Park and Goddard Park in East Greenwich, RI.
Amanda and Josh are two of the most relaxed people I've ever met and so you can imagine my concern when they told me about a previous engagement shoot they did where they felt completely uncomfortable and anxious the entire time.
My goal for the shoot was to get this bride and groom to let their guard down and not even three minutes in, they both remarked how much better they felt with me than their previous photographer, a badge I wore with honor.
What I didn't know was how at ease they would make me feel as our two and a half hours together felt like 10 minutes and resulted in, arguably, the best engagement photo shoot I've ever had.
To say I'm looking forward to this couple's wedding day is a massive understatement. It can't be 2018 soon enough.
My shoot with Amanda and Josh started with an audible of sorts as I received a text message from Amanda earlier that morning asking for us to start in Scalloptown Park instead of just going to Goddard Park and I'm glad we switched things up as this small, tucked-away area had a lot of really beautiful spots for me to place the couple and bring out their personalities right from the start.
Amanda and Josh were much more relaxed than I thought they'd be at the start of our session and it was clear right from the first photo that the three of us had a nice rapport as we were immediately laughing and joking like old friends and forgetting, completely, that this was a professional shoot and we wanted to get nice photos of the two of them.
And that, to me, is the sign of a great shoot as I've always found that couples who are at ease make the most beautiful photos together.
By the time we got to Goddard Park, it was clear that their dog Odie was also in the mood for photos and seeing the three members of this little family together really warmed my heart and paved the way for some great shots together, especially down by the beach where Odie loves to go and get in the water.
Long before Amanda and Josh's engagement shoot was over, I knew we had done something special together as the bride and groom looked much more excited than they had been about their wedding photography.
I credit them entirely for this transformation as it wasn't hard to see how in love they were with each other and how much fun they were having in front of the camera.
I knew when I first sat down with Amanda and Josh that they would be one of my most eagerly-anticipated weddings of 2018 and, after their engagement session, that's more true than ever.
I love meeting couples who are perfect for each other and able to truly be themselves around one another and getting to see these two do just that on this beautiful May afternoon was a real treat for me.
I can't wait for 2018 to come and look forward to capturing as many memories of this bride and groom's big day as possible.
I know one thing for sure ... it's going to be a lot of fun.
-PJS
