We love to travel. As an international couple, going to new places is in our blood. If a photographer were to document our love story (the way we do for our brides and grooms), they would have to somehow convey this part of who we are as a couple. So when Hesa and Alan asked us to come down to Richmond VA for their engagement shoot, how could we say no? We love taking portraits in the Washington DC metro area. But getting the chance to create on new “canvases” is too hard to pass up. And we couldn’t be happier that we made the trip! Hesa and Alan picked for the perfect location for the session – Pumphouse Park on the shores of the James River. It was lovely and unique, and offered a wide variety of different backgrounds. As a result, their Pumphouse Park engagement photos were something special!’’
Richmond VA Engagement Photo Session
Even before driving down to Richmond to meet Hesa and Alan, we had a feeling that documenting their love was going to be fun. During our initial conversations with them, for example, we learned that they are just as crazy about their cats as we are! And as soon as they stepped out of their car at Pumphouse Park, we could tell that their story was unique and special. Alan emerged wearing a dark blue tunic-vest. His future bride sported a blond wig and a long, flowing off-white dress borrowed from her cosplay wardrobe. We could see that these were two people who were authentically and unapologetically themselves. And couples who are that comfortable in their own skin are really easy to photograph.
Hesa and Alan were also exceptionally comfortable with each other. As a result, we were able to skip the simple, straightforward poses we typically start our engagement sessions with. They had such a natural chemistry that we realized that any tinkering with their posing would only be disruptive. So throughout their Richmond VA engagement photo session, we made only minor adjustments. We let them just be themselves, and the results were magical.
Pumphouse Park Engagement Photos
The location that Hesa and Alan chose for their engagement session was as unique as their relationship. Pumphouse Park is part of a network of public lands around Richmond’s James River. It is also one of the more interesting places we’ve taken engagement photos recently. Completed in 1883, the structure that gives the park its name (New Pump-House or Byrd Park Pump House) originally supplied water to the city of Richmond. Advancements in technology eventually led it to fall into disrepair. Since 2017, though, the Friends of Pump House nonprofit organization has been leading efforts to rehabilitate the structure. The eventual goal is to turn it into a museum, learning center and space for weddings and other events.
As a site for engagement portraits, Pumphouse Park has a lot to offer. Its Gothic arches, dramatically angled roofing, lancet windows and distinctive gables give pictures of couples a one-of-a-kind feel. In addition, the park has a charming footbridge spanning East Branch Tuckahoe Creek, an offshoot of the James river. Near the New Pump-House, the surface of those waters is placid and calm, making it perfect for ethereal reflections. Finally, you can also get Pumphouse Park engagement photos with a more nature-y feel by walking the paths running through the woods nearby.
James River Engagement Pictures
We started Hesa and Alan’s James River engagement session on the banks of the creek. There is a cute little dock/observation deck right on the water. The late-afternoon light was especially flattering there, so it seemed like an ideal spot to get some simple but lovely pictures. (As we mentioned above, though, Hesa and Alan had such perfect chemistry that they needed no warmup!)
After that, we brought them out onto the aforementioned bridge. Though we got some really cute portraits of them there, the real highlight came when another engagement session passed by us on the bridge. The couple wore Gothic, almost macabre outfits and came accompanied by a black coffin. One of our favorite images of the day captured Hesa and Alan laughing at the sheer randomness of the whole scene.
On the other side of the bridge, we decided to get some pictures of them in the more nature-y setting we mentioned before. We had Hesa and Alan sit on a cute little bench on the path through the woods. At this point, we had a good understanding of the playfulness in their relationship, so we just let them interact in the ways that felt natural to them. The images we captured perfectly the love and tenderness that characterizes their couplehood.
Engagement Photos in the New Pump-House in Richmond VA
As we brought Hesa and Alan around to the back side of Byrd Park Pump House, we benefited from a brilliant stroke of good luck. A member of Friends of Pump House (we presume) offered to let us into the building for a tour. He also gave us the go-ahead to take some engagement photos in the New Pump-House. Intrigued by the structure’s unique and beautiful architecture, we jumped at the chance, of course!
The best place for engagement portraits in the pump house is on the back side of the top floor. In that part of the building is a long space that looks like it could be an old banquet hall. The outward-facing wall mainly comprises soaring unpaned dramatically arched windows. In the late afternoon, sunlight floods in, creating some very interesting patterns of light and shadow. We made the most of this creative opportunity to craft some very dramatic and striking pictures of Hesa and Alan.
More Engagement Portraits by the James River
We came out of the New Pump-House and returned to the banks of East Branch Tuckahoe Creek. As we mentioned above, the stillness of its waters is perfect for creating reflection portraits. We started by posing Hesa and Alan on the bank closest to Byrd Park Pump House. With them on that side, we were able to create images with the building’s distinctive architecture rising behind them. Then we brought the couple to the other side of the creek for similar shots. The reflection there was a bit cleaner (i.e. no distracting elements), so we could use wider-angle lenses to create gorgeously otherworldly James River engagement photos.
Hesa and Alan’s Richmond VA engagement session concluded on the back side of the pump house. The creek’s waters loop so far around the structure that it appears to sit on an island. Just as on the other side, the waters are very still. The atmosphere there is so serene that the images we captured there were much more contemplative (though the couple’s playfulness couldn’t help but peek out from time to time).
Hesa and Alan, we cannot thank you enough for allowing us to be part of this chapter in your love story. We can’t wait to come back to Richmond to photograph your wedding!
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