Romantic Engagement photos in Detroit
Several weeks ago I met up with this darling couple to shoot some fun urban engagement photos in downtown Detroit. I had not been to Detroit for over 10 years (besides the airport ;)) and so the night before, I decided to bring my whole crew along for a last minute mini summer vacay in the city! This allowed me the opportunity to scout out the locations I had chosen- which I had only seen online and in other people’s photos- ahead of time in an un-hurried way. The Z Lot and ‘The Belt’ in Detroit were so awesome. The Z Lot is a parking garage with gorgeous murals on every single level. Obviously I headed up to level 10 to capture the Detroit skyline!
Location scouting is a major part of my creative process and vision when planning for a session or event. I pre-visualize most of my work and can then figure out what I need to do to control the light and the situation at the time of the actual session. By checking out the murals in the parking garage and the (dimly lit) alley of ‘The Belt, I had a better idea of where I wanted to shoot to maximize my time with Kathryn and Jake.
In order to get some great looking photos in The Belt (this alley is SO narrow and surrounded by tall buildings!) I knew that I needed to take them towards the ends of the alley where some natural light was coming in. The green plants growing in the urban location is such an awesome visual juxtaposition. I just love those ones! The Belt alley way is covered in art and murals. All the colors and textures make this alley a very popular spot to check out. There are a couple of bars/food areas as well as lots of people!
As always, I planned my session around sunset. I wanted that strong, golden back-lighting in my roof top photos at The Z Lot in Detroit, MI. The sun bouncing off of shiny buildings in the skyline was just an added bonus! Can I just say that Jake and Kathryn’s wardrobe choices were majorly on point?! She looked absolutely stunning in nude heels and a black dress! And guys, a jacket paired with modern jeans is always a good look! 🙂 I love the neutral clothes with the colorful backdrops of the murals!
I absolutely love all the lines and graphic elements in these photos! Shooting through windows and using leading lines and text and pattern to create visual interest was very fun.
Enjoy my favorite images from Jake and Kathryn’s urban engagement session!
I’m so looking forward to their wedding day! If you or someone you know is looking for a wedding photographer, please share! I’m currently booking 2020 weddings. (Engagement sessions are included with all of my wedding collections! :))
