Forbidden Drive Engagement Session – Wissahickon Valley Park Trail
Kristin and Steve’s Forbidden Drive Engagement Session is one that I am really proud of for a lot of reasons other than the actual photographs we captured.
We hiked over 2 miles during it, so who doesn’t like getting their steps in! More importantly – I could tell that I was dealing with something that is super common and not talked about enough with engagement and wedding photography.
Being nervous is okay.
If your a groom reading this (or if you want to tell your groom this part) it is okay and completely normal to feel nervous or anxious knowing that you’re going to be in front of a scary camera. I get it! Steve was a little apprehensive when he first stepped out of the car and put on his suit jacket. I could tell he didn’t know what to expect, and that’s scary. But, I could also tell he was there for Kristin and wanted to do a good job for her.
When I saw Steve’s face, I knew that it was important for me to help reset his mind. He probably expected to do a lot of the cheesy engagement things he’s seen in other places.
I wanted to help him to not only to make sure we got really great engagement photographs – but to set us both up for success towards their wedding day. It’s easy and common for grooms to feel like their 2nd fiddle with weddings. I needed Steve to trust that I was there for him too.
After walking and talking, I saw Steve open up to me within the first few minutes of hanging out. It was awesome seeing his face light up during our conversation and I knew we were both on the same page once he started asking me a ton of questions in the middle of portraits.
Our session started with Steve feeling like he wasn’t sure he wanted to be there, to ending with him giving me a big hug saying “You know, you’re alright!”.
That made me really happy. And so do Kristin and Steve’s photographs.
Session Details
Forbidden Drive, a 7 mile stretch of gravel and rock, is a path that’s part of Wissahickon Valley Park Trail. I never heard of it until Kristin mentioned that it was a spot she’d like to use for her and Steve’s engagement session.
Who knew that such a hidden gem was lying within Philadelphia. I didn’t even know we were in the city as we hiked almost 2 miles along rock and gravel. Kristin and Steve were troopers hiking in basically what is fancy cocktail attire!
My favorite part was when we stumbled onto the Thomas Mill Covered Bridge. It’s where we finished our session because we spent so much time in and around the bridge. The headling image of this blog was shot there. As well as the photos that I think show off Kristin and Steve’s personalities the best.
Take a look at their session! I feel like we all leveled up as people and the photographs really show the undeniable connection Kristen and Steve have for one another.
Forbidden Drive Engagement Session
This fall Philadelphia engagement session was shot by Colin of Moon Honey Photography. It took place at Forbidden Drive and the Thomas Mill Covered Bridge, inside of the Wissahickon Valley Park Trail.
