I’ve been photographing weddings for over 8 years now, and I’ve seen things come and go as far as styles of shooting and editing. There’s always something new, and I don’t always jump on each new trend, but recently I’ve wanted to experiment. I put out a post, looking for couples, and I got a big response. One of those couples was Abby and Parker, and I’m so happy I got to meet them and photograph their engagement session at Mount Sequoyah.
Abby and Parker Engagement Session at Mount Sequoyah
We started off by trying out the new technique that I was interested in; it’s called a cinemograph. It’s hard to explain all the details of it, but it’s a photo with a few parts that are moving like a video. For this one, I found a spot with a low tree branch and leaves. They would be moving in the background.
To make the cinemograph, you have to start out with shooting video. I put Abby and Parker in a pose and told them to freeze. I set up a tripod with a camera and started recording. I then went over the branch and “assisted” the movement of the leaves. This was my first try, so I think it turned out well. I’ve since done a few others, and I think it works better with a bigger moving object.
From there, we went ahead and just did a normal engagement session. This was my first time meeting Abby and Parker, so I did my normal thing and asked a thousand questions. Turns out Parker drove like 8 hours from Alabama for this engagement session. Crazy! Right now he’s finishing school to go into ministry. I know that’s got to be tough with them being so far apart, but it’s a noble sacrifice.
We were pretty lucky. There weren’t a ton of cars parked in front of the cross at Mount Sequoyah. I was able to put them where I wanted and to set up a flash to light them up. We got some crazy clouds and blue skies, and it was awesome!
The last photos we did were interesting. As I mentioned, Parker is an Alabama boy, well, Abby is an Indiana girl. They both brought some college gear and represented their favorite team.
I had a lot of fun with Abby and Parker doing their engagement session at Mount Sequoyah. I’ll be doing more of these experimental sessions in the near future. I’ll be doing more of the cinemographs, but I also have something else I’ll be trying out in the near future. You’ll have to come back to see what it is!
