Ellery and Sam: An Intimate, Vintage Engagement Shoot on the River
Have your photos taken doing something that brings you joy. So many couples preface their phone calls with me by saying “we are super awkward” or “we are really nervous to have our pictures taken”. But it is really hard to feel awkward or nervous when you are caught up doing something that you absolutely love and enjoying the moment with your partner. Sam and Ellery’s river boating engagement shoot in Virginia was exactly that. They went to their favorite place on earth, explored spots that were special and unique to them, and had an absolute blast doing it.
When we spoke a few days before their shoot, Ellery and Sam mentioned how much they liked the vintage, cinematic look that many of my photos had. Because of this, I made sure to focus on capturing them in authentic, active moments throughout the day. For their shoot, they wanted to introduce me to the Virgina river community and I could not be more grateful that they did.
We started the day off at one of Sam and Ellery’s favorite dinner spots in Virginia, Deltaville Market. It is a tiny grocery store with a fried chicken counter in the back that really doesn’t look like anything special. In fact, Sam was a little embarrassed to suggest it as our first location. But the moment they told me about how special it was to them and how many memories they had made, I knew it was the perfect idea. We had a crazy amount of fun at this quick stop.
Next, we headed over to the Tides Inn Resort where Ellery and Sam hobnobbed with the bartender and enjoyed a couple of classy martinis on the back patio overlooking the river. This was the perfect elegant, sophisticated compliment to the goofy start to the day.
Finally, we ended the day by heading back to their river house, picking up their absolute snuggly bear of a dog, and hopping on the boat. As soon as we got out onto the water, I could see that it was where Sam and Ellery felt most comfortable and like themselves. We popped open a couple bottles of wine and, honestly, the rest of the shoot just felt like hanging out with friends and having an amazing day on the boat. We played around in the water, partied on a sandbar, and then got a little lost on our way back.
Everything about this day was fun and easy and so incredibly authentic to who Ellery and Sam are as a couple. I cannot wait to go back and experience more couples shoots in the Virginia rivers sometime.
