Ray and John's Summer Engagement Session | Cinderella Bridge | Lanterman's Mill | Youngstown, Ohio

When I first met Raymond and John, it was through a video meeting in the middle of quarantine. Even through a virtual meeting, I could just tell that I’d have so much fun with them. And we certainly had a blast at their engagement session! The energy was so light and playful as we basically just hung out, getting to know each other and taking pictures….

Kirsten and Noll's Woodsy Engagement Session at Lanterman's Mill in Mill Creek Park in Youngstown, Ohio

I love personalization. I especially love when my couples want to stay true to who they are and be surrounded by things that mean something to them. When Kirsten mentioned shooting her and Noll’s engagement session near Lanterman’s Mill in Mill Creek Park (Youngstown, Ohio) because that’s where Noll proposed, I thought it was a perfect idea! We started by the mill with the covered bridge and cool stone architecture as a backdrop. By wandering around for an hour or so, I really got to know them as a couple and see just how well they mesh together. Their interaction with each other is sweet and silly and playful, which was fun to photograph! I actually thought Noll would be the shy one, but he was joking around the entire session. In all of the goofiness, he brought out this special quality in Kirsten that I hadn’t seen before. It was very apparent to me that they both find a level of comfort in each other unlike anything I’ve seen in a long time. The joy in their laughs and the smiles on their faces were 100% real. They balance each other out in a way that is just so beautiful and it makes me overjoyed to see how truly happy they are together!…

Shelby and Tyler's Winter Engagement Session at the Cinderella Bridge and Lanterman's Mill in Mill Creek Park in Youngstown, Ohio

You guys, 2018 was great on so many levels. Although I ended the year completely exhausted, my heart was so full with gratitude! I shot my record high number of weddings, got to become friends with seriously the coolest, most fun couples and even had the opportunity to live out a dream - travel to a beautiful place to photograph a wedding, which I was so lucky to go to Bar Harbor, Maine in September.

I rang in the new year wondering where 2019 would take me and how I would even begin to top last year. And then I photographed Shelby and Tyler’s engagement session…