In the early days of Summer 2021, I hosted a giveaway on my Instagram for a free portrait or engagement session! I was SO freaking stoked that Erin ended up winning! Erin and I went to school together growing up - we played soccer and basketball together! She's confident, exists loudly, and is so fricken hilarious. Meeting Jay was like meeting her missing piece - for real, he compliments Erin + her personality so well. We may have met up at sunrise for their portrait session, but these two acted as though they had been caffeinated for hours. Spending time with them means that my cheeks always hurt from laughing so much, which is always the best way to feel after leaving a session, especially that early in the morning. And Molly Moo, well she was just the cherry on top! She's so stinkin' cute and such a sweetheart. This session was a fun one.
I told Erin + Jay that I wanted them to think of an activity or two that they enjoy doing together that we could incorporate into their portrait session. This is something I encourage all my clients to do because it makes their session feel more comfortable as they're doing something they love, and it also makes it more fun because you're not just stuck there, staring into my lens for an hour!
Erin + Jay bonded over softball, and they play on the same team! They also love to go fishing together, which I thought was really sweet, and also unique for a portrait session. I knew the perfect spot in our little hometown of Hillsboro, NH that was perfect for their session. It has sport fields, and a trail along a river, so it was the best of both worlds. It's also a place that I don't think people actually think to photos at in our town because it's a place that is known by literally everyone in town, yet there is beauty to it that I think is often overlooked. The locations that are thrown to the side by most can often become hidden gems if you know where to look.
Anyway, we started their session at the enclosed softball diamond, which meant that Molly, their pup, could run around a bit, chase the ball, and get some energy out. She absolutely LOVED getting to chase the softball, and was loving life in general. She was so photogenic, it was hard not to focus a lot of attention on Erin + Jay's furbaby haha! I invited the three of them to get together for some family photos together, which were adorable.
Once we finished up with softball, Erin + Jay changed their outfits, grabbed their fishing poles out of their car, and we made our way down the trail to a secluded section next to the river that was perfect for fishing. I took a big step back (physically and metaphorically) during this time to allow Erin, Jay, and Molly to hang out and joke around like they would if I wasn't there with my camera. I literally hid among the bushes, played around with the angles, and wanted to capture the peace and stillness of this part of their portrait session. These fishing photos were a good challenge for me, yet also became some of my favorite photos from their session.
Unfortunately, neither Erin nor Jay caught a fish that morning, so we wrapped up and walked back towards our cars. Since it was early Summer, it was still pretty early and already SO freaking hot + humid, which we weren't quite expecting. We said 'see you later,' and parted ways.
The following Summer, I would reunite with them for an adorable, legendary portrait session yet again! You'll have to stay tuned for that entry on the journal soon!
Interested in a couples photo session? Get in touch about it here!
Thanks so much for reading, and speak soon!
Christy
she/her
The Francis Frames
@TheFrancisFrames