Tandem Bike & Cribbage Engagement

I can go on and on about how special it is to incorporate personal elements into a photography session. The focus of the session of course should always be primarily on the subject, but personal elements can assist in bringing the character and personality of the subject to life. In Hannah and James' session, they chose to include a tandem bike and a brief game of cribbage in their engagement. We started the session with a little bike ride around the picturesque Larabee State Park parking lot. The sun was low and the rich pink rhododendrons were in full bloom- giving light to some truly magical moments. Beginning a session with movement shots is my favorite way to loosen up and shake off those camera-shy nerves. Walking, running, spinning, dancing, or in this case riding a bike, helps focus the attention of the couple on their actions rather than any camera related discomfort. By focusing on their actions and who they're preforming those actions with, people become more present in the moment itself and this creates room for those genuine emotions us photographers strive to capture.

Larabee State Park offers the perfect variety of scenes for any style of photography. The parking lot is edged by flowering bushes & a rustic split rail fence, the field in front of the stage is filled with lush green grass and the occasional wildflower, the forest is green with moss throughout all seasons, and the beaches and cliffs offer stunning sunset views of Bellingham Bay. The cliffs were the perfect spot for a quick game of cribbage- a game that Hannah's family has been passing down for the past few generations and that her and her fiancé now frequently play together. It was so special to be able to capture a few details of H&J's relationship and favorite pass-times.