Don’t you just love a great love story? This just so happens to be the case with Stacey and Kory. Although they hung out in the same circle of friends, they never really thought about dating each other. It wasn't until their friend Jon decided to play matchmaker that things became interesting. His matchmaking skills worked! After dating for eight years they are engaged and are getting married this October!
Stacey suggested having the engagement session in Downtown Orlando. It was a really great idea. We started the shoot at 9 am (I know, it’s early, but the best light is early morning or late afternoon!) around Lake Eola. If you aren’t familiar with Lake Eola, it is infamous for their vast array of birds, especially swans.
As with most people, it’s kind of awkward to be in front of the camera and act natural. Having Stacey and Kory attempt to interact with the swans was a great decoy! While their attention was focused away from their nerves and from me, I was able to get some awesome shots.
We started walking around the lake and I incorporated some of the skyline into the photographs. The natural beauty of the rocks and foliage of the lake really added some interest.
It’s plain to see that these two are madly in love. I could tell with the way they interacted with one another and by the way they look at each other.
55 W is an apartment/condominium complex off Church Street. Their grand staircase provided for some more intimate photographs.
We hopped across the street to Hamburger Mary’s. Kory & Stacey changed and shared a strawberry milkshake followed by two Shocktops. I think the sugar/alcohol combination finally helped break any other anxiety being in front of the camera and they really started to open up.
Stacey and Kory both wanted traditional photographs, but Stacey is a big fan of different. I am too! Hamburger Mary’s really provided a fun, relaxed atmosphere. After they finished the drinks we headed to the railroad tracks to wrap up the shoot. Kory started to come out of his shell more and let loose in front of the camera. [After Stacey viewed the photographs from her e-session, she asked if I could do something "funky" with one of the photographs of her engagement ring. This is what I came up with. I really saturated the tones and incorporated a vintage map of Boston of where they lived for two years.]
My two-hour shoot lasted four hours and it was well worth it! Kory and Stacey are a big ball of F-U-N and really made this engagement session my most favorite to photograph to date.
I cannot wait to photograph their wedding in October.
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