I should have known something would go wrong. This was my first ever Engagement shoot. I planned things out very carefully. The timing. The locations. I even went to plot the sequence with the Bride one evening. The operative word being EVENING. There were three locations altogether. I will feature the other two in another post, however, this is the one that their friends and families were most curious about. When I took the Bride to this location at night, I explained to her that it may be a little macabre because while the campus was TO DIE FOR (that is a hint), it DID have a back story. The location was the site of Dorothea Dix Hospital, or as the locals call it, “Dix Hill” so named because it sits atop our lovely city overlooking the cityscape and it features lush grass, rolling hills and stately trees. Dix Hill is our state’s infamous inpatient/outpatient psychiatric hospital. There have been a few notable people that have resided there, but it really is a perfect location for a photography session. As long as you don’t catch a glimpse of the on-site cemetery. I warned the Bride that there will be those that might think her crazy for letting me photograph part of her engagement session there. With a twinkle in her eye, she insisted and who was I to say no? I’m a photographer. We DO NOT say no to danger. I figured since it was the end of the day and the sun was setting fast, we’d grab just a few kitschy 1950’s inspired “proper” shots that weren’t as saucy as the other shots from earlier in the day. My thinking was that these might be a little more pleasing to the more sophisticated and senior family members. After getting the quick obligatory shot of the couple underneath the hospital sign, the Groom did his final change and we were ready to roll. No sooner did we get started than we had our first (and last) interloper. I didn’t get too frazzled because I’ve had other shoots in public places that I had to deal with people walking in frame. However, the creature lurching closer and closer to my couple just didn’t seem to be getting a clue that he was about to breach a Bride’s sanctuary indicating he also didn’t have a clue as to what he was about to unleash. I didn’t want to break posing because it is hard enough to get a Groom focused when he’s NOT been shooting for an hour before and I figured I could just Photoshop out the intruder. Well, turns out . . . I needed to keep the photos in tact for evidence . . . . please to enjoy what is left of this once lovely couple . . . .
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