Luyi and Mike are inseparable. They are a couple that once you met for the first time, you understand how they became one in the first place.
I was asked to photograph their engagements, and Rochelle and I are good friends of them, and were honored to be guests at their wedding, as opposed to the role of photographers we usually take. I started the session at two local creeks in Richardson: Duck Creek and Prairie Creek, then finished the engagements at the Dallas Arboretum.
I brought them over to a small field that was surrounded by some trees:
Then moved them over to the small crossover bridge, where there were some rocks you could step on:
Further down the creek, I had Mike sit down with Luyi's head on his lap, for a closer headshot of her:
Here's one of the first verticals I shot of them, towards the end of the shoot for Duck Creek at a nearby fence:
A detail of where Mike volunteered as a firefighter, and Luyi's Alma Mater:
Mike is also in the Navy, and they have plans to move to Seattle in the future (don't forget us little people!), and wearing military attire was present during the shoot. We took these at Prairie creek, which had a waterfall as well:
Another detail, this time of the ring with the caduceus insignia:
And then a tighter shot of Mike holding his bride-to-be:
When we arrived at the Dallas Arboretum, I started them at the Crape Myrtle Allee:
Then slowly made our way through the gardens pretty early on:
At this point, there was less directing on my part and more candid interaction on theirs. This is a point I make sure to bring up with couples who are uncertain of how a photoshoot will go - where I will remind them that towards the second half of the shoot I will be involved in directing less, since the couple naturally interact more:
This was a spot they picked, and I just started snapping away:
A little bit of Texas flair:
And closing with a detail of the ring, holding pinky fingers:
Luyi, Mike, next year can't come any quicker!
