Raleigh Engagement Photos | Alison & Michael

Sometimes, over the course of the year, I think I have made a blog post about a shoot I did but yet, when going to look for a link to it, I can’t find it.  Well, sorry about that Alison & Michael!  I really thought I had posted this but yet, it simply wasn’t there.  So, for Alison & Michael’s Raleigh Engagement Photos, we decided on a location I used to visit all the time when I was younger but haven’t been back in years.  Lassiter Mill, the park, was named after the Grist Mill that used to sit on a small river/large creek.  If you’ve never seen a grist mill location, it’s generally a very cool place with a mad made damn, an overflow spillway and a “chute” for water to power the mill wheel.  Unfortunately, there is only one grist mill left in North Carolina that I know of and, well, this one isn’t it.  However, the waterfall and spillway left from the grist mill makes for a spectacular landscape for photography.

Neither Alison or Michael were very familiar with the location so the first challenge we had was actually getting down onto the bedrock behind the damn (LOL).  Once we were down there, it’s like a different world.  The roar of the waterfall (ok, I know this is not Niagara Falls, but for Raleigh it’s pretty good), the sand, trees and glass filled houses all make it feel like a completely different area and not 1/2 mile from the interstate.

So, as we started the session, I had a few ideas that were a crazy but, then again, I wanted their Raleigh engagement photos to be totally unique as their Angus Barn Wedding in the Wine Cellar will  be.  So as we worked around the area, I got this idea to use the rushing water, motion and the lines of the spillway wall in a shot.  I will not tell you how I did this but, I can tell you, please don’t even think of stepping into that water – you will need an ambulance if you do (no, I didn’t need an ambulance).  Anyway, Alison and Michael has been concerned they would be “stiff” in their photos.  This is a concern a lot of my clients have and the funniest thing is I have never really seen a stiff client.  If you are nervous, you have your best friend right there to help you out.  So, in other words, the session was great and Alison, Michael and myself all had a great time with the shoot!

I’m really excited to be shooting their wedding in December!  I hope you enjoy a few choice selections from their engagement session!