Brimfield, Massachusetts Engagement & Graduation Session {Things to do in Brimfield}

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April 17, 2019

I am SO excited to share these with you all! Back in November I ventured west into Brimfield at Brimfield State Forrest to for another photo shoot with Jessie & Chris. I met Jessie at a bridal fair awhile back and we connected right away. These two had not one, not two but three sessions with us before their big day (the more the merrier!) and we can’t wait to document their rustic wedding this fall!

This photo shoot was for a special occasion- Jessie graduated from Boston University with a Masters in Social Work and Chris graduated with his journeyman licensing program at Porter & Chester. These two also bought their first home this year so its a big wonderful & exciting year for them 🙂 Congratulations on all the big things happening this year Jessie & Chris!

The plan was to take photos of them in their caps & gowns, but once I saw the pretty trees I couldn’t resist getting some of them in regular clothes too. I could seriously photograph these two all day! They are so much fun to hangout with and we always end up laughing together.

Plus, they are super adorable. I mean come on. Look at these. so. much. love.

Jessie decorated her cap! I always wanted to decorate my cap when I graduated because I love to craft and adore the details, but truth be told time caught up with me and I never did. So now when I see a beautifully decorated cap I just enjoy its beauty. Last year when I photographed a client’s graduation from Suffolk University, I had so much fun checking out (and taking photos of) the creative caps. One was decorated like a pineapple. Anyways… back to Jessie and Chris 😉

I am so happy these two did this photo shoot. Graduating is such a huge accomplishment! School takes sacrifice with all the time studying, sacrificing time away from friends, family and loved ones and a big financial sacrifice. Its no secret how hard yet how rewarding it is and once you have a degree or certificate no one can take that away from you. Its a huge season of your life and when you finish, it should be celebrated 🙂

Personally, the only photo I have of myself in my cap & gown from college is the one the school took of me shaking the Dean’s hand when getting my diploma (which by the way really isn’t your diploma, its just a placeholder piece of paper since Worcester State University mails them out months later). I have several cell photo photos but if I could go back I would have gotten professional photos since I don’t plan on going back to school and its such a big moment!

I love that Jessie & Chris were in school at the same time cheering each other on.

I love exploring new locations and will definitely be back in Brimfield to hike or finally go to the Brimfield Antique Fair 🙂 If you are planning a day trip or photo shoot to Brimfield, Massachusetts, here are a few local things to do afterwards:

Things to do In Brimfield, MA

Dean Pond Recreation Area: Enjoy the pond and go for a swim! There are also trails here and a gazebo for some shade.

Cook’s Orchard: Fresh fruit tastes SO much better than imported fruit you would find at a grocery store. ]

Brimfield State Forrest: This is where this awesome photo shoot took place. Its really pretty, and a great place to go hiking, a relaxing walk or a picnic. Have dogs? Great news, Brimfield State Forrest is dog friendly!

The Brimfield Antique Fair : Looking for rustic home decor or a new piece of furniture? The 2019 dates are May 14-19, July 9-14, and September 3-8th

Hope you enjoy this session & tips for things to do in Brimfield!

x Kayla

Want to know more about Kayla? Follow her and her husband Chris’s adventures: http://instagram.com/brightlightsimagery

Bright Lights Imagery is a fine art photography & videography studio. Bright Lights Imagery serves clients all over New England and Worldwide (we love destination weddings!). Kayla specializes is photography for newborns, boudoir, and weddings (but also photographs head shots, families, cake smash session, high school seniors and more!) and her husband Chis leads their videography team. The photography studio is located in Whitinsville, MA close to Boston and only 20 minutes from Providence, Rhode Island and 20 minutes from Worcester, MA.

April 17, 2019

STEP 1: We arrive to the location!

I like to start off every session, no matter if I’ve meet you in person before or not, with a solid 5-10 minutes of us just talking a little bit before I take any photos.

My #1 goal is to make you feel comfortable, and if we rushed into the session I don’t think that would happen right away. I love getting to know my couples and hearing all about them!

There is no rush when it comes to having your photos taken and if the photographer is snapping a hundred photos from minute one, before even speaking with you, then it sets the session off on a rushed note and you will see that portrayed in the photos.

April 17, 2019

Time to get ready!

After our short chat we have typically warmed up to each other, maybe even cracked a few jokes. Laughter goes a long way, so I like to find ways to make the two of you smile and laugh. Now we will begin your photoshoot.

At the beginning of every photoshoot, I will have you stand close to each other, most likely hip to hip, but recently I have loved having my couples stand facing one another. You will hear me say,”Ok, so I am going to check my settings to make sure everything is good. These are just tests, so go ahead and just talk with each other while I set up.”

I like to do this because it gives you and your partner the chance to see the camera go up, hear the shutter, but not really be too focused on what you are doing. It sets the tone for that natural candid capture.

Sometimes during these “test” shots, I actually capture some really cute moments between you and your partner. Like Ashley and Josh, in the photo above, you can see her laughing at something that Josh said to her while I was setting up. Because they are focused on each other, I was able to capture that true moment as it was.

April 17, 2019

Once the test shots are settled, the photoshoot will truly begin. Depending on the level of comfort and ease y’all show in those first moments, I will start one of two ways. The first is to have those more “posed” photos of the couple holding each other close together, holding hands, maybe a few smooches.

I do this because, if you are naturally less expressive with one another and need a little more posing help, I can start that from the get go so that you are comfortable. If you and your partner are naturals in front of the camera, I know that sticking you into poses is going to make you look unnatural and uncomfortable, so instead, I will coach you through movement and moments to capture those candid photos of you two in your element together.

In general I like to work you through movements because every person, every couple will have a different way of expressing themselves.

Some of my favorite, more intimate moments are when I ask you two to embrace, cuddle up and hold each other close. Another trick I like to use, is having one of you whisper something into the others ear that they know is going to get them to crack up. It’s gold I tell ya!

For the majority of your session, we will all be chatting back and forth. I like to keep communication flowing because the silence can be deafening and leave the two of you feeling uncomfortable. Once we have gotten into a flow of me helping you into poses, or the two of you moving in and out of them on your own, I will typically ask you two to remember back to those first couple of dates. I love to do this because it can be really humorous and lead to those genuine laughing photos! (aka: candid moments ? )

I’m also a big “show and tell” photographer. Meaning I will be showing you the photos from the back of my camera as we go so you can see how adorable you and your fiance are 😉 This is also great, since I can get feedback from you to make sure you absolutely love the photos as we go.

April 17, 2019

I like to throw out some experiences and just capture you and your bae’s interpretation of said experiences. A couple of my favorites are,

Practice your first dance
Go on a little stroll while holding hands
Get in nice and close and visualize your wedding day

These are wonderful photography moments because it portrays who you are as a couple. Like I mentioned earlier, no two people are going to move in the same way as you both and it is so unique and memorable.

As we wrap up you session, I like to ask if there are any other poses that you envisioned that we didn’t capture and if so, let’s do them! If you are like me, you have several Pinterest boards full of poses that you have fallen in love with and I want to make sure they are all captured for you in the best way possible. I will say, it isn’t always 100% the same because every photographer is going to have different ways of photographing and different equipment. But I will try my best to get it just right!

And that’s about it!

Having your photos taken shouldn’t cause you anxiety, so if you are feeling nervous, let’s chat! I will always be up for a phone call or text if you are nervous about a photo session coming up. It is my job as your photographer to make you and your soon to be spouse, as comfortable as possible! And believe me, I work very hard to make sure every couple who works with me has an all time blast, that has them chatting about their session even after it is over!

So, let’s do it!!

x Kayla

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Brimfield, Massachusetts Engagement & Graduation Session {Things to do in Brimfield}

Uncategorized

April 17, 2019

April 17, 2019

April 17, 2019

April 17, 2019

April 17, 2019

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