In a spontaneous moment, Elizabeth grabs Jakob's hand and pulls him down a path. The hand is familiar, but the path is not. Elizabeth and Jakob have been together for years now, but it's their very first time walking down this path together in Parc Laurier. In fact, it's the first visit to Montréal for both of them. When discussing a spot to photograph a couple or family, the first questions I ask try to pinpoint a spot that they organically spend time together. But this shoot was different; with Elizabeth and Jakob I had the opportunity to photograph them on vacation, on a brand new adventure together.
So where did I take these two Montréal newbies? To all of my favourite Montréal spots of course! We start with a leisurely brunch together at Arts Cafe on Avenue Fairmont before we meander around the Mile End together. As we turn down an alleyway, an innocuous brick wall turns into a spectacular backdrop. We grab an indulgent bagel at St-Viateur Bagel before stopping at Cafe Olimpico for coffee round deux.
Whenever possible, I try to step out of the action and photograph Elizabeth and Jakob as they explore. I slip behind some bushes to get the right shot while they sip espresso together. I wait for them far along a path, grabbing shots as they approach me. I capture an unexpected photo as they're relaxing with friends to a sunset backdrop at Parc Laurier. At times, I give the two a prompt with the goal of eliciting genuine emotion and a real moment of interaction. As Corinne Alexandra says in this blog post about unposed prompts, it can be a challenge for photographers to capture authentic moments in front of the lens. With this challenge at the forefront of my mind, I was able to create an atmosphere that allows me to capture genuine moments between the couple. Jakob and Elizabeth swap embarrassing stories and before I know it, the two are in giggles. As Jakob holds Elizabeth's face in his hands, they share a tender look before more joy spills out. At the end of the session, Elizabeth suggests a game of copycat, leading Jakob and Elizabeth to copy each other's body language in one comedic pose after another. It's a lighthearted game I'm sure to use on a future session.
This Life by Selena Photography blog post about couple photography was created by Montréal photographer Selena Phillips-Boyle. Here you can see this Ottawa couple session or this Montréal couple session.
Cet article de blogue sur la photographie de couple Life by Selena était créé par Selena Phillips-Boyle, photographe montréalaise.