Photographs are emotional anchors that take you back to the moment in your life they were captured. Those moments probably include people you hold dear. Having your photo taken in a place that means something to you only adds to the weight of that emotional anchor. So for Christy and Evan’s maternity photos, I suggested we go to a location that is not only uniquely beautiful, but happens to be where Evan proposed 8 years ago.
The Little Miami River winds past the south and eastern edge of Yellow Springs, Ohio, through a gorge that’s part of John Bryan State Park. John Bryan offers the opportunity to fish, camp, canoe/kayak, hike on its many trails, and of course has many scenic views for photographs. I suggested to Evan and Christy beforehand that we go back to the spot where Evan proposed, down by the river. We made our way along the river, but had to modify our plans for the picture once we got there–it turned out that part of the riverbank had eroded in the intervening years!
I visit photoshoot locations ahead of time to have a plan ready to go, but I’m always prepared to work around contingencies like this, too. There was another gorgeous spot down the gorge that I knew would be perfectly lit as the sun went down. However, it would require a bit of hiking down a steep and rocky trail, and with Christy being more than 30 weeks pregnant, I left it up to her discretion. She felt quite comfortable and was happy to keep going, so on we went.
The last image in this post is the photo that resulted from our endeavors. Joy is such an expansive emotion that it’s difficult to put into words. Yet there’s time when a photo can say more than words ever could, and I think that one says it all perfectly.
