Downtown Madison Wisconsin Engagement Shoot

I met Britney and Aaron a few days before we did this engagement shoot at my new storefront studio on University Avenue.  Britney and Aaron are getting married in the summer of 2011 and wanted to have their engagement pictures taken before they left Madison.  Madison, Wisconsin is a great city in which to take pictures because of its many beautiful sites and backgrounds.  We don’t have the beaches of southern California here, but we do have several lakes in the area.  These first few photographs were taken with Lake Mendota in the background.

This photo was taken at the University of Wisconsin campus.  This was shot at the Memorial Union, which is a popular location for wedding, engagement and other photography.  It is convenient that there is this huge yellow chair for couples in which to be photographed.  There are also other brightly colored metal chairs throughout the area which make for a very attractive area in which to shoot.

I love Britney’s expression in this photograph, as she just looks totally happy.

 

This photograph was also taken in front of Lake Mendota using my 70 to 200 zoom lens.  I was able to get a crisp picture of my subjects while the background is artistically blurred out.

While out on the dock I tested Britney’s athletic ability in a variety of ways and I found that she was enthusiastic in this role.  I think you can tell from her expression that she was fully enjoying herself.

While this picture features Britney’s engagement ring, Aaron is purposely blurred out in the background.  When Britney first saw this, she commented how she enjoyed the image with Aaron blurred out.   She then tried to apologize and correct herself. 

This photo shoot has so many cool images.   I love the red brick and old, weathered look as a background to these two. 

So here is the lovely couple with the Wisconsin State capitol in the background.  As life is speeding by, time has come to a standstill for Britney and Aaron.   They are truly in the moment and truly in love.  OK, that is really corny, but it is sort of what is seen in the picture — don’t you think?  With a slow shutter speed and a very long, long kiss we did get some pretty cool images.  It took several tries to get it right.  I was using my 70 to 200 mm lens and I was a fair distance away from them so that I could include the capital and the sky.  With the traffic zooming by they couldn’t hear my instructions well.  At one point I was shooting, then reviewing the pictures in the back of my camera.  After a while I looked up to see they were still in the same pose kissing.  It was a very funny moment for me.  It was also funny to hear the cars honking as they were driving by.  I was down State Street, away from the traffic, so the people driving by probably had no idea this was for a photo shoot.

What is missing in this picture?  Or more specifically, what is missing on this tandum?  State Street is a popular road for bicycles, and tourists on bicycles.  In this case there is a couple getting their picture taken on a tandum bicycle with no pedals or a handlebar in the back.  Even so the picture has lots of color and everyone seems to be happy.

I am concluding this series with State Street shops in the background.  I love the many colors the shops and the people provide.  The tree adds some great earthy tones, the couple look relaxed and so the whole picture works well for me.