Belle Isle is one of those locations that Richmond photographers get asked to shoot at again and again…and I think the reason why is obvious…it’s BEAUTIFUL! I love shooting there and I love that it’s right next to the city…that’s one of the things that makes Richmond so amazing! It’s the perfect size city in my opinion and still has lots of “green” areas…I met Shelby and Dereck there last week (plus their pup, Abe, and Shelby’s sister to take care of him after we were done taking pictures with him! It’s ALWAYS a good idea to have what I like to call a “puppy wrangler” during engagement sessions if you want to bring your dog!)

We had so much fun exploring and I loved finding new little locations there to use that I hadn’t shot in before…the best part about shooting somewhere familiar is that it pushes you to be more creative! And the light was amazing!! It’s really awesome how two sessions at the same location can look totally different just based on what the light’s doing that day…plus Shelby and Derek are so much fun and made my job easy. Even Abe smiled for the camera a few times and got to wear not one but TWO different bow ties…

I first met Shelby a few months back after one of her bridesmaids (a fellow Katelyn James bride!!) shared my name with her…and I’m so glad she did because I knew I loved Shelby right away! We sat in my living room and I got to hear all about Derek and the plans they had been making for their 2014 wedding…I’m so excited to see it come together!

Shelby and Derek, I hope you enjoy my favorites from our time together! :)