I’m shooting Mike and Denise’s wedding in April next year in Boston, but I had the great pleasure of capturing their engagement photos this year at the Boston Public Library. It is a very unique space in the heart of Boston and offers a myriad of shooting opportunities, from the wonderful courtyard to the fascinating interior. The location couldn’t have been any more fitting as Denise is a Librarian herself, and both her and Mike have always enjoyed the Boston Public Library as a place to visit and spend time together.
We started off shooting outside the main entrance that leads out onto Copley Square. The front of the Boston Public Library has a sense of grandeur that is hard to beat and made for the perfect starting point for their engagement session. We actually finished off here as well at the end of the night, to make use of the lights that came on after dark. Taking the time to grab some shots here was also a relaxing way to start the session and get Mike and Denise comfortable in front of the camera, which took all of two seconds. These guys were super fun to shoot and I’m really looking forward to their big day next April.
After capturing some shots outside we moved into the main courtyard, a spot I had been looking forward to shooting in ever since I had first seen it earlier this year. The white walls surrounding the courtyard produce a wonderful quality of light and the architecture feels like a European city rather than being in the center of Boston. The pillars, archways and fountain as well as the manicured gardens make for a great Boston engagement session location or wedding venue.
We wanted to make use of the space in a number of different ways and also after dark, when the fountain was lit by the lights within. After initially shooting here while the daylight lingered in the sky, we moved inside to capture more of the interior before coming back out for a nighttime session.
The Boston Public Library is as fun to shoot inside as it is outside and the number of spots to work with is fantastic, you just have to make sure you’re quiet :) Shooting in the main section of the library with it’s trademark green lamps and the high intricate ceilings framed Mike and Denise to give us some great shots inside, to compliment the ones we had captured outside. It’s always nice to come away from an engagement shoot and have a nice solid variety in the photos and the Boston Public Library sure does give you that opportunity.
Heading back out to finish the Boston Public Library engagement session we made use of the staircase again as we had on the way in. I like to be fluid when I shoot and capturing photos as we move through spaces, often using them again in a different way if we pass through them again. The light had faded into the night as we moved back outside to the main courtyard again and the fountain was lit beautifully, illuminating the water and the statue. Using a video light and some off camera flashes I was able to illuminate the background as well, to show off the wonderful pillared archways in the background and Mike and Denise have taken tango lessons and so we had to get at least one of their moves into the shoot as well.. The last shot we captured was back outside, where we had started, as I had wanted to get them a shot in front of the library after dark as well. It was great fun shooting with you both and as I said really looking forward to next April.
Thanks for stopping by and if you haven’t already, be sure to “like” the Roberto Farren Photography Facebook page by clicking here. To get in touch about booking engagement photos at the Boston Public Library, or any other part of town get in touch by visiting the contact page here and dropping me and e-mail or calling through by phone.
