Welcome back to part 2 of Alexa and Michael’s engagement shoot in Boston, if you hadn’t yet seen part one, check it out here now! So after finishing at the Public Garden (where I could have shot all day with these two) we had a quick caffeine hit and an outfit change up before heading to the picturesque streets of Beacon Hill!
BEACON HILL ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS | ALEXA AND MICHAEL
Alexa and Michael both had an idea of some locations and when they had initially spoken with me over e-mail Beacon Hill jumped out and would incorporate a lot of these. An outfit change between the Boston Public Garden and Beacon Hill also gave a nice change in feel to the photos between the two places as well. I can say again how much fun it was getting all these photos with these two :)
BEACON HILL ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS | ALEXA AND MICHAEL
No engagement session in Beacon Hill would really be complete without a few photos on the famous Acorn Street as well!
BEACON HILL ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS | ALEXA AND MICHAELBEACON HILL ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS | ALEXA AND MICHAEL
Thank you to both Alexa and Michael for allowing me to capture these images for you both here in Boston, it was a real pleasure meeting you and I wish you all the very best for the future together!
BOSTON PUBLIC GARDENS ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS | ALEXA AND MICHAEL
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS: ROBERTO FARREN
Alexa and Michael got in touch with me early fall to see about getting some engagement photos in and around Boston before all the color disappeared from the trees. They are both not Boston locals so it was really nice to be able to get them some photos together in their new city. As someone that has moved to the area fairly recently myself it is nice to chat with others that have relocated to this wonderful city and get their impressions as well. We picked the Boston Public Gardens and Beacon Hill (part 2 coming soon) for the setting and backdrop of their engagement photos, two place that I really love shooting at.
BOSTON PUBLIC GARDEN ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS | ALEXA AND MICHAEL
The Boston Public Gardens are a great location for engagement photos, with a number of smaller locations inside that give you a range of feel to your photos. You can get intimate images as well as photos that bring the crowds and other people into them as well to give you something completely different. The stonework of the bridge over the duck pond is really nice and within 20 feet you have two very different locations, on and under the bridge. The colors in the trees were really nice still at the time of the shoot and so gave an added color punch to the photos too.
BOSTON PUBLIC GARDEN ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS | ALEXA AND MICHAEL
It was really great fun meeting and photographing Alexa and Michael and it was clear from the start that they were both very comfortable with each other in front of the camera. It can take a while to get used to having your photos taken on an engagement shoot, this isn’t something that you do every day. I try and make my engagement sessions as relaxed as possible as this really lets peoples characters come out and it seemed clear to me very quickly that these guys were very happy together.
BOSTON PUBLIC GARDEN ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS | ALEXA AND MICHAEL
You can’t head to the Boston public gardens for engagement photos and not include those great willow trees into at least a handful of the images!
BOSTON PUBLIC GARDEN ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS | ALEXA AND MICHAEL
It would have been easy to have not included any black and white photos in the set of final images, with all the wonderful color that was popping on the trees but I really love to deliver a mix of both formats. I think the black and whites photos give a really nice quality and atmosphere to images.
BOSTON PUBLIC GARDEN ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS | ALEXA AND MICHAEL
We finished up inside the public gardens on the bridge over the duck pond to capture some of the crowds of people, before heading outside to make use of the railings that surround it. This was our last stop before heading on over to Beacon Hill for a costume change and a completely different feel to the second half of their sitting.
BOSTON PUBLIC GARDEN ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS | ALEXA AND MICHAEL
This winter, Colleen and Emmet got in touch with Roberto about an engagement photography session in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood. Officially based in Ireland, Colleen and Emmet were spending a short part of their engagement separated by the Atlantic as Colleen did a clinical rotation in a Boston hospital as part of her medical training. Emmet, still based in Ireland, flew over to see her as often as possible, and it was during one of these visits that we caught up with the couple for their engagement photos.
BOSTON ENGAGEMENT SESSION | COLLEEN AND EMMET
The couple looked lovely, wearing great colors that popped against the red brick buildings in the Back Bay. We wandered around with them through the brisk evening, snapping away as we passed through the historic neighborhood with its unique architecture. Roberto had a few places in mind, but we also stumbled upon some great scenes on the way, including a tarnished green bay window and a stretch of stone wall where their shadows fell perfectly.
BOSTON ENGAGEMENT SESSION | COLLEEN AND EMMET
As we got close to finishing up, Roberto had one more shot in mind, but we needed the sun to go down. We ducked into Lolita’s for a quick drink to warm up while we waited. It was great to have a chat with Colleen and Emmet and hear about how they met and their plans for their future. We also had fun swapping stories of the crazy distances we were willing to travel for love, as Roberto and I also had the Atlantic between us when we first started dating.
BOSTON ENGAGEMENT SESSION | COLLEEN AND EMMET
Soon after sunset, we headed back outside for one more set of photos. The Commonwealth Avenue Mall is the strip of green that serves as a median between the east and westbound stretches of Comm Ave. Part of Boston’s “Emerald Necklace“, the Mall links the Back Bay Fens and the Public Gardens. Dotted with historic statues and impressive elm trees, the sun-dappled promenade is a favorite for runners and dog walkers alike. In the evenings, twinkle lights sparkle in the trees, and this is where we headed with Colleen and Emmet. Roberto set up some longer exposures and I put my biceps to work with the video light, and we captured the wonderful wintry scene.
BOSTON ENGAGEMENT SESSION | COLLEEN AND EMMETBOSTON ENGAGEMENT SESSION | COLLEEN AND EMMET
Colleen and Emmet, thanks for being such a fun couple to photograph. All the best for your wedding in Ireland, and hope to catch you for a pint next time we’re in Dublin!
BOSTON ESPLANADE ENGAGEMENT SESSION | VANESSA AND FERNANDO
We had arranged this engagement session to take place on a Saturday evening, but the weather that day did not want to play. It was pouring with rain in the morning, and the forecast was calling for more of the same. We made the call to change the shoot to Monday evening instead and were rewarded with one of the nicest evenings we could hope for down by the Charles River.
BOSTON ESPLANADE ENGAGEMENT SESSION | VANESSA AND FERNANDO
I have shot engagement sessions and lifestyle shoots on the Charles before, but this time we really wanted to explore all that this part of Boston had to offer. Starting with Fernando and Vanessa around an hour before sunset meant that we were going to get the best light of the day for their photographs. The hour before and after sunset or sunrise gives a beautiful light, and while I will rise at 4:00AM to shoot landscapes, expecting couples to get up at that time for an engagement session might be a bit much.
BOSTON ESPLANADE ENGAGEMENT SESSION | VANESSA AND FERNANDOBOSTON ESPLANADE ENGAGEMENT SESSION | VANESSA AND FERNANDO
I’m capturing Vanessa and Fernando’s Boston wedding in August this year and this was a great chance to get them both in front if the camera and spend some time with them. The Esplanade is a really great place for engagement photos in Boston, with the landscaped parks and Charles River providing a great backdrop, and there are lots of really interesting places within a short walk.
BOSTON ESPLANADE ENGAGEMENT SESSION | VANESSA AND FERNANDOBOSTON ESPLANADE ENGAGEMENT SESSION | VANESSA AND FERNANDO
I knew that I wanted to get them some shots over the bridges that cross the water and also incorporate some with the intricate masonry that lines the side of the still water pools that can be found along Boston’s esplanade. With the evening sunshine coming in and lighting them, we couldn’t have asked for better conditions.
BOSTON ESPLANADE ENGAGEMENT SESSION | VANESSA AND FERNANDO
After we shot there, we wanted to get some other images with the Longfellow Bridge in the background, as well as some of the sailboats that are a trademark of that part of town. The little docks that line the back of the Charles River gave us another great location for Fernando and Vanessa.
BOSTON ESPLANADE ENGAGEMENT SESSION | VANESSA AND FERNANDOBOSTON ESPLANADE ENGAGEMENT SESSION | VANESSA AND FERNANDO
I had a great time shooting with them both in Boston on a perfect summer evening. I can wait to catch up with you both again very soon for the big day!
BOSTON ESPLANADE ENGAGEMENT SESSION | VANESSA AND FERNANDOBOSTON ESPLANADE ENGAGEMENT SESSION | VANESSA AND FERNANDOBOSTON ESPLANADE ENGAGEMENT SESSION | VANESSA AND FERNANDO
If you are interested in having your engagement session at the Esplanade and along the banks of the Charles River or getting your Boston engagement photos in another part of town then don’t hesitate to get in touch, I can’t wait to hear from you. Oh and of course don’t forget to “like” the Facebook page here as well!
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.
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY ENGAGEMENT SESSION – MIKE & DENISE
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.
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY ENGAGEMENT SESSION – MIKE & DENISE
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.
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY ENGAGEMENT SESSION – MIKE & DENISE
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.
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY ENGAGEMENT SESSION – MIKE & DENISE
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.
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY ENGAGEMENT SESSION – MIKE & DENISEBOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY ENGAGEMENT SESSION – MIKE & DENISE
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.
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY ENGAGEMENT SESSION – MIKE & DENISE
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.
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY ENGAGEMENT SESSION – MIKE & DENISE
