It was a cold January day in South Jersey...
Ariona and Janell had just gotten back from a trip to Florida - so they may have been feeling the cold a little more than we were! And maybe that's why these two were absolutely GLOWING for their photoshoot!
We arrived in Haddonfield around 2:30 that day, a couple hours ahead of sunset. The sun was shining brightly but, as usual, the main strip of Kings Highway was beautifully shaded. It was about 35 degrees that day, but Ariona and Janell were bundled up in some beautiful trench coats and warm bottoms. We were loving the clean lines of their jackets and the accessories they chose. All those little details added interest while still keeping them warm!
As South Jersey photographers, we absolutely love hosting photoshoots in Haddonfield. The vibe is so intimate and rich and the space is perfect for couples and families of nearly any size or age. We also love shooting in nearby Hopkins Pond or Haddon Lake Park for some extra greenery (when it's not January and all the trees in New Jersey are bare!).
Today's shoot was certainly no exception and it did not disappoint! We started off our journey in the grounds around one of the many churches along Kings Highway in Haddonfield. They have a beautiful courtyard with stones and a small garden, and we just loved they way that Ariona and Janell's look that day just seemed to perfectly fit the space.
These two were looking absolutely fabulous and perfectly illustrate one of the biggest pieces of advice we give to our couples when they ask about what to wear for their engagement photoshoot: coordinate, don't match! Funny enough, Ariona and Janell told us that when they started picking out clothes, they must have both been on the same wavelength because they picked out nearly the same outfit by accident! But by making some subtle changes like Janell's pants being lighter than Ariona's and Ariona's jacket being lighter than Janell's, they wound up coordinating their looks perfectly.
One of the reasons we give this advice is because, for couples, we love to have you get close to each other during the shoot and snuggle up a bit. If you're both wearing the same or very similar colors on top or on bottom, it can be really hard to tell where one of you ends and the other begins. And while that can be interesting from an abstract art perspective, it's not always the look that our clients are going for!
A shot like this really illustrates our point - if their outfits were too closely matched, you would completely lose out on the sense of two people becoming one!
We spent a lot of time in this area before moving on, and we hope you can see why with some of these photos that we created!
After a bit, we did eventually leave because we had the rest of the downtown strip to explore together! We kept walking for a while and took full advantage of the many nooks and crannies in town.
Before long we found a seating area that was situated in some really great light, so we got to give these two a little rest from walking around town in heeled boots.
We were also able to play around in front of the Starbucks (because sometimes just being around one is all you need, am I right?!). We got created some interesting shots with the holiday lights that were still on the trees. Hey, Haddonfield, we aren't judging! We are guilty of leaving our holiday decor up a bit too long as well... Glad to see we're in good company!
One of the last places we ended up was - you guessed it - another church! This one still had bright green beautiful grass, which isn't something you see all the time as a photographer in South Jersey in the middle of winter! So of course we took full advantage of it.
Seriously, how luscious is that grass? Don't mind us as we dream of this spot for a little bit longer!
So many of our couples wonder if you can have beautiful engagement photos in South Jersey in the winter - and we totally understand that concern! The trees aren't always pretty to look at and in general you never know when you're going to get a near-freezing day! But, we'll say that there are definitely ways to work around this and we can absolutely still create some beautiful images even in the dead of winter. South Jersey is a beautiful place and has such a variety of locations that even when most of the trees are bare and the pretty parks aren't really all that pretty, we can still find great spots for our couples' sessions. The key is being experienced and knowledgeable in the area to be able to work with the season and not against it!
If you're in the market for photography services in South Jersey - whether that's family photos, engagement photos, or more - we'd love to talk with you about your vision and how we can help bring it to life!
