Category Archives: Engagement Sessions

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Engagements 2008!!

December 19, 2008 – 1:10 am

It’s that time of year again!! Time to look back at all the wonderful couples we had the incredible pleasure to work with. We can’t even begin to express how much we loved getting to know these absolutely wonderful people. It is so awesome to be able to share and capture moments from their most important days. Our clients are the best!!

We are going to start with some highlights from the engagement sessions that we photographed this year. In about a week or so we will be putting up a slideshow of some of our favorite images from each wedding. For now, sit back, relax and enjoy some of our personal favorites from our 2008 engagement sessions.

By Robert J. Trenske | Also posted in Slideshows | Comments (8)

Kristel & Michael’s Engagement Session in NYC

December 12, 2008 – 1:24 am

It’s a story that could have been told 100 years ago. A job opportunity brings a young man to America. Shortly after his arrival to Manhattan, he meets a woman who is also relatively new to the states. They have dinner. They fall in love. He proposes.

- Kristel & Michael -

Kristel moved in NYC after being raised in South Africa. Michael came from Canada. Only in a city like New York could two people from completely different parts of the world find each other so quickly.

When Michael moved to NYC, he decided to go online to try to meet some new people. He saw Kristel’s profile online and contacted her right away – she was the first woman he went on a date with in since being in the city. It was last first date each of them would go on. They have been together ever since.

We met Kristel in Michael last Saturday in Grand Central Terminal. They recently moved to Connecticut, but decided to do their engagement session in NYC because it’s where they met, fell in love, and lived for the last three years. It was an awesome session. Kristel is so laid back and easy to talk to, she made everything seem at calm – even in the middle of the busiest city in the world. Michael has an energy about him, he was constantly making Kristel (and us) laugh throughout the day. You can see in the pictures that they just look right together, and they make everyone around them smile. I know we were.

Kristel and Michael, thank you so much for a wonderful day. We really enjoyed getting to know you both and listening to your awesome stories. We’re looking forward to seeing you again in April.

We met Kristel & Mike at Grand Central Station last Saturday. We really love this building and thought it would be a nice central place to meet. Plus it was a little chilly out so before we braved the cool weather we spent some time inside.

We love the energy in this building, it is always so crazy with people coming in from all over the place and never having enough time. To get this shot, I was half on my back and half on my side in the middle of everyone. I think a couple of people almost tripped over me, but hey all for the good shot, right?!

Kristel and Mike were so wonderful to work with and willing to show how much they love each other no matter how many other people were around.

We spent some time walking around GCS finding some fun nooks to take pictures in. The photo on the left is Kathleen’s and the one on the right is mine.

After we spent a few minutes at Grand Central, we headed over to Central Park. It had warmed up slightly and the weather (despite the weather reports) was remarkably enjoyable.

:)

I love the classic feel of this one, it is one of my personal favorites from this session.

While walking around the park, we found some wonderful long grass so of course we had spend some of our time there.

Here is one of my shots…

…And here is Kathleen’s from the same moment.

I told you, we really love the tall grass, it adds such nice detail.

Also very classic :)

One of the things that we like about Central Park are all the tree-lined pathways throughout. It is such a nice oasis from the craziness of the city.

Kathleen captured this shot while we were in The Mall and I simply LOVE IT!!

Kristel & Mike are such a great couple, they were all about having as much fun as possible while we were shooting. This one is my shot…

…And this is Kathleen’s from just a moment later.

What did I tell you? They really gave us a lot of fun things to work with!! :)

A nice wide shot just because we really like this stage area.

A nice portrait before…

…Mike broke out a couple of his dance moves with some street performers. How cool is that!?!

Ok on the left, I included it because it really made us laugh!! :) The top right is Kathleen’s and the bottom right is mine.

HAHA :)

This one is by far my favorite from Kristel & Mike’s session. I just really love everything about it.

So sweet!

After the park we finished Kristel & Mike’s session up on the Brooklyn Bridge. We also love all the energy up there. It is such a rush to walk over the bridge, there are incredible views of the city and well it is just really cool.

This is one of Kathleen’s favorites!

Same moment as the photo before, just closer. Which one do you like better?

We took a quick break about halfway across the bridge.

…And one more break just a couple of minutes later. :)

Kristel & Mike, we had an amazing time spending the day with you, you are both so much fun and we can’t wait for your wedding!!
Rob & Kathleen

By Robert J. Trenske | Comments (8)

Joanne & Drew’s Engagement Session in Westchester, NY

November 16, 2008 – 7:44 pm

It was senior year in college when she noticed him. They weren’t friends, in fact they had never actually spoken, but she had seen him around campus. Reflecting back today, she says that even before they had met she just knew he was “the one.” Three days before graduation she finally bit the bullet and went over and talked to him at a bar. He had just cut his long hair that day, so she thought of the perfect opening line. “Nice haircut,” she said with a smile. They were at college together in Syracruse, NY – where Drew’s family lives as well. After graduation, Joanne returned to her hometown of Trumbull, CT. Normally, a long distance relationship can be hard – but it would have been especially difficult on one that had just begun. But fate had other plans. Drew just happened to have an internship at a company in Shelton, only minutes from Trumbull, that summer. They were clearly meant to be.

Drew is an artist – he makes the most incredible sculptures. So it seemed natural that he should incorporate art into his proposal. He took a picture of the two of them – a close up of their faces – and created an incredible mosaic out of it, incorporating all of the pictures of them as a couple and all the pictures he had ever taken of her. (They showed us it in person, its beautiful.) That alone would have been amazing, but he took it one step further. He called every museum in NYC (Joanne works in the city), and asked if he could put the picture on display. He finally found one that let him. It was a gallery that had an exhibit they had been wanting to see anyway. So, they went to the exhibit. They walked through the entire exhibit, to every room. Finally they came upon the very last room. Drew walks in and turns to Joanne, “What do you think of this one?” He said, gesturing to the picture he had made. She looked at it for a minute, “That’s us!” she said. He got down on one knee right there in the gallery. Of course she said yes.

- Joanne & Drew -

We met Joanne and Drew on Sunday at their apartment in Croton-on-Hudson. We started the session out at the Boscobell House and Gardens in Garrison. It’s a gorgeous old mansion situated on 45 acres of woods with a breathtaking view of the Hudson River. Joanne and Drew chose the location because they think it has the best view of the river. They have also gone there a lot in the summer to picnic and watch live theater performances on the grounds.

From there we headed over to Peekskill, where there is a dock, a park and train station – all within a few feet of each other. We were there right around sunset, the sun setting on the water was perfect for some shots on the dock. Of course, we also had to do some train shots as well. (Anyone who knows Rob well probably knows that he loves taking photos around mass transportation – trains, planes, boats, etc.) After grabbing a bite to eat in a very cool brewery restaurant, we went back to Joanne and Drew’s apartment. They live in a really cool old building, built in the early 1900s. We took advantage of the hallways with the exposed brick and dramatic lighting. At some point someone mentioned that we could go up to the roof. We did hesitate for a second – we went straight up there. The moon was almost full (Gibbous) as Joanne told me – so it was casting some beautiful light onto the roof, resulting in some amazing photos. It seemed like the perfect way to finish the session.

So here are a few of our favorite photos from Joanne & Drew’s Engagement Session. Enjoy the photos and of course Rob’s commentary. Hope everyone had a great weekend!! :)

The foliage was simply beautiful when we arrived on the grounds of The Boscobell House. This was also the first time we got to witness Joanne’s incredible smile.

This is a shot that Kathleen captured of Joanne & Drew just enjoying the beautiful autumn day…

…Here is my view a moment later.

We LOVE hands.

There were so many great little places to shoot around the Boscobell House, little brick walls, and plenty of open areas, trees and creeks, and of course the Hudson River. It was so nice there!


I really LOVE this one, this is my view…

…and this one is Kathleen’s.

Isn’t it great how these two look at each other?!

:)

A nice straight on portrait, the leaves made for a really nice backdrop.

I really love how leaves look in black and white as well.

So sweet! :)

There were some amazing clouds overhead and Kathleen did an amazing job capturing this one. It is so moody!!

This feels very classic and timeless to me.

I climbed up onto a small roof to get this shot. I love stairs from above. The stairs combined with how they were holding each other make this one of my favorites from this session.

There was actually this small building on the property that was built into a hill. We went to the top of the building, I really liked the grass. This is my view…

…and this is Kathleen’s from below looking up.

We took advantage of all the beautiful fall leaves, this is Kathleen’s shot…

…and this it mine.

Did I mention that we love hands?!? :)

There was this really nice pond that we simply had to take some photos by. Kathleen and I really loved all of the reflections in the water. This is my view…

…and this is Kathleen’s view from a moment later.

While we were walking back to our car to head to our next spot, we noticed that the tree-lined drive up to the house was just beautiful. Drew gracefully dipped Joanne and gave her a kiss… it gave us the perfect opportunity for a great picture.

After leaving the Boscobell House we headed over to Peekskill so we could get closer to the water. There were these great docks where we got to enjoy the sun setting over the Hudson River.

We stopped by the train station (also by the river) and while on the platform we spotted these really great lamps. I love using only available light to create really moody and natural photos. This one is also another one of my favorites from their day.

After grabbing a bite to eat with Joanne & Drew we headed back to their apartment. We wanted to see the piece of art that Drew had made for Joanne for his proposal. It looks even better in person than a photograph could show. It is 4 foot by 5 foot and is made up of all of the photos of them as a couple and of the photos that Drew took of Joanne over the years. We absolutely love it!!

We then headed into this really cool stairwell that lead to the roof of their apartment building. I loved the exposed brick and the one lightbulb the provided the perfect opportunity for a nice silhouette.

When we got to the roof top, we almost lost our mind when we saw how beautiful the moon was. I took this shot handheld (without a tripod). I was psyched to see how beautiful it came out. The stars, the moon… I LOVE IT!!!! :) :)

Thank you for a wonderful day Joanne & Drew – we had such a great time getting to know you both. And by the way, the Pumpkin Chocolate Bread was awesome!! We can’t wait your wedding and to catch up with you again soon!!
Rob & Kathleen

By Robert J. Trenske | Comments (8)

Kristina & Rob’s Engagement at Southport Beach & Downtown Fairfield

November 10, 2008 – 11:23 am

It was a job interview. Kristina, all dressed up in her suit, had just finished the interview and got on the elevator to go back to her car. Rob, in his sunglasses and carrying a gallon of juice, was coming back into work and waiting for the elevator. The doors opened and their eyes met. They didn’t say anything, but a connection was made. Thankfully she got the job. They talked casually for the first month, a few words around the office along with some exchanged e-mails – and then finally he asked her out. For their first date they went to SBC (Southport Brewing Company) for dinner followed by a romantic walk along the beach in Southport. They have been together ever since.

Two and a half years later, Rob takes her back to SBC, reliving that first date. Of course, dinner was followed by another trip to the beach – that much Kristina could have seen coming. But then Rob took her completely by surprise. They walked over to the bench they had sat at that first night and he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him.

- Kristina & Rob -

When it came time to pick a location to do their engagement session, the decision was easy. It had to be Southport beach. We met Kristina and Rob early Sunday morning. The sun was beautiful, the sky was an incredible shade of blue, and – the best part – it was low tide. We were so excited to see the tall beach grass (one of our favorite things) on one side of the beach. Since the tide was low, Kristina and Rob were able to walk all around in the tall grass – which we loved. We really explored the beach area which had a lot of cool textures – stone walls, large rocks, a lifeguard tower, and, of course, the bench were Rob proposed to Kristina. To add a little contrast to the beach, we also headed to downtown Fairfield for some fun shots by the train station.

We arrived at the beach in beautiful Southport right around 9:30am last Sunday. The sunlight was simply beautiful and it was low tide, meaning we could shoot in a lot more places than if it was high tide. We immediately spotted tall beach grass (one of my very favorite things :) ) and figured it was the perfect place to start.

I love the moodiness that the black and white toning created in this one.

This one is one of my favorites from this session. :)

We really liked the line of rocks surrounded by the tall grass on each side.

Check out that blue sky!! Isn’t it beautiful. This is my shot…

…and this one is Kathleen’s. I love how she saw this moment.

I like how different this angle is.

The beach is filled with so many textures during low tide that you just wouldn’t find when the water is higher.

Kathleen captured this awesome moment of Kristina & Rob, they are such a sweet couple. I think this shot really shows that.

We took a break from the sun and went under this deck on the back of a building on the beach. It provided us with some nice even lighting and gave us a chance to get some nice portraits. Both Kristina & Rob have such nice eyes, they really show in this one.

Kathleen shot their hands all tangled together. I say it all the time but I love the emotion that hands can portray.

This was the exact table on the beach that Rob proposed to Kristina. This is my view…

…and this is Kathleen’s.

After we spent some time at the beach, we headed to downtown Fairfield by the train station. We love shooting around trains (as you will also see in an upcoming engagement session that we just photographed :) ). On the way up to the platform we spotted this cool wall.

A quick kiss before the train arrived…

…and a close-up of their hands.

We loved the way that these two smiled, I love how Kathleen captured this moment.

There is always so much energy when a train is coming in, it is such a cool time to shoot.

I LOVE this one!! :)

:)

A kiss on the forehead before heading to the green.

We got to get a little fall foliage into the session, the Fairfield green was filled with such beautiful colors.

A simple black and white.

They finished off their session with a sweet piggy-back ride…

…which gave us one more chance to use the amazing colors of the trees as their backdrop.

Thank you Kristina and Rob for a wonderful Sunday morning. We loved being able to get some amazing photos at a place that is so special to you.
We can’t wait for your wedding!!
Rob & Kathleen

By Robert J. Trenske | Comments (9)

Gillian & Eric’s Engagement Session in Cheshire

November 6, 2008 – 2:42 pm

I believe Bruce Springsteen put it best when he said, “Nothing matters in this whole wide world when you’re in love with a Jersey girl .” Of course this statement makes me feel special, being a Jersey girl myself, but I think Eric (and Rob, for that matter) would have to agree with the Boss.

- Gillian & Eric -

Two states separated this Massachusetts boy and Jersey girl but a common interest brought them together. They met at UCONN, where they were both studying to be pharmacists. They have a shared lust for life – longing to live every moment to the fullest while having a great time along the way (which I’m sure they’ll do on their Australian honeymoon). When they are together, looking into each other’s eyes, you can feel a sense of calm coming from the two of them. They know they have made the right decision to spend the rest of their lives together. Eric makes Gillian smile. Gillian shows Eric, that “nothing matters when your in love.”

* Just a small side note * So, like I do with every person I meet from NJ, I asked Gillian what part of the state she was from. She’s from Jersey City – the same place my father grew up. So I asked her what street he lived on. She laughed – she had lived on the very same street as my Dad. What a small world!!

Here are just some of our favorite moments from Gillian & Eric’s Engagement Session, with commentary by Rob. :) Enjoy!!

We started Gillian & Eric’s Engagement Session at this great walking trail right by their house in Cheshire. The trail was filled with so many beautiful trees, a lake, tall grass and a whole lot of good stuff.

The light coming through the trees was amazing…

…and so were the colors of the fall foliage. I remember saying to Gillian and Eric how great it felt just to be outside and breathe the fresh air, it was so nice!!

Gillian and Eric are such a sweet couple, I love how they are totally perfect for each other, we are so lucky to get to spend our time with the most wonderful couples.

We really loved the fences along the trail.

I just really like this one. :)

Back by popular vote we would like to show my view of some shots followed immediately by Kathleen’s view, so…without further ado, this is my shot…

…and this one is Kathleen’s.

More of that yummy light coming though the trees. Yes you read right, I used the word yummy. :)

We headed down to the water for a couple of minutes, notice they hardly ever stop smiling even when they kiss, so sweet!!

Such a nice moment!!

You should have seen us loose our mind when we saw the long grass, it is one of our favorite things. This one is my view…

…and this one is Kathleen’s rockin’ view.

The long grass and little flowers were so beautiful.

:)

At the end of the trail we crossed over the lake to this beautiful open field. Again this one is my shot…

…and this is Kathleen’s.

This tree was fun, I love the textures and the overall feeling of this photo.

YEA!!!! More tall grass. :)

We walked the trail all the way back (so we could get back to the car), we stopped in a couple of places that we didn’t on the first time through.

Kathleen saw this and we just had to take a couple of shots here. How awesome!!

Here are the last two shots of Gillian & Eric’s Engagement Session, this one is my view…

…and this one is Kathleen’s view, isn’t it amazing how much a picture can change when you just move a little or change one or two little things, it always amazes me. I LOVE the light coming through in this shot!!

By Robert J. Trenske | Comments (7)

Amy & Phil’s Engagement Session @ Ram Pasture in Newtown

November 2, 2008 – 10:16 pm

They met in economics class – a required class that neither of them really wanted to take. She caught his eye – her contagious laugh and red curly hair were hard to miss. He charmed her right away with his easy-going personality and sense of humor. Today they both laugh when they think back. Who would have though that a class they dreaded going to would lead them to such happiness?

- Amy & Phil -

We met Amy & Phil last weekend for their engagement session at Ram Pasture in Newtown. The pasture is significant to them because they went here a lot while they were dating. It’s a beautiful stretch of land right in the middle of Newtown – with a lake, weeping willow trees, stone bridges, and, of course, lots of foliage.

We had a great time photographing them – they were complete naturals. Not only did they just look right together, you could tell how comfortable they were with one another. And that really shines through in every picture. They were constantly making each other (and us) laugh. They clearly had a great time. And so did we.

We started Amy & Steve’s Engagement Session right around noon, which as most of you know is really hard light to work with. We did however find a nice shady spot under a tree.

We headed towards the pond in the middle of the park where Kathleen captured this sweet moment of Amy & Phil.

I really like this shot. Something about the combination of our 30 f/1.4 and 1D Mark III really captures blue skies beautifully.

These two were smiling and laughing throughout the whole session.

Kathleen and I really loved this tree and the extreme backlight, Amy & Phil must have thought we were crazy because we couldn’t stop shooting there. This one is my view…

…and this one is Kathleen’s a second later.

:)

Even when Amy & Phil didn’t think we were looking, Amy had a huge smile on her face…

…and every time that Phil looked at Amy, the same smile appeared on his face…

…and usually resulted in a kiss.

We love this one!!

We walked over to the bridge where we had some nice even lighting, perfect for a quick portrait…

…and a fun shot from above.

We LOVE Amy’s gorgeous curly red hair!!

After we spent some time at Ram Pasture, we decided to go into town to add a nice contrast to this session. We quickly found the Newtown Town Hall Building.

This one makes me laugh, I really like the looks on both of their faces.

We really love bricks, stairs and sweet couples!!

Don’t they make you want to smile?

:)

We had actually finished this session and walking back to our cars when Kathleen and I spotted these really cool yellow stairs, we just had to take a shot or two there.

We had such an amazing time with Amy & Phil, we can’t wait to the wedding!!

By Robert J. Trenske | Comments (7)

Sarah & Scott’s Engagement Session in NYC

October 28, 2008 – 4:17 pm

When Sarah entered the bar that night she had no idea her life was about to change. Her friend recognized someone across the room – a high school classmate. It was Scott. Sarah’s friend went over to Scott to catch up, casually introducing the two. As the night went on, Sarah and Scott really hit it off. He made her laugh; she brought a smile to his face. They started dating right away and have been together ever since.

A year ago, Sarah and Scott moved from Colorado to Stamford for Scott’s job. Sarah quickly found a job in NYC and they have loved exploring their new surroundings. Since, their wedding will be in Colorado (the reception will be in the hotel that was used in the movie the Shining), Sarah and Scott decided to do their engagement pictures in NYC. What better way to represent their new home on the east coast?

When Sarah contacted us about doing engagement pictures in NYC, Rob and I were very excited. The city is really special to us – it’s where Rob proposed and it’s where we did our own engagement session. So it was very cool for us to go to some of those same locations with Sarah and Scott and retrace our steps, this time on the other side of the camera.

We started the day in Central Park, by the mall and the boat house. What we love most about Central Park is that even though it’s a very large park, it still feels like NYC. You’re away from the noise, the traffic and the skyscrapers, but it still has a definitive city feel. And it has so much to offer – the 40-foot wide Mall Promenade with it’s beautiful American Elm trees (where they filmed part of the movie Enchanted), the row boat area (where Carrie fell into the water on Sex and the City, and where my brother proposed to his wife), not to mention the tons of other buildings with incredible architecture and the street musicians that bring the park to life.

Afterward we headed over to the Brooklyn Bridge for a different feel. The bridge itself with it’s cables and archways makes for an awesome backdrop – the view of the city skyline makes it even better. We walked down into Brooklyn just in time for sunset. We finished the day at Brooklyn Bridge Park, where there is an breathtaking view of the city and the bridge, which is even cooler when all the lights come on. It was the perfect ending to a classic NYC session.

So please enjoy some photos from Sarah & Scott’s NYC Engagement Session, narrated of course by Rob :)

We started Sarah & Scott’s Engagement at the Mall in Central Park. This part of the park is one of our favorites parts, the American elm trees and benches lining the central promenade are simply beautiful.

Such a sweet moment.

When Kathleen and I had our engagement session we actually went to the park and I remember how much I liked these benches, this area is so peaceful, you almost forget you are in the middle of NYC.

I like to watch how couples look at each other, the way Sarah looked at Scott was so sweet.

We stopped for a quick portrait, these two were simply great!

I really love the stairs at the end of the central promenade especially from above.

Sarah & Scott started dancing while we were shooting from on top of the bridge, so awesome!!

They way Scott looks at Sarah is really sweet too!

Kathleen and I really loved this texture, it made for the perfect background.

After coming down the stairs there are beautiful archways, I really love New York!!

:)

We stopped by the fountain and Sarah & Scott stole a quick kiss.

This was too great!! This street performer (who by the way was awesome) looked over and started playing as Sarah and Scott sat there.

It was such a sweet moment, one that could have only happened in New York City.

The weeping trees in the park are beautiful.

Love this moment, it is so sweet with the row boats in the background.

One of my favorite silhouettes ever!!

After we finished in the park we grabbed a taxi and headed to the Brooklyn Bridge.

Before we got in the taxi Kathleen captured Sarah and Scott kissing as a bus went by, I really like the ad on the bus, I thought it added to the emotion.

It took a while but we finally made it to the Brooklyn Bridge, the lighting was so beautiful up there.

The architecture of the bridge is so great, I wanted to make sure we got that into some of their photos.

So sweet!!

I love how Sarah and Scott are looking at each other here.

As we were walking down to the park by the water where you can see the Brooklyn Bridge, Kathleen spotted this awesome building with crazy textures, colors and one solitary lightbulb, we simply had to get a quick shot there.

We got to the park and this to me is one of the places in the city with the coolest views. We thought it would be the perfect place to finish up Sarah & Scott’s Session. I really love it!!

By Robert J. Trenske | Also posted in Destinations | Comments (9)