Tannehill Engagement Photography: Tara + Shaun

Check out our preview of Tara and Shaun’s fantastic engagement photography session with their two dogs at Tannehill State Park!

KELLI’S NOTE: WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?

This photo inspired me to take a cue from the New York Times, which features details of great photos and the thoughts of those involved at the moment the image was taken.  This first photo is actually from later in the engagement photo session. I have no idea how photographers get great photos in a one-hour engagement shoot. Our best images at Daniel Taylor Photography always come in the last 45 minutes of a 2-2.5 hour session, which is our standard. It takes that long for everyone to really, really get comfortable. It’s also the magic bullet for great wedding day photos, because the bride and grown really know us by then and they don’t have photo nerves. Tara and Shaun’s photos were gorgeous up until this point (I mean goodness, look at them), but something changed when we put them together like this.

WHAT WAS KELLI THINKING AT THIS MOMENT? “I was thinking “Oh my word, what just happened here?! She is connecting with the camera like crazy and it’s incredible. We’re seeing who she is with him. Their kids are going to look at this and know who their parents were in 2011.”

WHAT WAS TARA THINKING AT THIS MOMENT? “In the first photo I think I was just thinking how natural it feels to be laying in the grass on a pretty day with Shaun and how one of my favorite things is to grab a blanket and have a picnic with Shaun and the dogs!”

WHAT WAS SHAUN THINKING AT THIS MOMENT?

“Option one: what I should be thinking: How lucky I am to be getting married to a girl that has it all. She is beautiful, intelligent, and has the kindest heart I have ever seen. Option two: what I probably was thinking: I bet the dogs are hot.”

BACK TO THE POST: Tara and Shaun are one of those adorable couples whose energy is contagious. We were so thrilled when they invited us to photograph their wedding, which will be in July at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church in Birmingham, Ala.

We kicked things off with a gorgeous engagement photography session at Tannehill State Park in McCalla, along with their two dogs, Wesley and Dakota. The canines even helped Shaun propose when each one wore an engraved tag popping the question.

We had such a fun afternoon with the four of them!  And believe it or not, Tara wasn’t a huge fan of having her photo taken. Sigh. Here’s a sneak peak of their incredible engagement photos. This is going to be a great wedding!