Amanda and Ben chose a sunny, hot day to trek up a steep, snaking trail; but that’s the price of admission to a nice view. And the Pinnacles, just outside of Berea, delivered on the goods. They’ll be getting married at the trail’s base in October, so it was kinda fitting that they opted to do their engagement photography there as well. And we happened upon a couple of view-enjoying tipplers who were gracious enough to hold a few lights for us, once the sun went down. I was slightly uneasy at the thought of a nighttime descent back to our cars, but low and behold, Ben’s cellphone put out enough wattage to light a city block.

Shawna and Jordan both have ties to Eastern Kentucky University, so it was only fitting that we seized on that location for their engagement shoot. Even though I teach there—and stomp around the grounds most mornings with my photography students—the place took on a completely different feel in the late evening, which was a nice surprise. And Shawna and Jordan were game for anything that came their way, even raiding a batting cage over by Lake Reba. They opted to forego the batting helmets, which, all safety concerns aside, probably ended up being the right decision.

It’s always a pleasure photographing personal friends, even if it ratchets up the pressure a tad. I had gotten to know Kris through the student newspaper at Eastern Kentucky University, and he had become my most trusted source for anything web or technology related. So when he mentioned last year that he was marrying his girlfriend, Breanne, I was hoping I could use photography to return all the favors and advice he’s given my over the years. Alas, they’re getting married in Washington, D.C., which pretty much eliminated me from providing their wedding photography. But I was happy to hear they wanted some engagement photographs. We trekked around Lexington, Kentucky, hitting all the usual spots and a few more (all while trying to dodge all the other wedding and engagement photographers out there). At any rate, hope you guys enjoy. And have fun on your adventure together.

Emma and Stuart had originally planned to hike up a mountain for their engagement shoot–which sounded like a lot of fun, if a serious challenge as well. But at the last minute, they decided to do their photos a little closer to home, opting for nearby Shaker Village. Then, after the sun started going down, we hightailed it back to Stuart’s family home, which offered a nice view of the falling sun. We even hopped a fence, thinking this one tree out in the field looked kinda nice. As soon as we were done, however, and had hopped back over the fence onto his folks’ lawn, a pair of horses came screaming out of the dark and charged up to the fence, apparently none too keen on our little photo session. Never thought I’d have the beejesus scared out of me by horses. But there you go. You learn something every day.