Pizitz Building / Avondale Park / Engagement Session / Sushma and Sal

I’m not sure I can adequately express how much I loved this engagement session so I’ll probably let the photographs tell most of the story. Here are a few details though. Sushma and Sal wanted to begin with an urban feel for their photos so we thought about several different locations before deciding to meet at the Pizitz Food Hall  http://www.thepizitz.com/food-hall/ .  I could not have been happier with our decision! It was the perfect start to their engagement session because they got to ease into photos with a warm (TBH very hot) cup of tea. There was plenty of outdoor seating in a shaded courtyard with this beautiful, raw, natural-looking wall as the backdrop.
Sushma and Sal were encouraged to engage with one another more than the camera. You can see the importance and love they feel for one another, which is really sweet, but what’s also great is how much they really make each other laugh! They were genuinely happy to spend the time together and appeared not to mind that I documented two hours of their lives. The best part was that not only did they not mind, they seemed rather unaffected, which made the photos look even more natural.

Next, we walked around the alley right next to The Pizitz. The city of Birmingham really is a wealth of fun locations with interesting buildings and places to photograph.  We made a short stop to overlook the city before traveling to Avondale Park https://www.birminghamal.gov/parks-and-recreation/parks/, one of my favorite parks! It’s so big and has so many possibilities for photos. It also happens to have several colorful trees that never disappoint in the fall. They asked if they could have a clothing change mid-way through the session and I was in love with the idea. Just look at them! Stunning!
We found the best location in the entire park at sunset right beside a very large, very colorful tree with low hanging branches. I nearly cried when I saw it and how beautiful it was! I’m a little emotional, I know, but just look at these sunset photos! Lastly, they really wanted to swing. Had they told me at the beginning of the session, I may have wondered how it would fit in with our afternoon plans, but by the end of this engagement session, it just had to happen. It was the perfect ending to this fun afternoon. I can’t wait for their wedding!