“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” – Plato
UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — The Museum of Natural History is a fascinating place for couples who enjoy travel, the study of biology and/or interactive exhibitions. When asked about her ideal vision for an engagement photography collection Janet wrote, “I want something casual and playful – We’re still kind of kids at heart.” This simple sentence so completely captures the course of their engagement session. An exploration around Manhattan and the Museum of Natural History is like a private journey through time. I am happy to share this remarkable love story with you…
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A remarkable love story is about adventure but its also about engagement. For the day, Janet & Chip ventured around Manhattan visiting some of their favorite places in New York: Madison Square Park, The Flatiron Building and Shake Shack (great milkshakes and infamously long lines) and then traveled by train to the Upper West Side. Arriving at West 81st Street, the couple made their way over to the American Museum of Natural History. In fact, this was this very spot in New York where Chip proposed to Janet.
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Watching Janet and Chip explore each hall of the Dinosaur exhibition reminded me of elementary school, class trips and bag lunches. Entering the Great Hall, they were awestruck by the breath-taking dinosaur exhibition; a towering five story Barosaurus nearly fills the room. This single exhibit represents the largest freestanding dinosaur display in the world. The museum was opened in 1869 and is home to the world’s largest collection of vertebrate fossils.
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This is one of my favorite photographs from the entire engagement photography session. I especially enjoy the eye-contact and the expression in Chip’s hands. This is one of the many ways you can “see” engagement.
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I really love Janet’s wide range of facial expressions. I want to post an image of her next to a the giant tortoise…but she would kill me!
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The story of Dinosaurs (and this photograph in particular) remind me of the famous Darwin quote, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” Look at the talons on that thing…
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Most of us do not MAKE time for play. Thankfully, this engagement photography session took place on President’s Day allowing the couple to ditch their Blackberry’s for the day and enjoy an old-fashioned field trip around New York City. I believe the location you choose for your engagement session should celebrate a personal quality about your relationship. This will serve to heighten your engagement with each other and the space. Thank you to Janet & Chip for the opportunity to document such a unique and special play date. I wish you both many more for the future!
UPDATE: Enjoy the custom album design we created for Janet & Chip featured exclusively on The Queensberry Blog. You can also see the new york engagement film we created for Janet and Chip.
