I have wanted to do an engagement shoot in DUMBO for the longest time! There's so many different photo ops, with the incredible skyline, the two bridges, and so many iconic spots. Meera and Karthik were the perfect couple to take advantage of it all!
Meera had booked me early 2020, RIGHT before the pandemic hit. After rescheduling about a million times due to COVID, then the freezing cold new york city weather and snowstorms, and a bunch of other reasons, we vowed to do it on the first warm weekend we were both free - it turns out it was a full year after the original date - we were committed in making this work out and making their vision come to life.
Her vision? Not just a romantic shoot under the Brooklyn Bridge with the skyline and all of DUMBO's glory, but also a Save the Date video. Now, I don't normally do videography as I definitely specialize in photography but she emphasized she wanted it to be no longer than 20 seconds and just wanted me to put together some footage from the photo shoot. I was elated for a fresh opportunity.
We met up at the famous viewpoint spot with the rustic cobblestones, and the Empire State and Bridge in the background. It was the one of the first warm weekends of they year so naturally, it was filled with tourists, and photographers :) We shot a few photographs and twirls here - there were also lots of cars driving through the street so we made it quick! Rohit even helped me take some of the footage with his iPhone 12 wide angle :') bless.
What a great start! Then we made our way down to the waterfront.
There's this special spot that juts out into the water and has the absolute best view of FiDi that has always miraculously been empty. We had the whole little nook to ourselves and got some golden footage at golden hour (quite proud of that wordplay).
We walked along the water and found the most rustic, brooklyn-esque spot - the brick West Elm building with the arched windows! This was my absolute favorite spot of them all - perfect lighting, framing, and vibes. At this point, Meera and Karthik were pros at mixing in my posing prompts with their natural dynamic - full of laughs and sweet long gazes. I felt like I got to see their candid selves which is exactly what I strive for, especially for their Save the Date video!
We walked along the waterfront and got some wider angle shots of the view.
We topped if off with 2 of my favorite things: Jane's Carousel and ice cream from Ample Hills! This is also where I saw Meera's fear of birds come to life. We definitely avoided the garden area filled with pigeons to accommodate to her needs :'D
And finally, the best for last, this is the video I put together from all their footage! Couldn't have been happier with the results!