Tag Archives: Couples

Whetstone Engagement

One of the most rewarding parts of photographing happy couples is photographing happy couples that you know in your personal life. Over the past two years, I’ve gotten to know Alyssa, her family and her fiance Jeff. I am so honored to be able to call them friends and celebrate their wedding with them next weekend!

I’m slightly obsessed with the dress Alyssa wore to the session. When she stepped out of the car, I literally had a moment- she took my breath away. She was glowing from ear to ear. We had their session at the Whetstone Park of Roses as the sun set on a warm August evening. The park itself was having its second wind of roses blooming everywhere, which needless to say made for a magical setting.

Whetstone has this gravel road path that I’m so enamored with. I think that path alone is why I’ve scheduled so many sessions there this year. For some reason, it reminds me of the path that leads to Forrest Gump’s house. I’m even going to use it for my son’s Christmas photo this year. I digress.

When the sun was at its lowest point in the sky where I could still shoot, we brought in the doggie brigade to step up the photo excitement. A Golden Doodle and a Mini Golden Doodle…needless to say both of them are balls of non-stop energy. The funniest part of the whole session was when it came time to shoot their photos, I swear to you they were posing like little models. Still, calm and patient. I’m not sure that’s really ever happened on one of my shoots with multiple dogs before. Take note all people looking for dog models!

I’m so excited to share these with you all today and I’m even more excited to spend such an exciting day with these two next weekend! Enjoy!!

Downtown Columbus Engagement

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Andrew and Heather are both Architects, a profession that is near and dear to my heart, as my father is an architect as well. They met at Kent State which has a killer architecture program and spent long nights working on projects together. They both have a diverse range of interests and are very wise beyond their years….to an impressive degree.

For their engagement shoot, we let the architecture of downtown Columbus be our inspiration. We found lots of cool angles, details and textures to work with. It was early July and down by the riverfront vendors were setting up for the 4th of July fireworks celebrations so the streets were alive with excitement. The sun was direct and bright in the sky which provided the opportunity for cool silhouettes and some more dramatic shots. I loved Heather’s high pony tail and bold blue dress- it was the perfect color for photos. These two have a refreshing mix of being laid back, silly and super sweet with each-other. I just loved hanging out with them for an afternoon.

Their wedding was the following month in August so it was fun hearing about how their wedding planning was coming along. I especially loved hearing them describe the cookie table they’d be having. I could talk about cookies everyday. You’d have to ask my husband, but I probably actually do talk about cookies everyday. I digress.

I can’t wait to share these with you all today! Urban portraits are some of my all-time favorite photos to take, because I love the uniqueness of all the locations and the feeling of exploring when we walk around finding them together. I hope you love these as much as I did taking them:) Thank you Andrew and Heather! Keep an eye out for a blog about their wedding in the coming month. XO Jess

Whetstone Maternity Session

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I wanted to start out Babypalooza week with a couple of micro-maternity sessions I did last month. Today’s post was for my friend Erin and the shoot only lasted about 15 minutes on the most beautiful summer evening. The light and the surroundings at the lush Whetstone Park of Roses were just magical. Erin gave birth 4-5 days after this, so needless to say, she was only up for just a couple of shots. First of all, who looks THAT radiant when they’re 9 months pregnant? I sure didn’t. I’m so excited for their little family. Hunter has been an adorable addition and has made one intensely grateful mama.

A German Village Engagement

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It was a perfect spring day with a subtle breeze in the air, just enough to make a small piece of hair come to life. Amanda and Eric met me at the Grange Insurance Audubon for their engagement session, and then we drove to German Village and took some more photos paparazzi style! I was a little obsessed with shooting in this area of Columbus this past spring. All of the brick streets looked extra quaint with all of the flower boxes having freshly planted flowers around every corner.

I can’t get over Amanda’s stunning eyes- they’re captivating. And they both have such a genuine smile- they make a super cute couple and will make a very good-looking bride and groom come this November. Until then, enjoy these photos! It was such a stunner of a day! XO Jess

German Village Engagement

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I loved this shoot so much that I literally overloaded my Instagram with Saji and Shanka’s images right after they were delivered. If you haven’t yet- check out my Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jmillerphotos/ – it’s where I post my most up-to-date and recently delivered photos.

It was early spring, however the weather was oddly prefect. I’m still in-love with the outfits they chose. Solid bright colors will always bring life and a dash of joy to any photo. I love to do what I call “paparazzi engagement shoots”. This is where we all hop in a car and discover new locations together, stopping whenever any of us feels inspired. Besides being super fun, it gets people’s mind out of the realm of ‘camera vs couple’, and into just having a fun time together as a unit.

These two had lived in the same city very briefly when they met, and then spent the majority of their time dating long-distance. As of now, they are happily married and now in the same city! Their wedding took place in Sri Lanka in late Springtime, a few weeks after our shoot in German Village in downtown Columbus. They are laid back, funny and so fun to watch together. I really couldn’t be more excited to share these photos with the world today! I hope you love them half as much as I loved shooting them:) XO Jess

OSU Engagement Session

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Jessica and Misti are so laid back, down-to-earth and quick to joke with each-other- From our very first time meeting, I knew I was in like company. Jessica is an avid OSU fan, so we naturally had their engagement shoot on a beautiful fall day last year on campus. It was a Sunday, so everything had already been cleaned up after tailgating and partying, but there was a really cool chalk drawing still right in front of the Stadium. It was a forced perspective drawing, so when you lined up with it just right, it seemed to pop out at you. Because it was fall, all of the bushes were bright red in front of the stadium, not a coincidence I’m sure! All the Buckeye trees were as golden as the afternoon sun. Even though it was the weekend, campus was still somewhat alive, which brought a fun energy to the session. Fall in Ohio is simply the best- I need to get more timely with these blog posts, as it’s totally spring now. I was just so energized by spending time with these two. They are so fun…and I think it’s pretty amazing they even laughed at my stupid jokes. Were they just being nice?

I can’t wait for their wedding later this year. They are so beautiful inside and out. I hope you love these Jess and Misti! XO Jess

Grange Insurance Audubon Engagement

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I get asked all the time if pets are welcome on engagement shoots- and duh, of course they are! Scott and I had our engagement photos taken almost 7 years ago with our dog Rugby. There is nothing better than sweet doggie unpredictability to make a shoot more exciting and joy-filled.

Sally and Tom have the two sweetest golden retrievers that are very much a part of their little family. We ventured over to the Grange Insurance Audubon center last fall for a very special and colorful engagement session. I like to do my sessions in the late afternoon when the sun is low in the sky and it’s most likely to create magical lighting conditions, and this shoot was no exception. Vibrant yellows and reds played against Sally’s magenta top, making a colorful wonderland of cuteness. Mix that with slobbery kisses from their fur babies and the night was complete.

I can’t wait for Tom and Sally’s early October wedding in Cape Cod, which will of course be out-of-this-world stunning. Until then, I could just look at these photos all day, and lucky me, I have been! Enjoy this punch of color and remember, spring will be here soon! Thank you so much Tom and Sally for having me out to share in the love.

Short North Engagement

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There’s no other way to say it- Kelly and Jason are Cute with a capital C. Kelly said she would like their engagement shoot to be in the Short North because that is where her and Jason met and spend a lot of time together. Little did we know that her vibrant green dress was going to match perfectly with the lush Short North nooks and crannies we photographed in. This part of the city is so alive…artisinal (I can’t believe I used that word in a sentence) shops, boutique hotels, small and large parks, bright murals, and mouthwatering food are all what make the Short North a destination in Columbus. This day was so hot, a far cry from today’s below freezing temps. Why do I always talk about the weather? Because I live in Columbus. It’s also the way my brain works- I remember weather from events years ago like it was yesterday.

Ok so something that struck me when I was putting together Kelly and Jason’s blog, is one of the reasons I love engagement photos so much- look at their eyes. Look at the way they look at each other. They are smiling, yes, but their eyes do just as much of the talking. Engagement shoots are so great for pulling out that connection. It’s also one of the reasons I try to photograph couples looking at each-other instead of the camera….and if I do have them look at the camera, I have them look at each-other first so I can get some residual feels come through the lens.

Kelly and Jason’s wedding will be at one of my favorite venues, Via Vecchia, next June. To say I’m excited would be a serious understatement. It will be here before we know it, but until then- I hope you love looking at these sweet photos! XO Jess

Columbus Whetstone Engagement

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Jenne and Paul are so totally cute with each other! They are Columbus transplants by way of Nashville. Their wedding was in Nashville in the fall (last month to be exact), so they only had me shoot the session here in town. We met up at the Whetstone Park of Roses in Clintonville for their engagement session earlier this past summer. The roses were in full bloom, and you couldn’t really have asked for a more perfect day. Having been born and raised in Columbus, and I don’t want to sound like Lebron James is with Cleveland, but Columbus is such a vibrant beautiful city with SO MUCH going on. The park of roses is just one of those magical places that when you visit, you look around, and say to yourself- I can’t really believe this is just open to the public. The grounds are meticulously manicured (I have a new appreciation for this being a new home owner). Being a photographer I often visit beautiful spots in the city, so it’s no wonder my love affair with C-bus gets more serious each year.

And I just have to mention this- I’m really glad Westworld wasn’t out yet at the time of this shoot, because I would have been fan geeking about the fact that Jenne looks like the stunning Thandie Newton who plays Maeve in the show. Nerd alert!

Anyways, congratulations go out to Jenne and Paul on their recent wedding! And I hope the rest of you love these photos! XO Jess

German Village Engagement Shoot

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I’m so excited to share this engagement session from February. You know that feeling of stepping out into the most beautiful spring evening after a long dark winter? The sun is warm on your face, you can smell the dirt in the air, and everyone is outside playing, running and jumping. This was a day like that, only it wasn’t spring. It was mid- February… but that’s the magic of Ohio. Jon, Kasia, their dog Michi and I went around German Village, stopping at random nooks and crannies along the way. I call these paparazzi-style shoots, and they’re actually my favorite way of shooting an engagement session. We are all in it for the fun, we can all share our ideas openly, and we all work together to get some creative, fun and unique artistic portraits.

Having your photos taken is stressful. I know this because we just had our family portraits taken. It freaks me out each time I have to get in front of the camera. But like I always tell those that hire and work with me, after about 15 minutes of feeling awkward, it gets really fun. This shoot was no exception to that rule. These two are so caring and genuine with each other. And they are TALL! I now know what it must be like to be Tom Cruise. Anyways, I’m starting to ramble. I’ll just get on with the photos, because often my photographic voice is a lot more engaging than my written one. I hope you love this visual preamble to Spring. XO Jess

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