Sunflower Fields Forever - Muncy, PA

This past weekend I got the pleasure of reconnecting with a familiar face from college to grab engagement photos of her and her fiance. It always amazes me how doing photography connects me back to people from different time periods of my life, and that I get the chance to help them write their story to remember for years to come. 

Bethany had told me she'd fallen in love with the idea of getting their photos taken in a sunflower field, which I loved, this of course set me off on my pre-shoot research because PA is still a somewhat uncharted area to me. I was able to find several articles describing the initial excitement a local farmer on Route 87 had experienced when his newly blossomed sunflower field became a photographic paradise, but these articles came with disappointing news as well. Due to the influx of traffic, the farmer had experienced a massive, and unexpected, crop loss all because of the online saturation of selfies in a sunflower field.

---

To be completely honest, I AM GUILTY of playing into this classic social media trope as well, but to say the least I immediately realized I needed to respect the hardwork and investment of local farmers if I was going to do this. These articles also made me second guess if I would be able to make this shoot happen the way Bethany and Alex were hoping for, but I decided to give it a go and see what I could do.

I connected with a few local photographer's for their suggestions and was able to location scout a few days before the session, much to my dissapointment the spot I went to see was a sad sight. Here's where a hit a stroke of luck, there was a small sunflower festival happening the same day we had discussed shooting, BUT (and yes that is in all caps for emphasis) it was happening from 10 am - 2 pm. If anyone out there reading this knows some basics about photography in general, or anything about my shooting preferences, then you should know this is one of THE WORST times to shoot. 

I decided to grin and bear it to make their dream come true, while praying for an overcast day to help offset the harsh lighting, and shadows from shooting midday. Then came the next obstacle, from what I had found online, you could shoot along the perimeter of the field to your hearts content, BUT if you wanted to go in the field there were photographers there specifically for the event. NOBODY, and I really mean nobody, wants to be "that guy" stepping on a fellow creators toe's to get what you want, ESPECIALLY since many of the photographers in the area haven't met me yet. 

Much to my surprise it ended up being WAY DIFFERENT than the event outline I had seen online, we were able to grab some stellar shots on the perimeter, and inside the fence as well. All of this to say, do your research, ask questions, and respect other people's hard work. 

Now to the really good stuff... Bethany and Alex inquired about me shooting their 2021 wedding in New York next summer, and of course I was pumped, I think this was also the quickest turnaround I've had on booking a wedding and then scheduling the engagement session the same week! Alex had asked Bethany out three times before Bethany finally agreed, and now look at them -- they're getting married.

When Bethany first filled out my contact form, it was evident that these two are HUGE romantics. One of the sweetest things she said was that they loved to go on walks together and one day Alex stopped them midwalk, gave her an earbud and they slowdanced in the woods to "Can't Help Falling In Love". I don't know about you, but I need to grab some tissues and chocolate after hearing that!

I LOVEEEEEEE getting to know some of the sweet moments you and your honey have shared because it tells me A LOT about who you are as a couple, and how I can best capture your love. Immediately I knew I would be bringing my bluetooth speaker to the session and taking them to a secondary location that was nicely wooded to recreate that moment.

Your moments are special, your ideas are important, and your love is unique. Let me help you re-live those moments, let me help you make that idea happen, let me tell your story. 
​​