Catherine & Todd's engagement shoot at Rivey Hill near Linton, Cambridgeshire - open countryside, summer evening light and a slightly competitive race to the top.
Catherine & Todd's Rivey Hill Engagement Shoot
Before photographing Catherine and Todd's wedding later that summer, we headed to Rivey Hill near Linton for their engagement shoot.
The plan was fairly simple: have a wander, make the most of the evening light and get them comfortable in front of the camera before the wedding. Then their competitive streak appeared and things became considerably less civilised.
An Engagement Shoot at Rivey Hill
Rivey Hill sits just outside Linton and is exactly the sort of place that works well for an engagement shoot: loads of space, very few distractions and enough variety that we can essentially just go for a walk and see what happens.
The higher you get, the more the landscape opens up, with long grass, wildflowers and views across the Cambridgeshire countryside. It also means we're not constantly stopping to manufacture photographs - we can walk, talk and gradually introduce a little direction as we go.
Which is generally a much easier way to get comfortable with someone following you around with a camera.
Things Got Competitive
It didn't take particularly long to discover that Catherine and Todd are both quite competitive.
A casual walk became a race. A bit of direction became increasingly dramatic posing. And at some point they were running through the fields while I stood at a safe distance encouraging the situation.
This is exactly why I like engagement shoots to have a bit of movement in them. You don't need to spend two hours staring lovingly at each other while I tell you where to put your hands.
Sometimes running up a hill purely because neither of you is willing to lose works considerably better.
From Engagement Shoot to Wedding Day
A few months later I was back with Catherine and Todd for their wedding, starting with a ceremony in Catherine's childhood village of Linton before heading to Provenance Kitchen for the reception.
Having already spent an evening together at Rivey Hill meant we'd got the awkward first-five-minutes-with-a-camera bit out of the way long before the wedding arrived.
Planning Your Own Engagement Shoot?
Pick somewhere you actually like, wear something you feel comfortable in and don't worry about knowing what to do in front of the camera.
I'll take care of that bit.
