engagement session – Chantal Lavine Photography

sea gulls & snuggles: an Annapolis engagement

I get it now. There’s a reason why everyone loves Annapolis. And, having grown up on the sea, I understand why people flock to harbor towns during the summer. But for the same reason, I also know why these charming little towns are such hidden gems in the winter: they are peaceful — deserted, except for the sea gulls — and they are breathtaking.

Annapolis is no different. It sparkles under the late afternoon winter sun. The water near the pier is a deep green-blue beneath the frosty glass that covers it. Boats are moored amidst cracking ice, and people say hello to each other from behind their scarves.

forgotten apples

Some days, life serves you an extra helping of happy. Such was the case on this hazy fall afternoon, which brought with it the perfect recipe of close friends, ethereal light, a rustic apple orchard, and (more than my fair share of) apple cider donuts.

I slung my camera over my shoulder that morning thinking it might be a nice opportunity to shoot a bit for myself. Just one lens; nothing fancy. But much to my delight, in between the forgotten apples and the savory donuts, a little love session emerged. Tanaz and Carlo live in South Sudan and Italy, respectively, so I don’t have the good fortune of seeing them very often — nor do they see each other as much as they’d like. So when I saw how the light danced around them that day (and through Tanaz’s gorgeous curls), I was relieved I didn’t leave my camera at home.

medina & chris: meridian hill park engagement session

Chris and Medina have the most infectious adoration for each other. Some couples feel self conscious and a bit awkward for the first few minutes in front of the camera, but this little love session was a breeze from the start. You’d think they’d been living across an ocean from each other for years on end, or something…

michelle & adam: meridian hill park engagement session

These two…well, just look at them. The chemistry is so palpable it’s practically oozing off the page. And that’s every photographer’s dream – to have a couple before her lens whose love is so big that it can hardly be contained in a strip of 35mm photographic film. So as you can see, it was my lucky day.