Raleigh area engagement photography at Lake Wheeler Park

My clients G & K wanted to hold their engagement session at a dog friendly park here in the Raleigh area. Someplace with a nice backdrop despite the fact that it is mid February. Our original plan was to schedule our photoshoot at Harris Lake Park however our plans were derailed at the very last moment due to some police activity which forced the temporary closure of the park at the main entrance. Thinking fast I suggested that we head out to nearby Lake Wheeler instead as this location seemed to offer a similar color palate of flora and fauna as well as the charm of a small town park in central NC which welcomes dogs and their owners to explore the grounds.

 I had hoped that this new location would be like Harris Lake Park with dense bushes and a wide variety of shade throwing trees where we could enjoy a nicer lighting situation. Once I arrived at Lake Wheeler I was immediately disheartened with the sparse and dull vegetation growing at the edge of the lake. Definitely not the prettiest place to hold an engagement shoot in February! Not to be discouraged however G,K & I set out to find a spot near the water to take a few photos of them and their puppy dog Rollie. 

We got started taking pictures at about 3:45 pm under brightly lit afternoon skies on a dock at the waterline of the lake.  Although the sun was blazing overhead we managed to capture a few portraits with their dog sitting between my clients with a happy expression of doggie love on her face. Despite the fact that the dock we were on was rocking in the waves and there were squirrels to distract on the nearby shore I though that their puppy dog did a pretty good job of being adorable while at least making an attempt to focus her attention on me. After I felt that we had the shots we needed I suggested that we move on to a different location with the park which may afford us a bit more shade to work with.

  The sunlight was still very harsh and it was difficult going trying to find a suitable are in which to take some soft lit portraits. The long leaf pine trees lining the shores of the lake provided very little in the way of a natural light filter so we took a short walk through the forest to find a spot to continue our portrait session. On the way we stopped at a clearing and captured a couple sweet photos of G & K with their dog once more before G's parents showed up to dog- sit while my clients and captured a few more photos in the woods next to the lake. 

Despite the challenges that the difficult late winter sunlight conditions posed to our photoshoot it was actually kinda fun seeking out just the right places within the park that would offer the best lighting scenarios for the outcome of this engagement session. Although I would have preferred to have held our photoshoot at the more densely forested Harris Lake Park, my clients and I were dedicated to making the best out of a situation which on its face was less then optimal for taking photos. G & K thought that the resulting photos ended up being really pretty which is all that is really important in the end.

If you have any additional questions concerning this post or want to learn more about my flat rate engagement and wedding photography service please contact me anytime!

-S. Siko

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