Winter Engagement Portraits in Pittsburgh

It was a chilly afternoon last Saturday for Kristine and Tim’s winter engagement portraits in Pittsburgh. No big surprise given that it was the middle of February, right?

A woman wearing a scarf and glasses laughs as she stands outside with a man wearing a brown jacket and toque.

Walkabout

Kristine and Tim are getting married at the Ace Hotel next month. While it might seem a little odd to be doing engagement portraits just a few weeks ahead of their wedding, it gave us the opportunity to get to know each other a little. So we met at the Ace and went over the timeline and setup for their wedding. Then we set out for a little walk. Which happens to be my preferred way of doing these sessions.

A couple leans against a brick wall during their winter engagement portraits in Pittsburgh.

These guys are naturals, but sometimes couples can be a little nervous about having their photo taken. But if we’re walking around chatting then the pressure’s off and the couple can just be themselves.

A couple holds hands as they walk across the blue pedestrian bridge between East Liberty and Shadyside in Pittsburgh.

We made our way over to the walkway between East Liberty and Shadyside where we hung out for a little while. The walkway was a good spot to get Kristine and Tim to walk together. It’s a nice way to ease into a session because the couple is thinking about walking and not worrying about posing.

A couple leans against a green metal railing during their winter engagement portraits in Pittsburgh.

I found an open spot in the parking lot above Centre Avenue that I liked and asked Kristine and Tim to stand there. Motor Square Garden made an interesting background on one side.

A woman wearing a black jacket and a brown scarf kisses the cheek of a man wearing glasses, a brown coat, and a brown toque.

The buildings on the other side of the shopping area were far enough away that I could make them go out of focus. Which gave us another choice of background. And just like that, in a span of a couple hundred yards we were able to get a bunch of nice outdoor photos. It helps that they both have a great sense of humor and continually crack each other up!

Kelly’s Bar

A couple make funny faces as they sip pint glasses of beer at Kelly's Bar during their winter engagement portraits in Pittsburgh.

We’d had about enough of the cold. Just down the street the neon sign of Kelly’s Bar was beckoning to us, promising warmth and refreshment. 😄

A woman caresses the chin of her boyfriend as they sit beneath a window with a neon sign that says "cocktails" in it.

There were only a few folks in the bar at that time of the day. We lucked out and got the table next to the window. The light was terrific and it was kind of nice that Kristine and Tim’s outfits went with the decor.

Here’s looking forward to a fun wedding next month! Check back soon for photos from that event. If you’d like to go make some portraits of your own, or would like to find out more about wedding photography, then just fill out my contact form.