Bri & Tyler's Montauk Engagement Session

Bri & Tyler’s Engagement Session | Montauk NY | The Hamptons Destination Weddings | Apollo Fields Wedding Photographers

    An early evening summer breeze coming off the Atlantic reminds the Montauk locals of the sun and the salt on their skin, but that same breeze that warms a beach bum’s heart can chill a Texan to the bone. A kind memory of home to Bri is a reminder to Tyler just how far he is from his, but come October 2020 their families will join to celebrate their love in a half-homegrown, half-destination wedding.

    Many would consider it a luxury to grow up in a destination wedding town, embracing the lifestyle and culture that seems as light as a day on the beach.  Others might say that the summer months that bring tourists and city slickers who clog the one road, two-lane streets like the sidewalks in Manhattan are killing their vibes.  The reality is that the sun shines no matter what and despite the traffic we are all going to enjoy our drink of choice on the beach for one reason or another.

For Bri, hosting her wedding in Montauk will be like having her own personal welcoming parade of family and neighbors, smiling faces lining either side of the aisle like a beach version of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.  While Tyler and his family, although no strangers to coastal waters, will mostly likely be dipping their toes into the Atlantic a bit more timidly than they do in the Gulf of Mexico. The thing about the locations of weddings is—whether a new or familiar experience—the love in the room is all the same.

Weddings offer us wonderful opportunities to connect with groups of people we might not speak to in our daily lives.  Too often our occupations and locations restrict us to familiar routines that can limit our world experience, but when love is the accepted common ground all conversations and connections are possible.  There is simply no space for judgment when love is in the air.  Breathe it in, take it in, and clink glasses with someone you might otherwise not meet.

Heather and I are so lucky to share these spaces in places all over the world, snapping photos and writing down all of the emotions that we see.  I’ve said before that our emotions are our secrets until we share them with someone, but on wedding days most people wear them as proudly as their finest suit or most elegant dress.  Restraining the contents of our hearts would be like putting those garments back in the closet and throwing on the wrinkled clothes that adorn the floor.  Instead we see tears trickle down cheeks like rain down window panes and eyes well up like dams that are about to burst.

A forum to express the version of ourselves that is too often buttoned up and hidden away is one of the many reasons that make our jobs more than an occupation or service.  According to our tax documents we are wedding photographers, but according to ourselves we are photojournalists who never settle for the surface, always scanning the room for people to show us the best version of themselves.  

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Enjoy these pics from Bri & Tyler’s Montauk Engagement Session:

Hi! We’re Terrence & Heather…

…we are the husband-and-wife duo of Apollo Fields! Thanks for checking out Bri & Tyler’s engagement photos. We are so stoked to shoot their 2020 Wedding at Gosman’s Dock in Montauk!

Kat & Brett’s Engagement Session in Golden Gate Canyon

Kat & Brett’s Engagement Session | Golden Gate Canyon State Park | Colorado Engagement Photography | Jeep Wrangler Engagements | Cannonball Brewery Beer Photos | Apollo Fields

    The crunch of pine needles under your hiking boots.  The kind nods of strangers walking by. The mountain wind that sings aspens into a dance also fills your lungs with movement.  The comfort of adventuring in Colorado where the unknown trail feels like a well worn couch. Sink your soul into nature and the wild woodland sounds will lull you to sleep.  A community of one in the safe outdoors—or better yet—bring a friend or two and set the trail ablaze with laughter and conversation. Expand your community, bring people together, and fill your heart with trust.

    Hiking Golden Gate Canyon State Park with Kat and Brett for their outdoor engagement session felt just like this.  Light with laughter and steeped in love.  It made me miss living in Colorado, but it made me grateful for the communities we’re helping bring together.  “Talking with a friend about friends you meet and I’m so glad we met,” Kat said in a text yesterday, and I couldn’t agree more.  We cross paths with strangers and acquaintances on city sidewalks, hiking trails in the woods, and in line at supermarkets—and it is up to us to decide who we should invite into our lives.

    Kat and I met working at Oasis Brewing Company together and I still love to use that space as our hub for connecting when we’re back in town.  Firstly, because beer; secondly, because of the honest and kind-hearted eyes of Morianne and Erik Smith that welcome me back into that building; and thirdly, because the beautifully decorated rustic modern space is a comfortable and conducive atmosphere for meetups of all sizes.  By purposefully perpetuating relationships out of this space (I’m not forgetting you Kael and Kelly), Heather and I hope to cultivate long-lasting friendships that never end at the bottom of the glass.

When we met up at the brewery this past Monday, we held a meeting with Matt and Julie, a couple potential (now actual!) clients, followed by an open invitation to all of our friends in the area.  The turnout exceeded our expectations, including climbing buddies, fellow industry professionals, old friends, horse barn neighbors, and even a couple, Meghan and Armand, whose wedding we shot in the summer of 2018.  Meghan and Armand were the real MVPs of the meetup as they beamed with happiness, recounting to Matt and Julie just how positive their experience with us was. Funny thing is, the meeting of these two couples was unintentional if not downright serendipitous, because we didn’t tell most of our friends that we were coming early to meet with Matt and Julie.  Yet because we choose to cultivate relationships with our couples and with people in spaces that mean something to us, we continue to connect and create communities.  

    It’s that same feeling that washes over us when we take our puppers on a walk in the woods.  It’s a community of one turning into a community of many, linked by trust and adventure. We’ve only known Kat and Brett, Erik and Morianne, Kael and Kelly, and now Meghan and Armand for a year or two, but as we hike forward towards the future, we aim to bring the Matt and Julie’s into our community one couple at a time.    

Photography: Heather for Apollo Fields
Writing: Terrence for Apollo Fields
Colorado Location: Golden Gate Canyon State Park
Dress: Madewell
Beer: Cannonball Creek Brewery

Matt & Kerry's Engagement Session in Boulder, CO

True Friends - Matt & Kerry’s Intimate Engagement Session in Boulder, Colorado

There are many different types of friendships. There are your drinking buddies, your work acquaintances, your lifelong second grade secret holders, and your intimate bonds with your significant others. There are exchanging “hello’s” on the street with strangers and there’s giving your time to the elderly or relationships that require a bit more patience. In every type of friendship there’s always something to learn—but even more important—there’s always something to be grateful for. This post is dedicated to our friendship with Matt and Kerry, who helped see us through the most difficult time of our lives.

As you may well know, in the beginning of December 2018, Heather was diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy. I received this news through the speaker of my iPhone while nervously pacing in our cozy kitchen in East Northport, NY, while Heather lay alone, sobbing in a hospital bed in Westminster, Colorado. I immediately began to book a flight the next morning to be with her, to console her, and to just hold her and tell her everything was going to be all right. But two people (among others) were there before I arrived—Matt and Kerry.

Prior to receiving the news that day, Heather snapped an engagement session of Matt and Kerry at the feet of the Flatirons in Boulder, Colorado. Let me first say that Heather and Kerry go way back—they taught and mentored students at a fancy art school together in the Hamptons over seven years ago—and it’s crazy to think how friendships can evolve so much over time. But back to the sunshine, the smiles, and the genuine happiness that lived in their unsuspecting eyes during their intimate engagement photography session in Colorado.

Matt and Kerry never could’ve known the confusion and worry that whirled about Heather’s mind as she snapped away behind her Nikon camera. They never could’ve guessed that they were about to prove their stripes as people in the next few weeks. All they were probably thinking about was how most people feel during photo shoots—awkward as fuck—yet just like the mountains in the landscape behind them, the solid character that roots each of them to the earth—knew something was up.

Without hesitation or reservation, they opened their doors for Heather to stay as long as she needed. We weren’t sure if this process would be a week or a month—but it didn’t matter. Matt and Kerry couldn’t see anything but a friend in need, and they were prepared to help in any way that they could. We wound up staying at their place in Boulder for about a month as they left for a holiday trip, and our only responsibility was to take care of their plump orange cat, Nerboo, who kneaded our legs like an angry Italian baker with unforgivingly sharp nails. Matt and Kerry had no other expectations except to provide us with a private space to work through this unpredictable and unimaginably difficult time.

Their friendship, among many others of ours in Colorado, has stretched our understanding of relationships to new heights. Matt and Kerry gave their home to us without expectation, reservation, or judgment, teaching us what true friendship looks like. It was a trust fall in real life. And they caught us. I will never forget that and I will forever be grateful. This one is for all of you out there who have sturdy hands and are always waiting to catch someone. We love you all like true friends, Matt and Kerry.

Contact us to set up your own engagement session!

Engagement Photography: Apollo Fields

Lizzie & Rob's Fun Engagement Session in New York City

Lizzie & Rob | Harlem Engagement Session | NYC Engagements 

When you walk in New York City you get lost in the crowd, paradoxically providing you an opportunity to assert yourself as an individual.  The sheer population density of the five boroughs is a marvel to contemplate, a frustration to endure; it is your license to be loud and a soundboard for your creativity.  Some perish in the gutters while others shine on Broadway, but it all comes down to your will and the company you find yourself in.

Rob & Lizzie find themselves in good company.  They act and play and laugh. They smile. They bring happiness to others at Touch Performance Art. They're just another couple faces in the NYC crowd but they stand out because they use their freedom to perform the dialogue in their hearts.  You can’t fake that kind of happiness.

Heather and I met not too far from where Rob & Liz’s engagement pictures were taken, but for months we shared the same sidewalks as strangers.  Close proximity doesn’t promise connection, you have to seek it out for yourself. I remember the first night I got Heather’s number she almost walked away from me in shy embarrassment, but I didn’t let her get away.  I yelled “your phone number would be great for something like that” after she turned her back when I told her that I’d love to see her again.  Happiness like Rob & Liz and Heather & I have is a reward for our respective self-expressions.

  When I think of love I think of two people who can’t help being themselves, embracing the most positive sides of their identities and celebrating them.  When we shoot a wedding it is clear as day which couples have this brand of relationship because their vibes reverberate through all of those in attendance.  It all stems from an honesty to themselves and each other, asserting their identities as individuals and as a couple.

New York City can make you or break you but it’s obvious that Rob & Lizzie will make it.  They are the walking paradoxes meandering through the collage of people crowding the sidewalks of Manhattan.  They are the ones smiling and laughing, working hard and loving harder.

These guys didn't miss a beat.  We popped a few beers and brown-bagged them in the park.  They brought water guns, bubbles, and a lasso.  Rob successfully lassoed Lizzie on his first try... did I mention they are performers?  It's SO MUCH FUN to photograph people in the entertainment industry.  They weren't shy or bashful, rather they were animated and theatrical and treated their engagement session like the biggest performance on Broadway.

We wrapped the session under the NYC lights in Harlem, dancing into the headlights of the traffic, with people buzzing by and taxis nearly running us over for their epic dip under the bridge.  We even ran into a mutual friend on the street!  It was in every way the best that New York has to offer, and reminded me of why this city will always be my city.  

NYC Engagement Photography: Apollo Fields

Eve & Bobby's Cherry Blossom Engagement Session at City Park in Denver

Eve & Bobby's Cherry Blossom Engagement Session | City Park, Denver | Spring Engagement Photos | Colorado Wedding Photographer | Apollo Photojournalism 

Eve and Bobby and are fun loving couple who are able to roll with the punches.  They wanted their engagement session to be outdoors and since they live close to City Park in Denver, shooting there seemed to perfectly reflect their lifestyles.  They are laid back and go-with-the-flow, which was great when the weather was freezing cold, overcast, and rainy on the day of their engagement session.  

Rescheduling wasn't an option, so we crossed our fingers for a break in the weather and met up in the park.  I'm so glad we did, because the shots are so beautiful!  It never warmed up and the sun never poked through, but you can't even tell in the pictures.  And we had the cherry blossoms all to ourselves, an almost unheard of luxury this time of year because their season is so short.  

This was my first cherry blossom session that I have done and I was surprised by how much I love the color palate.  I am usually more drawn to earthier tones than pastels, but I found that Eve and Bobby's outfits worked so well with the setting that I really enjoyed the pinks, whites, yellows, and light greens of the grove that we shot in.  

We moved quickly through the session because the skies kept threatening a harder rain, and with frozen fingers and no golden light to play with, I wanted to get these lovebirds back in their warm car as quick as possible!  They made my job easy because they have such a great balance of playfulness and tenderness.  They were just as happy to be dancing under the trees as they were to cuddle up with each other and have a quiet moment together.  

Peaking at my viewfinder on my camera and I knew that despite the weather (and the cranky geese) we had some gems to work with!  I was so excited to get home to warm up and offload all these beautiful pictures from their engagement session.  I'm so excited to shoot their wedding this season!  

Denver Engagement Photographer:  Erny Photo CO | Apollo Fields
Wedding Coordinator:  Jennifer Wetterlin | Denver Event Pros
Location:  Denver, Colorado | City Park

Kerry & Patrick's In Home Lifestyle Engagement Session

Kerry & Patrick's Lifestyle Engagement Photography | Sloans Lake, Denver Colorado | In Home Session | Apollo Photo

In home engagement sessions are definitely some of my favorite to shoot!  As much as I love the dramatic landscapes and nature sessions, there is something so intimate about being invited into a couple's home that they have created together and really seeing the inner workings of their daily lives and love.  

It’s also a nice chance for couples to get in front of my camera.  It definitely helps to ease some of the camera-shyness that most people feel before your wedding day.  Plus, I love the chance to spend a little more time with my clients before their big day, too!  As much as I love outdoor sessions, Colorado mountains, hiking and adventure sessions, I am equally as excited for lifestyle sessions.  I get to hang out and snap away while they go about their normal routine, whether it’s cooking, cuddling up on the couch, going on a dog walk, or clinking their glasses to a great day.  

Lifestyle engagement sessions also make for great save the date cards.  To me, the most important part is the feeling of candid and natural moments, even if we have intercepted a little with our posing expertise.  

Kerry is sweet and accommodating, and Patrick is composed and easygoing.  Their rescue pup adores them, and the whole time we were there never took an eye off of them.  Playing fetch in the backyard, going for a leisurely stroll near Sloan Lake, and hanging out in the spring sun were so easily woven into their engagement session. 

I’m so excited to shoot their wedding in May at Skylight in Denver alongside Lindsey Bartell.  This new venue boasts a modern urban architectural design with tall whitewashed brick walls, exposed ceilings, floods of natural light, and geometric pops with classic flair.  Working in such a new space is exciting because it really is a blank canvas, which is one of the big draws that the venue boasts.  They let their couples bring in their own vendors, and they get a full 24 hours to party as late as they want and not worry about cleanup that same night.  

Since moving from New York City, I rarely get to photograph in urban settings anymore!  I do prefer rural country weddings, but it will be a fun chance to get back into a city environment for their wedding.  I do love the neighborhood that Skylight is nestled into:  Denver's Sante Fe Art District, with loud pops of colorful graffiti, funky coffee shops, and busy streets.  

Kerry & Patrick's Lifestyle Engagement Session | Colorado Wedding Photographer | In-Home Engagement Photography

I love shooting in home engagement sessions because they are intimate, personal, and always tell such a great story about the couple.  When couples such as Kerry and Patrick welcome us into their home, we get to see the space that they have created as their own. 

As much as I love outdoor sessions, Colorado mountains, hiking and adventure sessions, I am equally as excited for lifestyle sessions.  I get to hang out and snap away while they go about their normal routine, whether it’s cooking, cuddling up on the couch, going on a dog walk, or clinking their glasses to a great day.  It’s also a nice chance for couples to get in front of my camera.  It definitely helps to ease some of the camera-shyness that most people feel before your wedding day.  Plus, I love the chance to spend a little more time with my clients before their big day, too!

Most couples are engaged for around a year, and these photos are a sweet momento from that time in their lives which seems to go so quickly in the midst of all of the wedding planning, booking vendors, guest lists, timelines, and all of the other fun – but sometimes stressful – parts about planning the ceremony and party exactly the way you want it. 

Kerry is sweet and accommodating, and Patrick is composed and easygoing.  Their rescue pup adores them, and the whole time we were there never took an eye off of them.  Playing fetch in the backyard, going for a leisurely stroll near Sloan Lake, and hanging out in the spring sun were so easily woven into their engagement session. 

Lifestyle engagement sessions also make for great save the date cards.  To me, the most important part is the feeling of candid and natural moments, even if we have intercepted a little with our posing expertise.  

I’m so excited to shoot their wedding in May at Skylight in Denver alongside Lindsey Bartell.  This new venue boasts a modern urban architectural design with tall whitewashed brick walls, exposed ceilings, floods of natural light, and geometric pops with classic flair.  Stay tuned for pictures of their wedding in just a few weeks!

Engagement Photography:  Apollo Photo
Lifestyle Photography:  Eden Photography

Allison & Michael's Farm Engagement Session in Arvada, CO

Allison & Michael's Engagement Session | Farm Engagement Photography | Clear Creek in Arvada, Colorado | Nature + Wildflowers + River | Apollo Photojournalism

Allison and Michael are a fun and energetic couple from who came up from Colorado Springs for their engagement session at Clear Creek in Arvada.  I love this location because it has open space as well as woodsy and intimate natural settings.  The golden light pours through the trees and if you go during the right times in the season, you get these wonderful pops of wildflowers. 

Best of all, it's not oversaturated with too many people, photographers, or foot traffic.  My couples get an intimate and unique backdrop to really ease into one another to get those truly connected moments where they can just settle into each others arms without any awkwardness.  Alli wore a fun white dress that complimented the country setting so well, while Mike was clean, classic, and preppy.  We chatted about their wedding plans and details, which I am very excited for because I have had a great experience in the past working alongside a few of their vendors (dream team status)!

I love getting to do engagement sessions in the woods and farm spaces like this one because you can immerse yourself in the fresh air while listening to the creek running next to us while we play some music and go for a nature walk.  It doesn't get too much better than that in my opinion!  

Alli and Mike are getting married this upcoming May at the Highlands Ranch Mansion and I can't wait to shoot their wedding.  They have been so wonderful to work with!  They have an easygoing relationship where they can just stroll with one another and hold hands, but still play around and make one another laugh.  They met at the Air Force Academy and have big plans for their future and I'm excited to be able to follow along their journey, camera in hand!

Colorado Engagement Photography:  Erny Photo CO | Apollo Photo
Location:  Clear Creek, Arvada Colorado

Lindsey & Jeff's Colorado Winter Engagement Photography at Lake Dillon

Lindsey & Jeff's Winter Engagement Session | Lake Dillon, Colorado | Mountain Engagement Photography | Adventure Couple | Dog Lovers | Apollo Photojournalism 

Lindsey and Jeff are everything that I love about my Colorado couples:  they are fun and easygoing, outdoor enthusiasts, dog lovers, and down to earth.  Lindsey is bubbly and outgoing, and when I first met her she was planning a wedding while wrapping up her nursing degree.  Jeff is composed and polite, and when they first met, it was only fitting that they hit a park together to take their dogs on a walk together.  

They quickly connected over their love of dogs and nature, so we knew right away that we wanted the pups to be part of their engagement photos!  They wanted those epic Colorado mountain landscapes and Lake Dillon was the perfect backdrop.  It was a chilly Denver day, but the sun was out which made it surprisingly bearable.  However, by the time we made it up the mountain and out to Lake Dillon, the wind had picked up and the elevation was doing us no favors.  It was a balmy seven degrees Fahrenheit (are you picking up on the sarcasm yet)???  Oh my lord, it was FREEZING!  With the wind chill coming off the lake, the "feels like" weather report was well into the negatives.  

As soon as we stepped out of the car, I thought Lindsey and Jeff were going to want to reschedule.  No way they were going to want to shoot in this weather, I thought to myself.  But they just smiled and said, "Let's go!"  I loved their can-do attitude, embracing the harsh Colorado sun that was bouncing off the pristine snow, and absolute chill that was running over the lake.  We did take a few breaks to warm back up in the car and I kept having to warm my camera up in my jacket because it was struggling to keep up, but we got these awesome shots which made it SO WORTH IT!  

Lindsey was so sweet because as we were headed back to Denver, she thought the pictures were going to be horrible.  She said thought her face was all frozen and her eyes would be too squinty, but I sent her a sneak-peak that night and she was over the moon!  This is one of my favorite parts about my job, when the conditions are less-than-ideal and we can turn around and make epic photos anyway.  Any photographer can shoot beautiful pictures in optimal weather with diffused golden light, but I pride myself on being able to 'wow' my clients when it's freezing and we're only able to shoot in blaring direct sun, too!!  

Colorado Engagement Photography:  Erny Photo CO | Apollo Photo

Location:  Lake Dillon, Colorado

Mitch & Bobby's Engagement Session at Golden Gate Canyon State Park in Golden, CO

Mitch & Bobby | Colorado Engagement Photographer | Golden Gate Canyon State Park | Golden, Colorado | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography

Golden Gate Canyon State Park is a real gem for photos because you get such a wide range of landscapes to use as your backdrops. The mountains are lush on one side and arid on the other which gives a lot of variety for photos. There’s also some great areas with open space and good hiking trails to roam around and keep moving around.

This was great for us because Mitch and Bobby wanted to bring their rescue dogs to their shoot. They were recently engaged and so excited, and naturally, their fur-family would be included. We’re the same way! We couldn’t have imagined not having our dogs a part of our engagement session or our wedding. We’re total dog lovers (no surprise there) and love when couples want to bring their four legged friends along!

Mitch worked at a dog grooming and boarding facility and her and Bobby are enthusiastic about rescuing over buying dogs. It was obvious right away that their dogs have a great quality of life now because you could just tell right away how loyal they were. When I wanted to snag a few shots without the pups, Terrence held their leashes and they both couldn’t wait to get back to their owners! Being able to have the trails and paths to keep everyone walking was great for the pups, too.

One pro tip for this location is to meet at the visitor center because the cell reception in this state park is pretty much nonexistent. That is probably the one and only drawback of the spot, if you are meeting up with your photographer in the park instead of driving in together, it can make it hard to actually find each other. The visitor center is pretty easy to find (also, there is an entrance fee so do your due diligence) but it is really convenient for actually hooking up with one another so you’re not driving around the (beautiful) roads unable to find one another!

Country Engagement Photographer:  Erny Photo CO | Apollo Fields

Location:  Golden Gate Canyon State Park | Golden, Colorado