Engagement Session at Milwaukee Art Museum & Lakefront, Pedro & Perla

Summer Engagement Session in Milwaukee

This engagement photo session was one of my favorites of last summer. The Milwaukee lakefront has essentially limitless possibilities. We started at Veterans Park, and soaked up the skyline and lake front views. Then took a short drive to the Milwaukee Art Museum, and the Reiman Pedestrian Bridge. The views from the bridge are some of my favorites in the City.

Summer Milwaukee Vibes

There is something really special about the feeling that comes with taking photos on the Milwaukee lakefront. Maybe it’s the contrast of the skyline vs the emptiness of the lake. Maybe it’s the feeling of a great Midwest summer evening, or the essence of beer and cheese in the air. 

Whatever it is, Veterans Park and the walk down to the art museum is spectacular. This area always yields great photos. 

Almost Rained Out

On my way to the session I was in the middle of a thunderstorm, and really having some doubts about if it was going to clear up like the forecast said it was going to. Once I parked my car by the marina the clouds broke, a rainbow opened up before me with a sailboat beneath it, and I knew we were going to have a great time.

The golden hour sun burst through the Milwaukee skyline, into some of the most beautiful light I have ever seen.

Neutral Outfits Are a Great Choice For Your Photo Session!

Pedro and Perla both had some fantastic outfits and I knew I had all the ingredients for some spectacular photos. They wore some really nice neutral colors that made it really easy to work with and place them in any background. 

I could have them in the green grass and trees of Veterans Park, the blues and cooler tones of the lake, and the warm tones coming from the golden hour sun. Pretty much any background works with neutral colors! 

How to Have a Great Engagement Photography Session

I always start with the couple at a distance from me. Starting with a wider composition or two, getting them moving together and throwing in way too many bad jokes to get them to relax. The more comfortable I can make you in front of my camera the better. Then we can really start making some fantastic images. 

Having the couple walk together away from me and back, getting some motion and silly stuff going right away usually is enough to break the ice and get the ball rolling. Then I’ll start to get closer and get some more intimate photos.

Summer in Milwaukee is so unique, and I love it. There is just a feel to it knowing that in four months everything will be frozen again.

Dramatic Sky’s

I really love how dramatic the sky looks over the city in these photos, you only get this look when there is a storm near the golden hour time of the day. Which makes it pretty special because you really need some luck to get conditions like this and of course actually stay dry. 

Milwaukee Art Museum

After admiring the views from the peninsula and Veterans Park, we went over and found a parking spot by Museum Center Park. I really like the views here of the large sculpture, and down East Wisconsin Ave. But the reason for coming here is the Reiman Pedestrian Bridge! 

I love the colors here and all of the lines give so much potential for some really interesting and unique photos. When I come here I always feel like I see it in a new way and find new compositions and angles. Since the sky was really spectacular I wanted to backup and get some wider shots of them to show off the sky.

Of course mixing in some closer photos and compositions. It is really important to get some nice variety in an engagement session. Showing off the couple and their environment equally. 

Pacing an Engagement Session

I try to design my engagement sessions so that the locations are close together, I don’t want to spend too much time going from place to place. Ideally everything should be walkable, because a lot of the best photos happen in transition from place to place. 

By having the couple interact and find places along the way everything feels more organic. I think it helps them relax too. Because having some weirdo like me floating around with a camera or two is definitely not normal, so there is always a barrier at first that we need to break through. 

I try to mirror my photos, poses, and prompts to the couple I am photographing. If they are goofy and laughing I’ll accentuate that in the photos for example. These two were all smiles the whole time, and I think you can see that in the photos.  

I had a great time around the Milwaukee Art Museum and Veterans Park with Pedro and Perla! Their wedding was even better!