When planning an engagement shoot I like to find out the couple's hobbies, interests and anything that would make the shoot sentimental and meaningful.
When chatting with Hailey and Jamie it became apparent that they share a passion for the outdoors and dreamt of a pond hockey engagement shoot. The challenge with winter engagements and particularly anything to do with ice, is timing. Unfortunately the first few times we scheduled the shoot we got the wrong kind of ice. Pond and lake ice thawed and became unstable and we got several rounds of freezing rain which made the paths and fields unusable.
I kept on checking the weather forecast and it seemed liked the stars were going to align. Several days of subzero temperatures and several centimeters of snow. This wasn't enough to freeze the deep lakes but just perfect for a shallow pond. We chose Enniskillen Conservation Area just north of Bowmanville because of the shallow pond and the small foot print that would allow us to get a variety of backdrops in a short period of time.
It all worked out perfectly, Hailey and Jamie braved the cold and played a quick and friendly game of hockey, I brought out the drone for a few quick aerial photos, after which we utilized the forest as well as the more open fields.
Although I may not be a 100% winter person (my winter sports skills are lacking) I enjoy shooting in the winter as it can provide some truly beautiful backgrounds for some fantastic photos (I also come prepared, gloves, hat and ice grips for my boots!). I had an amazing time shooting Hailey and Jamie's engagement and can't wait to photograph their, much warmer, June wedding at the beautiful Trillium Trails next year!