Alyssa and I have been talking about doing a creek photo session for a while. I'm so excited that we finally got to make this dream a reality. We wanted to create images that were simple and beautiful. We also wanted to incorporate Alyssa's passion for dance. We decided a sunrise session was the thing for us. Alyssa even found a simple white dress just in the nick of time!
We got to the river early in the morning. We didn't get the sunrise colors we'd hoped for, but the light was soft and beautiful. We really couldn't have asked for a better morning. The creek was cool and refreshing. The morning was warm, but not too hot and humid for an East Tennessee summer morning. Alison Krauss' Down to the River to Pray was going through my mind over and over again. I wanted the images from this session to feel like that song.
We started the session with some simple standing poses and soft smiles. I think the series below really showcases just how beautiful Alyssa is. Everything else is simple - the dress, the setting, the light. When everything else is downplayed, Alyssa is the focus and she is stunning!
Although it can be tricky to walk and move in the creek, it turns out Alyssa's balance is really great. This was a slow paced session which allowed her time for balancing and trying out different dance movements and poses. The photo below is one of my absolute favorites from the session. I love the the energy in it.
Then we decided it was time to throw some water in the air! I love the frozen droplets above her in this second photo!
After that we decided we were actually ready to get the dress wet. I am so pleased with how they turned out. The middle one was completely candid. Alyssa looked so graceful just playing with the water. She moves like the dancer she is.
After these, we flipped the script and I got in front of the camera. I realized at this point just how good Alyssa's balance is compared to mine. She didn't fall in the creek once. She barley even lost her balance at all. In contrast, almost immediately after getting in the water, I had to put my hands in the river to prevent a tumble! After recovering from that, Alyssa did a great job being the photographer and capturing the photos below.
Then we decided we weren't quite done. There was after all a bridge over the creek to explore. We played with her dance experience here too. I love her long graceful lines! She is so beautiful and was ridiculously easy to photograph.
After the bridge, we decided to try some jumps in the grass, but that didn't really end well. The dress wasn't designed for leaping about. There was one last surprise on the way back to the car when Alyssa spotted this turtle! Look how cute this little guy is.
If your interested in planning your own creek photography session I'd love to talk to you! This was such a fun session and I look forward to doing more in the future!