Gavin & Jess: A ‘Save the Date’ Shoot

Meet The Couple

A little while back I got a call (well, a call and then a Whatsapp message) from Gavin, an old schoolmate from high school. He was looking for a photographer to shoot him and his fiance Jessica, popular blogger of Jessica in the Kitchen fame for a ‘Save the Date’ shoot. It had been a little while since I’d shot a couple, so I was glad to sign on and work with them.

Jessica (and Gavin) In the Kitchen

We talked about a few ideas for the theme of the shoot. I asked him, “What’s something that you two positively enjoy doing together?” His answer was immediate; cooking! One of their favourite things to do is cook and spend time in the kitchen together. After hashing out a few ideas with him, I decided to go a bit more in-depth on my own. I wanted to showcase them in the kitchen, but I still wanted to keep the spirit and purpose of the shoot.

A few days later, I was in Gavin’s kitchen, ready to make some magic. Both he and Jess were incredibly comfortable in front of the camera, and they were a joy to work with. They were naturals; who needs posing, anyway?. We talked throughout the shoot, with Gavin recounting how he asked her out on their first date (it’s a really cute story involving a Super Bowl party and pastry).

After grabbing some great shots in the kitchen, we decided to head outdoors to get some more traditional shots. Gavin’s backyard was pretty sizable, so we had a lot of space to work with. While I did have a shot list to work by, Gavin and Jess pulled off almost every concept without even referencing it. This led to a really great series of images, which I feel were the best of the shoot. You could feel the love between them; it was palpable, and it translated well on-camera.