There were two things I noticed immediately when I stepped out of my car for Sara and Mike’s engagement session at Horicon Marsh: Bugs and birds. And not just any birds – the red-winged blackbird. (And then I did notice how beautiful the Horicon Marsh is, and how I can’t believe there’s a place like this in Wisconsin that I had never been to!). Luckily, Sara and I were on the same page with the bugs — Not something we wanted flying around us, or even worse, crawling on us. As for Mike, he quickly informed me that red-winged blackbirds are in fact his FAVORITE bird! Ummmmmmmmmm.
The worst. birds. ever.
I don’t know if you know this (or if Mike knows this for that matter), but red-winged blackbirds will literally attack you! I might even have nightmares about them. My mom is a huge runner, so naturally, I grew up running with her and now run a lot myself. Runners HATE these birds! Especially when they’re nesting. Just Google red-winged blackbird attacks (or even look on TikTok) and you’ll see what I mean. (Let me clarify, I might be exaggerating when I use the word attack….They mostly swoop and sometimes grab your hair. That’s enough to traumatize me for life though).
A beautiful night at the Horicon Marsh
In some ways, I wish I could see these birds through Mike’s eyes. He’s a hunter and has a great appreciation for birds, so the Horicon Marsh was an awesome location for their engagement session. The bugs actually left Sara and I alone, and we had a BEAUTIFUL sun that night. Once we got over our bird differences, I quickly realized that these two are so much fun to be around. They are sweet to each other, love to joke around, and were quickly pros in front of the camera! Sara and Mike were set up by Sara’s best friend’s husband. After a few failed attempts, he nailed it with Mike. Sara said they knew pretty quickly when they started dating that this was a forever deal.
A joyful couple!
When Sara first reached out to me about wedding photography, she told me she liked my images because the couples in them seemed relaxed and happy. I appreciated Sara saying that more than she might realize, because my goal is to always make my couples feel comfortable in front of the camera. THEY make each other happy, but if I can help them feel relaxed, I’ll be able to capture that joy more naturally. During our session, these two knew just how to make each other laugh, they quickly relaxed in front of the camera, and I suddenly had an epiphany and said to Sara, “See, now you’re one of the happy couples in my pictures!” Her smile and their love and joy shine right through these images, and that’s why I love capturing this season for my couples!
Sara and Mike, I am so excited for your wedding in September, and I am honored to capture these special moments for you! Even if we don’t see eye-to-eye on those horrible birds 😉
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