PJ and Dave’s engagement session took place on an overcast day in Brasstown North Carolina in late December 2018. I tend to prefer overcast days because of the drama in the clouds and the natural diffusing effect they have on the available sunlight- a nice, even light cuts down on contrast and harsh shadows, leaving a more beautifully lit scene.

When I meet a couple for the first time, there's always a moment of integration as we assess each other. I typically try out some jokes to see how reserved or excitable they might be. Experience has taught me that most people haven't ever gone through a couple's session for photography. Hell, most people haven't even gone through a professional photography session at all!

For their session we wandered around the campus of the John C Campbell Folk School in Brasstown. It's a school that offers around 850 skill-based classes a year, and since the campus is over a hundred acres and it's pretty rare to encounter many other folks. Of all the scenic beauty in Western North Carolina, the Campbell school campus is one of my favorite spots.

One of the best places to shoot was over near the Old Mill House. The building has been refurbished into housing for instructors, but on the side there's still an old red water wheel. If you ever come along on a session with me you'll notice that by the end of the session the knees of my pants are almost always dirty and scuffed up. Shots like the water wheel ones play into that- I wound up kneeling in mud to get the image I wanted.