A Rustic Summer Shoot

If you know me in real life, you're familiar with my infatuation with vintage: the old typewriter on my desk (yes, the one I use on my IG for my photography quotes ;)), the obsolete cameras on my walls--even the 87 year old house I call my home all reflect a love for things that have seen their share of action.

My penchant for the well-worn and storied is probably a big reason why Fort Monroe, the decommissioned Army post a tad over two miles from my front door is one of my favorite places to shoot. A good portion of the fort is now protected by the National Park Service and the rest is being gently developed and maintained to retain the charm that seeps from every Civil War era brick and Edgar Alan Poe touched stone.

So I was thrilled when Melissa contacted me earlier this summer and told me that she and her fiancé, Dustin, liked the idea of a rustic session. The day before we were to meet, I scoped out locations based on where the light would be best when. I'm sure I looked crazy, pointing my camera at absolutely nothing just to see the light through my lens (or, then again, locals may have just assumed I was trying to capture some of our resident ghosts).

The legwork paid off--the light hit exactly where I wanted it to in every location and the fact that these two were ridiculously photogenic made for a double win!

If scrolling through these pictures gives you a sudden urge for crumbling stone, rusted metal, and historic brick--I'll meet you at the fort any day!