Choosing Asbury Park Boardwalk as a location for an Engagement Shoot
I was excited when Jon and Kris decided they wanted their engagement at Asbury Park. Jon was a classmate of mine back during my university days at Drew University and with old memories washing back, I thought Asbury Park a perfect location. The city is a beautiful reflection of the winds of change from its LGBTQ community to its local network of artists and businesses.
The Asbury boardwalk’s recent transformation evokes both old and new. Since Sandy, its story has become a bit of a local beacon for transformation. Facing immediately east are the sands of the beach and the Atlantic Ocean, and all the great energy of change and journey. At least for the romantics.
Along the Asbury Boardwalk are the murals along the stretch towards the Asbury Galleria and Convention Hall. Father south, the boardwalk’s crowds disperse and you can steal away a few moments of sand, wind, solitude. The sun sets against the ocean, and the light is incredible and warm.
Jon and Kris picked this location because it spoke to them as individuals. A choice of both heart and mind. And so I wanted to create something deeply honest and true to who they were.
Jon. Kris.
How the afternoon engagement felt
We started our afternoon at the head of Bradley Cove and made our way down to to the Asbury Park Convention Hall. Our afternoon started as many of my photography sessions do. Quiet, calm. Inside (of me too) a restless energy of excitement. We wanted beautiful photographs and great energy. I was thinking about my promise to deliver something meaningful.
Would we be able to do it this time? Would the nerves be… just too much? What would it take to have a perfect afternoon?
A great part of Art is doubt- consciously entering a realm of ambiguity with the hope of teasing out something that was greater that what we’ve envisioned before. Something more than perfect… something fleeting, flawed, temporal, human. At least for the romantics.
So we took a walk.
