Ottawa Arboretum Engagement Session: Jessica + Steve

Arboretum-Engagement-Session-Stephanie-Beach-Photography-catMorning sessions are quickly become a new favourite thing of mine. Sure, I have to get up pretty early to be able to get my gear prepped and breakfast eaten (and ensure I am actually awake enough to use my camera properly), but the benefits far outweigh having to set that early morning alarm. So when we were setting up a date for Jessica + Steve’s session, I was definitely up for meeting up at the very start of the day.

And as I mentioned in their sneak peek, I was also completely game for including their four-legged companion, Elsa the Kitty. I gave a little tip about bringing along a third personĀ  when including pets in your session in their sneak peek so I felt that perhaps I would give another little tip for their full preview.

When it comes to pets, they can be pretty unpredictable. No matter how comfortable your pet is in your home and yard, it is sometimes hard to figure out how they are going to react to being in new surroundings, even if they are used to being outdoors. The new, bigger, louder environment can be stressful and overwhelming for them and that can make them act differently than they normally would. And poor Elsa was definitely overwhelmed a couple times during her portion of the session. But fortunately Jessica + Steve had the foresight to not only bring a kitty wrangler but also her carrier and that seemed to give her back some calmness and act like a comfort zone for her. In the end, Elsa did a fabulous job with her photos and was able to chill and relax in her carrier during most of the remaining session (although she did frolic in the grass from time to time too).

And she wasn’t the only one who nailed their photos as Jessica + Steve were so absolutely fantastic!! I loved not only getting to capture them and their connection, but I also loved getting to chat with them both and learn more about the wedding day they are planning for next year. I am so freaking excited to work with them as they plan their day and capture it all for them next year, because if their engagement session is a hint to how their big day will go, I just know it is going to be wonderful and so much fun!!

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