Michelle + Chris / Peaks Island, Maine Engagement Session

I knew I was going to get along great with Michelle and Chris from day one.

I knew this because in Michelle’s initial inquiry, she told me that they were eloping and wanted some of their elopement photos to take place where they got engaged: Maine Forest Yurts. (Adventurous elopements are my jam.) And secondly, she asked if there was “a snowball’s chance in hell” I could be there. Something about that line gave me the feeling she had a great sense of humor. I was right.

On an unusually warm March afternoon, I drove down to Portland and hopped on the ferry to Peaks Island. I was so excited to be returning to Peaks; it had been years since I made the trip out there, as a child, with my family. We spent many summer days with our cousins on the island, and the nostalgia was sooo present during this adventure!

Michelle and Chris greeted me on the pier and we walked up the hill. Michelle grew up spending a lottt of time on the island and has so many family members who still live out there. It seemed like everywhere we turned, there was a friendly face, someone waving from across the street, uncles and aunts and cousins who all were so thrilled to see them. It was that familiar, warm, tiny community feeling that I didn’t even realize I had forgotten.

We borrowed Michelle’s aunt’s van and began our little excursion, hopping from beach to beach, cracking jokes, getting to know each other, and finally ending up back by the pier for a beautiful sunset over Casco Bay. It was such a special few hours we got to spend together, and I am already even more eager to document their wedding day.

After this shot on the back shore, we took off to the other side of the island where the sky was on FIRE and we got a pretty dramatic shift in light.