New York Rooftop Engagement Session
“To be young and in love in New York City (New York City)
To not know who I am but still know that I’m good long as you’re here with me
To be drunk and in love in New York City
Midnight into morning coffee
Burning through the hours talking”
You could fall in love twice in the same day here. I think that’s how it happens for a lot of couples in New York City. They fall in love first with New York and then, they fall in love in New York. This isn’t the eat you up and spit you out city you hear about as a child. It’s not that rough back ally gang violence type of place these days, at least not in Manhattan, but instead of a place where a few million people manage to live side by side totally affecting each other but rarely getting in each other’s way. To find love in this ocean of people is magic. It’s probably easier to find an apartment in mid town than it is somebody who’s a perfect fit for you and yet somehow year after year we work with amazing couples who have done it. New York is a fascinating place filled with big dreams and bigger history and every time I shoot inside the walls of this city I’m reminded just how much I love this place. I’ve been back and forth a lot this year with several more trips to take and from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Highline, Tribeca to Queens, Hoboken to Dumbo I’m constantly finding new corners of this city I love to take a camera. This session was so unique for me. I’ve spent some time now getting to know Liz but hadn’t met John until he walked out of his room in their 5th floor apartment with a bit of a headache from a long day before and no shirt on. Instant bromance. This guy is just as real as they come and though his head was pounding he rallied to make Liz happy and it was totally evident that he cared more about that than just about anything. Liz is a total knockout, successful, kind, and sweet with John. The two of them scheduled this session at the tail end of a pretty busy weekend for me and when we decided to start shooting at noon I was worried about the people, the light, the time we had together, and whether I could make it all come together with 9 million people hustling around us. A few minutes on the street were perfect with some of the hustle and rush of the crowds in the background but after pulling a few strings with another one of my very favorite NYC couples (who happened to get married last Saturday) we had rooftop access right between the Empire State Building and One World Trade Center. Not a bad view even at 12pm and the rest was all Liz + John. I’m so excited to spend a weekend with them on the Jersey Shore next year along side our video team and can’t wait for them to see these photos. THANKS to Liz + John for rallying around this shoot, Megan + Tyler for opening up access to your beautiful building for some privacy from the chaos 39 floors below us, and the weird old dude who walked right in front of me making a cameo in one of my favorite photos from the whole session.
