An Editorial Engagement Session Instead of Traditional Engagement Pictures

When it came time to plan McKenna and Braxton's engagement photographs, we knew these couldn't feel ordinary.

McKenna wanted something sexy, fashionable and sophisticated. She wanted Vogue-inspired posing, beautiful lighting and photographs with a true editorial, magazine-quality feel.

She wasn't looking for the typical engagement session.

She wanted fashion.

She wanted drama.

She wanted photographs that looked like them.

My friend and fellow photographer Andrea Chapelo had the idea of photographing their engagement session at The Lytle Park Hotel in Cincinnati, and the minute we started thinking about the possibilities, we knew it was perfect.

Andrea joined me for the session and helped photograph McKenna and Braxton, and having another creative photographer there made it even more fun to push the concepts, lighting and posing. Not to mention, this gave McKenna and Braxton confidence in knowing their wedding photography would be just as amazing since Andrea agreed to be one of the photographers!!!!

Why The Lytle Park Hotel Was Perfect for Their Engagement Photos

The Lytle Park Hotel gave us something completely different from the outdoor engagement locations people traditionally expect.

Its elegant architecture, sophisticated interiors, open lobby and beautiful bar immediately created the upscale atmosphere we wanted.

Instead of trying to make a location fit the vision, the hotel became part of the story.

The beautiful open lobby gave us space to create photographs that felt polished and luxurious while still allowing McKenna and Braxton to interact naturally.

At the bar, they raised a glass and toasted their engagement.

It was such a simple moment, but photographed in that setting, it became something completely different—a celebratory image that felt like it belonged in a magazine.

Professional Lighting Made the Hotel Come Alive

Indoor hotel photography can be beautiful, but lighting makes all the difference.

Rather than relying entirely on the existing light inside the hotel, we incorporated professional off-camera lighting to shape the photographs and give them the polished, editorial quality McKenna wanted.

That allowed us to highlight the architecture and ambiance of The Lytle Park Hotel while keeping McKenna and Braxton beautifully lit.

The result was dimensional, dramatic and sophisticated rather than simply looking like photographs taken inside a hotel lobby.

This is one of the reasons I love creating sessions around a concept instead of simply choosing a pretty location.

The location is only the beginning.

Wardrobe, posing, lighting, expression and direction are what turn that location into a photograph.

The Elevator Photos: Sexy, Moody and Completely Editorial

And then there were the elevators.

Andrea and I immediately saw the possibilities.

The smaller space, reflective surfaces, dramatic lighting and close proximity between McKenna and Braxton allowed us to create some of the sexiest photographs of their engagement session.

These weren't traditional "smile at the camera" engagement portraits.

They were intimate.

Confident.

Moody.

Fashion-forward.

Exactly the kind of images McKenna had envisioned when she said she wanted her engagement photographs to feel like a Vogue editorial.

Sometimes the most unexpected corner of a location becomes the place where the magic happens.