On an overcast Spring day, I photographed an engaged couple photos at Glen Helen, their cute dog at Glen Helen in Yellow Springs. I’ve done several engagement photo sessions there, but this one was my favorite.
This nature preserve 30 minutes east of Dayton is an unusual but fantastic choice of engagement locations. Primarily, this is due to the time required to shoot here. Once you arrive in the parking lot, it is probably a half-mile or more walk to the most iconic sections of this park. There are wooden footbridges, a beaver dam, and the Yellow Springs. All are photo-worthy, but I absolutely loved the dam the most.
Adding your dog to a photo session lets me capture your entire immediate family. The most helpful dog tip I can give is for you to have a dog handler with you. Most often, a mom or dad will come to the session. It is their job to keep the dog leashed, fed, and sometimes distracted. They often will call the dog’s name trying to get the dog looking in my direction. After 10-15 minutes, they can return to the car with the dog. Rarely does a couple want the entire hour with the dog. All of this allows the company to focus on the camera instead of fussing with the dog.
Choose this beautiful park if you want different engagement photos than the majority of couples in the Dayton area. Be aware that you may get sweaty walking to the parts of the park you want photos in. Walking will. take up a large chunk of you engagement session time.