There are some engagement sessions where you go into the evening with a very specific vision of what the light is going to do, and then Pennsylvania weather decides it has other plans. For Mikalah and Sean’s engagement session at Sam Lewis State Park, we were hoping for one of those warm, glowy summer evenings with golden light spilling across the fields. Instead, the clouds rolled in, the sky got darker, and the whole evening took on a moodier feel than any of us expected.
And honestly? I ended up loving it.
An Engagement Session at Sam Lewis State Park
Sam Lewis State Park is one of those locations that gives you a little bit of everything without needing to travel between a bunch of different spots. There are wide open grassy areas, trees and trails, overlooks, and plenty of space to wander around without every photo feeling like it was taken in exactly the same place.
It also has some seriously beautiful views of the surrounding York County countryside, which is one of the reasons I love it for outdoor engagement sessions. On a clear evening, it can be incredible for sunset. On Mikalah and Sean’s evening, though, the clouds gave everything a completely different look.
Instead of bright golden light, we ended up with softer tones, darker skies, and a little more drama in the landscape. It was a good reminder that engagement photos don’t need perfect sunshine to be beautiful. Sometimes the weather you weren’t planning for ends up being what makes the session feel different.
We spent the evening walking around the park, taking advantage of the open fields and overlooks, and giving Mikalah and Sean plenty of space to just hang out together in front of the camera. That’s usually how I approach engagement sessions anyway. We’ll get the pretty portraits, obviously, but I also want there to be movement, laughing, walking around, and enough breathing room that you aren’t spending an hour wondering what you’re supposed to do with your hands.
Champagne, But Make It Slightly Chaotic
Toward the end of the session, Mikalah and Sean brought out a bottle of champagne for a champagne pop. Our first attempt was… polite. We got a little spray, took some photos, and figured that might be all the bottle had to give us. Then we decided to try one more time. Apparently the champagne was simply saving its energy.
The second pop gave us exactly the kind of chaotic spray we had been hoping for, and those ended up being some of my favorite photos from the entire engagement session. There’s something about champagne photos that works especially well at a place like Sam Lewis State Park because you have so much open space around you and can just let it fly without worrying too much about the mess.
It was also a pretty perfect way to wrap up a session that hadn’t gone exactly according to the original plan but somehow worked because of it.
Looking Ahead to Their Juniata Valley Winery Wedding
Mikalah and Sean will be getting married next April at Juniata Valley Winery, and I’m excited to photograph the next part of their story there.
One of my favorite things about doing engagement photos before a wedding is that by the time the wedding day arrives, being photographed doesn’t feel quite so unfamiliar anymore. We’ve already spent time together, you know how I work, and you’ve learned that you absolutely do not need to know how to pose yourself for us to get good photos.
And in this case, we’ve also learned that if the first champagne pop is disappointing, apparently you just give it another shot.
If you’re looking for a location for engagement photos in York, PA, Sam Lewis State Park is definitely worth considering, especially if you want something outdoorsy with open fields, scenic views, and plenty of room to explore. Golden sunset or moody clouds included. If you’re planning your own engagement session in York, PA, or you’re looking for a photographer for your wedding day, you can learn more about my wedding photography experience here.
