Hannah Leigh Photography: Arkansas State University

Friday, October 26, 2012

Casey & Autumn {Engagement}

Well it's been nearly 10 months since my last post. I've been a bit of a slacker when it comes to blogging this year. I have, however, had several photo sessions, so I'll try to get caught up.

After such a busy year in 2011, I had some time off at the beginning of this year to take a breather from photo sessions. But in late February I had the opportunity to shoot an engagement session for my sister Autumn and her then-fiance Casey on the campus of Arkansas State University, where they met.

Casey and Autumn wrote the story of how they met, and later reunited, to share with their wedding guests. Here is their story:

"For roughly a year, a pair of ASU students inconspicuously passed each other at the same spot on campus each day on their way to their respective classes. Each day brought a subtle smile or “Hello” with each of them thinking the other seemed like a really nice person. For seven years, nothing more came of those morning encounters.

Casey graduated in the spring of 2003 and took off in pursuit of his dreams. Autumn remained in Jonesboro as she earned two degrees at ASU and started her career in her hometown, rarely thinking about the nice guy she used to greet almost daily.

Through the wonders of Facebook, Autumn and Casey reconnected around 2006. Casey was struck by that welcoming smile, as it was even brighter and prettier than he’d remembered. Some “what if” daydreams floated through his mind, but with him in San Diego and her in Arkansas, he knew circumstance wouldn’t allow him to explore if there might be something there.

In the spring of 2010, Casey moved to Saint Louis, and it was one afternoon while on the computer that he was again struck by some photos of Autumn from her sister’s wedding. The two were only four hours apart now, so he decided to send her a message. Autumn responded, and her flirtatious reply had Casey smiling from ear to ear.

A couple weeks later, Casey was scheduled to visit a friend in Little Rock, and he arranged for a detour so he could meet Autumn for a lunch date. The two shook off nerves to enjoy a short afternoon full of laughs and smiles. A week later, Casey detoured on his way back to St. Louis in order to see Autumn again, and things took off.

Over the course of the next 18 months, the stretch of Highway 67 from St. Louis to just north of Jonesboro was a well-worn path for Autumn’s Nissan Altima and Casey’s Ford Ranger. With very similar backgrounds and values, Autumn and Casey grew very close quickly.

On Christmas Day last December, Casey walked Autumn to the very spot in the middle of ASU campus where the two used to cross paths. Instead of going their separate ways from that place like they’d done eight years earlier, it was in that location that Casey asked Autumn to walk the same road with him for the rest of their lives. That’s what brings us here today, to celebrate that journey that they embark on together."

Monday, August 22, 2011

Lorenzo + Erika {Engagement}

Our good friends Lorenzo (Zo) and Erika are getting married in October, and I'm the lucky gal they chose to be their photographer! I was ecstatic when they asked me to photograph their wedding, and so grateful they also let me do some engagement photos. They are fantastic subjects to add to my portfolio... so photogenic and so relaxed with each other. The poses just fell into place and seemed so natural.

Since Zo and Erika are both graduates of Arkansas State University, we decided to do the photo shoot on the campus. It's a lovely campus (of course, I'm partial to it) with lots of options for photos. The clock tower and arch are two icons of the ASU campus.