On the very last day of 2016, I got to wake up, enjoy the morning, and photograph Emily & Mike on top of the Smithfield Bridge! What an an awesome start to the end of the year! We started around 9am when it wouldn't be absolutely and utterly freezing anymore. It was brisk and sunny and particularly windy atop of the bridge. We played with lighting and worked with the form of the bridge to get unique angles and framing. We also [carefully] watched for cars as we hopped the barriers and jumped up on to the center of the bridge! The symmetry of this structure is absolutely gorgeous. Emily & Mike even danced for a moment in the middle of the street (while my husband patrolled for traffic of course). We made our way across the bridge, stopping for wonderful lighting, back drops of the Pittsburgh skyline and the river, and my favorite, graffiti on the bridge such as "I love pizza" and "Don't Leave Me" were some of Emily's quirky featured requests. We finished up on Smithfield and ventured across the city to Washington's Landing.
Once we arrived at Washington's Landing, the sky had become soft and overcast, but still permitting us the perfect amount of natural light. We walked along the Three Rivers Heritage Trail to the bridge. Emily & Mike braved the bridge sans coats for a few shots. We then made our way to the other end of the island to the stone stairs where I got some of my favorite shots of the day. Emily and Mike then climbed on top of the stone wall that allowed for a gorgeous background of water and bridges. We ended the session on top of an old tank outlook point. We finished with a few shots of Emily's stunning engagement ring resting on some tree branches and berries. These photos were definitely worth the cold and wind! Congratulations to Emily & Mike on your engagement!
