Donna + Kris | Engaged

Give me a beautiful lake, a sweet couple, a dog, and a little bit of adventure, and I’m a happy photographer!

Donna and Kris chose Great Sacandaga Lake for their engagement photos, and I absolutely loved getting to spend the evening with them. We started at their family’s property on the lake, which gave us private beachfront access and the perfect setting for a relaxed waterfront engagement session.

The weather may have been cloudy and the sun was disappearing FAST, but we made the most of every minute—and ended up with some beautiful photos!

Great Sacandaga Lake Engagement Photos

Great Sacandaga Lake is such a beautiful setting for engagement photography.

For Donna and Kris, it was even more meaningful because we were able to begin their session at their family’s property right on the lake.

I always love when couples choose a location that has a personal connection to them. A beautiful location is great, but when that place is also part of your family’s memories and your own story, the photographs become even more meaningful.

The private beach gave us the perfect place to start. Even with the overcast sky, the water created such a soft, peaceful backdrop for their portraits.

And then I got to meet another very important member of their family.

Meet Callaway!

Donna and Kris brought their pup, Callaway, along for some of their engagement photos.

And Callaway apparently had some things to say about the upcoming wedding!

I’m pretty sure he had the LOUDEST bark I’ve ever heard come out of a dog his size.

He was very excited, very vocal, and clearly wanted to make sure everyone knew his humans were getting married.

I love when couples bring their dogs to engagement sessions. They might add a little unpredictability—and occasionally a lot of barking—but they’re part of the family.

Getting to Know Donna + Kris

It didn’t take long for me to figure out that these two love to laugh.

That’s one of my favorite things to discover during an engagement session because genuine laughter photographs SO much better than me simply telling someone to smile.

Donna and Kris are fun, sweet, and incredibly comfortable together. Instead of worrying about the camera, they were able to laugh, interact, and simply enjoy each other while I photographed everything happening between them.

That’s exactly what I want an engagement session to feel like.

Why Engagement Sessions Matter

I’ve probably said this a hundred times on my blog, but engagement sessions are about so much more than getting beautiful photographs before your wedding.

They’re our opportunity to get to know each other.

Most couples aren’t used to having a professional photographer following them around, and almost everyone starts a session wondering what they’re supposed to do with their hands!

That’s completely normal.

As we spend time together, you learn how I work, I learn how the two of you naturally interact, and everything starts to feel much more relaxed.

Then, when I walk through the door on your wedding day, I’m not a stranger holding a camera.

I’m someone you’ve already spent time with, laughed with, and learned to trust.

Chasing the Last Light at Great Sacandaga Lake

As the sun started disappearing, we decided to make one final stop at the bridge crossing the lake.

And this is where things got a little interesting.

Thankfully, Donna’s mom came along with us and became my official traffic spotter so I could get into position without getting run over!

Photography can be glamorous like that.

But the adventure was worth it.

We were able to finish Donna and Kris’s session with some beautiful photographs overlooking Great Sacandaga Lake as the last bit of evening light disappeared.

And yes, there may have also been a little adventure involving the truck.

Let’s just say I was VERY thankful we didn’t need to take it anywhere else that evening!

From Great Sacandaga Lake to Their Wedding Day

Looking back at this engagement session is even sweeter.

View their wedding day at the RIP Van Winkle Country Club here!