Sam + Cole’s Fishing Photoshoot at Salmon River Falls

When you live in an area as beautiful as Central New York, a lot of people consider themselves outdoorsy. But Sam and Cole requested that we work fly fishing into their engagement session at Salmon River Falls, and I love a fun challenge!

Sam originally reached out because one of my Brides is a friend of hers and my client told her about my attention to detail, and how it had been working with me so far. I’m so grateful for her glowing recommendation which led Sam and Cole to me.

These two are planning to get married at Tailwater Lodge, a venue whose rustic feel they instantly vibed with. When we started planning their engagement session, Sam had a clear vision: a fishing photoshoot where she and Cole wore their waders. I was so excited to create these photos that would feel super unique and meaningful to them.

We met the day of the shoot in the parking lot, and carried all their fly fishing gear and change of clothes down to the water. We kicked things off by taking some nice photos in front of the magnificent waterfall. We had just seen each other a week prior at Jess and Paul’s wedding (the couple who referred them to me), but it was nice to have the opportunity to chat without all the hustle of a busy wedding day.

Working with Sam and Cole was so much fun. They are so sweet, and the entire session was filled with laughter, which resulted in a lot of candid-feeling photos. While they changed into their fly fishing outfits, I photographed Sam’s ring. Inside was the inscription, “A little birdie told me,” which is a catchphrase that has meant a lot through the course of their relationship.

I grabbed a few shots of them on the shore before they waded into the river. They started casting their lines for fly fishing. They weren’t any fish around, but we all agreed that didn’t matter - it was such a neat thing to have photos of, especially since their wedding venue, Tailwater, is known for salmon fishing in the fall. There was plenty of laughter while I snapped away, capturing both posed and candid photos of them fly fishing. The whole thing was so adorable; I’m thrilled they requested this for their waterfall photoshoot!

I urge all of my couples to think about what makes their relationship special and try to incorporate that into their engagement session, even in a small way. Sam and Cole hit the mark big time! I can’t wait for their wedding this fall!