What an exciting engagement session idea! I recently booked a 2012 wedding with Carolyn & Louis. Their wedding package included an engagement shoot. We always try to make engagement sessions fun and relaxed, and we almost always choose an outdoor location, but this suggestion was a new one for me: Carolyn asked if I would be willing to do their engagement shoot at the Frederick Fair. Let me ponder for a nano second… HECK YEAH! :)

The fair is a wonderful place to make great photos and I have previously blogged one of my all time favorite photos — a ferris wheel at sunset at the Great Frederick Fair.

Carolyn and Louis were game for anything, and when I arrived to meet them, I guess they figured I was too. Carolyn had a large sheet of tickets in hand. This was going to be an adventure :)

We started with a shot to show off Carolyn’s new ring. I love this photo because it says “fair” but only subtly. Throughout this shoot, I wanted to photograph Carolyn & Loius creatively, in the setting they chose, without being too literal. (A carnival can also make for a busy, clutter filled frame unless you’re careful. Plus, I didn’t want random strangers to feature prominently in this couple’s portraits!)

Photographers love to work during the “golden hour” which is typically about 30 minutes before and after sunset. This is a particularly perfect time at a carnival, where sunset provides a beautiful balance between sky light and the lights adorning the rides and midway.

That sliver of a halo surrounding our kissing couple is my attempt at foreshadowing. That is Reithoffer’s Wheel, and that’s where we headed next!

I had so much fun doing this engagement session at The Great Frederick Fair! Thank you Carolyn and Louis, I can’t wait to photograph your wedding day!

I have always loved sports photography. You get one chance to get it right and when you do, it’s breathtaking. Athletes showcase the best of our human potential: drive, determination, spirit, and empathy. Using their bodies to their fullest capacity, athletes remind us what’s possible when we dedicate ourselves to rising to a challenge.

On New Years Eve 2010, I had another amazing opportunity thanks to my friend Sonja Sienkowski. Sonja heads a very talented, athletic family and was herself a diver in college. When she contacted me about the possibility of photographing her diving teams I jumped at the chance! This was a rare opportunity to capture those essential elements of sports — the emotions and raw displays of talent — using all of the skills and tools I have acquired in my own pursuits, and to showcase them though my own visual style. Here is a glimpse behind the scenes, highlighting the excitement of the day and some of my favorite photos…

Thank you Sonja, for making this event possible, and Diane Kane and Lauren Bradfield for contributing wonderful candid photos and videos for the slideshow.

I would also like to personally thank all of the divers who participated in this special project. Keep doing what you’re doing, you’re amazing!!!

[Update for Divers: I made a DVD of this that looks great on a big screen. I'll give a copy to Sonja and anyone who wants to can borrow it and make a copy for yourself. I'm putting a .mp4 high-res version on your CDs that works on an iPhone, a request by Sonja  :)  ]

This past weekend I got to work again with some of my all-time favorite models and make-up artists! This shoot was more than a month in the making, and probably my most ambitious yet in terms of complexity, styling, and scale.

Here’s a look behind the scenes…

Now that you’ve seen behind the scenes, click here to see a few favorites from the shoot and while you’re there become a Friend of B Scott Photography. Enjoy!

* Many thanks to Structures Salon for their excellent and professional make-up, once again! And to Joan Jenkins of Joanies Carroll St. Cafe for her contribution of wedding dresses in major support of the costumes.