Hickory Run (Shades of Death Trail) Engagement Photos // Poconos, PA

We worked with Kelly and Ben to bring their vision for Hickory Run State Park engagement photos to life along the Shades of Death Trail, which is not nearly as morbid a place as it sounds. We had a beautiful early summer evening for their session and started by hiking together toward the main waterfall area, using that time to talk and get to know each other a little more. The trail offers gorgeous natural backdrops in any season, but it was especially eye-catching that evening with golden hour light coming through the trees, an abundance of greenery, and a heavier flow of water over the falls after a recent storm.

Kelly and Ben were incredibly natural together in front of the camera. We captured a mix of candid little moments and more intentionally positioned portraits, giving them direction when it helped while leaving plenty of room for their own connection to show through. 

Something we often tell couples at the beginning of a session is that they are going to get a lot of face time together. That is one of our favorite parts of photographing couples. The strongest images are rarely about holding a perfect pose. They come from the connection people already share and what happens when they are given the space to focus on each other.

Some of our favorite images came from finding a different perspective on the waterfall. With careful composition and angling, we were able to make the landscape feel almost like a completely different environment. Kelly and Ben trusted the process, stayed connected, and made it easy for us to experiment a little creatively throughout the evening. We hope you enjoy looking through their Hickory Run State Park engagement photos as much as we enjoyed making them.

If you’re considering Shades of Death Trail engagement photos or planning an outdoor session somewhere meaningful to you, we’d love to help bring the idea together.