I'll be the first to admit that "the Great Swamp" doesn't sound confidence-inspiring for an engagement photoshoot. However, look past its name and you'll see a gem of a location, tucked away just a few miles from my home in New Jersey. 

I decided, at the last minute, to change the venue for this photoshoot, and I'm glad I did; the raised boardwalk and thick overhead canopy made for some neat shots! My subjects for this engagement shoot were Dan, a good friend of over ten years (can you believe it, Dan?), and his fianceé Emily, who both made the drive up from Philadelphia. 

Luckily, the dense vegetation made for even light in both the sun and the clouds. While there were a fair bit of bugs to swat away -- it is a swamp, after all -- I can see myself returning to this location for many portrait sessions to come. To think that this place was nearly turned into an airport back in the 1960s! I can't wait to see what kind of colors this place will turn in autumn.

Gear nerd talk: It's safe to say that I'm a massive fan of the Fujifilm 56mm f1.2 lens, the only glass I needed for this shoot. Recently, I've been getting a little nostalgic for my full-frame Nikon gear, and the ultra-shallow depth of field those lenses produce. However, lenses like the 56mm are what keep me firmly planted in the Fuji ecosystem. They may give us a crop sensor, but they supplement it with super-fast lenses; they know that sometimes, there's no replacement for a creamy out-of-focus background.

I hope the images speak for themselves. Dan and Emily were great, the location was great, and the equipment was great. Thoroughly not bad for a day in a swamp.