When Katrina and Christopher said they were thinking about heading up to Barriere for their engagement photos I almost jumped up and down. Um, yes. Consider me there. When do we start? Can we go right now?

The day I drove up to Chris’s family cabin it was smoking hot. There was a tiny bit of haze left in the sky from the current forest fires, and the lake looked incredible. I navigated the drive in using a PDF that Kat and Chris had sent me which pointed out street names and landmarks, and as I pulled up in front of their lot I thought to myself ‘Ooooh this is going to be good.’

The cabin itself is this massive wood structure that they’ve been building and rebuilding piece by piece, and when you walk out onto the back deck you immediately see that this pocket of the lake is just overflowing with life. There are people on the beaches, people on their boats, kids on floaties and kayaks everywhere. But it’s not populated in a touristy sense, rather you get the impression that people have been coming here for a few generations at least and that each neighbour knows the other.

I was in heaven. As a photographer yes, but also as a person who loves adventure and community. And as soon as we hopped in the boat I knew that it was just going to keep getting better and better.

Katrina and Christopher are two of the loveliest people I’ve ever met. They’re kind, accommodating, quirky and funny. And they were a dream to photograph. This engagement session was probably the most I’ve ever just let a couple go. I knew almost immediately that their natural interactions would be 10x more powerful than what we would get if I gave too much instruction, so I backed right off. Much of what you’re about to see is simply the magic of two people in love and amazing light.

Because honestly as cheesy as it sounds Kat and Chris’s adoration for one another was the heart and soul of this shoot. Yes it was a beautiful location and we got to rip around on a boat and shoot in amazing light. But what made it so special was their connection, and how they focused on each other so fully throughout the entire session.

So just before you dive into these photos I wanted to say one thing: When you’re getting your photos taken… as hard as it may be… just let go. Let your insecurities go. Let your need for control go. Let all your pinterest inspo pins fall by the wayside. Because I guarantee that what you’ll get by investing 100% in the moment will be a million times more amazing than any of that.

DO hold on to one another. DO go on adventures together. DO make each other laugh. DO sneak kisses. Be fully present in the moment, together.  Because that’s where the magic happens.

So without further ado… here’s Kat and Chris.