2023 Update:

This set is one of my favorites, and the friend that asked me to photograph it has been trying to limit images of her appearing on the internet. I have changed the name of this post in order to aid in her social exposure goal. The story below has been changed as well, with her name being removed. I still hope you enjoy the story and images.

I had worked with Nikki Frangakis for a fashion related session and a few times via Sage Suppa for some performing arts events, but this time...it was personal. She was engaged. She had been dating Jon for a couple of years and I had always imagined being their engagement photographer even though she never officially asked me to be her photographer. When she did, I was thrilled. They are some of the coolest New Yorkers I know, and they invited me into the City for the session. We started out at their apartment and then ventured to Central Park.

Two important notes:

One, their dogs, Sunshine (chihuahua) and Bruiser, stole the show, and secondly those balloons…

Nikki is fantastic. She had the theme for the engagement session in mind before we began. It was derived from a vision she had from when she was younger. She always pictured her wedding taking place at a carnival. She imagined all of her friends and family gathered, enjoying the rides, delicious food, and mystical music in celebration of her lovely day. Needless to say, the balloons were a representation of that carnival idea. While sharing the idea of the wedding themed carnival, she shared with me what being with Jonathan and becoming engaged felt like:

"It's like being in love for the first time, but finally being old enough to know what to do with those feelings."

Wonderful.