Isaiah & Kamryn | Waterworks Park Engagement Session

Isaiah and Kamryn brought exactly the kind of energy that makes a session feel effortless.

They were easy with each other. Genuinely happy. Not taking themselves too seriously. Within the first five minutes, any awkwardness that comes with being in front of a camera had already dissolved — and what was left was just two people who clearly like each other a lot.

We spent a September evening at Waterworks Park in Des Moines, moving between the clean architectural lines near the amphitheater and the warm, open-air light along the park's paths. September in Iowa is one of my favorite times to photograph engagements — the light is softer than summer, the air has that first quiet hint of fall, and everything feels a little more settled.

Kamryn's ring is stunning — a cushion cut set in rose gold with delicate side stones — and she was very good at pretending she wasn't watching me photograph it. Isaiah was very good at making her laugh in the middle of almost every quiet moment, which made for exactly the kind of images I love most.

On Engagement Sessions

I always encourage couples who book me for their wedding to do an engagement session beforehand — not because the images are required, but because the time together matters. By the time your wedding day arrives, you've already learned what it feels like to be in front of my camera. You know it's not awkward. You know I'm not going to ask you to do anything uncomfortable. That comfort shows up in the wedding photographs.

But beyond the practical value, an engagement session is its own thing worth having. It's one of the few times during an engagement — a season that can get very logistical, very quickly — that you slow down and just be together for an hour. No vendors to coordinate. No guest list to finalize. Just the two of you, a beautiful evening, and someone paying attention.

Waterworks Park as an Engagement Location

If you're looking for a Des Moines engagement session location that offers both architectural interest and natural outdoor light, Waterworks Park is one of my favorites. The clean modern structures near the amphitheater give you crisp, graphic backgrounds that make portraits feel elevated and intentional. Step fifty feet in any direction and you're in open greenery with beautiful ambient light filtering through the trees.

It works in almost any season, but September and October are particularly good — long golden-hour light, comfortable temperatures, and enough green left that the surroundings still feel lush.