Kendall & Ian


One of the many things that Kendall and Ian love to do together is read. So much so that they even will read out loud to each other sometimes. Are you crying yet?? Whenever I work with my couples whether it be a couples session, an engagement or wedding day, I will always send over a questionnaire to fill out. Now before you get freaked out, there is a method to my madness! This questionnaire is a way for me to get to know my couples to the fullest so I can best serve them and their needs. Kendall and Ian really wanted to incorporate their love for books and reading in their engagement session so off we went to to capture their Ann Arbor Book Shop engagement photos.


When deciding where to take their engagement photos, this took a little bit of digging. A lot of the times you will find me doing a ton of research of different locations depending on what my couples are looking for. We really wanted to get the feeling as if we were swarmed by books, think beauty and the beast belle gets her own library scene… anyone? 


Traverwood Branch Library


On this lovely morning, I met up with Kendall and Ian at the Traverwood Branch Library. From the photos and description of the library online, it was a seemingly perfect match for what we were going for. Oh but how wrong we were. As soon as we stepped foot inside, we found that the bookshelves were about 3 feet too short of what we were going for and while decorated beautifully it wasn’t exactly what we were going for. Although at first glance we were severely underwhelmed, we decided to make the most of it and still utilize the space while we still had it. The managers of the library allowed us in prior to the public so there weren’t many distractions. We spent about ten minutes at this library before heading to our second location of the day.


matthaei botanical gardens


After not having much luck the first go around, we knew that the second location would be a million times better. We headed over to the Matthaei Botanical Gardens where we were greeted with beautiful greenery, all kinds of plants and beautiful warm temperatures. Despite it being the middle of February in Michigan, the conservatory was the PERFECT temperature and was so nice. Kendall and Ian did a quick outfit change into something a bit darker and moodier and I was obsessed with how it contrasted with all of the greenery. It just gave off a whole different vibe and I loved it! 


west side book shop


So after our first library fail, I was determined to find a bookshop that fit exactly the look that we were going for. Luckily for us after a bit of calling around, I was able to find a book shop that allowed us to come in and take some photos. Here comes the West Side Book Shop to our rescue and boy did it not disappoint. As soon as we walked in, a universal sigh occurred as we knew that this was exactly the vibes we were going for, for their engagement session. The lighting was perfect for what we needed and we were surrounded by bookshelves that lined the walls from floor to ceiling. We spent the remainder of their engagement session wandering around the bookstore and soaking up all of the beauty that surrounded us. Despite the slight hiccup in the beginning of the day and thanks to the rescue of the West Side Book Shop it was a rather perfect way to end Kendall and Ian’s engagement session.


If you loved this Ann Arbor Book Shop Engagement then you’re going to love this Michigan Cozy In-Home Session. 


Photos By Gayle does more than just take photos of people. Rather, it is capturing moments of LOVE and HAPPINESS. Singing to the skies, dancing in a field, smiles that hurt because they’re so big. There is nothing else I would rather be doing than photographing these unique details that make you and your significant other a couple. If Kendall & Ian's session puts a spark in you, you know where to click <——— right there!

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I am a Destination Elopement Photographer who specializes in weddings, engagements, elopements, and boudoir. I love to travel to new places so if you are looking for a photographer for any of these events, please contact me here and I will be more than happy to get you started on some beautiful photos of your own!