Nostalgic Cinematic Style Engagement Photoshoot in Eklutna, Alaska
By Chelsa Jay – Your Alaska Couples Photographer
Simple, laid back, beautiful Alaskan scenery, and the creative outlet to capture that retro movie feeling with a super adorable couple — count me in one thousand times, yes! This cinematic engagement shoot is the stuff of legends and I am so here for it. There is something endearing about choosing ’90s nostalgic film as the editing style, but this newly engaged couple completely played the part with their look and poses — giving off Sleepless in Seattle, Love Jones, and Notting Hill vibes. Maybe the rain helped a bit with that too, and I loved every second of it! This is exactly the kind of session I live for as an Alaska couples photographer.
EPIC IDEA FOR GORGEOUS PHOTOS WITH A LAID-BACK FEELIN
Casual engagement sessions are such a diamond in the ruff (pun intended) when it comes to couples who are low-key enough to wear tennis shoes and a basic button-up and dive into loving each other on camera — instead of over-the-top matching outfits. To each their own, but I can tell you which type of couple has the most shared laughter and, in return, beautiful and timeless photos that capture the essence of their romance, especially during a cinematic engagement shoot.
Add in the perfect prompt of nostalgic ’90s cinematic film edits and my own creative freedom to make magic with these two — this cinematic engagement shoot has become one of my favorite engagement photoshoots to date. It’s these laid-back, wildly in-love sessions that make this job as an Alaska couples photographer so fulfilling.
THE COUPLE
Meet Damecia & Ethan, a super cool couple with mellow personalities and an adventurous spirit — both in braving the storm and in letting me take the reins. Did I mention they allowed my full creative freedom in making this look like a ’90s Romance/Rom-Com movie cover? That’s basically every photographer’s dream — and the photos turned out amazing from this cinematic engagement shoot.
BRAVING THE RAIN
Talk about adventurous — Demecia showed up in shorts and a white tank top with a breezy linen blouse, and Ethan in a short-sleeve button-up to an Alaskan lakeside photoshoot in the pouring rain. Braving the elements was worth it for them, and they had fun doing so. I think the drizzle absolutely added to the theme we were going for in our cinematic engagement shoot, as each time Ethan cradled his fiancée in his arms, the rain came down harder — like the stuff of fairy tales.
PERFECT CLOUDY BACKDROP
Due to the weather, the day had a whimsical, cloudy, almost steamy effect that just barely fogged the distant mountains. When we got down to the lake shore, raindrop-kisses speckled the water and muddy beach around them, almost blurring the entire world except for the two of them, making pure magic in the unexpected. Then we were off to explore the grassy shore and beautiful wooded area surrounding the lake, ducking beneath the canopy of trees until it cleared to head into the open meadow.
This session is everything I love about being a wedding and Alaska couples photographer: unpredictable, cinematic, nostalgic, a little messy — and entirely romantic.
WORKING IN CINEMA AND ENGAGEMENT PHOTO STYLES IN ONE
I know, I know… Cinematic shots are often captured in landscape orientation, so don’t worry — we got plenty of those adorable, jaunty “run to me” shots that are so cliché they work! But it was still super important to focus on the reason we were there: for an engagement photoshoot. So we captured beautiful shots of the ring, the kisses, the familiar engagement session moments — all wrapped inside their nostalgic romantic theme.
The easiest way to do that was through classic romance film posing that hinted at exactly which rom-com we were channeling. Of course, vintage romance is eternal, so their engagement gallery is full of over-the-top romantic shots in this dreamy ’90s inspired style.
I’M NOT CRYING…
For example: the epic Notebook-style rainy kisses that made my heart swoon as Ethan lifted Demecia to kiss her. They truly gave me their best and went all in with the cinematic prompt that made posing easy and fun. Braving the weather made the photos unforgettable, and being able to lean into the edits full force afterwards was just the icing on the cake. They walked away with exactly what they imagined: comfy, casual, nostalgic romance film–themed engagement photos in Alaska as part of their cinematic engagement shoot.
CHELSA JAY | ALASKA COUPLES PHOTOGRAPHER & WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
If this hasn’t already, I hope these images inspire you to do something out of the ordinary that is also supremely in-style from another era. Not just in how you dress or where we go, but in the style, lighting, posing, and genre. Whether you’re dreaming up a nostalgic engagement session, eloping in the Alaskan mountains, or want something quirky and cinematic — I can help bring your vision to life. With a cinematic engagement shoot, your love story can truly be captured in all its unique charm.
If you’d like to chat about setting up an engagement photoshoot, I’d LOVE to hear your ideas. If you want to learn more about me and my process, click here. I look forward to meeting you and helping piece together your genre-specific photoshoot and love story — Alaska style.
