I’ll be the first to admit that our more avant-garde Alt Sessions are a tough sell. They’re hard to visualize and we’re not the best at explaining what to expect because, well, we don’t know what to expect. But they’re often the most fun, so when we’ve got a couple who eagerly signs on to meet us in a field at sunset for a water balloon engagement session, like Cortney and Justin did, we know we’ve found our ideal couple.
Within a few minutes of their arrival at said field, we noticed that the sun was rapidly dipping behind the mountains. So we told them to grab some balloons and have at it! While Jesse and I did our best to remain dry, Cortney and Justin tore through the almost 100 water balloons* we had filled up for this purpose in a matter of minutes. We didn’t tell them we were racing the sun, but we didn’t have to! Note to all those out there strategizing for their next water balloon fight: secure the area around the ammo to gain the upper hand.
After they were good and soaked, we played around with some portraits while the sunset turned the clouds orange and then pink and then blue.
Then, like the weirdos we are, we lured invited Cortney and Justin to our house for some paint-filled balloon fun in the backyard. Together, we learned the best water/paint ratio (a JLP proprietary secret), how much to fill the balloons (not so much you can’t tie them…I’m still finding specks of orange paint on our cupboards), and how to properly aim for a target (higher than you think, but not at the face). All in all, this water balloon engagement was an absolute blast.
Cortney and Justin, thank you so much for taking a leap of faith with us! I’m not sure if any other shoot has made us feel as much like little kids again. We can’t wait for all the fun that’s in store on your wedding day!
*No environments were harmed in the making of this art. All water balloons were picked up and recycled. There is no Planet B.