Sassafras Mountain Romantic Baking Date Night in Greenville
Imagine yourself experiencing a Romantic Baking Date Night in Greenville, SC: You meet in your kitchen to bake your favorite dessert and then take it to a beautiful overlook like Sassafras Mountain to enjoy time together. Despite a busy week ahead, you’re able to pause and focus on each other. Oh, and you bring me along as your unofficial third wheel to make sure those moments together aren’t forgotten!
I’ve photographed couples for over 5 years now, but it’s just been within the last 12 months that I feel like I’ve discovered the secret to a truly memorable experience: lifestyle sessions! By treating a photography session like a date night, the experience is one that not only produces incredible photos but also unforgettable memories! This session is a perfect example of the possibilities of such an experience
Apple Pie Baking Date Night
Violetta & Max have been married for over 10 years and yet within those years, they’ve only had professional photos done a handful of times. While good experiences, the focus had been on getting good portraits so when I started talking to them about this idea of doing a session focused on having fun together, basically like a date night, they were intrigued.
We started the session at their home which they’ve completely remodeled in the years they’ve lived there. Their gorgeous kitchen was the perfect place to bake an apple pie together. When they considered whether to do a basic design for the top or try something new, it just took a second to decide to go all out and create a lattice pattern with an apple cutout on top! As the house began to fill with the smell of a baking pie, we pulled their cats into the session for a few photos and then just relaxed around the house until the alarm went off to say the pie was done.
Sassafras Mountain, right next to Headwaters State Forest, was the perfect location to wrap up the session as it was a new spot for all of us! At the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the tallest peak in South Carolina, you’re able to get high enough to feel surrounded by mountains as you look off towards taller mountains north of you. As we drove up the mountain, the leaves started to change from muddled fall colors to brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows! It was breathtaking.
Max was eager to cut the pie so before exploring the area, we stopped for a dessert break! Google for the win in providing the perfect pie recipe (here’s a link in case you want to make your own!) After a quick bite, they watched the sun slip behind the mountains as they took in the beauty of the area.
What’s the difference between a lifestyle vs portrait photography?
Before diving into how you too can create an experience like this for yourself and your partner, let’s discuss the difference between lifestyle and portrait photography as the former is usually less known than the latter.
Lifestyle photography focuses on capturing people in real-life situations, often in their natural environment. It aims to document genuine, unposed moments and emotions. Storytelling and capturing authentic moments is the focus!
Portraiture, on the other hand, is more about creating posed and carefully composed images of individuals or groups. The photographer has more control over the setting, lighting, and poses. The desire is to create aesthetically pleasing images.
Neither approach to a session is wrong as any seasoned photographer will use a bit of both approaches in any given situation to help set their clients at ease but lifestyle photography does suit itself best to sessions where you want to forget the camera is there and just have a good time together (a date night, right?!)
When is the best time to schedule a date night photography session?
Anytime! Just like you schedule a date night whenever you want to connect together as a couple, lifestyle sessions can be scheduled in the same way! You don’t need to wait for an anniversary or a big life changing moment. You can celebrate with each other any time!
If you are wanting to plan ahead to a specific moment, some possible catalysts for scheduling a session could be:
Buying a home
Moving to a new area
Dating or wedding anniversaries
Bringing a new pet home
A new promotion at work
Having a baby
Traveling to a new state or country
Graduating with a new degree
Starting a business or side hustle together
Where are some great locations for a date night in Greenville, SC?
Greenville is a fabulous city for date nights and lifestyle photography sessions! Here’s just a few locations that would be incredible to adventure at and enjoy an evening together:
Falls Park on the Reedy! Not only is a short walk from so many amazing food restaurants, it also is truly the gem of Greenville! If you want a mix of city and nature during your evening together, consider Falls Park. Pro Tip: Mornings are best if you want to avoid a crowd so consider a brunch instead of planning for evening.
Gather GLV! If you’re looking for some trendy food, go no further than Gather GLV. Colorful and filled with tons of options, even the most picky eater will find something they love here.
Methodical Coffee! One of the most popular coffee houses in Greenville will invite you in with their delicious brews. Even if you’re not planning to make the coffee house itself part of your session, grabbing a drink to go can help set the perfect mood for a relaxed time together.
M. Judson Booksellers! If you need to take a pause from the bustle of the street, pop into this charming bookstore, and find a book to start reading together.
Hollowed Earth Pottery! Have some fun together learning how to make pottery! In a low stress environment, you’ll be able to try your hand at using a pottery wheel. You could even make a pair of matching mugs to remind you of your time together.
Plant Stella! For those of you with green thumbs, why not pick up a new plant to add to your collection at home? Truly a gardener’s paradise!
Your home! Yes, your home is truly the most unique place and may even have been a big part of your relationship. Is it the first home you lived in together? Did you spend months (or years) renovating it? If the answer is yes, why not include it in your session!
How long do lifestyle sessions like this typically last?
You’re going to be annoyed by this answer but it really depends on the activities you’ve chosen! If you want to do a lot, maybe visiting multiple locations and throwing in a few outfit changes, 3-4 hours might be what you need, however more simple set-ups might just require 2 hours. This Sassafras Mountain Romantic Baking Date Night in Greenville lasted 4 hours as it included a 1 hour drive to the overlook and that amount of time was perfect for not needing to feel rushed as the pie was baking. An experienced photographer will help you decide how much time is needed to capture your vision so lean on their knowledge when you’re unsure.
How do you plan a date-night-turn-photo-session?
Brainstorming together as a couple some of your favorite shared activities can be a great place to start. Think about what a typical date night looks like for you or a memory that you always look back on fondly. That inspiration can ignite your creativity as you consider what a session like this would look like for you. If you need help brainstorming ideas, use this list to help (perfect for an anniversary, too!)
Once you have a list of possibilities, narrow it down to one or two main activities. Think about if there’s any two activities that link well together or just happen to be the ones that get you most excited. In this session, baking & exploring a new trail made the cut for what we’d do during Max & Violetta’s session.
Now we jump into the fun of planning! Locations, outfits, and “set pieces” (the items you’ll be using during your activity like pizza ingredients or 2 paddle boards) will need to be coordinated. Coming up with a flexible timeline can also be beneficial as that will help keep you on time and avoid missing any important elements due to being late (like missing a sunset because you’re still driving to the location!!!)
Here’s an example of the timeline I used for this session:
3:00 pm: Baking the Pie
3:45 pm: Photos with the Cats & Around the House (while pie is cooking)
4:45 pm: Drive to Overlook (extra 15 minute travel buffer included)
6:00 pm: Arrive at Overlook
6:15 pm: Eat the Pie
7:00 pm: Sunset
Finding Your Photographer
Having a photographer that fully understands your vision for this session and who is ready to offer their insights and ideas to elevate the plan is important, too. I walk my clients through the planning process (from activities to outfit suggestions) and together we create an afternoon or evening that is tailored to them and their interests. Often they come up with the general ideas but I will be the one to fit the activities together cohesively and suggest a few extra possibilities to really make the session one of a kind!
Would you like to experience a photography session like this? Fill out my contact form and let’s start imagining what a date-night-turned-photo-session could look like for the two of you!
