A Thursday Night Engagement Session on the Shore of Lake Temiskaming + at Whiskey Jack Brewery


The best engagement sessions always feel a whole lot less like a formal photoshoot and a lot more like a regular Thursday night out. When Dania and Mike were brainstorming locations, they didn't just look for spots that were pretty, they chose places that actually belonged to their story. That choice brought us right down to the water, starting along the wide-open shores of Lake Temiskaming before pulling up a table for two at Whiskey Jack Brewery in Haileybury.


We began by the lake, capturing those classic, timeless portraits against the water while warming up to the camera. But the real magic happened when we headed down the street to the brewery, the exact spot where Dania and Mike had their very first date.

As a photographer, I love when a location does the heavy lifting for the story. The moment they stepped inside, the shoulders dropped, the nerves disappeared, and any expectation to "pose" went out the window. The evening shifted completely into documentary mode. They just got to do what they would normally do on a date night: share a beer, laugh, and talk about everything that’s ahead.


Their final gallery holds such a beautiful balance: classic, lakeside portraits paired with raw, cozy storytelling moments inside the brewery. These relaxed sessions are exactly what engagement photos should be about, celebrating the middle of your story, exactly as you are. It was the perfect way to spend an evening, and it has me counting down the weeks until their wedding this August at the historic Cobalt Train Station. 


Planning Your Own Story-Driven Session?

If you're trying to figure out where to take your own engagement photos, try asking yourselves these three questions instead of looking at Pinterest:

  • Where do you spend your Friday nights? If you're happier at a local brewery or making coffee in your kitchen than standing in a field, start there.
  • Where was your first date? Revisiting the spot where you first connected brings an automatic layer of comfort and nostalgia to your photos.
  • What feels entirely like you? The goal isn't to look perfect; it's to look back in twenty years and recognize the exact life you were living.