Elizabeth + Christian | A Romantic, Film-Inspired Engagement Session in Southern Maryland

I love when a couple comes to me with a feeling instead of a checklist. Elizabeth and Christian didn’t want trendy. They didn’t want overly polished. They wanted something romantic and a little moody, with images heavy on green tones, timeless in the way old love stories feel timeless.

Think long walks. Unspoken glances. Wind in the trees. Very much a Pride & Prejudice state of mind.

Their engagement session last October leaned fully into that vision, with heavy greens, filmy grain, and an atmosphere that felt pulled straight from a period drama, but grounded in real connection. And Chapman State Park delivered beautifully.

Pride & Prejudice–inspired engagement session at Chapman State Park in Southern Maryland, featuring golden light, deep green tones, and a film-inspired, romantic aesthetic.

Chapman State Park in Indian Head, Maryland, is one of those Southern Maryland locations that quietly does everything right. It offers waterfront views along the Potomac River, an old historic home with just enough weathered charm, and wide open green spaces that feel untouched by time. In mid-October, the park still held onto its lush greens, which was exactly what Elizabeth and Christian were hoping for. No peak fall color frenzy. Just deep, romantic tones and soft light filtering through the trees.

Elizabeth and Christian were drawn to a more green, film-inspired look rather than the typical fall color palette. Since their session was in mid-October, Chapman State Park still had a lot of lush greenery, which worked perfectly for the mood they were after.

Instead of leaning into bright oranges and reds, we kept the edit heavy on greens with a bit of grain, giving the photos a softer, more timeless feel. It’s a style a lot of couples are loving right now, especially those who want their engagement photos to feel romantic and natural without looking overly trendy or staged.

They wandered the paths, paused by the water, and stayed close without overthinking any of it. The old house in the background added just enough period-drama charm to set the tone, romantic without feeling staged. The goal wasn’t to recreate a movie scene, just to capture that feeling. A little romance, a little tension, and the sense that something important is unfolding.

They’re getting married this spring, and this session felt like a good way to mark this season of life. Engagement photos like these aren’t just for announcements, they help set the overall feel for the wedding and the story that follows.

As a photographer serving the Metro DC area, including Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC, I’m always drawn to locations that give couples room to breathe and be themselves. Southern Maryland has a way of offering that. Places like Chapman State Park remind me why I love photographing here. The landscape doesn’t shout. It supports the story quietly, which is often where the magic lives.

If you’re planning an engagement session and feel drawn to something cinematic, film-inspired, and a little off the beaten path, this kind of approach might be exactly right. Not every love story needs bold colors or dramatic poses. Some are better told in green light, soft grain, and the space between words.