engagement session at Coopers Rock State Park in West Virginia

Sandi and Dan’s engagement session at Coopers Rock State Park was beautiful! It was very cold for the season but it gave us more opportunities to shoot in more places. This is an ideal location for engagement portraits near Morgantown, WV because of the scenery and mountains. I loved how their session turned out, especially with the cute addition of their puppy!

Coopers Rock State Park is one of the favorite local places to venture for hiking and being outdoors. It was established in 1936 and is only thirteen miles from Morgantown. This park boasts a handful of activities including many miles of trails for hiking and biking, cliffs for climbing, trout fishing, and a river for rafting. Coopers Rock is named for a grouping of sandstone cliffs above the Cheat River Gorge. The legend says that a fugitive who was a cooper, hid out in this area while making and selling barrels. The iron industry thrived in this area during the 1800s. Many of the structures that still stand were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. The park is about ten minutes from our farm and I absolutely love shooting here!

Dan and Sandi met online during Covid and they were a great match for each other! Dan is a big Mountaineer fan and was really excited that Sandi had access to all athletic events, especially the football games. I actually met Sandi during several West Virginia University athletic events last few years. We chose Coopers Rock State Park for their engagement session and I was delighted! Their portraits took place in the spring and it was exceptionally cold that day. However, we essentially had the park all to ourselves which is hard to come by because of the park’s popularity, especially at the main overlook.

Sandi brought her sweet loveable puppy, Pepper. He has been in her life for the last ten years and she didn’t want to leave out her best friend from the engagement session. One of the most popular attractions at Coopers Rock and all over state parks in West Virginia is the “Almost Heaven Swing“. It’s a must-have photo opportunity for anyone visiting the state. They are built and placed in certain spots in parks to give you breathtaking views of the surrounding scenery.

For all of my engagement sessions, I recommend my couples bring two outfits – one dressy and one casual. This creates variety and movement in their final gallery. It also gives my clients more choices when choosing pictures to print for save-the-date announcements and wedding invitations. I encourage them to choose outfits that complement each other in color while still being comfortable in front of the camera. Dan and Sandi were married this past summer in Wheeling, WV at Waterfront Hall.

I loved shooting this sweet couple’s engagement session at Coopers Rock State Park. If you’re recently engaged and are up for scenic mountain views and a little hiking, let’s start planning your session date! Head to my contact page and fill out the form for more info!

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