A Roundhay Park Engagement Shoot: Easter Sunshine, Bare Branches and Ella the Dog
It was Easter bank holiday, the weather was glorious and Roundhay Park was packed. Kelly and Lee’s dog Ella was bouncing around like a puppy while we slipped away down a quieter route, where low sun was beaming through the trees. Choosing the quiet paths turned out to be exactly the right call.
Roundhay Park: a city park made for engagement shoots in Leeds
Roundhay Park covers more than 700 acres, and nearly a million people visit each year. Its lakes were created in the early 1800s by Thomas Nicholson, who flooded old quarry workings; Waterloo Lake dates from 1815. The estate was bought for the people of Leeds in 1871, and Prince Arthur reopened it as a public park in 1872, in front of 100,000 people.
Today it’s a Grade II registered park with real variety: two lakes, a mock castle built in 1811 to look like a castle gateway, the Canal Gardens and Tropical World, woodland and wide open grass. There’s also the Mansion, a neo-classical house built for Nicholson in 1826, and The Gorge, a ravine with a stream and a waterfall. For photographs, that variety is the point. You can walk from open views to shady paths and old stonework in a few minutes.
Easter light and a quieter route
We’d been to Roundhay for a few engagement shoots before, so we were keen to bring Kelly and Lee a new take on it. Engagement shoots are always a chance for us to try out new techniques, and the light that day made it easy.
We photographed the two of them as silhouettes beneath a canopy of bare branches, with the sun bursting out from behind a tree trunk. Then we framed them in a dark stone archway, with the woodland glowing beyond. Ella, who was surprisingly similar in behaviour to our own dog, came along too.
Why we always suggest an engagement shoot
We always stress how important an engagement session is, for us and for the couple. It’s the perfect way to get to know each other, and to discover that having your photograph taken can actually be a lot of fun. It shouldn’t be something you dread on your wedding day. Our aim is for you to relax and enjoy it, without worrying about what we’re up to.
When couples have a dog, we always suggest bringing them along. It gives you something to focus on and is a great ice breaker. Kelly and Lee are such a great couple, and we could happily have stayed chatting to them all day. It was lovely to get to know them better before their wedding later that year.
Why we love an engagement shoot in Roundhay Park
If you’re thinking about Roundhay for your own shoot, here’s our advice:
- There’s always a quiet corner. With over 700 acres to explore, you can escape the crowds even on a sunny bank holiday.
- Go when the sun is low. Light coming through the trees early or late in the day makes everything glow, and in early spring the bare branches make beautiful shapes against the sky.
- Bring the dog. A dog gives you something to do with your hands and helps everyone relax.
- Mix it up. Lakes, woodland and old stonework mean lots of different looks from one short walk, so you never feel you’re repeating yourselves.
Planning your own engagement shoot in Leeds?
We’d love to hear about your plans. See more Yorkshire wedding photography, take a look at our prices, or get in touch to check your date.
