NYC LGBTQ Engagement Session | A&J Take Manhattan

Meeting at Grand Central Station

I boarded the train from Stamford on a Sunday morning with a plan. Grand Central Station first: sweeping architecture, that beautiful ceiling, a nice quality of light coming through the high windows, a visual argument for New York that I’ve made before with a camera. I’d even scoped locations in the terminal while waiting for Adam and Johnny to arrive.

We met, shook hands for the first time, and walked toward the platform.

Then an MTA employee appeared, telling us in no uncertain terms that photography was not permitted…as if we had a history (“We’ve discussed this before!”). The whole thing was so theatrical that once he stormed off, the three of us couldn’t help laughing. Grand Central was done (but not before we snuck one portrait in the escalator on our way out).

On to the next, making a little bit of art on the Manhattan streets just outside the train station. The Helmsley Building made a nice backdrop as did an alcove on Vanderbilt.

That’s how their engagement session started in NYC. And honestly, it set the tone for everything that followed: loose, unscripted, better than any plan.

Bryant Park, West Village, and the bar where it all started

We made a short detour to Bryant Park. The couple grabbed coffee and walked. No agenda. That kind of unhurried energy early in a session tells you a lot about two people.

What I noticed was that Adam and Johnny are comfortable just existing together. No performing. No stiffness. They move together the way people do when they trust each other.

From there we drifted toward the West Village, stopping in front of Pieces, a bar on Christopher Street. Known as “America’s favorite gay dive bar,” this is where Adam and Johnny’s first date ended, or rather, where it turned into something more.

They’d had so much fun at dinner that they kept going, met up with friends at Pieces, and at some point decided this was worth pursuing. The drag performer who was there that same night even became a mutual friend.

No matter how many times I visit, I’m essentially a tourist every time I go to the city. Adam and Johnny’s photos with the Gay Liberation Monument at Christopher Park were some of my favorite. We even visited Gay Street (yes, that’s real).

I didn’t know all of this when we arrived, but I knew it by the time we left. That’s what happens when you photograph in places that actually mean something—the history, and your connection to it, starts coming out.

From here, we took a subway ride or two and made our way to where the real action took place. By the way, the “LOVE” ad on the train was a paid actor.

Central Park Engagement Photos

I’ll be direct: I’ve always underestimated Central Park. During this LGBTQ NYC engagement session, I expected the park to simply be a backdrop. What I found was a landscape; and we walked it.

Adam and Johnny live in Manhattan and spend a lot of time in this park with their dog, Kenji. They know it the way you only know a place you return to. By the water, up on the rocks, through the trees, and eventually inside the new Harlem Meer Pavilion, which has a clean architectural energy that most people don’t think of when they picture Central Park engagement session photography.

People were rowing out on the lake. Fishing. The light in the afternoon came through the tree cover in a way that was softer than I expected. I found myself making images I hadn’t planned for. It was great.

The waterfall

High in the park, there’s a small waterfall. This setting was foreign in a way, almost too tranquil for being in a major metro area. I set Adam and Johnny up in front of it— specific arrangement, hands placed, bodies angled—and then I told them to do whatever felt right.

Adam looked slightly surprised at the setup. They both ran with it anyway. They danced a little, kissed, smiled at each other in a way that had nothing to do with me or the camera. That frame is the one I keep returning to from this session. Not because it was planned, because it wasn’t and worked so well regardless.

And then Kenji showed up

Near the end of the session, Adam and Johnny’s friends arrived with Kenji, their dog. I’ve photographed with dogs before. Kenji was a joy: composed, curious, and—I’ll just say it—photogenic. A&J clearly love him; the feeling is mutual. He sat, he looked at the camera, he leaned in when they leaned in.

He’s going to be great at the wedding (and I hope he’s there).

What they sent after

That evening as I was sitting on the train on the way back to Connecticut, Adam and Johnny texted: “Thank you again for such a fun day! We had a blast and are so excited for the photos. We felt so comfortable with you and are so glad we got this extra time with you before the actual wedding. Safe travels back.”

That’s it. That’s the whole point of doing an engagement session before the wedding day. Not just the photographs, though those matter. It’s all about the trust that gets built when you spend a Sunday walking around New York City together. By the time I photograph their wedding, we won’t be strangers.

For couples planning an NYC LGBTQ engagement session

New York is genuinely vast. If you’re planning an engagement session here, think beyond the obvious locations—there’s more in Central Park alone than most people even know about. If yours will be an LGBTQ NYC engagement session specifically, also consider your comfort and safety. Sometimes it’s important to go where you’re accepted and appreciated.

And if there’s a place that actually belongs to your story, go there first. Whether it’s a West Village spot or a park in Brooklyn. The best photo from this session wasn’t at a landmark. It was on a side street near a dive bar that belongs entirely to them.