Ellen & John | Lake House Engagement | Burlington, WI | June 30th, 2025

There are engagement sessions, and then there are once-in-a-lifetime collisions of art, nostalgia, and human connection that make you fall in love with photography all over again. That was exactly what June 30th felt like—my first real shoot with the Leica M6, the legendary 35mm rangefinder, and two of the kindest people I’ve ever had in front of my lens: Ellen and John.

I had just unboxed the M6 a few days earlier. For those who don’t know, the Leica M6 isn’t just another camera—it’s a cultural icon. First released in 1984 and built with true mechanical precision, it’s been the choice of countless street photographers, journalists, and purists for decades. No screen. No autofocus. Just pure, honest, tactile photography. It’s often regarded as the greatest 35mm film camera ever made, and for good reason: the feel of the shutter, the precision of the focus, the minimalism that forces you to see rather than spray—it’s a reminder of what photography was always meant to be.

To break it in, I loaded it with Kodak Portra 800, one of my go-to film stocks for warm, golden skin tones and lush natural light. That day, I rated the film at ISO 400—pulling it slightly to gain an extra stop of brightness and a smoother tonal range in softer light. Burlington gave us overcast skies that flirted with the sun just enough to make Portra sing.

But honestly? As incredible as it was to shoot with a freshly loaded Leica M6, Ellen and John were the real reason this session felt so unforgettable.

We started at John’s family lake house, a quiet gem tucked along the shoreline—warm wood decks, rippling water, and the kind of peace that only summer evenings in Wisconsin can offer. From the start, the energy between these two was genuine and effortless. There was no stiffness, no pretending—just real laughter, tender hand-holding, and quiet moments that spoke volumes.

One of my favorite frames of the day was taken just as Ellen leaned into John while they stood barefoot on the dock. The wind picked up, the lake caught the light, and the shutter clicked on my M6—it’s a frame I’ll never forget. The emotion in that split second couldn’t have been posed. It just was.

As we entered the final stretch of the session, the mood shifted to something even more natural—pure comfort. Ellen’s laughter had that relaxed rhythm only possible when you forget the camera is there. John’s smile softened into that barely-there grin he saved just for her. That’s when I knew: the Leica had done its job, and I had done mine.

This session wasn’t just a test run. It was a reminder of what I love about this craft: the joy of capturing truth on film. The Leica M6 was everything I had hoped for—responsive, soulful, cinematic—and the Portra 800 delivered that rich warmth I crave in my work. But it was Ellen and John who made the images sing.

This was more than a session. It was the start of a story I can’t wait to finish documenting next year at their wedding. If this first chapter is any indication, it’s going to be something truly special.