Amber & Alex’s West Village photoshoot in New York City was exactly how we love to photograph couples — unstructured, relaxed and built around simply spending an afternoon together in Manhattan.

We wandered through the quieter streets of the West Village, past historic brownstones, tree-lined sidewalks, neighbourhood cafés and the little corners that make this part of Downtown Manhattan feel so different from the rest of New York. Away from the avenues and skyscrapers, the streets become narrower and less predictable, breaking away from Manhattan’s familiar grid and creating one of the most characterful backdrops for a New York City couples photoshoot. 

Rather than moving between a checklist of locations, we let the neighbourhood lead the session. We photographed Amber & Alex walking the streets, sitting on stoops, crossing intersections and disappearing into the everyday movement of the West Village. Somewhere along the way, we stopped for ice cream — which naturally became part of the photographs too.

That’s what we love about photographing couples in New York. The city doesn’t need to be cleared out or made perfect. Pedestrians, storefronts, parked cars, brownstones and whatever happens along the way all become part of the story.

For anyone planning a couples photoshoot, engagement session or elopement in New York City, the West Village gives you a softer side of Manhattan without losing the feeling of being unmistakably in New York — intimate, cinematic and a little imperfect.

AUTUMN IN WEST VILLAGE WITH AMBER & ALEX