Robb & Jenni — A Color Powder Engagement Session at the POW WOW Bird Mural

Throw out the engagement-photo rulebook. Robb and Jenni didn’t want stiff, posed, leaning-against-a-tree photos and honestly — neither did I. They wanted something that felt like them. Loud. Playful. A little messy. Bursting with color.

So we met them at the Alrin POW WOW Bird mural in Worcester — a bold, larger-than-life street art piece — packed bags of Holi color powder, and let it rip.

No script. No “okay now look over here.” Just two people throwing color, laughing, dancing, and getting absolutely covered in pink, blue, and yellow clouds. This is what I call a Side Quest — where the only goal is to feel something real. For the polar opposite vibe, see Matt & Jill’s golden hour session at Harkness Park — same Side Quest energy, completely different temperature.

Setting the scene

The mural itself is a statement. Bold, layered, bigger than the wall it lives on. Robb and Jenni picked it because the energy of it matched the energy of their wedding — they’re not the slow-dance, soft-pastel kind of couple. They’re the throw-the-bouquet-into-a-mosh-pit kind. And the photos needed to match.

Let it rip

Once the powder came out, everything changed. There’s something about the first toss that flips a switch — your shoulders drop, you start laughing, you stop worrying about how you look. That’s when the real photos happen.

The aftermath

Hair: pink. Hands: blue. Smiles: actually real. This is what an engagement session looks like when you stop trying to look perfect and just have fun. The photos that feel best to come back to ten years later aren’t the polished ones. They’re the ones where you can practically hear yourselves laughing.

Thinking of doing your own?

A few things I learned shooting this one:

• Buy more powder than you think you need. Search Amazon for “Holi powder” or “color powder packs” — get double what looks reasonable. You burn through it fast.
• Wear clothes you don’t love. Some powders wash out. Some don’t. White is dramatic on camera but stains hardest.
• Bring a friend. Having a third person tossing powder from off-camera makes the photos look 10x bigger.
• Pick a spot you love already. The mural worked because Robb and Jenni picked it. Don’t pick somewhere because it’s “the spot.” Pick somewhere that means something to you.
• Stop posing. Start playing. Best photos always come 90 seconds after you forget the camera exists.

Planning your own session?

If you want photos that feel like you, here’s where to keep reading:

• Connecticut engagement photographer — how I shoot engagement sessions.
• The best engagement session locations in Connecticut — coastlines, fields, bold backdrops.
• How to nail your engagement session — what to wear, when to shoot, what to bring.
• Matt & Jill’s Harkness Park engagement — same Side Quest spirit, golden hour vibe.
• Best engagement ring jewelers in Connecticut — start with the ring.
• Connecticut proposal photographer — for couples who haven’t popped the question yet.