Spring engagement pictures at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club

Caledonia Golf & Fish Club is one of my favorite locations for weddings, senior portraits, maternity portraits, and engagement pictures in the Myrtle Beach area. I even occasionally take family pictures there if they prefer not to be on the beach. All year they have the beautiful centuries-old moss-covered oaks along the Waccamaw River that make a fantastic background for pictures. With the warm weather the past few weeks, there was an extra blast of color with all the Spring flowers in bloom.

This couple was so happy and had a lot of fun with the pictures. When doing engagement or family pictures in Caledonia, you aren’t allowed to go on the golf course like you can when hosting a wedding at the venue. Many of the most scenic spots are under the oaks along the main roadway and down by the edge of the Waccamaw River, which is fully accessible to anyone visiting. That’s something I think is very smart about this venue. They allow anyone to come in and take pictures for free just by checking in at the clubhouse. It’s excellent free advertising because photographers constantly post beautiful images of the location.

I always start out walking a little ways away from the clubhouse to the main entrance road. Because the angle of the sun is more in the background, you can get the light filtering through the trees and better shade than you get by the river. His fiancée had picked a cute dress for the engagement pictures that would flow out when he spun her around. We probably took 100 photos just of walking and spinning to try and get a perfect shot. I would keep showing her the pictures on the camera, and there was always a little something to tweak or do differently. I don’t know if the one I posted below will be her favorite, but there is plenty to pick from in the full gallery.

Something I mentioned before about my photography is I use a lot of off-camera flash. You will notice in my pictures how the faces are always bright and well-lit, and you get a sparkle in the eyes. I also don’t have to blow out the background exposure, making it very white and hard to see the details, to make the subject look bright enough. This is because I’m always using a bit of fill flash from a large beauty dish off to the side of the frame. This brightens up the faces and eyes and gives a professional, inside studio-style look while still having the beauty of an outdoor location.

Close to sunset, we went back down by the river for pictures. It was getting cloudy, but we still got some beautiful portraits with the river and the last remaining sun in the background. You will really see the benefits of extra off-camera lighting in these backlit pictures. I always like getting a few final images with the white columns of the Caledonia Golf clubhouse in the background. We waited until the very end for them to sit together in the grass. It was a bit moist, so I’m sure they had wet butts for the drive home. I hope you enjoy these engagement pictures at the Caledonia Golf & Fish Club. Please let me know if you have any questions about the location. Check out this category on my blog for more beautiful pictures from the area.

Please Note: I found out from the wedding coordinator at Caledonia after taking these that they are getting more strict about the locations we are allowed to take pictures. The roads and the river’s edge are still fine, but we are no longer allowed on the golf cart paths. I always stay off the golf course, but we can’t get as close as in some of the pics below. Just keep that in mind when planning this location, thanks!