Greenville Street Park | Newnan, Georgia
Some engagement sessions begin with a long email inquiry or a referral from a past couple — but Shandrea and Leonard’s story actually started with a message that made me laugh.
One afternoon I received a notification on my Stills by Devan Facebook page, and when I opened the message, it said something about bartending. I remember pausing for a second thinking, wait… bartending? It made me wonder if the name “Stills” made it sound like I was running a distillery instead of a photography business. It definitely gave me a good giggle.
As it turns out, Leonard had been reaching out to several vendors and accidentally sent a message to the wrong person. Luckily for me, that little mix-up ended up leading to a wonderful conversation and eventually an engagement session.
How I Met Shandrea & Leonard
After chatting briefly with Leonard, I later had the opportunity to connect with Shandrea over the phone. During our conversation, I learned that she’s a third-grade teacher, which immediately made me smile because I have a third grader myself. As a parent who really values education and the teachers who pour so much into their students, it was such a fun connection to make right away.
Shandrea and Leonard are actually based in Alabama, so we also spent some time chatting about the differences in school systems and education between Alabama and Georgia. I know that might not be everyone’s idea of exciting conversation, but as someone who genuinely loves learning about those kinds of things, I really enjoyed getting to talk with her about it.
It’s always special to me when clients begin to feel more like friends during those first conversations.
Choosing Greenville Street Park in Newnan, Georgia
Initially, Shandrea had considered doing their engagement session at their wedding venue. However, because the greenery there had unfortunately died out, she began looking at other location options.
When she asked if I knew of any beautiful places to photograph in Newnan, Georgia, I shared a few locations I thought would photograph beautifully. She ultimately chose Greenville Street Park, which was actually a location I had never photographed at before.
Even though it was new to me, it quickly became clear why she chose it.
Greenville Street Park sits just outside of downtown Newnan and has such a charming atmosphere. It’s one of those places that many people pass by without realizing how beautiful it really is (myself included). The park features lush greenery and a stunning Greek-inspired architectural structure, which made for a timeless and romantic backdrop for their photos.
While it’s often used for events rather than as a typical playground-style park, it truly is a hidden gem for engagement photos.
Traveling from Alabama for Their Engagement Session
Shandrea and Leonard actually drove nearly two hours from Alabama to meet me for their engagement session in Newnan. I had offered to travel to them, but they told me how much they enjoy visiting Georgia and exploring different areas here, so they were happy to make the trip.
I always feel incredibly honored when couples travel that far just to work together.
Their Engagement Session Experience
Their engagement session was so relaxed and fun. I always tell my couples that engagement sessions are a little bit of movement, laughter, and going back and forth between different poses and prompts, and they embraced the process perfectly.
We walked around Greenville Street Park, taking advantage of the greenery and beautiful architectural features, and captured a mix of:
natural candid moments
romantic portraits
playful interactions
Toward the end of the session, we even practiced a dip pose, which is something many couples love doing during their wedding ceremony at the end of the aisle.
I walked them through how that moment typically works on the wedding day, and we laughed while practicing it together. It’s always fun to incorporate little moments like that during engagement sessions because it helps couples feel even more confident and comfortable for the big day.
Looking Ahead to Their Wedding
Spending that time with Shandrea and Leonard allowed us to talk more about their wedding vision, colors, and plans for the day, and it made me even more excited to photograph their upcoming celebration.
Shandrea is incredibly kind and warm, and Leonard clearly cares deeply about making sure everything goes smoothly for her — even stepping in to help with vendor searches when things got stressful during the venue transition.
I’m truly honored that they chose Stills by Devan to capture such an important chapter of their story.
I cannot wait to celebrate with them and photograph their wedding soon.
✨ Stills by Devan
Wedding & Engagement Photographer serving West Georgia, Newnan, Carrollton, and beyond
