The three of us were on the same page from the start: their New York City engagement shoot needed to feel like Manhattan — recognizable, but not too familiar; cinematic, but not performative; chill, because we were two days shy of their wedding day.

There were non-negotiables too: no tourist traps, no stiff poses, no waiting for people to clear the frame. Just the three of us, moving fast, embracing the chaos of a city that doesn’t wait for light — or photographers.

So we shot it like how New York moves: run & gun, heart on sleeve, light slipping fast into deep autumn dusk. From PUBLIC Hotel’s rooftop with the skyline behind us, to the warmth of Fanelli’s Cafe, the blur of Grand Central, and the neon flicker of Prince Street — it was all honest. Loud, unscripted, beautiful, even the very steep exponential decay of daylight, from golden hour and deep darkness in... ahem a New York minute. Hello, New York in autumn.

This is what it looks like when a couple lets the city shape the shoot — and not the other way around.

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Candid and cinematic pre-wedding shoot in New York City, photographed on location across SOHO, Midtown Manhattan, and the PUBLIC Hotel rooftop. Featuring real couple Pao & Carissa, shot two days before their wedding with a filmic, documentary-style approach by redsheepphotocinema. Color remastered June 2025 using Chromavibe 400M+.