It rained. Not a mist you can edit around. A proper Newport downpour, the kind that empties the Cliff Walk in ten minutes. Alex and Harper looked at the sky, looked at each other, and decided the storm was part of the story. What follows is their engagement session as it actually happened: soaked to the skin, laughing on the rocks, and ending with fresh oysters shucked right there on the shore.
Why the Cliff Walk is Newport’s best engagement backdrop
Newport does not have a shortage of famous backdrops. What it has in the Cliff Walk is three and a half miles of them stacked end to end: Gilded Age mansions on one side, the open Atlantic on the other, and a public path threading between the two. Every hundred yards the scene changes: manicured hedges, wild roses, raw granite dropping into surf.
And in the rain, it belongs to you. The crowds vanish, the light goes soft and silver, the rocks turn dark and glassy. Alex and Harper had the most photographed mile in New England essentially to themselves.
The spots that matter
The Forty Steps
The stone staircase at the end of Narragansett Avenue drops down the cliff face to a landing just above the water. It is the single most dramatic frame on the walk: waves below, stone balustrade above, and in a storm the spray climbs up to meet you.
The mansion stretch
Between Ochre Point and Ruggles Avenue the path runs past The Breakers and Salve Regina’s Gilded Age campus. Hedges, iron gates, and long tree-lined corridors that photograph as editorial as any European garden, especially in the rain, when the greens go impossibly deep.
The rocks below the path
Where the pavement ends, the granite begins. Climbing down changes everything: the ocean fills the frame, the crowds disappear, and you get the wild, end-of-the-world quality that made this session what it was. It is also where this day ended. More on that below.
An editorial approach to a rainy engagement session
Rain is not the enemy of an engagement session. Flat light is. A storm gives an editorial photographer everything a fashion shoot wants: drama in the sky, saturation in the greens, reflections on wet stone, and two people who have stopped performing because they are too busy being cold, soaked, and completely delighted with each other. My approach to a session is the same as my approach to a wedding: compose the light, then let the moment happen. You can see how that carries through on my Newport wedding photographer page.
Notes from a real session: Alex & Harper in the rain
The day in fragments: the first drops hitting as we left the trees, and the decision, made in about four seconds, to keep going. Alex’s dress soaked through; Harper’s shirt gone translucent. Running the wet path laughing. A dip on the rocks with the tide coming in. And then the ending I will be telling couples about for years: Harper pulling a shucking knife and fresh oysters from a cooler and opening them on the granite for the three of us while the storm blew out to sea. Salt on salt. The best end to a session I have ever photographed.
More frames from this session are on stories first.
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A Cliff Walk engagement session at a glance
- Location: The Cliff Walk, Newport, Rhode Island, public and free
- Signature frames: the Forty Steps, the mansion stretch, and the rocks below the path
- Length: 3.5 miles. A session covers about a mile of it at a wander
- Permits: none needed for the public path
- Rain plan: none. If you are willing, rain is a gift. This entire session is the proof
- Best for: couples who would rather feel something than stay dry
What does a Newport engagement session cost?
If we are already working together for your wedding, the engagement session is the warm-up lap. My wedding collections start at $7,000, published openly. Standalone Newport sessions are available by inquiry: tell me what you have in mind.
Newport engagement session FAQ
When is the best light on the Cliff Walk?
Golden hour, the last ninety minutes before sunset, for warm light on the east-facing water. Overcast and storm light work all day. Silver, even, and editorial. In summer, sunrise buys you total solitude.
What happens if it rains on our session?
We shoot it, if you are willing. This entire session happened in a downpour, and it is some of my favorite work of the year. I always hold a backup date too, so rain is a choice, never a problem.
Do you need a permit for photos on the Cliff Walk?
No. The Cliff Walk is a public path and no permit is required. Mansion grounds and Salve Regina interiors are different; those need permission, and I handle that logistics for my couples.
Where should we start the session?
The Narragansett Avenue entrance at the Forty Steps is the classic starting point, with street parking nearby. From there the best mile of the walk unfolds in either direction.
Do you photograph weddings in Newport too?
Yes, constantly. Start with my Newport wedding photographer page and my guide to the best Newport wedding venues. And when you are ready: check your date.
Planning a Newport wedding of your own? My guide to the best Newport wedding venues covers the mansions, harbor rooms, and cliff-top lawns couples ask about most. And when you are ready: check your date.
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