Cinematic photography is on the rise and local photographers like Lacelight Studios are embracing it, reveling in the unique storytelling opportunities the style presents.

Cinematic photography is what is sounds like—it’s a style of photography that captures the look, feel, and emotions of movies. It thrives on a storytelling approach, so you’ll often see a variety of wide, establishing shots, intentional close-ups, and artful motion blur.

If this photography style speaks to you, here are four unique spots to plan your cinematic engagement session in Birmingham, Alabama.

1. Birmingham Museum of Art

The Birmingham Museum of Art is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful location backdrops for a cinematic engagement session.

Alongside the stunning artwork, each room is painted a different hue, allowing you to go for a completely different vibe. For example, my clients gravitated toward the red, blue, and cream colored rooms but weren’t as into the pink walls. Pro tip: If you’re using these engagement photos for your save the dates, choose a color that matches your wedding palette!

For outfits, I recommend sticking to neutral tones so the colors don’t conflict with the vibrant art surrounding you. For women, long flowy or classy tailored dresses are perfect. For men, you can’t go wrong with a classic white button down tucked into a pair of dress pants.

A note to photographers: Sessions are free at Birmingham Museum of Art (we love that!), but make sure to review their guidelines ahead of time (P.S. You’ll have to crank up that ISO and leave your flash at home).

2. Birmingham bars like The Margaret, Juniper, + more

Including a local bar in a cinematic engagement session in Birmingham adds a more laidback, fun approach. You get a lot of variety in the types of shots by working with the seating inside and shaking up some cocktails (dirty martinis, anyone?)

It’s also a great setting to capture some dreamy romantic shots straight out of a rom-com or vintage film. For a cinematic approach, you can capture the couple chatting over a drink, walking into the bar, and sharing a kiss straight from out of the movies.

Here are several spots in Birmingham I recommend:

• Juniper
• The Margaret
• Key Circle Commons
• House of Found Objects
• Pilcrow Cocktail Cellar

A note to photographers: At a minimum, make sure to call the bar at least a couple of weeks in advance to confirm you can do the session inside. Many bars do require a reservation and hourly fee.

3. Morris Avenue

If you want to recreate scenes from your couple’s favorite vintage movie, there’s nowhere better to do it than on one of Birmingham’s oldest streets. Morris Ave dates back to the late 1800s and has that classic European cobblestone look that we all love.

Note to photographers: If it rains, just embrace it! It rained during the session above, and we just decided to go for some romantic umbrella shots. Also, if you want to avoid cars, I recommend bringing a wider lens and shooter more toward the buildings lining the street than getting the whole street in view.

4. Birmingham restaurants like Trattoria Zaza

If there’s a restaurant or coffee shop that holds a special place in your relationship, you won’t regret including it in your cinematic engagement session in Birmingham. There’s nothing that screams cinematic more than a classic cafe scene.

Here are several restaurants I recommend:

• Trattoria ZaZa
• Bottega
• El Royale Cafe
• Continental Bakery
• Chez Fonfon
• Paramount

Note to photographers: Just like with the bars, make sure to call in advance to confirm you can do the session there. Also consider going at non-peak hours to avoid having customers in the background of your photos.

Lacey Muenstermann with Lacelight Studios is a wedding photographer and videographer based in Huntsville, AL, offering services across the Southeast. Her photo and video style is warm, classic, and nostalgic. Her most popular service is the addition of a cinematic highlight video with a full day of wedding photography coverage.