St. Dunstan in the East

St. Dunstan in the East Engagement Photo

At the beginning of April, I flew to London to spend a week visiting my friend Laurel.

Laurel and I met at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science five years ago and we bonded over shared experiences and work inside the museum. Life took us both away from the museum last summer and Laurel, and her husband John, are now residents of London. They’re both in international graduate programs at King’s College that will wrap up this summer.

Neither of them are sure exactly where their lives and their careers will take them, but they’re looking forward to opportunities to stay abroad for the next several years.

I spent the week of my visit absorbing lots of British history and culture (travel blog post coming soon!). Near the end of my stay, Laurel and John indulged me by joining me for a photo shoot at St. Dunstan in the East.

According to Wikipedia:

St Dunstan-in-the-East was a Church of England parish church on St Dunstan’s Hill, halfway between London Bridge and the Tower of Londonin the City of London. The church was largely destroyed in the Second World War^[1] and the ruins are now a public garden.

When I first saw this gem of a location online, I just knew that I wanted to photograph there.

I brought a crimson dress with me from home, which was the perfect choice for these stone ruins in early spring. The morning of the shoot we picked up flowers from a local shop. Then we spent the next two hours exploring every part of the church.

Someday, I’d love to see these ruins at the height of summer, full of lush greenery. But for this drizzly, spring session, I think the greens, blacks, and barely sprouting vines were the perfect combination.

Laurel and John thank you for being such good friends and hosts!