Sparks Flew When 2 Singles Met on a ‘Blind Date Photo Shoot.’ But Now They Have ‘Bad News’ to Share (Exclusive)

Remember when Lane Hersha drove four hours for a blind date photo shoot with a girl he’d never met, and the photos were magical?

Fast-forward four months later and Hersha and Baleigh Richards, the romantic hopeful he set out to meet in their respective search for love, are catching up with PEOPLE to share an exclusive update on their relationship status in the wake of their second photo shoot date, once again shot by Traci Hume, in October.

While the decision to do a second shoot in part stemmed from their increased interest in each other following their immediate connection when they first met in July, the pair tells PEOPLE that they also wanted to “give a little update” to those who became invested in their fairytale-like storyline.

“People are really into it and really liked the story … It was awesome,” says Richards, noting that they’ve since been contacted by several producers about the idea of a reality TV show. “I figured it would get a little bit of attention, but nothing like what actually went down,” Hersha adds.

Hume, too, has been positively impacted by the outcome of the viral shoot. Not only did her views and followers increase on social media, but her photography business has boomed in the wake of her viral success.

“It was back to back-to-back sessions,” shares Hume, noting that she was also contacted by producers about using her concept as a potential plot line. “It looked like a story versus some blind date shoots [that] are just awkward meetups … people are just really infatuated with this one.”

The Oregon-based pair’s optimistic innocence and obvious chemistry seen in the first photos — backed by the enchanting environment that surrounded them — is a vibe that’s incomparable. However, they’d “been talking ever since” their initial meetup, which is what excited them about a shoot round two.

“We know each other,” Richards says of what differed shooting the second time around in comparison to the first. “He and I are really comfortable with each other … Not many nerves.”

However, Richards says there were nerves “in a different kind of way” this time due to the shoot involving horseback riding. As Hersha jokes, “It would’ve been nice to get in one extra ride before we did the shoot.”

Richards recalls, “I was like, ‘Don’t let this man get bucked off this horse right now!’ ” Regardless, Hersha — who has “on-and-off” experience riding horses — says, “It was still a lot of fun.”

Of the shoot, Hersha shares it “definitely felt almost the same as the first, except the horses made it a little bit of work.” He explains, “It was trying to get them to cooperate and play the part of a model, too. It just doesn’t go as smooth.”

The shoot was held at Hearthaven Ranch in White City, Oregon, a special place for Richards, who previously worked there as a riding instructor.

In the initial shoot, Hume made a point to pose her models “a bit more intimately” based on their “physical and emotional attraction” upon first meeting, despite first date jitters. This time, she says “they were way more comfortable with each other,” which influenced how she set up the shots.

“You can tell by the photos,” Hume touts. “The first one looked like engagement photos, but this one … almost like a married couple,” she says of the Western-themed pics. “It had this nice vibe throughout … the whole thing was just flowing.”

And they did in fact ride off into the sunset. “I was trying to hurry up because the sun was going down … it was all really good,” Hume says, pointing out the couple’s “bond” that’s evident in the final shots.

No acting was necessary for this photo shoot, as Richards and Hersha were together, if that wasn’t made clear in the pictures. “On the second update shoot, there was no label. We were still just dating,” she makes known.

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Since the blind date photo shoot went viral in July, both the pair and Hume have been bombarded with messages from the supportive viewers asking for an update on their relationship status in the months that have followed. Now, they’re ready to share.

“We do have some bad news for the viewers,” Richards says. “I’m so sorry. We did decide that a friendship is going to be the best route for us after the fact. We’re both now seeing other people, but we are so, so happy with the experience that came out of the whole situation.”

She adds, “Overall, we got a good friendship out of it.” Hersha agrees, “It was fun. It was fun.”

There is a bit of a plot twist, however. “He was dating my friend,” Richards adds, noting that she’s “totally cool” with it. “We kind of just went out to a group outing and they started vibing.”

“My friend is an absolutely amazing girl … and I think Lane is quite the gentleman, so it worked out,” Richards continues, adding, “Platonic would be the best route for us … and that happened.”

Still, Richards and Hersha encourage others to try out blind date photo shoots if they’re considering giving one a try. “I say do it! You never know what could happen,” she says. “That could be your soulmate — or if anything, it could be a really good friendship.”

Hersha adds, “I’d say go for it even if you thought about it and thought it wasn’t for you. The worst thing that could happen is it could be something that you look back on and laugh.”

As for what they think of the final shots the second time around?

“I absolutely love them,” says Richards. “I love the horse incorporation. Being a horse girl, I think [Hume] somehow managed to top the first shoot with the second photos. Who knew it was possible? But I absolutely adore them. She did a fantastic job.”

“I thought they were great,” agrees Hersha. “They turned out just as good if not better.”