ENGAGEMENT SESSION 101
WHAT IS IT
YOUR ONLY JOB IS TO HAVE FUN
Whether you’re celebrating your engagement, and anniversary, or just enjoying a fun day together, you two can just be yourselves while the magic that make up your unique relationship is capture in intimate and often huorous imagery.
You’re not un-photogenic. Period. If you’re having fun then you wil look good. Smiles and laughter are amazing like that. For the most partm you will be cuddling up, as natural as you do on the couch.
You might be thinking: Engagement photos?Yet another thing I have to figure out! Fear not, this everything E-Session guide will hve you feeling excited and relaxed. This whole process is meat to be fun, remember? engagement shoots have evloved into an interal part of the wedding photography. You will get to know my shooting style, and it will help you and your beau feel at ease in front of the camera. Consider it practice before the finale because you’re going to look like a rock star. Most importantly, this is a special time in your life together as a couple, which can be overlooked in the hustle and bustle, and often stressful, whirlwind of event planning.
“ Absolutely brilliant work. Just breathtaking, from the moment I first saw his work. “ - Ryan & Seana
I will give you ample direction, so just kick back, run around, goof off and have fun with your other. You’ll be surprised at how fun it is and how comfortable you will actually feel.
FAQ
WHERE Think about locations that mean something to your relationship – nothing is too boring or bizarre. How about that coffee shop where you noticed each other for the first time? How about that park where he proposed or that beach where you had your first kiss? Or just somewhere where you both like to venture together. You can always ask me to pick the location as well, I always have ideas!
Rural is a more rustic look – open fields, beaches, forests, anything country. Urban is something modern and upscale, often including interesting architecture, lighting and cityscapes. Sometimes you can do both looks in one shoot, depending on how far away the commute is among the different locations. Be sure that the commute time doesn’t eat up the playtime. If you have a considerable commute in mind, we can work out the timing, and maybe talk about a longer shoot. The city park is the happy medium. The Rural vs. Urban rule is just a basic guideline though; I personally love out of the box settings and quirky ideas. When I have a couple that is up for anything, we tend to end up with some very unique and often humorous imagery. WHEN Be sure to check the weather when booking a date. It if calls for slight showers, I don’t worry about it too much as it often just ends up being overcast (which is my personal preferred lighting). Bring an umbrella just in case. Even if we do get a little drizzle, that can look spectacular when lit from behind with a strobe and stormy clouds can look dramatic as well. It’s always good to have an indoor location as a backup. If the weather is just too torrential, I offer re-shoots at no charge. TIME OF DAY IS IMPORTANT. High-noon without cloud cover is not the most forgiving lighting, in these cases, shade is our friend. Dusk is referred to as “The Golden Hour” and is popular for stunning sunset photos along the beach, and the increasingly popular evening photography, lit by an external flash or ambient city light.
“Brilliant, great moments, love the expressions of tenderness and fun.” - Natalie & Tagg
WHAT SHOULD WE WEAR THEMED SHOOTS
This is a trendy new take on the engagement shoot. You have your basic themes: Rural and Urban, but you can take it to the next level. If you are a big fan of a certain romantic movie or novel, you could recreate some scenes or use elements. TIPS \\ Don’t wear the same thing (unless it’s intentional humor) \\ Do wear something comfortable \\ Do dress to match the location (those stilettos are for the city mouse) \\ Do bring more than one outfit (a casual dress for movement, and skinny jeans for later are popular) \\ Do bring accessories \\ Do put a little oomph into your makeup (because it translates subdued on film) (many of my brides go for the professional hair and makeup discount with my styling team – it really enhances the experience and may help you nail down a stylist for your walk down the aisle). \\ Don’t stress about it at all, these are just guidelines – ultimately you should be yourself and wear what represents you (from ripped jeans to a mascot costume-anything goes). PROPS Are fun and optional. Bring anything that you think would look cool. Popular ones include:
\\ Bikes \\ Your pet \\ Umbrellas \\ Bubbles \\ Balloons \\ Chalkboard \\ Suitcase \\ Mustaches/funny glasses. Let me know if you are bringing any props and I can brainstorm some prop-associated ideas ahead of time.
“love how you see light and love and life! Such a wonderful job capturing the moments with great composition.” - Nelson & Blue
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