Your Session Guide
Hello!
I’m so excited to photograph your engagement! I’ve put together a Style Guide so you can find all the information you need in one easy place. Overall, this session is all about YOU and your love story. I love engagement photos because it gives us a chance to really get to know each other. You’d be surprised how much I bond with couples over just an hour of shooting. It also helps you become more comfortable in front of the camera, which is not always an easy thing to do! Follow the Style Guide and I’ll do the rest to help tell your story and get you beautiful picture to keep forever!
Jessica Valentine
For the Men: Long fitted pants or jeans and closed toed shoes are the most sophisticated and masculine looks. They draw attention away from his face. So, for your session, its best to leave the shorts and sandals at home, as well as any pants that are loose or baggy. Fitted dress pants, jeans, or fitted skinny colored pants work best on camera. Layers on men look great! Blazers, vests, and coats up the level of any look. If the temperature permits, he cold even consider adding a v-neck sweater with a pop of color with a long sleeved collared shirt and tie underneath. Don’t be afraid to get a little creative with laters!
Choosing Colors: When choosing colors for your outfits, I recommend selecting softer, lighter tones and more muted shades. By avoiding ultrabright, bold colors, it will help bring all the attention to your faces and let the eye focus on the way you fell about each other. The camera loves shades of soft pink and muted blues, mixed with sophisticated light neutrals like heather gray, creams, leather brown, and white. Also try to stay away from logos, words, and characters. Lets keep the focus on the person instead of the clothes!
For the Brides: Pamper yourself a bit! Wear shoes you love (with an extra pair incase the ones you love aren’t very comfortable for walking around in) and get your nails done! Its the little details that count! Get your makeup and/or hair professionally done. They’ll help you feel like a million bucks. Believe me, it makes a big difference. I have some fabulous girls who I work closely with. Let me know if you’re interested. You won’t regret it! If you want extra romantic photos, consider wearing something long and flowy! I absolutely love photographing fabric that flows with the wind and moves with you! Don’t be afraid to dress it up! There is no such thing as “too dressed up” when it comes to portraits. If you don’t want to add a permanent piece to your wardrobe, a lot of clients love Rent The Runway because it is an affordable way to feel amazing. I have a lot of local connections as well from dress rental shops to second hand sellers. Utah is also a prime location for small boutique shops (some of my favorite styles). Just ask and I’ll give you the help you need to find the perfect outfit!
Extra Tips: 1. Coordinating doesn’t mean matching. Wearing the same color in a different shade is more ideal than trying to find the exact same color to wear. It can be tempting to match everyone in identical outfits, but I discourage this because it can make the final images look a little “stiff” 2. Adding layering pieces like sweaters, scarves, jewelry, and flower crowns (my favorite accessory!) can be an easy way to add interest to your portraits. 3. Make sure you are equal when it comes to how formal your attire is. If the bride is wearing a little black dress, the groom probably shouldn’t be in shorts and tennis shoes. 4. If you’re wearing plaid or any other pattern, the bigger the better! Larger patterns photograph better. The camera can’t pick up tiny patterns from far away and can result in “chromatic aberration”.
Locations:
Utah has the best locations! I’ve compiled a few of my favorites so that you can easily decide what backdrop you’d like to your family photos. I’ve included some photos from other photographers to show you what the locations look like for a session. Hopefully you find something you love! If you have any other ideas, please let me know. I always love exploring and getting creative.
Photography Studios: There is a small fee for each studio, (differing per studio) however they create beautiful pictures and have a lot of flexibility. The best way to decide which one is best for you, is to look them up on instagram. They all have example of their studios on social media. Don’t worry about contacting them, though, I’ll take care of that for you! • Be More Creative Studio (Provo, Utah) • Studio 1918 (Salt Lake City, Utah) • The Ogden Click (Ogden, Utah) • The Studio Room (Salt Lake City, Utah) • Wild Willow Studio (Salt Lake City. Utah)
Cactus and Tropicals Salt Lake City and Draper Another “schedule ahead� but its a perfect location to get away from the norm!
Little Sahara Nephi, Utah
Salt Air Salt Flats Magna, Utah
Antelope Island Great Salt Lake
Albion Basin Little Cottonwood Canyon
Tunnel Springs Park North Salt Lake, Utah
Tony Grove Cache Valley, Utah
Silver Lake Big Cottonwood Canyon
Tibble Fork American Fork, Utah
Jordan Pines Big Cottonwood Canyon