6 Tips To Make The Most Of Your Session
You’re engaged and probably thinking to yourself, “I don’t know what to expect or how even what we should for engagement photos”.
The scariest part about booking a photographer for your wedding is the engagement session because most people have never had professional photos taken of themselves. And let me tell you, I know how it feels. When my wife and I had ours done by our photographer, we totally felt awkward. I get it.
My approach to an engagement session is a bit different. I believe it’s about the both of taking some time out of your busy schedules to just hang out with each other. Almost like a date night. And in the process, you’ll get to know your photographer and be prepared for what to expect on your wedding day when working with them. You’ll be pros and have 100% confidence in yourselves.
You’ll also have photos to use for your Save The Dates and have beautiful photos of you both to have to look back on.
To help you make the most of your engagement session, I’ve put together 6 short tips for you.
1. Enjoy The Entire Day Together
If possible, take the day off work. Try to make an entire day of just being with each other.
Wake up slowly, have breakfast and coffee together in the morning, and just enjoy the day. It’ll help you both not feel rushed when we get together for the session later in the evening.
And after the session, go have dinner or a drink together. This makes it not about being the day you have a photo shoot, but taking a day to spend time with each other.
2. Be Yourselves
I know this is easier said than done, but don’t feel pressured to act like someone you’re not. I like to get to know all my couples on a personal basis. This helps put you both at ease because I won’t feel like a stranger.
I’m not going to pose you both either. Poses can sometimes make you look rigid and not authentic. I’ll direct you both if I need to, but ultimately, I want to capture you interacting with each other.
3. Dress Like Yourselves
There’s no need to feel like you need to dress up in super fancy for clothes if that’s not your normal everyday sort of thing. It’s not like you’re a family living in the 90s going to the mall to have pictures taken in clothes you never wear. Casual clothes are the best option in my opinion.
Wear something that’s comfortable, but looks nice and makes you feel good. Be sure to dress according to the location or activity too. Neutral or Earthy tones are always what I recommend.
4. Focus on Each Other Instead of The Location
When it comes to choosing a location, don’t think too hard about it. Some couples tend to overthink this. The session is about you both – not the location.
Think of a place that’s important to you. Think of activities you like to do together. Think of places that perhaps you love the style of. Most couples opt for an outdoor location that’s near their home or apartment. If you’re choosing an outdoor location, choose one that’s not a landmark. Landmarks, like the Pearl, tend to be very busy and difficult to shoot in. As long as we have great light, we can make incredible photos with the most simplest of locations.
5. Be Present, Not Perfectly Posed
Every couple tells me that they’re awkward and not photogenic. And I get it. Having your photo taken is weird. But don’t focus on that. Don’t worry about poses. Don’t worry about where you should stand or how your hands should be. Just hang out with each other.
Enjoy each other’s company and have a great time. The authentic emotions will come out and that’s what I’m after. Don’t worry, if the positioning of your hands or whatever needs adjusting, I’ll let you know.
6. Unplug
This one is an important one. An engagement session is about the both of you taking some time to spend with each other. It’s almost like a date night kind of thing. So, it’s important that you turn your phones off or leave them in the car. Otherwise, you might get distracted by texts, calls from work, or email notifications.
You paid money to get professional photos and you deserve to remember how you felt spending time with each other.
I hope these 6 tips were helpful and gave you get a sense of what an engagement session is like with me. If this sounds like fun to you and you’d like to book your session with me, send me an inquiry and we’ll make it happen!
