Preparing for your Engagement Session/Bay Area Photographer
If you want your pictures to really showcase your love story, I have some ideas to help you plan the perfect engagement session. Here are a few ideas to consider when planning your session.
LOCATION- I always recommend choosing a location that means something to the two of you, and suits your style . Maybe somewhere that you like to visit together, a hike you took on a first date, the pizza joint you love, the beach where he proposed, or the park where you spend lazy Sundays. Choosing a location with a variety of different backdrops for us to work with will give you many different photo opportunities. You can choose two different locations if you’d like to have more contrast in your images. If you are having a hard time deciding on a location, I’m happy to give you some ideas and suggestions.
TIME OF YEAR/DAY - If you plan to use images for an engagement announcement or invitation I recommend scheduling your engagement session right away. If there is no rush you can schedule a session at any time that’s convenient for the two of you. Maybe a certain season is important to you- maybe you met at a football game in the fall or at a concert in the summer. As for the time of day, I always recommend shooting an hour or two before sunset as the light is soft, warm and beautiful.
WHAT TO WEAR - Deciding what to wear for your session will most likely be the hardest part! But don’t worry, the main thing to remember is to choose an outfit/s that make you feel comfortable and confident. Choose clothes that suit you and your style so that you feel like you are being true to yourselves when you look back at your photos. Keep in mind that your outfits should be suitable for the location and bold colors always photograph well. Feel free to bring a few options if you want to mix things up.
PROPS AND ACTIVITIES- Feel free to bring along anything that is relevant to you both. Maybe a quilt and champagne for some toasting shots, a bouquet of your favorite flowers, a giant balloon, surfboards if you surf together or even your dog. You can also bring along things that might be featured on your wedding day, or things that tie in with your wedding theme. If there is something specific you’d like I’m sure we can make it happen! It’s great to share creative ideas!
DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE CAMERA - During the session I will give you simple directions on where/how to position yourselves. After I give you a basic posing idea, try to pretend like I’m not there! I know this is hard when I am bouncing about in front of you with my camera, but I really want to capture the interaction between the two of you – your natural personalities, the love, the laughter, the romance and the silliness. So don’t worry about me – I am just there to photograph the moments between the two of you. You can move about, chat, laugh, hold each other, dance around, kiss, whatever you feel like. I’ll help you out if you don’t know how to stand or what to do with your hands, and I’ll make sure you are always looking your best with beautiful light and backgrounds behind you!
