Neeti and Jason are the sweet couple I met for an engagement photo shoot in early March. We took a long walk in one of our favourite places in Leicester - Abbey Park, and to warm up a little, we dropped by for a cup of coffee at the lovely Peppercorns at the Pavillion in the middle of the park.
Neeti and Jason were very relaxed and had so much fun during our photo session - I think that's primarily because of their strong affection you can feel while looking at the images, but also because they were perfectly prepared for our meeting.
So have you ever wondered how to prepare for an engagement photo shoot? Do you need to preapre at all? Of course, spontaneousness is great and it always looks fabulous on pictures! But what if a little preparation gives you more confidence and doesn't stand in the way of being spontaneous?
I collected some tips for you to help you feel comfortable and have pure fun during engagement photo sessions. It's a wonderful opportunity to spend time with your beloved one and have a new exciting experience together, a great way to become comfortable in front of the camera and to get to know your wedding photographer before your Big Day. So there's absolutely no need to feel nervous, but to enjoy this meeting and create beautiful memories of this precious wonderful time of your life!
1. Be YOU!
As cliche as this might sound, staying true to yourself is crucial, believe me! The photo session is all about you, to make photographs showing exactly you and no other person. I want you to look at the images after a year, 10 years, 50 years and still recognise you on them, your individual unique features. The photography may lie, that's obvious - it can create unreal worlds and hide reality which we might not like, but I think it has to stay true at one point. To show a real human. So stay true to your taste, your style, your personality and this will help making this experience unique - as you are.
2. Choosing outfit
I reccommend preparing 2 outfits - one more casual and the other one more elegant. Engagement photo sessions, as other portrait photo shoots, are usually 2 hours long, so there's plenty of time to change between the shooting. Remember that you want to receive gorgeous photos, on which you look just stunning, so it's definitely worth taking time to think what elements of you wardrobe you like best, which clothes you feel most comfortable and beautiful in at the same time, which outfits and which additions go well together. Think of colour coordination maybe? Choose colours for you and your partner to fit together. Maybe if one of you prefers colourful clothes, the other one could choose more neutral tones? Any additions you like, e.g. hats, scarves, jewellery, flowers, etc., are most welcome! I think that bringing a bunch of your favourite flowers is a fabulous idea!
Some suggestions for you from me:
-for her: favourite blouse or shirt + jeans/skirt + cosy sweater on top + hat/headband,
dress you feel pretty in + scarf/necklace + high heels.
-for him: jeans + tee shirt + smart blazer/cardigan on top,
jeans + button up shirt + jacket on top.
Of course remember to follow your own style while choosing your outfit :)
3. Think of something you like doing together!
You're most welcome to bring your favourite attributes to the photo shoot. For example, if you are both book worms, why not bring some books you're into recently or your most beloved books from your childhood and read them loud to each other on a bench while I walk around and capture these moments for you? Or, if you like playing a guitar and singing to your fiance, I would be delighted if you do it during our photo shoot. Dancing together is another spectacular idea for an engagement photo session and if you bring your favourite music with you (like Neeti and Jason did), you can totally forget about what's going around you and feel lost in the moment. And that is exactly what I'm waiting for :)))
4. Choose a place you really like.
I want you to feel comfortable during the photo session. Choosing a place you're both really fond of could help achieve this a lot! Think of places that bring nice memories to you. Places, where you spent happy times, where you met or kissed for the first time, a place where you got engaged. I'm open to any suggestions and ideas and as I love exploring new locations, I would be happy to follow you anywhere!
5. What kind of person are you? And how will this influence a style of a photo shoot?
This is very important. Your opinion will help me understand your personality better and behave the way that will make you feel more comfortable.
Are you more romantic or funny? How do you imagine your engagement photo shoot: making jokes and laughing a lot with your love or being romantic and holding hands, looking into each other's eyes, hugging and kissing a lot? Or both, as this sweet couple presented? :)
Another thing is thinking if you feel more comfortable if I give you space to be natural and do whatever you feel like doing or would you prefer me to guide you a little and help you with "posing". Are the photos you dream of more candid or rather more styled?
I prefer watching and capturing moments as they go - which is what I perform during wedding ceremonies and receptions - but I'm happy to guide you gently if I know this will help us create beautiful images. I guess this results in my photography being a mix of natural and a little bit styled images :)
6. Inspire yourself, but stay YOU :)
It's a really a great idea to search for engagement photos inspirations - you can find many wonderful ideas on Pinterest for example. But please remember that each photo session is different and unique. The light conditions are different and this is something we can't predict exactly. The locations we shoot in are different, people are different :) It's not possible to copy ideas precisely and I think that's not what we wish to do! Your engagement photo shoot is all about you and your love, so don't compare it to anything else you have seen before.
7. Don't stress before the photo shoot :)
I know it can be stressful not knowing what will happen next and being in front of a terrifying camera for 2 hours :) but I will be there to comfort you and help you as best as I can!
Relax during the evening before our meeting, spend some time together, have a nice and funny conversation, watch a good movie. While driving to meet me listen to your favourite music, laugh a lot :) I promise it will be fun and you'll love this experience! Just look at those two beauties below.
As a result of our meeting you will receive beautiful photographs you can always return to and go back in time to this fabulous time of your life.
Comments