Why get an engagement session?
Some couples know right off the bat that they want an engagement session. They’ve seen other couples’ engagement photos and love the idea of having some for themselves. But besides having professional photos to hang on the wall, what are some of the benefits of an engagement shoot?
An engagement shoot is a great way to express your relationship through photos, as well as prepare for the wedding-day photos.
I believe developing a relationship with your photographer is one of the greatest benefits. Having a chill environment with no real time constraints give you and the photographer a chance to better understand each others’ unique styles, preferences and tendencies. For example, when I’m photographing a couple, I’m looking for individual personality traits and how the couple interacts with one another. Are they silly and playful, or moody and dramatic? Are they naturally affectionate or do they feel awkward showing affection in public or in front of the camera? Are they adventurous, willing to climb, sit or lay on anything and anywhere, or do they want to stay neat and tidy with a more formal feel? Learning these traits help me immensely on the wedding day, when time is of the essence, and couples’ natural personality may be influenced by nerves or stress.
Above are examples of totally different feeling shoots, depending on the couples’ personalities. Adventurous, affectionate, playful and dramatic.
You may also learn something about yourself that you didn’t know. Maybe you think you like a moody and dramatic style, but end up preferring the poses that are fun and light. Often, couples think they’re posing close to each other, but through the camera, they look further apart. Once they see that (I’ll often show them from the cameras review screen), they realize they need to get much closer. Couple’s also realize that they need to exaggerate their poses a bit for them to actually look the way they are picturing in their head. All of this gets flushed out in the engagement session instead of on the wedding day.
Another benefit is getting used to the idea of being photographed. I’ll admit, it’s weird at first. Most people aren’t comfortable with paparazzi following them around. But after a little time, it becomes much more tolerable, or even fun. Especially after they see the results. The couples that tell me they don’t want to do a shoot because they feel really unnatural or awkward in front of the camera, are the ones that will benefit from the shoot the most. On the wedding day, they’re going to be photographed regardless. It’s best for them to get that awkwardness out of the way with an engagement shoot, as opposed to wearing it on their faces during the wedding.
When couples enquire about where they should have their photos taken, I always ask what they like to do together. That’s a great place to start. I’ve had couples have photos taken on their mountain bikes. I’ve shot couples on iceskating rinks, in a pool hall, playing instruments together, or even baking together (that one got messy). But they all had fun because they felt at home in their environment, and as a result, the photos turned out totally natural.
The couples above chose to incorporate things they love to do together in their engagement shoot.
Once you have the photos, you can use them a number of different ways. Many couples use them for save-the-date announcements. Others use the photos in a book for guests to sign at the wedding. Some have even used them in a slideshow during dinner.
I love doing engagement shoots. I love getting to know my couples and learning something about their personality. I also love arriving to a wedding with insight into the couples’ personalities and preferences.