You’ve been through the proposal and now it is time for your engagement photographs. You’ve found a rad photographer to help capture you and your significant other. But. What do you wear? Is there a certain way to dress for these things? Do you have to look fancier than you typically are in real life or do you dress casual? How do you know what to wear? Where to go? What to do?
I’ve got you.
Engagement photography has it’s tendency to be extravagant or simple. If you google it, you’ll likely see a plethora of both beautiful and cringe worthy photographs. I personally enjoy the cheesy ones, they remind me how far I’ve come in photography.
My approach to engagement photography these days is candid, natural, and sentimental. I want my clients to come out of their session feeling good about themselves and excited for their photographs. This takes planning, though! If you really want to have a good engagement session, follow these five tips and you’ll find yourself happy you read this.
Tip #001: Locations
When choosing a location, you’ll want to make sure you’re both familiar and/or connected to the location. You’ll want to make sure it is versatile, like these murals from the session photograph above. We were able to shoot from mural to mural, widely like above, close up in the underpass close by, and by ivy covered fences minutes away.
Not only should it be versatile, but it should also reflect who you two are as a couple. Where did you have your first date? Where was your first kiss? Where was it that you realized you wanted to spend the rest of your life with your partner? Is there a spot you like to go together to relax, is there an activity you’d love photographs of you both doing together? Should there be a theme?
It’s hard to choose. I don’t blame some of my couples when they ask me for help choosing because a lot of things and places could be used for your session. That’s why I like to break it down into three themes. Versatility, diversity, and sentimentality. Keep those in mind when you choose a location and you can’t go wrong!
#002: What (Not) to Wear
There is a large part of me that wants to scream out, “There is no right thing to wear!” but I’ll refrain from that…mostly.
When it comes to dressing for an engagement session, it all depends on your options. If you have two outfits; do one simple laid back outfit and one that is fancier. Like something you’d wear out on a date! If you have one outfit, pick whichever option fits your personalities more. If you’re not typically a dressing to the nines type of couple; stay casual.
Matching changes to coordinating here. You don’t need to wear the same colors. You don’t have to match jeans. Just coordinate with each other. Choose a color palette rather than a color. Again, there really isn’t a “right” way to dress. Just be yourself! Like Chris and Nick from above. They coordinated but they didn’t match and I loved it!
#003: How to Act in Front of the Camera
Being in front of a camera isn’t for everyone. I know this because I am one of those people. Surprisingly, I hate having my photograph taken. I just simply don’t like being forced to stare at a camera and smile. Which, is why I’ll never ask YOU to do so. Well, maybe a few for Mom and Dad. But. Otherwise? Don’t look at the camera; look at each other.
My style is based on a candid approach. Some people ask me if I pose and I do. But mostly, I direct. I try to give people actions rather than static poses. When things get too static, things look stiff in the camera. I want your photographs to have a free feeling to them, so we move around. I’ll have you chase each other, smash each other with hugs, walk in front of me, and many more different action based poses.
The goal is to capture you two being with each other and preserving that feeling. I want you to look back and know; these photographs are for you. They describe who you are as a couple and capture your chemistry. Let it all go and just have so fun!
