Engagement Session Prep
Introduction
In this guide we are going to discuss the major points to planning your engagement session. There are four factors to consider; Concept vs. Traditional, Seasonal Opportunities, Location, and Wardrobe. It may help to follow these in order as to narrow your focus on a specific idea.
Concept vs. Traditional
Concept
This needs to be the first thing you decide on. Basically there are two directions we can take. The first is the most personal. With the Concept method, we will put the two of you in an environment you engage in during your normal life. For example, if you guys like camping, let’s actually go camping. We can set up our tents, start a fire, and I will shoot a story on that experience. The couple in the photo above live in Brooklyn. The city is a big part of their story. We spent and afternoon walking around the city, eating pizza, riding the subway, and wrapped up by enjoying the sunset and some wine from a rooftop. Is there something that you really enjoying with your partner?
Traditional
The traditional method is a bit more straight forward. It can be summed up as we go somewhere and I shoot portraits of you. This will be a more posed and deliberate approach. If you are more focused on a specific setting and outfit for your engagement session, this may be a better option. While the Concept approach is more story driven, the traditional approach puts all of the attention on you.
Seasonal Considerations
The time of year is going to play a huge roll in how we plan your session. Just as some locations aren’t accessible during specific times of year, some activities only make sense for specific times of year. Something else to consider is busy seasons. I always prefer to avoid busy seasons whenever possible. For example, the climate is beautiful all year round in Sedona, AZ but the traffic and the crowds make the summers there unbearable. It is worth noting that weather is impossible to plan for. I often have couples looking for photos in the snow, or fall foliage. While we can stack the odds in our favor by planning for the times we usually experience weather conditions, there is no way of guaranteeing it. Therefor, I urge you not to aim for weather to be your priority.
Location
Location is the easy part. We can go anywhere. But let’s take a step back to the previous two steps. Are we doing a concept? or are we sticking to a traditional shoot? If we are doing a concept, the location should be obvious. If we are going the traditional route, this is all a bit more open ended. This also makes the seasonal considerations more of a deciding factor. My first question I ask my clients is; How far are you down to go? Every couple is looking for an experience unique to them. Some of you may want to stay so close to home that we actually shoot in your house. Others may want to get way out there. I once drove way out to the middle of nowhere Alaska for an engagement session. The sky really is the limit. So you may ask yourselves these questions;
Where is our favorite place?
Where have we always wanted to go?
Wardrobe
Now we have arrived to, what I can only assume, is stressing you out the most. This can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. So let’s start with simple. No matter where we go or what we do, Black, White, and Gray will look good. It makes my job easy as a photographer if I am not trying to wrestle with the color. Location will really play a big roll in the colors we choose. If we are in the woods, and theres a lot of green and brown, wearing cooler colors like blue will keep the overall tone of the image cooler. Be aware though, when you make the overall tone of the image cooler, it can have that effect on your skin tones too. Whereas if you were to wear a warmer tone like tan or even red, it would balance the images a bit more. Color can be a bit complicated but thats something I am here to coach you through if you have any questions. A few things to note; Wear sensible shoes. I have lost count of how many times I have reached a back country location in bad weather and the bride only packed high heels. If you want to wear high heels in your engagement session, lets put you in a setting where that makes sense. Another thing to consider is dressing for the weather. A flowy dress in the snow might look good in your head, but its gonna make you miserable and misery is hard to photoshop.
I hope this short little guide is helpful. If you still have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!
