How to prepare for an engagement portrait session
So, it’s time to prepare for your engagement session!
Here are some of my recommendations to help you prepare:
1. Wear solids, or something with a fine print (no rugby stripes, Burberry plaids, or text across the chest, for example)
2. Solid colors work well. Whites and patterns tend to take the attention away from your faces, as well as more difficult to hide the creases/folds/wrinkles of the fabric.
3. You as a couple certainly don’t have to wear the same tones, but whomever wears the more colorful outfit will stand out more than the other. Also consider the background colors. If we are photographing in a green park, avoid wearing greens, but pinks, purples, and other jewel tones will stand out very well. Sometimes it works really well if the colors are complimentary, and an accent color is shared by both parties.
4. If at all possible, please keep your hands/arms free so you can freely move around without a bag/purse/phone in your hands for the images (leave the purses or water bottles in the car or at home). At the same time, if you’d like to bring a prop, like flowers, balloons, cup cakes, instruments, or others , I’ll try to get those images first.
5. Feel free to dress up/doll-up as if you are going to a wedding: clients who look their best tend to have more confidence, and that comes through their expressions, and postures. If this means wearing more eye lashes, or getting your (trial) wedding hair and make-up done (great way to test out your wedding day make-up artist to see how you photograph in them), and wearing fancy heels, all the more glam to you.
At the same time, if those elements are not how you want to be photographed, please feel free to be yourself. Decades from now, your children WILL comment on your fashion statements.
6. Engagement sessions last between 0.5-2 hrs depending on your signed Collection. Some location recommendations are parks, college campuses, neighborhoods like Beacon Hill, North End, botanical gardens, or urban settings. It may be an area that’s sentimental to your dating life, or a contrast to the wedding location. I generally recommend to avoid high traffic touristy areas, having more eyes on you can interfere with your comfort level, my ability to yell out verbal cues, as well as taking time to wait for someone to walk out of the background, etc. However, when it comes down to it, the location is not high on the priority list. All I need is you guys, and beautiful light. As you can see in the above sample images, the landmark is barely noticeable…
7. Engagement sessions are more about you then the environment. My main focus will be working with you on different poses and capturing fun, sassy, or intimate moments, and getting to know you better!
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