Engagement photography is a combination of having the insight to know how to capture a couple that is about to be married. The photos should represent the love that they have, as well as these precious moments before they are married to each other for life.
If a couple is going to get married in the next few months, more than likely they are engaged. This is a happy time for both individuals that have decided to live the rest of their lives together. In order to commemorate this wonderful decision, and capture this portion of their life, images of these moments before they are actually married are important photos to take. There are many tips and strategies for creating the best possible wedding photos, ones that they will enjoy for many years.
Here are a few engagement photography tips that work every time, regardless of the location or the time of year.
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Being Connected With Nature
In some of the photos, the couple should be holding hands in the nature shots that are taken. This shows how much they care about each other, and with trees in the background that are close together, casting shadows on the ground, the couple can hold hands together showing their union, exemplified by the trees and the shadows.
This will express their natural bond that the couple has together, and if they are inspired by natural settings, these photographs will be the ones that they will appreciate the most. However, there are times when it is impossible to capture the perfect shot. That’s why using certain advanced settings on a camera can be helpful.
Burst Mode Is Best For The Engagement Photography
Sometimes you may not be able to capture the perfect image when asking a couple to pose for a picture. Instead, it might be better to have them act naturally and capture the perfect moment using the burst mode on the camera. This is something that the couple may set up for themselves, or it may be done by a professional photographer.
By taking a multitude of pictures while they are simply acting naturally, out of the hundreds of photos that are taken, it will usually capture the most memorable photographs. There is one final technique that is actually the most fun to use, and may very well create the best engagement photos.
Crazy Camera Shots
When taking photographs of newly engaged couples, it is sometimes best to have them dress in the most unusual ways. If you can set up the shot with backgrounds showing different settings, this can also add to this fun-filled shoot.
Since the couple will be settling down, becoming more focused on their lives, and perhaps planning a family, by having them act crazy, wearing unusual outfits, it can create photographs that will last. In a way, the photos are commemorating their youth, the final months prior to becoming man and wife. These wedding photographs are usually extremely fun to do, and will most certainly be an event that they will always remember.
By taking photographs that are unusual, or ones that commemorate their love, you can use photography to create photographs that will be fun to look at, and will create memories that will last a lifetime.
Get Different Perspectives
When shooting the engagement session, remember to look for different perspectives throughout the session. Typically, it’s a good idea to get “safe” shots first, just to ensure you have good quality images to deliver to your client. Once you feel like you’ve captured those, don’t be afraid to experiment a bit!
Look for different angles to shoot from to capture unique perspectives. For example, look for ways to get higher than your couple so you can shoot down on them. You can also try shooting through elements around you to create a unique foreground in the photo.
Use Multiple Lenses
An easy way to get a variety of photos without having to change locations or the posing is by using different lenses during the same scene. Cole’s Classroom suggests to bring 2-3 lenses to the engagement session, which can be a mixture of prime and zoom lenses.
A few staple lenses to carry in your bag are a wide angle lens like a 24mm, portrait lens such as an 85mm, and a telephoto lens like the 70-200mm. You can shoot the same scene with each of these lenses, and the final images will all look very different based on the focal length.
Take Detail Shots
While the couple should be your main focus during the shoot, remember to capture details as well! These can help to tell the whole story of their engagement session, and if your client prints photos, these can help to balance out photos where they are the focus. Some details you can look for are:
- Close up of the engagement ring
- Props that the couple bring to the session
- Detail shot of their hands
Look for Inspiration
If you’re feeling nervous before the engagement session, take some time to look at other engagement photos from photographers that inspire you. Study the poses they use, how they position the couple in relation to the light sources, and the various ways they compose the images.
You can even make some basic notes on your phone to help you remember some of the ideas in case you freeze up and can’t come up with something on the spot. Another thing you can do is work with the couple on creating a Pinterest board for inspiration. This will also give you a good idea of images that they like and would love to have!
Encourage Multiple Outfits
One of the easiest ways to add variety to the photos is to encourage the couple to bring more than one outfit to the session. Along with additional variety, it allows them to show off their personality a bit more. For example, you can suggest that they do one casual look and then one formal look.
As you help guide them on outfit ideas, also remember to provide them tips on what not to wear. Clothing that has loud prints, bold logos, or colors that clash can be very distracting and can take the focus away from the couple. Encourage them to focus on 1-2 main colors to keep the overall color scheme cohesive.