Blog : Engagement session

Engagement Photos | Want the best wedding photos?

Engagement Photos | Want the best wedding photos?

Let’s face it; we aren’t all supermodels who can move it the right way in front of a camera for that perfect shot. When your wedding day is the only time you are going to get wedding photos taken, you want them perfect first time, every time, the answer, engagement photos!

Feeling the pressure? Don’t. An engagement shoot can be a way to ‘break the ice’ for you and your partner in front of the camera and ensure that the by the time you are set up to smile in your wedding day attire, you’re going to get that perfect shot.

It’s important that you feel comfortable with your wedding photographer, and engagement shoots will give you that time you need to become familiar, as well as give you the opportunity to test out a few wedding photography locations around your wedding destination. You have more time at your engagement shoot to get creative, climb trees, play with light, go on an adventure to a new location – all things that will help you get fantastic photos on your wedding day. Knowing what you want and where to go after your ceremony will ensure that you aren’t rushed or stressed before your reception.

Adelaide-Engagement-Photos

Adelaide-Engagement-Photos

Adelaide-Engagement-Photos

An engagement shoot is also a chance to test our your hairstyle and make up ideas so you are guaranteed to look how you imagined on your big day. A lot of brides have an image in mind of how they want to look but find out too late that their hairstyle made them look like, well – not themselves, or that their make up reflected the camera flash too much and made them look pale and washed out. Ironing out these glitches in a ‘practice shoot’ can save disappointment down the track.

Adelaide-Engagement-Photos

Adelaide-Engagement-Photos

Adelaide-Engagement-Photos

Adelaide-Engagement-Photos

The engagement photos themselves not only look great on display, but can also serve as a ‘save the date’ card, your wedding invite, or just a visual reminder of the love you and your husband/bride-to-be have for each other. So speak to your wedding photographer about an engagement shoot and start putting ideas together for your ideal photographs to ‘practice’ to make sure you can get them right when it matters most.

Adelaide_engagement_photos

Adelaide engagement photos

Adelaide engagement photos

Now… I bet your thinking, but What to wear.

Male or female, some days we can really struggle with the question ‘what am I going to wear?!’. There is little doubt that there is even more anxiety behind this question when you’re making the decision for your engagement photo shoot. But by asking your photographer for some hot tips, you’re not being shallow or ‘stupid’- instead, you are giving yourself the best opportunity to create a striking set of photos that still reflects you and your partner as the couple you are.

Adelaide-Engagement-Photos

First things first – dress as yourself. To look comfortable in your photos, you have to feel comfortable; so dress in your own style, in clothes you don’t have to constantly fiddle with to sit right, and make sure that when you look back at the pictures, you’re not wondering who the couple is that they photoshopped your faces onto! Feel awesome, and you will look awesome.

To wear colour, or to not wear colour, that is the question! Don’t be afraid of wearing colours if that is who you are. Want to add some colour, but tone it down a bit? Why not wear neutral or soft tones, with a bright tie/bangle/scarf in your favourite colour? A black top, your favourite jeans and your greatest hot pink heels would look just as striking in a photo as your hot pink dress and nude heels – do what works for you.

Adelaide-Engagement-Photos

But (isn’t there always a but?) – avoid big prints. Wearing big prints and logos can make your photo seem busy and take the viewers focus to the wrong place or simply blend you in with the background. Also avoid stripes, and bright white shirts – neither of these photograph very well – if you want to wear white, aim for an ivory or cream style as it photographs much better.

Speaking of colours, remember there is no law saying you and your partner must ‘couple dress’. How often do you leave the house in the exact same colour jeans, and the exact same colour and style of top? Never? Then why do it for your e-shoot? Don’t aim to match, instead aim to coordinate. Remember that bright coloured tie and bangle earlier? They are a great example of coordinating but not matching. Both want to wear jeans – great! That’s coordinating, and you can freely express yourself in your choice of clothing for your top half (or non-clothing, whatever floats your boat).

Adelaide-Engagement-Photos

To make your photo truly reflective of who you are, bring a prop. If your husband-to-be can’t go a morning without surfing – bring the surfboard. If the bride finds it hard to decide who she loves more, her horse or her potential husband, you know Mr Ed needs to be part of the shoot – just coordinate that one with your photographer first!

Adelaide-Engagement-Photos

Ideally, bring 2 outfits – one neat casual and another a little more formal. Think about how you might want to use your photos – photos being used for ‘save the date’ cards could include a hint of colour that reflects your wedding day colour themes. If you want a photo to hang in your earthy toned lounge room, wear clothing or accessories that will tie into that décor.

Too much to think about? Just stop thinking; stand in front of your wardrobe, pick out your favourite outfit and remember to accessorise, be comfortable and feel awesome to ensure your engagement photos are a true reflection of you.

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Adelaide-Engagement-Photos

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Sophie and Scott’s E-shoot sneak peak

Sophie and Scott’s E-shoot sneak peak

Early this morning I packed up my room (man I take a lot of stuff with me) at Moonta
and started to head for Port Lincoln for an engagement session. It was spitting with rain up until Port Augusta
and I was hoping that the rain would stay away
for tonights shoot, but there would still be some cloud around to add dramatic sky’s to the images.

I met Sophie and Scott at the ceremony location, we chatted about the outline of the day and where things are going to be situated.
It is going to be a lovely ceremony for their wedding.

We then headed off out to a beach which I hadnt seen before, so it was great to be able to see a new place.
We are so lucky here in SA with the access to beaches that we have! Anyway… get back on track right!

While we were driving from one location to the next I was asking how they meet  and a few other questions
to get to know them a little better and Sophie told me the most amazing story…
mmmmm… I might leave that to share with you when I show their whole session!

I just love love LOVE engagement shoots, it is such a great way to get to know each other before the day
and have some great photos as a couple.

They are such a great couple, I am super excited about their upcoming wedding.

Tonight I told myself… limit it to 5 images to share! Cause it is suppose to be a sneak peak right, not the whole shoot!! lol….
Well lets see how I went!!

Well I shared a few more than 5!! But how was I suppose to pick less!!!

Thanks again guys… Cant wait to see you again in April.

Adelaide Engagement Photographer | Carissa and Locky sneak peek

Adelaide Engagement Photographer | Carissa and Locky sneak peek

So what is an engagement session? In most cases it is a casual photo shoot with just your partner and me before your wedding day. It is a great way for us to get to know each other better and an easy way to discuss the style of images that you love so that your wedding day images are captured just the way you have always  dreamed of and are perfect!

If you have your session scheduled early after securing your wedding date it is a great opportunity to use these photos as your “save the dates” or as part of your invitations. If there is time, it is great to have your engagement photos form the guest sign in book, so that guests can write messages around the photos and it is an awesome keep sake of both!

To help make these images special, you could pick a location that has some significance to you both. It could be the place where you got engaged or where you went on a first date. It could even be a place that you both love hanging out together like the beach. It is always fun to make the images unique and to show your personality through your pictures.

Another advantage of being photographed prior to you wedding day is the opportunity for the bride to have a test run done of her make up. Set up an appointment with the person doing your make-up for the wedding right before your engagement shoot. This way you will get to see how your makeup will look, not only in the mirror but how it will photograph. If there are adjustments to be made, it will not be too late.

We arent all models, and most of us arent used to be the centre of attention in front of the camera, so to have an engagement session before your wedding day gets you a little more used to being infront of the camera, and lets face it, who doesnt want lovely images with your partner.

Ok so getting back to these images….
I loved this session because Carissa and Locky chose the locations, so they were all new to me, and I just love working in new places and finding the best light.
We had so much fun and had lots of laughs!

I seriously couldn’t pick my favourites from this session and I just wanted to share the whole shoot, so I have restrained myself to just sharing Carissa’s favourites! (Thanks for making the hard decisions for me hehehe) And then the dilemma of sharing black and white images or colour images…
Anyway stop procrastinating Jade! Ok so here they are, enjoy…

I hope you both have an amazing wedding day… xx