ENGAGEMENT SESSION TIPS

IT’S NOT WHAT YOU THINK.

In the words of Matthew McConaughey, ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT. Your wedding is getting closer and it’s time to put in a little photo practice. I can feel you cringing already but please, don’t be afraid, it’s fun!

REASONS WHY ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS ARE GREAT:

  1. We get to meet and chat, get to know each other, and talk about the wedding day.

  2. I get to do the dad thing and talk about my kids all the way through it.

  3. You’ll “unlearn” how to have your photo taken. You’ll likely only look directly into the camera once or twice throughout the entire shoot. It’s not about those mantle piece pictures that your mum and dad think they want. They’ll love these images way more!

  4. Most importantly, any “wedding day photo fears” will be gone and you’ll learn that having your pictures taken doesn’t have to be stuffy and awkward. We’ll have a laugh and you’ll enjoy it.

Let me begin by saying that I absolutely get it. The words “engagement session” sound so cringy and awkward and I know you don’t love getting your photo taken so let me just be real with you and tell you how it’s going to go down.

The first 15 minutes of the engagement session will, very likely, feel super awkward. Of course it will! An, almost, complete stranger is taking pictures of you guys in quite an intimate setting. You’re not used to acting like a proper couple doing proper couple things (head out the gutter please) in front of people, never mind someone photographing you whilst you do. So it’s perfectly understandable to feel awkward at first. The important part is not to let that feeling get the better of you, take over you and you just hate life for the duration of the shoot. As hard as it may be to get your head around the situation, it’s SUPER IMPORTANT to know that I want to get the best photos I can get of you, and to do that, you need to feel relaxed around me. I certainly won’t be laughing at you, or judging you, or thinking anything other than that I want to photograph you in the best way I can that shows you like the amazing couple that you are. So please, loosen up and get into it. Easier said than done but I believe in you!

THE FINE DETAILS

Where should the shoot take place?

The short answer is anywhere you like. The longer answer is to consider somewhere that means something to you. There are lots of things to consider, if you really don’t like the idea of anyone seeing you both on the shoot then maybe a city centre urban style shoot isn’t for you. Or at least we maybe go to a quieter part of town. Personally, I love city shoots but only in locations that are less busy. Maybe we go to a more secluded spot in the hills somewhere. Do you go for a walk together on a Sunday morning? Do you love to go camping near Loch Lomond or go wild swimming at Gullane Beach? These are things to consider. Personally, I love it when we can go somewhere that is generally pretty open and quiet. It feels more freeing and private and in my experience, my couples tend to be more candid in these types of environments.

When should the shoot take place?

Ideally, when the light is best which is either 1.5 hours before sunset or 30 minutes before sunrise. Depending on the time of year, that could be really late or very very early but it’s always worth it. Ain’t nobody loving the mid-day sun.

What to wear?

The only rule I have, after a bad experience, is no tracksuits (I know you wouldn’t anyway). This one time (at band camp) someone turned up in a grey tracksuit and a baseball cap and I DO NOT recommend that, however, jeans and a T-shirt and baseball cap are totally cool if that’s your vibe. The tracksuit is just a no-no. The only advice I would give is to dress with each other in mind. For example, if one of you is dressing super smart in a ball gown or a dinner suit, then your partner should also dress smart and classy but I think that probably goes without saying really.

What will we do on the shoot?

Most of the time we’re all just hanging out, walking around, sitting, running, climbing and of course, a bit of snuggling (I’m not involved in the snuggling…much), however, we can honestly do anything. We can bring some picnic blankets, drink beers and eat sandwiches, we can go to a coffee shop and have some coffee, swim at the beach…we can do anything.

LOOSEY GOOSEY BABY, LOOSEY GOOSEY.

TIPS ON HOW TO GET GREAT, FUN & HAPPY PICS!

  • Move Alot.

    I’ll be giving you direction throughout the entire shoot so don’t worry, you’ll not be stuck for things to do. If anything , it’ll be me who’s mind goes blank and I’ll be the one flapping and forgetting what I’m doing BUT when I do give you instruction, there’s always room for you guys to freestyle it a little and movement always looks so great in photos. For example, I might tell you to stand in a certain spot, face each other and just hold your hands together but once you’re in that position I want you to move about by keeping those hands held, but maybe step away and then come together, kiss sometimes, playwith your hands, go in for a hug, sway side to side, touch noses, bash your crotches together (careful with that one) and even typing this, I know it sounds stupid and a bit cringy but I’m telling you, get into it and it looks great!

  • Do what feels normal. If it feels too posey and static, stop and move around.

    I know that you’re used to standing in one spot and looking awkwardly into the camera just like your parents told you when you were little, but that’s not what we’re looking for here. The more normal you can be, the better. If you stand there in one spot, stiff as a board, you will look stiff and awkward in the photos. You’re with your future spouse, it’s a safe space, so move around and do what feels natural in each pose. Kiss each other, play with your hair, tickle each other, rub your partners elbows, put your hands on their cheek, touch foreheads together, keep it moving. If you feel like it’s too “posey” then change it up. If I ask you to wrap your arms around your partner then do it in a way that you normally would. Pull each other in tight, let go of your inabitions. You’ve been together for a while so I don’t need to tell you how to hug or kiss each other. If something looks off, don’t worry, I’ll change it to keep you guys looking great!

  • If I’m quiet, it’s a good thing.

    Please don’t worry if I’m not saying anything for a minute or 2, it usually just means you’re doing exactly what I’m looking for so I’m not feeling the need to interject or change anything. If I’m quiet, just enjoy the break from dad jokes and enjoy the moment.

  • This is a collaboration.

    Of course, I’m going to do my thing and ultimately be the one controlling things but this is about you so, y'know, be you and do the things that feel natural.

I tend to keep my engagement session pictures more private than my wedding images. These are not really about showing off these sessions. It’s more of about getting you guys to open up, shake off those nerves about having your pictures taken, and just letting go, having fun, and getting great images of a couple who are excited to spend the rest of their lives together.

I think it’s super helpful to see a full gallery from one of my engagement sessions so I’ve posted one below where the couple just nailed it, and I can tell you, when we first met in the car park, they were super awkward and nervous. The first set of images you’ll see in the gallery is them basically being really stiff and awkward and then you’ll see them very quickly loving it.

So please, click here and look at the gallery of Louise and Ewan.