Preparing for Your Engagement Session

For most couples, the engagement session is their first foray into the world of professional portrait photography. Most people are a ball of nerves leading up to the session, with no idea how to prepare, what to wear, how to pose, or even where to hold their session. Here are my tips for getting in the right headspace and getting prepared for your session. 

Coming to your session prepared is going to be one of the biggest factors in ending up with images you love (aside from choice of photographer and location).  Ask yourself these question: “What type of emotion do I want to convey in my images?”, or “what colours, textures, or background am I looking for?”. This is a great starting point. Once you have nailed down a general idea of what you want to capture, you can move on to choosing your location and outfit.

Clothes should fit your vibe. Clothing should fit well, and I recommend taking some selfies to see how the clothes look from different angles. One outfit is totally fine, and sometimes people will layer to mix it up a bit. Clothes should be ironed/steamed and lint free for the best look in your photos. 

Remember your shoes – think about what will match your outfit. Give them a wash before your shoot. If you love your 6 inch heels, be sure to have a pair of flats handy so walking isn’t painful as we cover a bit of ground during our engagement sessions.

I encourage you both to think of an activity you can do together that makes things feel more organic. A picnic, beach beer, bikes, whatever fits your interests and personalities. The best photos come from natural scenarios like going for a walk, enjoying a coffee, shopping for books or records. It takes the pressure off of creating everything from scratch in a totally neutral environment. 

Get plenty of sleep, drink plenty of water and relax before your session. I want to ensure I capture your genuine energy and natural, relaxed moments. If it takes a spa day or long walk to get in the right mindset before your session, so be it. I also like to photograph your hands/ring, so be sure to take a peek at your nails and do any grooming as necessary. 

Knowing what to expect can make a world of difference in curbing anxiousness. I try to make every session fun and relaxed, so there is no reason to stress over it. I’ll work through a series of motions and natural posing which encourages intimacy and “real” moments between you both. If you’re playful together, embrace it. If you are serious people, we will capture those subtleties that make you both unique. I’ll shoot during posing, and during the candid moments in between. Everything is fair game during the engagement session.

Shoots usually last 30-60 minutes. Bring some layers in case the Newfoundland weather is moody. Sessions can happen rain or shine.

Having everything ready the night before your session will take the pressure off on the day of. Keep stress to a minimum and try to approach each other with kindness in the hours leading up to your session. 

Here’s a link to my engagement photo portfolio!