Photographers! Engagement photos are a great intro into the world of wedding photography. However, your first few engagement sessions can DEFINITELY feel a little bit intimidating. Don’t worry though! I have enough experience for the both of us and I’m here to give you ALL of my favorite tips for making engagement photos a total breeze.
Be Ready To Coach Your Couple
For most of your clients, this will be their very first time in front of a professional photographer’s camera, which can often make for some awkward moments during a shoot! To loosen up stiff couples, be ready to coach them into a successful photograph. Have a handful of tried and true poses that you can have your couple get into if they start feeling stuck. It also doesn’t hurt to have a few conversation starters or jokes ready to go to get them comfortable in front of the camera.
Get To Know Your Locations Beforehand
It’s a good idea to visit the location of an upcoming engagement shoot if you are able; This way, you’ll already know where all the most scenic spots are and which places catch the best light. You’ll know just where to put them for golden hour or a sunset! Even if you’ve done a session there before, it never hurts to revisit. Especially if it’s in a different season, as each season the sun may set in a different area of your location. That way, you’ll be aware of any changes a location has undergone as you prepare for the session, and you might find exciting new angles to try!
Have Mood Boards And Reference Photos On Hand
You’ll want your clients to create Pinterest boards and provide you with lots of reference images. As their photographer, it’s helpful for you to do the same! For many couples, an engagement shoot can be an overwhelming and stressful process, and they may not know where to start. If you provide them with ideas and inspiration as you all get ready for the session, it may help them figure out what they want their engagement photos to look like. It’s super convenient for you, as well as for your clients, to have pinterest boards ready to go for different seasons, times of day, locations and types of couples. You can even use your own work from previous engagement photoshoots to give your clients a more specific vision of how their photos will look.
Give The Engagement Ring A Photoshoot Of Its Own!
Detail shots are an integral part of any engagement photoshoot. It’s a great idea to have your couple bring props along to infuse their personalities into the photos. But my very favorite prop? The engagement ring itself! My clients know I LOVE a good ring shot! While your couple is elsewhere changing outfits, grab that engagement ring and let it be the star of its own mini photoshoot. These ring photos will look great in a photo album or on a Save The Date, and they will give you a chance to get super creative.
Know How To Effectively Tell A Story
During the hustle and bustle of a wedding day, it can be tricky to get tons of alone time with your couple to get all the shots you’re looking for, so an engagement session is the perfect time to capture intimate moments and develop a narrative around your couple. There are classic poses and photos you’ll want to get during each session, but it’s important to go above and beyond and really tell the story of your couple. Do they have a crazy story about how they met? An uncommon shared interest? A beloved pet? These are great themes to work into your photoshoots, and the engagement session is the ideal time to do it!
I hope these tips help you to elevate your future engagement photoshoots! I’m sure you’ll do an amazing job. If you have more questions about becoming a wedding photographer, be sure to check out my blog! I’ve written several posts for budding wedding photographers like you. And if you need more help, you’re in luck! I just started a coaching program to teach new wedding photographers how to turn their passion into a full time career.
If you want more information on my coaching program, be sure to follow me on Instagram! I’ll be posting updates there as they become available. Want daily tips and inspiration? Be sure to follow me on Pinterest as well! Don’t hesitate to DM me if you have any questions!
Best of luck at your next session <3