The proposal went off without a hitch and now your planning for your big day. You now have to convince your significant other to have pictures taken for your engagement announcement. Having your picture taken before your wedding doesn't seem like it should be part of your wedding preparation. However, it is as important as choosing your venue or picking out you cake flavor. If you are looking for a unique way of announcing your engagement to your friends and family, then having an engagement shoot is your best bet. Your engagement sessions photos are also great for sending out save the date cards. The process of deciding on where and who you want to take your engagement pictures should be your first steps.
You may or may not want to use your engagement photographer to shoot your actual wedding. However, this is a great way to make that decision. You'll get a chance to see if you have a connection with your photographer. That can be a personality connection or a creative connection. You will also get a chance to see if you like their work and if it fits the style you are looking for. It's one thing to look at their portfolio and make a decision off of that or seeing yourself in their work. There could be a benefit to selecting your photographer to shoot your wedding. Most photographers offer engagement photos as part of their wedding packages. This can often save you money that could be spent on other items for your wedding. It really depends on how certain you are that you want to go with the photographer.
You also may know ahead of time that you won't be using your engagement photographer to shoot your wedding. This would occur if you are having your engagement photos taken in an area that your wedding ceremony won't take place. You may have a place that's special to both of you that you want to have your engagement photos taken. This may be a different state or even country than you plan on getting married in. So, you would be hiring a photographer to just shoot your engagement photos. This is not uncommon and most photographers are willing to shoot you engagement photos for a single session. Ask your photographer to allow a few minutes for warm up shots. This will allow you to get comfortable of having the camera around.
Your location is either going to be a special place the two of you have picked out. This could be the first place you met or some other significant spot that signifies your relationship together. You can always leave your engagement shoot location up to your photographer. They may be more familiar with locations in their area. You can ask for several locations they may recommend and then research each one to see if it fits what you had in mind for your shoot.
You can inquire as to why they picked the specific locations that they have given you. Check to see if your photographer offers you to have multiple locations that you can take your engagement photos at. Check to see how much time you are paying for and what it includes as well. Some photographers may only be charging you for the photo shoot and may not include rights to the photos. You may have to pay separately for rights to the photos or a disk with a release letter to reprint.
Now that you have your photographer and your location it's on to the shoot itself. Now you can decide how creative you really want to be. Don't be too serious or it will show in your photos. You should focus and try to show your love during your shoot. If you stare at the camera you are not going to get great shots. Pretend the camera isn't there and just focus on each other. You may want to research other photographers and look at the engagement shoots for ideas of your own. Using a pose or prop that another couple used won't take away or show a lack of creativity on your part.
You could decide you want to have several shots with specific clothes and then have another set of clothes for other shots. You may need to let your photographer know that you want a wardrobe change though. You may want a romantic beach shot in bathing suits and then a serious formal shot in a field of flowers. Obviously, a wardrobe change would have to occur. You may want to incorporate props like the date of your wedding for your save the date cards.
You might even decide to get out of your comfort zone by having wigs or hats that show your goofy or funny side. It really is up to you how creative you are going to be in your shot. If you let you photographer help you with your posing and props. There's a chance you could be disappointed after you see your shots. It's your engagement session that should incorporate you and not what you r photographer thinks you are.
Picking the timing of when you shoot your engagement photos is very important as well. You shouldn't pick the time of day when the sun is full. You are not going to get great photos if you do because of the harsh lighting and shadows. You want to go out about an hour or so before sunset to take your engagement photos. It's also best to have your engagement photos take months in advance of your wedding. This will give your photographer time to edit the pictures and get them back to you for changes that you may want. You will also have time to pick out which shot or shots you want to add to your save the date cards.
Engagement photos are a way for you to capture a moment of your life together before you are actually married. Hopefully, you will make the most of it and look back on the pictures and relive a moment in time before you were married. Remember to have fun and enjoy your engagement shoot. There will be plenty of time to stress and worry in the coming months getting ready for your wedding day.
Chi Photography is one of the top Charleston Wedding Photographers located in Charleston, South Carolina.
Wedding Photography in Charleston SC
No comments:
Post a Comment