Planning Your Engagement Session
For many of my clients, their engagement session is the first time they’ve been professionally photographed as a couple. An engagement session is a great way to get comfortable in front of the camera, understanding your photographer’s process and building a stronger relationship with them too. However, it can be quite nerve-racking not knowing what to expect at a photo shoot and having to plan one as well. In this article, I lay out some tips to help you plan for your engagement session. We’ll touch on location, what to wear, and when to shoot.
Location
It’s important to choose a location that speaks to you and your relationship. Have a favourite place you like to go hiking? Is it your Sunday ritual to grab a coffee and people watch at the local cafe? Maybe your spot is cuddled up on the couch at home. If you need some help getting the wheels turning check out this list of locations in the GTA I’ve put together. Let’s not forget about those pesky permits. If you would like to shoot in Toronto you should assume that you’ll need one. Here is a list of Toronto parks that need permits. At the moment, however, the Durham Region seems to be more laid back. Keep in mind that locations can change drastically in a short amount of time. This is particularly true if you’ve spotted a lovely field of wheat, tall grass or wildflowers. Crops get harvested and tall grass can get too tall. If you’ve chosen a location based on temporary characteristics it’s a safe bet to check in a few days before to make sure everything is still how you like it. If you specifically want a location that showcases the sunset sky in your photos remember that this requires open space with a view of the sky and that the sun sets in that particular direction. You can use suncalc.org to find out where the sun sets.
What to Wear
The most important tip regarding what to wear is to make sure it fits your session location. For example, if you want to get dolled up in formal wear and high heels maybe an urban location would work better then a forest. Please also consider the type of terrain at the location we will be encountering when picking your footwear. If you want to wear heels in the photos at least bring a pair of boots you can wear while walking between spots. I recommend dressing semi-formally in something you feel comfortable and like yourselves in. I encourage lots of movement during photos so make sure it’s not something that will make you stiff.
When
I highly recommend that your engagement session take place 1-2 hours before sunset. This is the best time of day in terms of lighting and all the images in my engagement portfolio are taken at this time. If you want to use a location that is normally quite busy consider shooting at sunrise instead. This time of day has the same beautiful quality of light as sunset and everyone else will most likely be in bed.
Thinking about bringing your fur baby?
I absolutely love dogs and love having them at sessions. However, I would suggest asking a friend to tag along so they can hold the leash when we’re getting photos of just the two of you. It always helps to have someone hold a treat over my lens if needed too. 🙂