Guest blogger - Beloved Weddings
A lot of couples are interested in having an engagement photo session with their photographer prior to their wedding day. Not only will they have beautiful portraits of the 2 of them to display at the reception, it also allows them to have the opportunity to work with and get comfortable with the photographer prior to their big day!
Today, we are very excited to have Matthew Alvarado, Founder & Owner of Beloved Weddings, to share with us some tips and advice on how to prepare for an engagement shoot.
IMAGE SOURCE HERE
From Matt…
When it comes to your wedding, it is quite possibly the biggest and most important day of your life. Entering into this covenant is an amazing celebration but if you are not prepared to be in front of the camera, the memories you have on print will look a whole lot different than the night you remembered.
As a professional photographer, it is my priority to not only capture jaw dropping images but to also teach and inform you. With that being said, the “Pre-Wedding” or “Engagement Shoot” is becoming an important aspect of wedding photography today. This is largely because when shooting images at any wedding, you only have one chance. I am afraid it is a “hit or miss” situation.
In any sport, be it baseball, football, etc, players train prior to the big day. They focus on their weaknesses and work to strengthen them so that when game day comes around, they are ready and prepared. My question to all future brides, grooms and even photographers is why not treat the wedding day with the same respect? It is a once in a lifetime event and we should all be prepared for it.
Then how do we apply this same rule to wedding photography? The answer is simple; with a “Pre-Wedding” or “Engagement Shoot”. The next question you might have is about what exactly happens on these shoots. From my experience, it is a time for the wedding day couple to get to know their photographer on both a professional and personal level. It is also a time to see how you perform in front of the camera or how you photograph. Everything from facial expressions to the way you carry your arm are all important things to be aware of prior to your wedding day. Trust me, you don’t want to get your wedding photographs back and find that what you thought was a decent smile turned out to be a frown.
Unless you are the super couple, you probably don’t have that many portrait sessions ever, if at all. So this is the perfect time to practice and make sure you have everything down.
IMAGE SOURCE HERE
The next thing I would like to bring up are things that I like to call “The Details”. This is a simple term for everything else that is a part of your “Pre-Wedding” shoot such as what to think about when choosing a venue and of course what to wear!
When choosing a venue for your “Pre-Wedding” shoot, think about how you really want these photos to come out. Do you want to shoot at a site that’s simple or dynamic? Many people have these sessions within a studio but I say get creative! Find a really cool spot to shoot, sentimental or not. You can even ask your photographer to collaborate on a spot. Also, don’t just limit yourself to one location. Come up with the top three ideal places to shoot so if one doesn’t work out, you still have more.
As far as what to wear, with all due respect, do not match your clothing. Better yet, complement one another with however many outfits you have. You will also want to factor in the time of day you are going to be shooting when picking out clothes. For example, if you have scheduled a shoot mid day when the sun is highest and brightest, don’t wear white. It becomes tricky to shoot and often times shows up too bright.
In my opinion the best time for these sessions is closer in the evening, no later than 5:00 PM . That way the weather is cooler and the sun is not producing “harsh” lighting. The softer the ambient light the better. In fact, an overcast day usually provides for the most dramatic photos you can take.
Now to wrap things up, remember that a “Pre-Wedding” shoot can be the greatest and easiest way to prevent disaster weeks after your wedding day when you receive your images. It is a time to practice and get comfortable in front of the camera. It is also a time to gain your photographer’s trust and develop a good relationship; get to know one another. Do this and your wedding day photography session should go smoothly!
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Thank you so much, Matt, for your wonderful advice. To see more of Matt’s lovely photos and portfolio, please be sure to visit his website and his blog.
Tags: Beloved Weddings
September 30th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
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