Getting the most from your San Francisco engagement session

Engagement sessions are one of my favorite things to photograph because it is all about getting to know the couple and capturing their relationship. With the weather clearing up soon, we’ll be starting our engagement sessions for our summer wedding couples in the next couple of weeks. Engagement sessions are great because you get a chance to get comfortable in front of the camera while also getting to know your photographer. It takes a lot of pressure off the wedding day, and allows your wedding photographer to hit the ground running, as you have already established that comfort level.

When it comes to the engagement session, it’s a good idea to put some thought & planning into it. You want to show off your relationship and also your personality. One of the best ways to do that is through your clothing and accessories. Don’t be afraid of a little flair! Scarves, belts, hats, shoes, jewelry, etc all add to your look & will help create some amazing images for you. From a creative standpoint, your wedding photographer is going to be a lot more creatively inspired if you bring some personal style to the session! If you have the ability to schedule your hair & makeup trial on the same day as the engagement session, you ensure you’ll look your very best in the engagement photos. I also recommend coordinating the two outfits together. When choosing clothing for the two of you, I recommend thinking of the different pieces as one outfit, so that everything works well together and has a pulled together look. Here are some great examples of that:

See how those red shoes just add a certain hotness to the image above? One the one below, we did that engagement session at Baker Beach. See how all those accessories-the hat, the tie, and flower in her hair, those little details add a lot of visual interest to the image. It’s one of my favorites from their engagement session.

Notice how the pattern on the dress is repeated in the shoes? Subtle, but definitely noticed.

This couple Jen & Travis brought a lot of style to the session, and that definately inspired us creatively, which led to us using this cool car as a prop for the couple.

Another big way to really make the most of your session is to play up your relationship to the camera. At first you might feel a little nervous and shy, that’s very typical. In fact, we usually don’t get many great photos during the first 20 minutes or so, as the couple gets warmed up to the camera. So don’t worry if you feel nervous at first, but do try to have fun and relax. The idea is to capture the real relationship between the two of you, and the best way to do that is to act naturally with each other, but in a way that reflects your relationship. If you are typically goofy with each other, then show that to the camera. If the two of you tend to be more intimate, then go ahead and snuggle up, hold hands, embrace, look into each other’s eyes. If you are very romantic and tend to be more on the sensual side, then don’t be afraid to show it! I’m a big fan of making out on camera:

Another way to create some great images is to bring some attitude, be it flirting with the camera or showing your sassy side:

A few final pointers for engagement sessions, be sure to be on time, because when you are late, your engagement session is going to be shorter, and sometimes it’s at the very end that we get the best shots! We always schedule the session an hour before sunset, as that is the very best lighting. Once the sun goes down, that’s it, so don’t miss anything! If you think a glass of wine might help you to relax, by all means, go ahead!  If you’d like to see more ideas for engagement sessions, please check out our website gallery of engagement photos. If you are interested in having us photograph your engagement session, give us a call!