Your Engagement Session

What is an engagement session with Ryan Richardson Photography?

It's part portrait shoot, part fashion show with a couple of ice breakers and bad jokes thrown into the mix. During your engagement session, you'll have a chance to expres yourself and become familiar with posing and your photographer. Avove all, to paraphrase a wonderfully celver ad campaign, it's a chance to illustrate your love.

Typically, we'll meet up at some lovely little spot and ramble for a little over an hour taking pictures and talking about your wedding and your relationship. It's a chance to build a connection and sense of trust before a hectic wedding day and get some great images for you to use with save the date cards, your Facebook page, newspaper announcements and even to share with family and friends as they wait for the big date.

So how do you prepare for your engagement session?

There are a few key areas you need to look at: presentation and location.

Presentation:

This is about everything from your hair to your shoes. We've discussed this before, but it always bears repeating and a little clarification.

Keep It Simple: This session isn't all about fashion, it's about two people and their relationship. that doesn't mean you have to be boring, but don't pile on accessories and patterns that will make people think more about what you're wearing than who you are.

Coordinate Outfits: Don't wear something that matches your partner, wear something that compliments their outfit. Also, dress at the same level as your partner. If she's wearing heels and a fabulous cocktail dress then jeans and a t-shirt are out. You should also consider coordinating your wardrobe with a theme or style.

Bring Extras: Sometimes there will be opportunities to change, or somethign isn't quite as flattering on film as you'd like it to be. Jackets and sweaters can be a great way to add a little variety to a shoot without burning a couple of hours in the changing room. It's also a good idea to have an extra set of shoes so you can go from fabulous to functional.

Be Practical: Plan for the weather and the area. If you want an outdoorsy shoot by a river, skip the heels unless you want to get stuck in the ground.

Location:

Part of the process is picking out a great couple of spots to set the stage for your iamges. The engagement session isn't suited to studio portraiture, it's about having a good time and telling a story. If there's a special place to you, whether it's where you had your first date or where he popped the question a location can add a lot to your shoot. That said, if you can't think of something special to you, there are a lot of pretty places that can give a great flow to your shoot.

Another variable to consider is sharing an activity together and telling that story. Perhaps you like to go to antique fairs or just bake on a lazy Sunday afternoon, many of these shared hobbies can make for a great photo shoot and turn it into somethign that's unique to you as a couple.