Bhind the scenes of Engagement Sessions

February 5, 2010 Dalen

I absolutely LOVE engagement sessions! In fact, I love them so much, I added them to my wedding packages at no extra cost. This is what everyone tells you about engagement sessions: “they are not only a great way to get to know your photographer and build that initial trust but it gets you used to being in front of the camera”, which is definitely true but here’s my take on them…

You and your significant other, when at home and not around anyone else, more than likely, act pretty silly! I mean chasing each other, picking on each other and if you’re anything like my boyfriend and I, probably even call each other names (out of love, of course) and end up on the floor laughing. This is why you love each other, because you’re best friends and you have fun together, and this is what you’ll remember about this time in your life when you look back 20 years from now. But how often do your professional portraits reflect that? How often do your professional portraits emphasize your love for each other? Well I can tell you right now that if you’ve ever been to a portrait studio, they DON’T! Portrait studios don’t capture anything besides what you currently look like. Who says professional portraits have to be boring and candids have to be taken with a disposable camera at a bar? I like my engagement sessions to capture the essence of who you are with your spouse. And if you’re thinking to yourself right now “well I’m just photogenic” I would like to tell you that everyone says that and I mean every single couple on my website! I know that people don’t just naturally feel comfortable in front of a camera so I have a list of games and playful activities to get you out of your shell and forget about the fact that the camera is in your face.

FACT: The first portraits ever taken in the 1800s had exposure times of 1-10 minutes so, it was crucial for your neck to be held in a brace from behind to keep your head perfectly still, that is also the reason that you never see people smiling in old photographs, it’s impossible to hold a smile for many minutes. Well, camera technology has come along way since the 1800s, there is no longer a need to hold a boring pose, so shouldn’t photography reflect that? I think so!