engagement shoot
no veil, no tux, just you
A website dedicated to the art of engagement photos
frequently asked questions...answered!
Before any question can be answered, you must first ask yourself what kind of engagement shoot do I want?
A traditional engagement shoot is made up of a series of images that include full body, half body & head and shoulders shots. The couple typically looks at the camera, looks at each other and moments are usually captured of the couple walking or sitting on a bench. Here's an example of a traditional engagement photo:
While the above shot is quite nice, it does not say a whole lot about the personalities of the couple nor of what they're feeling. For example, are they funny or serious people? How great is their love?
When the conversation moves to pictures beyond the traditional, fun photos are usually requested first. And why not? It's the best of times and the couple is planning the biggest day of their lives! Here's an example of a fun engagement photo:
You can quickly see what you wear and where you do the shoot depends on the type of images you were hoping for. Would the above couple have done this shot if they were both wearing expensive white clothing?
Romance is sometimes hard to capture in an image, especially if the couple is not comfortable being affectionate in front of other people! Between your professional photographer's abilities and your willingness, it can occur and when it does, it's spectacular! Here's an example of a romantic engagement photo (can you feel the love?):
There's a fine line between romantic and sexy. Are you up for it?! Sexy is an attitude coupled with the right clothing, striking poses and of course, imaginative photography. It may not be for everyone but when it works, boy, it works! Here's an example of a sexy engagement photo:
Fashion photography is not too dissimilar from traditional engagement photography - you typically do not get a sense of the personalities of the couple nor of how they feel for each other. Where fashion photography differs though is in the posing and human contact. Hugging and holding hands is not a perquisite! This is all about posing and looking cool! Here's an example of a fashion engagement photo:
The final style of engagement photography is called abstract or artistic. This can include silhouettes, shadows, reflections, playing with focus, minute details, etc. While technically the couple appears in the photograph, they are clearly part of the greater image. It's kinda like they strolled right into a piece of art! Here's an example of an artistic engagement photo:
The six styles of engagement photos suggested here are not meant to be stringent rules but instead a method of communication between the couple and their photographer. Other styles may exist and certainly many images cross between differing styles, but the important thing here is to properly express to your photographer what you're hoping for from the engagement shoot and what you'd prefer to avoid. Any good photographer should be able to provide you with a series of images that cross into all requested styles.
So let's answer some questions!
Why should I do an engagement shoot?
There are many layers to this answer.
Throughout our lives, we hire photographers to take professional photographs. It typically starts at birth with baby pictures, then family portraits, school pictures, etc. Having professional pictures done with your loved one prior to marriage and before children should be a natural desire.
Preparing for your wedding is yet another reason, be it a stunning portrait at your wedding reception, an image on the wine bottles, an amusing slideshow during dinner, or a picture for the wedding invitation or save-the-date card. This would be the practical reason for an engagement shoot!
It's a rehearsal! Spending time with your photographer prior to the wedding can also help with the results of wedding pictures later. After an engagement shoot, you should provide your photographer with honest feedback about what you loved and what you were not too crazy about. Your photographer can then limit the scope of his or her work to provide you with more images of what you love on your wedding day. The mere experience of working with your photographer beforehand is also quite valuable. That person will be by your side for most of your wedding day - wouldn't it be better if he or she was not a complete stranger?!
And finally, and really the purpose of this website, an engagement shoot is so much more than a mere prerequisite to the wedding itself. An engagement shoot is free from restrictions on dates, times, attire and attitude. It is a wonderful opportunity to work with your photographer and create timeless images that will truly define who you were at that moment.
What should I wear?
Rule number one (this is actually the only rule!): Wear what you feel comfortable in and what you think makes you look your best. If you do not feel comfortable, if you do not think that you look good, then you will not be happy with the engagement photos!
Dress appropriately. Are you going to be jumping in some water, hanging from some trees, rolling in grass? An evening dress is probably not your best choice but it is if you are doing a fashion shoot amongst the city's skyscrapers!
Remember your colours. First, the background. Are you shooting in a forested area? If so, stay away from green (also called camouflage in this case!) Shooting by the water on a clear sky day? Stay away from blue. You get the point - don't blend into your background.
Coordinate (both style and colours). If the man wants to wear black shoes, slacks and a long sleeved shirt with his hair slicked back, how will the woman look in a frilly country dress standing next to him? Colours should coordinate too. Both wearing black or white can work well but wearing matching turquoise tops is a huge no-no. If possible, if one wears a solid coloured top, try to find another top that has a hint of that same colour. Here's a great example of colours and styles coordinating:
Where should we do the engagement shoot?
First off, what type of shoot do you want? A grungy alleyway may be perfect for artistic photos but are not ideal for traditional engagement photos.
What do you have access to? Can a friend of yours get you into the city's hottest nightclub, the local sports stadium, etc.? Are you willing to pay? Some of the finest spots in your city may have a wedding permit system set-up - perhaps for less than $100 you can have it all to yourselves!
What locations best describe you? Did you meet inline skating by the water? There's an idea! Are you always going to the movies? How about starting the shoot in front of the city's glitziest cinema?
Or what about making the engagement shoot into an adventure? Pick a spot, anywhere, and then walk or drive in no particular direction until you or your photographer finds something of interest. You'll be amazed how rewarding it can be to tour your own city!
Want extravagance? Book a weekend flight to your favourite city and have the engagement shoot there! How cool would professional photographs of you in Paris be around your home or at the wedding venue?!
By the way, most photographers look for "light" as much as the background or setting, and good "light" can be found just about anywhere! Can you see the "light" in the above photograph?
What time of day should we do the engagement shoot?
Again, what kind of images do you want? The hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset are called the "golden hour". The light is, well, golden, the shadows long, the atmosphere very moody. Sounds great but if you want excellent shots on your buddy's yacht, mid morning, with its pure brightness may be better suited for your engagement shoot.
Sunrise. 7am. Toronto, Canada
Should we bring our dog?
We all love our pets and capturing them is as important as anything else. Unfortunately, dogs need attention and capturing them within the photos really limits what a photographer can accomplish for you as the couple. Best to leave the pooch at home.
How do you do YOUR engagement shoots?
If we had to shoot at the same park every day, we'd burn out quickly. For us, photography is as much about creativity and beautiful lighting as it is in capturing moments and people. And if it's not fun and exciting for us, the experience will likely be the same for our clients.
We ask for input from our couples and use any requests as either the starting or ending point for the engagement shoot. For instance, if the couple very much wants shots by the water then we will either start or end there. The rest is all about exploration. By car or by foot, we explore our surroundings, looking for uniqueness, looking for that beautiful light. We might wander into stores, we might climb a hill, we might end up on a rooftop. We never know. It is fun, it is relaxed, it is an experience.
If you are interested in our services, please contact us at www.aim2please.ca
A traditional engagement shoot is made up of a series of images that include full body, half body & head and shoulders shots. The couple typically looks at the camera, looks at each other and moments are usually captured of the couple walking or sitting on a bench. Here's an example of a traditional engagement photo:
While the above shot is quite nice, it does not say a whole lot about the personalities of the couple nor of what they're feeling. For example, are they funny or serious people? How great is their love?
When the conversation moves to pictures beyond the traditional, fun photos are usually requested first. And why not? It's the best of times and the couple is planning the biggest day of their lives! Here's an example of a fun engagement photo:
You can quickly see what you wear and where you do the shoot depends on the type of images you were hoping for. Would the above couple have done this shot if they were both wearing expensive white clothing?
Romance is sometimes hard to capture in an image, especially if the couple is not comfortable being affectionate in front of other people! Between your professional photographer's abilities and your willingness, it can occur and when it does, it's spectacular! Here's an example of a romantic engagement photo (can you feel the love?):
There's a fine line between romantic and sexy. Are you up for it?! Sexy is an attitude coupled with the right clothing, striking poses and of course, imaginative photography. It may not be for everyone but when it works, boy, it works! Here's an example of a sexy engagement photo:
Fashion photography is not too dissimilar from traditional engagement photography - you typically do not get a sense of the personalities of the couple nor of how they feel for each other. Where fashion photography differs though is in the posing and human contact. Hugging and holding hands is not a perquisite! This is all about posing and looking cool! Here's an example of a fashion engagement photo:
The final style of engagement photography is called abstract or artistic. This can include silhouettes, shadows, reflections, playing with focus, minute details, etc. While technically the couple appears in the photograph, they are clearly part of the greater image. It's kinda like they strolled right into a piece of art! Here's an example of an artistic engagement photo:
The six styles of engagement photos suggested here are not meant to be stringent rules but instead a method of communication between the couple and their photographer. Other styles may exist and certainly many images cross between differing styles, but the important thing here is to properly express to your photographer what you're hoping for from the engagement shoot and what you'd prefer to avoid. Any good photographer should be able to provide you with a series of images that cross into all requested styles.
So let's answer some questions!
Why should I do an engagement shoot?
There are many layers to this answer.
Throughout our lives, we hire photographers to take professional photographs. It typically starts at birth with baby pictures, then family portraits, school pictures, etc. Having professional pictures done with your loved one prior to marriage and before children should be a natural desire.
Preparing for your wedding is yet another reason, be it a stunning portrait at your wedding reception, an image on the wine bottles, an amusing slideshow during dinner, or a picture for the wedding invitation or save-the-date card. This would be the practical reason for an engagement shoot!
It's a rehearsal! Spending time with your photographer prior to the wedding can also help with the results of wedding pictures later. After an engagement shoot, you should provide your photographer with honest feedback about what you loved and what you were not too crazy about. Your photographer can then limit the scope of his or her work to provide you with more images of what you love on your wedding day. The mere experience of working with your photographer beforehand is also quite valuable. That person will be by your side for most of your wedding day - wouldn't it be better if he or she was not a complete stranger?!
And finally, and really the purpose of this website, an engagement shoot is so much more than a mere prerequisite to the wedding itself. An engagement shoot is free from restrictions on dates, times, attire and attitude. It is a wonderful opportunity to work with your photographer and create timeless images that will truly define who you were at that moment.
What should I wear?
Rule number one (this is actually the only rule!): Wear what you feel comfortable in and what you think makes you look your best. If you do not feel comfortable, if you do not think that you look good, then you will not be happy with the engagement photos!
Dress appropriately. Are you going to be jumping in some water, hanging from some trees, rolling in grass? An evening dress is probably not your best choice but it is if you are doing a fashion shoot amongst the city's skyscrapers!
Remember your colours. First, the background. Are you shooting in a forested area? If so, stay away from green (also called camouflage in this case!) Shooting by the water on a clear sky day? Stay away from blue. You get the point - don't blend into your background.
Coordinate (both style and colours). If the man wants to wear black shoes, slacks and a long sleeved shirt with his hair slicked back, how will the woman look in a frilly country dress standing next to him? Colours should coordinate too. Both wearing black or white can work well but wearing matching turquoise tops is a huge no-no. If possible, if one wears a solid coloured top, try to find another top that has a hint of that same colour. Here's a great example of colours and styles coordinating:
Where should we do the engagement shoot?
First off, what type of shoot do you want? A grungy alleyway may be perfect for artistic photos but are not ideal for traditional engagement photos.
What do you have access to? Can a friend of yours get you into the city's hottest nightclub, the local sports stadium, etc.? Are you willing to pay? Some of the finest spots in your city may have a wedding permit system set-up - perhaps for less than $100 you can have it all to yourselves!
What locations best describe you? Did you meet inline skating by the water? There's an idea! Are you always going to the movies? How about starting the shoot in front of the city's glitziest cinema?
Or what about making the engagement shoot into an adventure? Pick a spot, anywhere, and then walk or drive in no particular direction until you or your photographer finds something of interest. You'll be amazed how rewarding it can be to tour your own city!
Want extravagance? Book a weekend flight to your favourite city and have the engagement shoot there! How cool would professional photographs of you in Paris be around your home or at the wedding venue?!
By the way, most photographers look for "light" as much as the background or setting, and good "light" can be found just about anywhere! Can you see the "light" in the above photograph?
What time of day should we do the engagement shoot?
Again, what kind of images do you want? The hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset are called the "golden hour". The light is, well, golden, the shadows long, the atmosphere very moody. Sounds great but if you want excellent shots on your buddy's yacht, mid morning, with its pure brightness may be better suited for your engagement shoot.
Sunrise. 7am. Toronto, Canada
Should we bring our dog?
We all love our pets and capturing them is as important as anything else. Unfortunately, dogs need attention and capturing them within the photos really limits what a photographer can accomplish for you as the couple. Best to leave the pooch at home.
How do you do YOUR engagement shoots?
If we had to shoot at the same park every day, we'd burn out quickly. For us, photography is as much about creativity and beautiful lighting as it is in capturing moments and people. And if it's not fun and exciting for us, the experience will likely be the same for our clients.
We ask for input from our couples and use any requests as either the starting or ending point for the engagement shoot. For instance, if the couple very much wants shots by the water then we will either start or end there. The rest is all about exploration. By car or by foot, we explore our surroundings, looking for uniqueness, looking for that beautiful light. We might wander into stores, we might climb a hill, we might end up on a rooftop. We never know. It is fun, it is relaxed, it is an experience.
If you are interested in our services, please contact us at www.aim2please.ca
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