If you are a wedding or portrait photographer, you probably do many engagement sessions as well. Engagement photos are so important to the couple... it is the memorable photos that they will remember forever before they said 'I do.'
Today, we want to focus on 4 engagement session tips that are less-obvious and that are often overlooked when working with a couple. Follow these tips below and they can help you improve your photos overall and could help you to avoid things going wrong while you are out during your shoots.
Photo credit: Courtney Hizey Photography via SnapKnot
#1 Always Be Sure To Have a Backup Plan
In general, as well as with photography, we all know that things hardly ever go as we planned for them to go. You can plan ahead but sometimes things just do not work out. If you show up for your favorite location and it’s closed for whatever reason, what do you do? Having that backup plan is very important and will help to avoid the panic of having to find a new location quickly. There is always a possibility of getting kicked out of a location due to an event taking place, or having inclement weather right during the exact time of your session. You even want to plan for things like traffic backups and road closures that can mess up your schedule.
#2 Visit Fewer Locations During The Session
Many clients want so many different location for their engagement sessions so they have a variety. They may want beach shots, city shots, night shots, and nature shots all in one session but while you want to keep your client happy, rushing through tons of different locations within the time of the session is not the best idea. It is important to take your time with each location; being rushed increases the risk of something going wrong. Taking your time and focusing on the right expressions, ideal backgrounds, and perfect settings in one or two locations creates a better product and a more enjoyable overall experience than cramming in multiple locations in a few hours. Discuss this with your client before the day of the session so you are all prepared for those top locations and have a plan in place.
Photo credit: KetaNuva Studios via SnapKnot
#3 Ensure Proper Client Preparation
Having your clients happy and relaxed makes for a smoother session. You want to make sure that as their photographer, you take the appropriate steps needed to help your clients stay happy. I your session is scheduled to go through a typical meal time, suggest that they eat prior to the shoot and it may even be helpful to pack a snack in case someone gets hungry. If there’s even the slightest chance of it being cold, make sure they bring a jacket and maybe even have a backup in your car just in case. You would hate for your session to end early because the clients get too cold. It is so important to anticipate all the possible dilemmas that can come up and plan accordingly.
#4 Stay Flexible And Keep An Open Mind
Ideas for different photos can stem from anything. Sometimes the client brings an idea that may be awesome or it could be cheesy or just plain bad. No matter the idea, it’s your job as the photographer to accommodate, modify, and improve their ideas to capture shots that match their personalities and their style. This will ensure that you keep your clients happy!
We hope these tips are helpful. Here are a few other posts you may be interested in:
If you are a wedding or portrait photographer, you need to check out the Posing Guide For Couple Portraits! this 209 page guide, you will get tons of pose ideas as well as tips on finding the perfect location, keeping the couple comfortable, pricing and even post processing. For only $9.99 (regularly $129.99) you can get this awesome guide today!
GET THE POSING GUIDE FOR COUPLE PORTRAITS TODAY!
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