What to Expect
Pre-Session Preparations
CHOOSING A DATE & TIME
We're natural light photographers because we believe that natural light, from the sun and its reflections, create photographs that feel fresh, timeless and true to you as a couple. Depending on your portrait location, we begin all engagement sessions 1-2 hours before the scheduled sunset during “the golden hour,” when the light is the dreamiest! Use a sunset calculator online to determine the scheduled sunset for the date and location you’d like to do your session. Next, simply subtract 1-2 hours to figure out your start time. Remember, the sun sets much earlier during the colder months of the year and much later during the warmer months, so make sure to factor that in when choosing your engagement session date, especially if you’re taking off work or have evening plans afterward. To get the most out of your session, please plan a buffer when getting ready so you can arrive about 10 minutes early to your session and be ready to start on time. We're only able to shoot when natural light is still in the sky, so we’ll want to take advantage of every minute we have together before the sun goes down! Before we start your session, we’ll take about 10 minutes to loosen up, chat and have some fun so you’re nice and relaxed in front of the camera!
SELECTING THE RIGHT LOCATION
The location of your engagement session is up to you! If you need help deciding on a location, we’d be more than happy to recommend a few. There are plenty of great options around the state, and we’re always up for exploring a new spot together!
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
Choosing a location for your engagement session is the time to think outside the box! We encourage you to brainstorm unique locations that you might have special access to that most people don’t. For example, maybe you, or someone in your personal or professional network, can secure permission to a location that would otherwise be off-limits, like a beautiful private estate, country club or resort. Maybe it’s a family ranch, upscale hotel, your college campus or even a sailboat. The sky is the limit! Spend a few minutes thinking about it and checking around. You’ll be surprised with what you come up with. Plus, if something seems out of reach, just remember: you never know until you ask! If you get stuck or need inspiration, check out the engagement category of our blog and keep browsing through this guide. We have some great go-to locations that we can always hit, too! Easy. Peasy.
DESTINATION ENGAGEMENT
Your engagement session includes our travel time anywhere in a 30-mile radius (or 60 miles round trip) of our home office in Shelton, Connecticut. If you’d like to have your photos taken at a location outside the of this area, we’re up for the adventure! The travel fee for destinations outside our regular area of coverage is $0.75 per mile. We love traveling so I’d love to make it work! If you would like us to meet you at a location outside of Connecticut for your engagement session where we don’t already have plans to visit, just let me know and I can give you a custom quote.
STYLING YOUR SESSION
Do you want your engagement images to look more editorial? Bring a little extra something with you! A freshly-picked bouquet for you to hold, or fresh flowers to put on something else, like a bicycle basket, tree swing, picnic basket, car bumper, or rowboat, is a fun way to bring a little extra romance to everyday objects. Whether it’s larger items like classic cars, or smaller ones like blankets or hats, even incorporating just one extra styled item, could be a fun way to make your session more unique. If you’re looking to bring on a pro to style your session, we’ve worked with some of the best in the business and would be happy to give your their information!
INCLUDING YOUR DOG
Some of our couples opt to include their pup in a few of their engagement portraits. If you plan to do this, take a peek at the tips we’ve shared in the blog post about taking engagement photos with your dog!
WE KNOW YOU MIGHT NOT BE EXCITED FOR PHOTOS…
Some people aren’t overly excited to take photos, because they don’t have an expectation of what’s to come and why it’s so important to their future spouse. Before your session, take fifteen minutes to review some recent engagement sessions on our blog together, and take note of the genuine smiles and emotions you see in the photos (we promise these are all a result of a FUN session!). The most common thing we hear from some couples before engagement sessions is this: because of a bad experience in the past, they don’t like taking photos or don’t think they’ll be good at it. By the time we're done though, our clients can’t believe how fast it went and just how much fun they had!
TAKE A DEEP BREATH
You’re going to be amazing models! We always tell our couples that the BEST models are the ones who have never modeled professionally before... and we mean it! The couples who are usually most nervous are the couples who totally rock their session, so be encouraged! We've worked with EVERY personality type and EVERY body type, and we always create images that our couples love! Get excited!