Okay, you have scheduled to have your engagement session with me. Now what? Let me guide you through what to expect and suggest some things you can do in order to help make your session a success. Lets first discuss the clothing to wear….
Solid primary colors that compliment each other always work. For casual dressing black shirts with blue jeans always looks nice.
The pictures above and below show how nicely the black shirts work in helping the colors pop – along with drawing the attention the the subjects faces, without detracting from the setting.
The other benefit black is it has a slimming affect on the size of the body.
Another example of solid colors.
One thing of caution… try to stay away from bright shinny clothing, such as bright lighter blues. I am professional and I can work around it as shown in the photos above. However, there is a tendency for it to be too bright at times. Notice how the primary color green looks compared to the blue in this shot.
The image on the left above shows why you want to avoid white shirts. Notice how bright the white is… even some lost in detail.
I generally start off by shooting simple smile and look at the camera shots.The thought is to get rid of the jitters, while getting my couples to relax.
From there we progress to showing signs of affection.
Let’s not forget to have some fun too.
Don’t be surprised if I ask you to dance.
The point is to have some fun and expose the fun side of your personalities.
Now lets look the other side of your relationship…
More serious shots….
Shots of you not looking at the camera etc… Something to have printed and hanging on the wall for years to come.
Body parts with no faces….
A ring shot…. (hint! Groom those nails before the session)
Sometimes I break out the toy plastic lens as shown in this image.
A shot that works for the long legged ladies….
If you are going to do Save the Date cards then lets come up with a concept for it.
Night Sessions
At times we schedule sessions so we start at around 5 PM (4 PM in the winter). That gives us a chance to work when the sun goes down. Here are a few examples of night sessions.
Hopefully, seeing these photos gives you a head start on what to expect.
Here is a list of things to remember:
- Do not do any kind of fake bake tanning before your session! This includes airbrush, bed or spray on tans. The reason is this makes your skin look orange compared to the natural skin of your fiancée. I will naturally warm your skin tones when post processing the images.
- Wear solid primary color clothes. No whites; stripes or pattered clothes. Be mindful of shinny clothing. Black tops with blue jeans is always great.
- Bring several changes of clothes to be safe. You never know when you might get something on a shirt that ruins the use if it for the session.
- Bring walking shoes. Sometimes we have to walk across fields and although you’ll want the photo to be in your special 3 inch high heels, a good pair of tennis shoes will be better when it comes to walking in uneven pastures. ;o)
- Bring yourselves some bottled water.
- Ladies bring your small bag of touch-up makeup.
- If it is above 80 degrees then bring some towels to help with perspiration. I’ll say it again…. be prepared to walk a good bit during the outdoor sessions.
- If you are afraid that you may get a spot on something you wear when sitting, laying or lean on something then consider bringing a hand towel or something to sit, lay or lean on.
- Don’t assume we can show up and shoot freely at some location you’ve picked out. Call and get permission first. Many places will allow you to shoot on their location, but they require a fee and a signature on a release document to do so.
- I have a membership at the Dallas Arboretum. I can get you in for free, but you need to bring $10 for parking. You CAN NOT change clothes once inside the Arboretum. It is against their rules
- Be prepared to possible change clothes in your car. I do have a changing tent used by models. I can bring it if you request it.
- Bring coins for parking meters if we decide to go in a area that has them. Lots of quarters are preferable.
FAQ
How long does the session last?
On average when everything is included I would plan on 3 to 4 hours total. I’ve had some last a bit longer and others less. The session is over when you feel you have what you want.
How will we view our images?
Generally within 3 days after the session your images will be placed online for you to view. You will be asked to select your favorites, which I will take into Photoshop and edit to look their best. The edited images will them be uploaded to the gallery.
How do I order prints?
The online system is a shopping cart and you may place you print and product orders through it.
That covers it for now. If you can think of anything that can be added before or after your session let me know so I can update this page.
I look forward to working with you!
Kevin
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