With the increasing trend of engagement photoshoots now taking over the UK, any photographer will know that this is a lucrative market that can help to expand their portfolio and offer more business.
Engagement shoots are great opportunity that allows you to connect with the happy couple before their big day.
There’s no pressure compared to the wedding day, so you can really get to know them and help them to capture their happiest moments.
As these photos will most probably be sent out as ‘save the dates’ to friends and family, you really need to impress everyone and show off your skills. These photos are going to be the first piece of work that will be exposed to everyone they know, and everyone that will be attending the wedding, so the pressure is definitely on.
Of course the great benefit of an engagement shoot is that with the release of your work, instead of being the anonymous photographer on their wedding day, their guests will flock to you to compliment you on the beautiful engagement photos. Making conversation more natural and flow freely, they’ll be much more relaxed when you’re demanding their attention for photos when they’ve seen what you can do. Besides friendly co-operation goes along way when you’re in the rush of wedding photography.
Know your Location
The happy couple will of course choose a location that is special to them. But with the normal issues of weather, lighting and passers-by, try to take some time visiting the location beforehand to get an idea of the light you have available, and if there are any particular quirky places you can find that would make a unique backdrop to their photos.
This will save you a lot of time on the day, and ensure that the shoot runs as smooth as possible, weather depending.
Talk to your Clients
Don’t get caught up on the day behind the camera. It’s really important to take this time to get to know the couple and ensure you capture their most natural moments. Keep the energy going by talking to them about their plans for the wedding, how they met each other, and if they’ve got any funny stories that they’ll let you in on. The experience they get from this shoot will determine how they feel about their expected wedding day photos, so keep it fun!
Be Prepared
As much as you prepare things can often go wrong, or technology can fail you, but be prepared for the worst to happen and you can then keep it running smoothly no matter what happens. If you’re unable to carry all of your kit around with you, make sure it’s kept accessible by locking it in the car close by.
There’s nothing more embarrassing than having to let down your clients when they’ve spent time dressing to impress for their photoshoot.
It will also look bad on you, as they’ll start to worry that you’re unorganised and panic about how you may be on their wedding day. Avoid this at all costs and just be prepared.
Know your Poses
The couple may have an idea of the poses they would like to strike during the shoot, but go along with your own arsenal of ideas and they’ll be impressed that you’ve done your research and thought about their photos.
Be ready to go a little adhoc thought so that the images don’t look too ‘set-up’. Get the couples input, and if they’re not comfortable with a pose don’t force it upon them. As all photographers will know, the best photos come naturally, so try to steal a few pictures when they’re not looking or getting caught up in a moment.
Take a long some Props
Encourage your clients to bring along some props so that you can encourage them to have fun and be a little bit silly. As well as the traditional poses, having props can help to make the photoshoot more unique, and help them to feel more at ease in front of the camera.
Capture the Love
Engagement photoshoots are all about the couple. Their spark, their relationship and the way they interact with each other. Capturing this is your sole purpose, so work as hard as you can to make them feel comfortable and enjoy each other’s company like they would any other day, forgetting you’re there.
If it helps to get a better photo, dip in and out of their conversations now and again, and try to capture their facial expressions and little gestures without it being forced.Keep talking to them from behind the lens, and once they’re used to you being present the best shots will start to reveal themselves.
Help them to Treasure It
Any kind of photoshoot is exciting but especially when it’s capturing a big life event like an engagement or wedding. Keeping these memories alive is part of your role as photographer, so rather than just offering them the prints or the CD, create an entire package that they can treasure forever in the form of our USB Wooden Presentation Photobox .
Having a keepsake box will help them to keep the photos safe, and offer them a digital version on a USB stick that can encourage them to provide the images to any friends and family.
