Your Wedding Day - Engagement Photos

Engagement Photos

Making the Most of Engagment Pictures
Written & Photographed by Cameron Ingalls

So, you have booked your photographer and now you may be wondering, “Should we get the engagement session too?” If you’ve already hired someone to photograph you for eight hours on your wedding day, do you really need extra pictures?!
As a professional wedding photographers, I could give you many other reasons why you should get these shots—like the engagement session will provide beautiful pictures for party favors or a enlarged image to display at your wedding, and many other valid reasons. But instead of listing my top ten reasons, let me share with you what some of the couples whose engagement I photographed have taught me over the years.

Nathan and Tiffany wanted to shoot their pictures in a secluded forest. Since they were coming from Santa Cruz, we decided to meet halfway in the beautiful coastal mountains of Big Sur. Prior to the session, we had lunch and talked about everything from our favorite music to their future plans. It was an intimate time of sharing about our interests, our dreams and ourselves, and it gave me a chance to understand what makes their relationship unique. Later, as we tromped through fields of poison oak and ducked under heavy pine branches, we were no longer just a photographer and his clients. We were friends hanging out in a forest, on an adventure to capture the perfect images to tell the story of Nathan and Tiffany. I learned from them that building a friendship is a great way to achieve beautiful, natural-looking images.

With Denton and Sadye, I clicked immediately and by the time our initial meeting had ended, a new friendship was blossoming. They wanted an urban-industrial feel for their session, so we headed downtown. I had a couple of locations in mind that would work perfectly. Our first stop was in front of a metal warehouse and it was immediately evident that this photo shoot was going to be exceptional. I put an 85 mm lens on, backed off and let them start playing. They were absolute naturals!
Later, I asked Sadye to share with future brides how she was able to be so comfortable in front of the lens. “You are taking engagement photos to show who you and your fiancé are as two individuals completely in love. Be confident, and don’t apologize for being yourself in front of the camera. If you get the jitters, take a step back, breathe, close your eyes and breathe again. Then, look into your fiancé’s eyes and find a moment that makes you smile. Just be in the moment until you forget that the camera is there.” I found that photographing them was as easy as simply observing and capturing their unabashed chemistry.

Allegra Parreira gave me the most encouraging feedback I’ve received from a bride. I shot her engagement session last October at another of my favorite locations, a gorgeous beach in Montana De Oro State Park. I could see right away that Allegra and Christian were deeply in love and that it wouldn’t take much direction for them to be comfortable in front of the camera. In fact, they soon became absorbed in each other and forgot the camera. Their personalities shone through while I clicked away.
After I gave them their engagement proofs, Allegra sent me a note, “Your pictures were the first time I was able to see how I look at Christan and how he looks at me. For the first time I saw what our love looks like, and I was able to understand how true that love is! You managed to capture the essence of us—goofy, laughing, fun, in love and with an ability to be serious."

I learned from Christan and Allegra that the engagement session is more than just practice for the wedding—it’s an opportunity to capture the bliss you felt at the beginning of your life together and to preserve one of the most romantic seasons of your lifetime.
So when you run out to get photographed before the big day, remember these expert brides. Become friends with your photographer. Ask tons of questions and be sure to share who you are. You will find yourself able to be more comfortable, more relaxed and even more romantic while being photographed. This will help your photographer to get natural and heartfelt pictures of you and your loved one—and will greatly increase your level of comfort in front of the camera on your wedding day.

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