While we enjoy collaborative shoots with other businesses from time to time, the truth is that all of our shoots are a collaboration of sorts. We want to give you beautiful images in a comfortable environment and that is best achieved when we work together. Lovely Jane & Aidan wanted jacarandas to feature in their engagement shoot and they wanted it to take place in a location sentimental to them; we waited till closer to the date to lock it in so that we could make the most of jacaranda season and UQ was looking absolutely stunning this particular day. In hindsight, I don't think we could have picked a better day for J&A's shoot. Looking forward to their wedding next year! 💜 P.S. No visit to UQ is complete without an Emydura macquarii signata (Brisbane short-necked turtle) sighting.
Engagement Session :: Why We Recommend It
How about we see how many reasons we can come up with for having an engagement session:
You can establish a comfortable relationship with your photographer
You can relax/gain confidence in front of the camera in a fun & casual environment (we nearly always meet up with our local couples prior to the wedding day but there is a big difference between sitting down over a cuppa and being on the other side of a lens); quieten those “I am really awkward in front of the camera” voices in the back of your head
Relaxing goes both ways: the more we know about both of you (what makes you laugh, and so on), the more we can help you on your day
Engagement is such an exciting time in life and will not last forever; embrace & preserve the season with some images
The session provides a clearer point of reference for determining wedding coverage/expectations as you personally are in the frame - this makes it easier to see what you like and dislike
You can practice the kind of shots important to you and that you want from your wedding
Try out your hair and makeup style - or mix up the content so you have different looks
Include some of your favourites in your wedding stationery suite (save the date, thank you cards or guest book… or just create a Facebook album and share your love with your loved ones)
The wedding day is about so many things - love, family/friends, emotions - whereas the engagement session is really about just the two of you as the focal point
In amongst the crazy that is wedding planning, an engagement session can ensure a bonding session/opportunity to reconnect for both of you and remind you of what is most important at the end of the day - a really nice pause button, in a way. Make it a date!
Engagement, just like the wedding, is a milestone in itself and worth celebrating one way or another
As time goes by, you might find that you treasure both: images of you in your wedding attire and images of you that are more relatable day to day
Express your personal style (very often, there are multiple people involved in a wedding day with different opinions - puffed sleeves, no train, peonies like grandma’s bouquet, save the dates or no save the dates, Polaroid cameras on each table or no Polaroids… we could go on and on) - this is your day really! No traditional expectations!
While we are creating images different to your wedding day, why not mix up the location, too! Sometimes we hear from couples that they would love images at a location sentimental to them, but it is too far from the wedding venue to reasonably expect people to travel/wait. This is your chance.
Speaking of traditional expectations, if you are wanting something unique from your session, there is a greater chance of that happening at your engagement session than on your wedding day - don’t be shy and work together with your photographer to create some unique magic!
Tell your story as there is more to both of you than a wedding day
You might even learn a little more about each other during the process - embrace it! <3
As always, if you don’t want to do something (including an engagement session), don’t. No one should make you do something you do not feel comfortable with. If this is you, focus on the things that are important to you and, if you go with the flow, your wedding day will come together perfectly!
Engagement :: N&S <3
Nick & Sarah.
We love this shoot for a few reasons:
Nick & Sarah are a rocking couple <3
They were invested in the process and had scouted their own locations - completely unexpected but lovely to see how much this shoot meant to them
It is an example of our work shot between 1:30 & 3 pm - useful information for couples looking for how we handle what can be challenging middle-of-the-day lighting conditions
It is an example of how we handle nerves; I think that we can safely say that Nick was a little overwhelmed about this shoot (totally understandable to feel nervous) and yet he knocked it out of the park - stay till the end for our favourite example!
We received the sweetest response upon delivery: “Hi Emily, We love love love them!!! Thank you so much. Can’t wait to see the actual wedding photos now! Sarah and Nick”
We are very excited about this beautiful wedding next year <3
I suggested this wall to Nick & Sarah but added that I understood that people were sitting nearby and I totally understood if they felt uncomfortable with posing in front of it. Nick boldly stepped forward and said, “I’ve got this!” He certainly did - and is hopefully a whole lot less stressed out about photography on their Big Day. We cannot wait! <3
Information :: Wedding Ring Shot Inspiration
We recently stumbled upon a polarising discussion between photographers. The key question was this: should you, as the photographer, provide props for detail shots (such as ring boxes, ribbons, trays, stamps and so on) or is it something that the client should take the lead on? There were two camps:
One side, against photographers providing props, questioned if it could it be perceived to be intrusive in a way? Could the photographer potentially incorporate elements that are not sentimental to the couple? The photographers in this camp were arguing that photographers should use creative elements either supplied by the couple (keepsakes) or things that could be found at their wedding venue(s), such as a plant, for example. That each client’s images should not have stock standard elements that come from recycled kit. Furthermore, all the images should be cohesive (documented and authentic rather than fabricated).
However, the other side of the debate, pro photographer provision of props, suggested that the extra preparation (and investment) could demonstrate attention to detail by the photographer. Could it be categorised as going above and beyond? Thoughtful even? The photographers in this camp wanted their clients to feel looked after and with nothing left to chance. To guarantee ‘pretty’ images for their clients. To have some control over the quality of the styling. Furthermore, in some cases, styling was an essential part of the photographer’s brand and a unique selling point (especially those with a background in food or product photography, for example).
Each photographer has their own aesthetic and, like a lot of things in life, there is absolutely no right or wrong here. Furthermore, we would hope that most people could agree that there are waaaaaaaaaaay bigger issues in life. When all is said and done, it is up to the client to decide how they want their day documented - whether that is a style that incorporates a photographer’s individual styling kit or is more organic & bespoke. Personally, we love true to life, and we love a good creative challenge. Ultimately, we want the images to showcase you as a couple and incorporate your style and story - whatever that is.
We looked through some of our recent shoots for ring shots, in particular. (The discussion referenced above heavily featured ring boxes as there has been a definite trend for Mrs Box ring boxes or equivalent, so rings were fresh on our mind at the time of writing.) We found the diversity in our shots interesting. We have done some of these shoots alongside a stylist or two with impeccable taste (sometimes we are spoiled rotten!). We are proud of those images. We can appreciate a stunning piece of heirloom jewellery, and we love to showcase it without distraction. However, we also found it interesting how much we like seeing ring shots ‘in the wild’, too. There is a sense of adventure to these. Relatability perhaps. A feeling that the ring is more than jewellery now and is an important part of the person wearing it. See what you think and feel free to discuss even the smallest details with us- as we say around here, “If it is important to you, it is important to us”. We welcome all ideas - including those that are outside of the box, so to speak. Here are 100+ of our favourites:
Update: this image placed in the Top 20% of its category in the 2019 Shoot & Share Photo Contest. It placed at 3585/18829 submissions.
Finally, one with a difference: the devoted aunt-of-the-bride inspecting the rings for the first time. <3