Wedding photography is intimate. A relationship between the photographer and the bride and groom. The best wedding photos are not the ones just about expensive clothes or fancy trinkets, but the ones that capture the chemistry between people. The best way to capture this is to build a relationship during an engagement session.
My bride and groom-to-be in this engagement session were absolutely wonderful. You could see they loved each other. But like most of my couples, they had not had a lot of experience in front of a camera. These first few photos we took were very cute, but you could see a bit of awkwardness. Mainly because they had just met me not long before, After all, would you show a lot of PDA in front of a stranger? As the shoot progressed, we had a chance to get to know one another a little better, and they started to see me more as a friend than an outsider.
This is when magic starts to happen. They were able to stop feeling self conscious in front of the camera, and were able to concentrate more on one another. And with a stronger relationship between us, there is more trust between us for helping them pose. This wonderful photo is just them letting go and being in the then and now with each other. Just a couple of love birds without a care in the world.
This is what I am looking for. For my brides and grooms to be able to forget that I am there and let loose. And have the knowledge that if they need help, or advice, I'll be right there for them, no matter what. To know that they can be themselves knowing that I am not judging them. Like a good friend.. Like a sister. I am on their side.
Why engagement sessions work so well? It is just them and me. There is no one else around to distract us. No one coming around asking to do this or that. That is what would happen if we were to meet and shoot for the first time on the wedding day itself. The wedding day is so hectic, the last thing you would want is some stranger bossing you around for photos.
And the best thing about engagement sessions is that they are all about the photos. Not just documenting what happens on the day, but a dedicated day of photos. You should be comfortable around your wedding photographer. We can only capture the real you when you let us in.
