How to Approach Engagement Photography

by Jetweb

Engagement photography is all about the couple and their togetherness. The goal is to capture their commitment to each other. Each photo is meant to be a symbol of love.

As an initial step, the couple and the photographer should meet beforehand. The couple can gauge whether the photographer understands them how to capture who they are. It is also a chance for the photographer to get to know them a little bit, which will greatly help the flow of the process.

The direct focus of engagement photography is about who the couple is and how they are together. This will determine the moments a photographer looks to capture. Communicating with the photographer during the planning process about things like the time of day the shoot will take place will help with ensuring that things go smoothly and also help the photographer decide what equipment he should bring. If there will be little light, lenses with a high ISO rating (high sensitivity to light) will be needed. Primary lenses with wide apertures are great for intimate moments and capturing subtleties of gesture the couple have toward one another. Zoom lenses can be extremely versatile in capturing those moments most impactful when the couple is doing things together and including the environment around them. Normally only one photographer directs the shoot without light assistance so as to move around more freely. This is a photo journalistic style which has come to influence wedding and engagement photography. Needing to set up extra light can be time consuming and limits the couple and photographer to fewer venues.

Many locations can be visited throughout the day so a change of clothes really helps for the variety of shots. Some engagement photography focuses primarily on portrait shots. Formal, classical approaches are still used, which apply long exposure techniques and traditional poses and backdrops. Here lighting may be used extensively without too much worry about moving around. Photojournalism has also come to influence portrait shooting to capture the spontaneous and informal moments as portrait shots. In contemporary engagement photography, a photographer blends these two styles for a unique, tailored approach. It is important that the couple understands the different approaches so everyone is on the same wavelength in terms of presenting, and capturing, the best moments of engagement.