My Number One Engagement Photography Tip

And a Loveland Colorado E-session

I photographed my final wedding of 2016’s wedding season last weekend, which means it is time to review, re-plan, and move forward. During this process, I stumbled upon one of my most favorite engagement sessions ever, and I was shocked that I haven’t done a blog post sharing these images with you all.

I took Amanda and Josh’s engagement photos in western Loveland, Colorado, near the mouth of the Big Thompson. We met on a warm winter Sunday to photograph the couple with their two awesome vintage cars. I am seriously in awe of both of them (both the couple AND the two cars), and would love to drive the blue one. (If I were to win the mega millions, I would totally consider buying a Dodge Charger, which the blue one reminds of a little bit.) (And I would 100% buy a Toyota Tacoma again. My dream vehicle that I no longer own.)

 

So let me get back to that engagement photography tip. And, yes, I may be doing a bit of stereotyping here, so please excuse that. Based on my wedding couple photography experience, one person out of a couple typically does not love spending their time being photographed. (Pretty obvious, and sometimes both people don’t love it!) This usually means that engagement sessions are a labor of love for at least one participant (and it isn’t me–I love them. I’m like a kid in a candy shop.). And this leads us to…

My Number 1 Engagement Photography Tip:

If your partner isn’t absolutely thrilled to do their engagement session, and if they love football (especially the Denver Broncos), PLEASE DON’T LET ME TALK YOU INTO A SUNDAY FALL/WINTER E-SESSION.

Just don’t do it! I love watching football with my husband and friends, and if your partner loves football too, let’s schedule your engagement session at another time. Partner buy-in is huge and makes our time together more fun.

Josh and Amanda were so sweet about the whole football game thing, but in hindsight, I should have put it all together that maybe football season Sundays are not the best time for an engagement session. Doh.

A couple other engagement photography tips:

1. Bring water to the session. Smiling can make you thirsty.
2. Wear a bit more make-up than you usually would. Amanda had her hair and make-up done by one of her girlfriends who is a pro. Doesn’t she look beautiful?
3. I love it when a couple chooses a spot that has special meaning or includes special props. I am happy to help brainstorm ideas with you if you need any help.
4. Plan on photographing in that last hour of daylight to take advantage of that pretty light.
5. I agree with a lot that photographer Becky Schwartz has to say on Lauren Conrad’s blog about engagement session tips.

Finally, if you’re on the fence about having an engagement photography session, please don’t dismiss it without putting a little more thought into it. Check out my blog post on why I think it is good to do an engagement session. (And I don’t care how silly it is to gift photos are yourself to your close relatives–engagement session photographs make the perfect pre-wedding gift to your mom/dad/grandparents/appropriate relative here.)