For the purposes of this blog I will simply refer to the experience as an Engagement shoot.

I wish I had a pound every time I hear the following:
“We don’t really want an engagement shoot because one or both of us don’t like having our picture taken”.
This reason is exactly the why you DO need to have an engagement shoot.

Not all of us are comfortable with having our photograph taken and I think it’s safe to say that some of us really don’t like it at all, myself included!

For the majority of us, the thought of photographs on our wedding day will bring some degree of anxiety and unease. However it is unavoidable and if you are hiring a professional wedding photographer it is something you will have to face.

For this reason I will always advise you to consider the experience of an engagement shoot.

It isn’t about getting lots of pretty pictures, it isn’t about bringing along your family or pets, it is a very valuable experience that will empower you and enable you to be far more knowledgeable, confident and relaxed about what is to come.

First and foremost your engagement shoot it is an opportunity for us to build a rapport and establish a trusting, working relationship. It’s a chance for us to get to know each other better so that you are much more at ease in my presence.

On the day of your engagement shoot I will meet you at a pre agreed location. Very often it is the wedding venue, for the simple reason that we have at our disposal the same surroundings that will be available on your wedding day. When it isn’t possible to access your wedding venue, we will plan together to find a suitable alternative.

On a wedding day, I almost always plan to capture the photographs between the end of your wedding ceremony and before your guests take their seats for the wedding breakfast. This time can be very restricted and there will be so much more that I have to capture in addition to the couple shots.

For this reason an engagement shoot is such a valuable experience as it will make us much more efficient together. During it I will talk and walk you through some tips and pointers helping you to relax in front of the camera. Learning how to stand together, where to place your hands, where to look etc. are all factors to helping get the very best from our time together.

Anyone who isn’t used to being photographed will need some reassurance as to what looks right and works and that is what I share with you during your engagement shoot. I aim to give you the confidence to relax and be yourselves striving for the best couple photographs achievable. The ultimate confidence booster will come when you can review your images and see that you look fantastic together!

So next time you are thinking that an engagement shoot is something you really don’t need, think again! By having the experience it will ensure that on your wedding day your photography experience will feel much more familiar and look more natural because you are knowledgeable and fully prepared.

For examples of images captured during engagement shoots, with other ‘real’ couples, please check out the following link.

Pre Wedding Shoot Gallery

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Posts tagged with Engagement-Shoot

Engagement/Pre Wedding Shoot, why do we need one?