Engagement Photos || What to Expect

Your wedding is weeks away and the anticipation is so exciting. Being engaged is an important time in your life, as you transition from a couple to a married couple. Engagement photos share the connection that brought you together in the first place. It also makes it much easier to relax and enjoy wedding portraits on the big day.

Here at Pacific Dream Photography, we believe that having an engagement session is important for many different reasons. It allows you to get comfortable in front of the lens and showcase your personalities in a fun setting. Engagement photos have many different uses such as, a guest signature board, save the date cards, or even decorations for your future home.

Wear something that makes you feel comfortable. Of course, this is a great excuse to dress up, but it is important to wear something that makes you feel like you. Engagement photos are going to reflect who you are, and what your like on a day-to-day basis. Don’t forget, the ring is the star of the show, so make sure to give it a little cleaning for extra shine.

If you and your fiancé are feeling a bit camera shy, ensure each other that you look amazing. Make your significant other laugh and have a great time. This will help you both relax, smile, and enjoy yourselves.

As you prepare for your engagement session, remember to trust your photographer and allow them to be creative. Your photographer works with everyday couples all the time so there is no need to be nervous. Amazing things happen when you trust your photographer, and give them the creative freedom to take one of a kind images that you will cherish forever. An engagment photography session is also a great way to get to know your photographer and test them out to see if they would be a good fit for your Wedding Day.

Lastly, be on time. Timing is very important. Photographers are dependent on the sun. We want to make sure that your images come out breath taking and lighting is the key to a successful photo shoot. Take a look at a previous post on why lighting is so important.

That’s it! We hope you have a better idea on what to expect for your upcoming engagement session. Most importantly, have a wonderful time!

Written by Julia P. (Pacific Dream Photography at the Grand Hyatt Kauai)

Tips for Photographers || Posing

I’ve been a wedding and engagement photographer now for over 8 years and the one question I get from many photographers is how do I pose my subjects? It’s simple, you don’t. Ok, well kind you kind of do. Let me explain.

I have a few “poses” I default to. Holding hands, getting comfortable in each others arms, looking back, walking, etc. I try not to get too hung up on the technical of posing. If your subjects are uncomfortable, it’s going show. So what’s the key to getting those natural candid/relaxed looking photos?

If you follow these 5 steps, you will be on your way to delivering comfortable natural poses and photographs for your clients.

Step 1. Exposure

Believe it or not, the first and most important step to getting couples and families comfortable in front of your camera is knowing how to operate a Dslr timely. Know it like the back of your hand. Exposures, ISO, Fstops, shutter speeds, shooting fully manual or shooting aperture priority. Know what you’re doing! Clients always feel confident when you’re confident behind a camera. You need to get to the point where it’s not a challenge to operate your camera. This gives your attention to the clients and makes them feel they are with a pro!

Step 2. Before you even shoot

Getting comfortable and acquainted with your client before you even pull the shutter. Be outgoing, genuine and interested in their lives. Ask where they are from, what brings them to wherever you’re shooting. Connect with them. I always try to connect with sports. You’d be surprised how many women love it when their husband/fiancé is involved in the shoot because to be honest, usually the wife has to drag the whole family to get their photos taken. When they see their husbands at easy (probably easier for me cause I’m a guy) it makes them think “cool, we’re all having a good time.”

If you’re not a guy, or can’t connect with the husband, try connecting with the kiddos or the wife/bride. Get personal without prying of course and let them get their minds off of the photo session for a bit. It’s always intimidating having a lens stare you down!

Step 3. Get them Comfortable

Have 3-5 poses you know down pat, but don’t let the pose rule over comfort.

For different scenes and settings I have a few different poses I default to, but my aim is getting couples comfortable in front of the camera. When couples or families are comfortable, it always provides better photos. I already know my cameras settings, so that doesn’t get in the way of anything. I’m having fun, cracking jokes, shooting and working fast! It’s a rush and I love it. I’m in the drivers seat and my client trusts me. They already feel good and know their images are turning out great. The laughs and smiles are real and genuine, not forced or unnatural.

Step 4. The experience

People will always forget what you said but will remember how you made them feel. This is probably more important than the photos themselves. I’ve never been one to get so technical I lose the subjects. Keeping the flow of the shoot is key. I hate downtime. If I have to figure out a shot, look for a location, guessing, or not sure. This always gets in the way of delivering a positive experience.

I have a few jokes on hand if I need folks to crack a smile. Most of all have fun and include the client. They love that!

Step 5. Find your groove

Posing like a lot of things is preference. Hands are something that can really bother me. If the hands look claw-like or stiff it throws the whole photo off (for me). That’s my pet peeve. For someone it might be posture or something else.

My rule of thumb (pun intended) is if the hands and fingers (and thumbs, kidding) look good, and we’re having fun we’re good to go!

Find your grove, practice, practice, practice then practice some more! The key is to avoid those awkward moments “what now” kind of feelings in a shoot!

- Written by Brent S. (Pacific Dream Photography at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel)