Planning Your Epic Engagement Shoot
The engagement portrait is a relatively new phenomenon in photography, mostly made available by technology. Before digital cameras and their versatility, the idea of just going out on location and producing, say, a hundred professional portraits in a few hours was more or less unheard of. Today, the logistical and techincal limitations that photographers used to face are all but gone, and that's really exciting. What I'm getting at is, the engagement shoot is based on the opportunity to do cool stuff.
Of course, the main objectives of the engagement shoot are well known by now. Couples want to tell the world that they've come to a place in their lives of big decisions and new goals, which is paramount and thrilling. There's also the opportunity to get to know their wedding photographer, what it's like to work with them and spend time together before The Main Event. Your photographer is also learning about you, what makes you comfortable, how to bring out your personalities and make you comfortable in front of the camera.
As a Boston wedding photographer, I want my couples to think about their engagement portrait investment as a chance to, well, do cool stuff. New England is our playground! Do you have a place you've always wanted to visit? Do you have a favorite spot in Maine that means a lot to you? Do you ski? Do you camp? Do you like maple syrup and breweries? Do you know someone with a cabin? All these questions fit perfectly with planning an epic engagement shoot! Make a weekend out of it, it's a perfect excuse to get out of town for a few days.
You could also look at your engagement session as a chance to do things that are just not possible on your wedding day. Despite what Instagram wants you to believe, most people can't take a helicopter to the peak of a 12,000 foot mountain during cocktail hour. But on a weekend in July, we can definitely take a boat to an island or get above the tree line for sunset.
Wintertime in the city can be a drag. Dirty snow, slush, salt, dead trees, everyone is mad all the time. Head up to the White Mountains where the post-Christmas Magic is still alive.
Beaches are great, but New England has dramatic rocky coast that's unique in the East. Use our wacky weather to your advantage on the Cape or in Southern Maine, each being only 90 minutes from Boston.
Acadia National Park is the crown jewel of New England and you should absolutely go and camp there and eat seafood for days. You should also bring me to take your pictures.
Another huge advantage of getting out in the country: No crowds. No cars in the background. No getting photobombed by Sox fans. I've found it a lot easier for people to be themselves and be comfortable when there isn't a Duckboat driver telling 75 tourists to wave at them.
I specifically do not charge travel fees for engagements because I genuinely enjoy the adventure of jumping in the car and going somewhere rad to take wild photos, and I want to make this more of an intentional part of how I work. Location is already a huge part of how I think through my compositions, and I have a growing list of places that I'm dying to shoot at. Plus, I just want to take your pictures, so reach out and let's talk about what we could make together. Let's do cool stuff.
-Graham