As a wedding photographer, engagement photos are some of my favorite things to do with my clients. Not only do I get a chance to spend an afternoon or evening with my couples one on one but it also allows us a chance to just go out and have fun without the pressures that are just a natural part of the wedding day. And living in Calgary summer engagement sessions are even more fun. The longer day and warmer nights gives us opportunity’s that we just don’t get other times in the year. Let’s face it, once the snow hits and we all know that Winter is coming it makes things just a little more difficult.
The summer lets us explore places and do things we might not think to try. Another huge benefit to an engagement session, which not many photographers talk about is that they give us the opportunity to try things we just can’t do on a wedding day. The reason why professional wedding photographers are as good as we are is because we constantly push ourselves to do better, be more creative. That means trying things which might not work. We fail a lot, but with each failure we learn something and become better photographers because of it. If we try something and it doesn’t work nothings been lost, we didn’t miss any important moments. But if it does work then we have one more trick that we can bring to the wedding day to make it that much better.
Whether its summer or winter I run my engagement sessions the same. We don’t just go out to take pretty pictures. We go out to do something! Something that connects with the couples and talks about their relationship. And in the end we do get some really pretty pictures, which is what we wanted anyhow. Some couples just want to go for a walk along the river, Other we go window shopping or sightseeing. Whatever it is as long it means something to the couple. It’s about making that connection with the couple and the photographer. I want my couples to forget that I am even there and just focus on each other. Which in the end is just want we want. A moment captured between them that last.
