Engagement pictures are usually taken several months before the wedding and are a great time to test the chemistry between the photographer and the couple. For the couple it is a good way to spend some quality time doing something fun and it allows them to practice in front of the camera, getting to know their photographer, hopefully calming some of the nerves down before the big day. For the photographer, it is a perfect way to engage with the couple and covey the trust they are seeking. The goal as a photographer is to make the couple feel at ease and comfortable during the shooting session.
The images from the engagement session are sometimes used by the couple for their "Save the Date" invitations or they can be printed for display at their wedding reception. So they are still important for the couple.
Here are my top 5 tips for shooting an engagement session.
1. Connect With The Couple
Being a wedding photographer requires you to have personal skills. You need to be able to connect with the couple and talk in a way that makes them feel comfortable. You will need to direct the couple to pose and work with you. Not too much directing, its more of you observing the light and if there is unflattering light, telling them to stand in a certain position, or look to the side and let them take it from there. Remember that these are not professional models. Encourage them by telling them that they are doing well and occasionally show them the LCD in the back of the camera so that they see for themselves.
One easy way I have been able to do this is by asking them questions. Ask them about their wedding details or how they met. How did he proposed? Keep the conversation going. They will start to open up to you.
2. Capture The Romance
Try to shoot images that have the couple heads as close as possible, leaning in towards each other, communicating and sharing with one another. Closeness conveys a deep emotional connection and it is this connection that you want to capture. You want to be able to capture the romance in the pictures.
3. Know Your Equipment
Have you read your camera's manual front to back? There is important information that is covered in that little book and you need to learn how to change settings in your equipment almost as a second thought. The amount of things your camera can do is truly incredible. Take the time to read the manual.
One setting that comes to mind is continues focus mode vs single focus mode. Most times, during an engagement shoot, the couple will be standing or sitting still, posing. You can break that by getting them to move and putting them into action. You may want them to be walking towards you or away from you on a sidewalk. One reason why you would want to have this kind of shot is because the couple does not have to think about posing and it gets them to engage in a different way.
The easiest way to accomplish this shot is to set your camera to continuous focus mode. You will need to change your camera's setting to shoot in continuous mode. In continuous mode the camera will need to focus on different planes of field very quickly. You can use this mode to let the camera do the work. In Canon cameras this is called AI-Servo and in Nikon it is called AF-C mode. I would also recommend the use of a telephoto lens where most often times the lens used is a 70-200mm lens. You also want a quick shutter speed, something about 1/200th of a second or faster, to minimize shutter blur. So again, you will need to change a setting in your camera.
4. Shoot in Continuous Mode (Burst Mode)
This is related to number 3 but I thought I would mention it here. Continuous mode will let you fire multiple shots when leaving the shutter button pressed. Depending on your camera the amount of shoots per second will vary. The reason for shooting in this mode is because people make facial expressions or blink. When shooting a couple that factor is now multiplied by two (either person can blink). The difference can be remarkable in snapping an image with just half a second a part.
5. Use Off Camera Flash
If you leave the speedlight on the camera pointing directly against the couple, you will have harsh light on their faces creating very unflattering light. Instead, bounce the light against a wall or ceiling if you can. If you are shooting outdoors bring an assistant to help you carry a light stand with a speedlight and umbrella or softbox kit. If you don't have someone to help, trigger the light kit setup using a wireless trigger.
Bonus Tip: Always Shoot In RAW
Future brides have enough stress, your work can bring reassurance that they picked the right person for the job. A great way to do this is with exceptional post-processing of your RAW files.
There is so much more you can do after you snap your pictures in post-production if you have a RAW formatted file to work with than a jpeg file. A RAW file captures all image data recorded by the sensor when you took the picture. You will be able to adjust your images to a higher level of quality than you would be anle to with a jpeg file. Jpeg files are only 8 bits while RAW files are as high as 14 bits, so you can imagine the amount of additional information that is captured.
