Engagement sessions are a great opportunity for couples to get to know their photographer. The engagement session gives the photographer a chance to understand what the couple is looking for in terms of photos, and it gives the couples a chance to see how their photographer works. I like to think of it as a practice run before the wedding.

I like to start the engagement session off with some posed shots like the one below. A posed shot can be static or dynamic, meaning I might have a couple sit still, or I might give them something to do like walking along the beach.

In addition to the posed shots, I also like to to a lot of candids.  Some candid photos are 100% spontaneous, but most of them involve some type of subtle direction on my part. Usually something simple, like “walk over there and come back,” or “lean over and say something funny to her,” is all it takes to elicit a great image.

Over the years I have realized how much the engagement session benefits the wedding day photos. That is why I never charge for the engagement session.  The engagement session is included for free with every wedding I photograph