Hanging out with couples who are buzzing with affection with each other and getting psyched for their upcoming wedding may not sound like your idea of a fun way to spend an afternoon, but as a wedding photographer it is actually kind of interesting and very helpful in getting to know your clients before the big day.
I’ve done a few engagement shoots this summer with a few more planned for the fall (also a surprisingly busy time of year for weddings) and I’ve found that the main advantage (besides getting some relaxed time with a couple before the stress of wedding day creeps in) is the opportunity to really get to know who your clients are. While taking photos may look simple from the outside, all good photographers understand that the key to truly spectacular images is capturing the personality and mood of your subjects – and doing so means you need to intuit/feel/understand them. An afternoon hanging out and photographing them in places meaningful to them as a couple can help you gain this insight and yield not only good shots from the engagement shoot, but help you get even better shots on the actual wedding day.
