planning your engagement / couple session

I am so excited to work with you on your engagement/couple session! This will be a great opportunity for you to get comfortable in front of my camera prior to your wedding (if engagement) and for me to learn how you interact as a couple. I'll be encouraging you to get as close and cuddly as possible and to do your best to interact and flirt with each other as opposed to smiling directly at the camera.

My work focuses on raw connection. And while I will absolutely guide you, and encourage you every step of our time together, I am not about "posing." My time with my clients is intimate and fun. The people I work with go from passionate kisses to tickle-fests in five seconds or less. Wind-blown hair, a gentle touch to the cheek , those subtle moments that say so much are what I live for.  I want your session to feel natural by creating an environment for you to be yourselves, as you focus on your time with your lover. I get to know you both prior to your session, so when the day arrives, your session can feel effortless and we can capture your feelings and the moments that naturally unfold.

what to expect

 1 Booking

UPON EMAILING/MESSAGING ME, WE WILL DISCUSS A PERFECT DATE AND TIME THAT WILL WORK OUT BEST FOR US BOTH! THE SESSION AGREEMENT FORM AND A RETAINER FEE NEEDS TO BE SUBMITTED IN ORDER TO OFFICIALLY GET ON THE SCHEDULE. ONCE WE DO THAT, YOU ARE IN AND WE WILL BEGIN THE FUN PART OF PLANNING OUT YOUR SESSION EXPERIENCE TOGETHER! 

2. Client Resources

ONCE YOUR SESSION HAS BEEN SCHEDULED AND I’VE RECEIVED YOUR RETAINER FEE, I WILL DIRECT YOU TO MY CLIENT QUESTIONNAIRE SO THAT I CAN GET TO KNOW YOU ALL BETTER, if you hadn’t filled it out already. I WILL GIVE YOU INFORMATION ON MY EXCLUSIVE CLIENT FACEBOOK GROUP. Also below is MY WHAT TO WEAR GUIDE AND SUGGESTED RETAILERS TO CHECK OUT WHILE SHOPPING FOR YOUR SESSION!

3. Planning

THE FIRST STEP IN MY PLANNING PROCESS FOR EACH SESSION IS HAVING YOU FILL OUT MY IN DEPTH CLIENT QUESTIONNAIRE, as mentioned above. THIS IS important because YOU will BE ABLE TO INPUT YOUR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS FOR THE SESSION AS WELL AS TELL ME MORE ABOUT YOU AND/OR YOUR LOVED ONES. ONCE I RECEIVE THIS, I WILL BE ABLE TO SUGGEST SOME OF MY HAND PICKED LOCATIONS (IF OUTDOORS!) AND WILL BEGIN HELPING YOU IN THE STYLING PROCESS. THE MORE YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR IDEAS AND STYLE FOR THE SESSION, I’LL BE ABLE TO MAKE UNIQUE SUGGESTIONS BASED OFF OF YOUR ANSWERS! 

4. Session Day

I BELIEVE THAT FOCUSING MORE ON FEELING AND LESS ON POSING CREATES MEANINGFUL AND MOVING IMAGES. DUE TO THIS CORE BELIEF, I’VE COME UP WITH A METHOD OF ‘POSING’ THAT COMBINES DIRECTION AND PROMPTS TO FOSTER AUTHENTIC EMOTIONS AND MAKE SESSIONS MORE ENJOYABLE. MOST SESSIONS LAST APPROXIMATELY 60 MINUTES. MY PHILOSOPHY IS NOT TO LIMIT YOU TO A STRICT TIME FRAME, BUT TO GO WITH THE FLOW AND TAKE AS MUCH TIME AS WE NEED TO CREATE THE IMAGES YOU WANT. 

5. Image Delivery 

SESSIONS COME WITH AROUND 70+ DIGITAL IMAGES IN AN ONLINE GALLERY. YOU CAN ALSO EXPECT TO SEE SOME PREVIEWS WITHIN A FEW DayS OF YOUR SESSION! REGULAR SESSIONS TAKE UP TO 2-3 WEEKS to be completed. ONCE THEY’RE FINISHED, YOU WILL BE SENT AN ONLINE GALLERY VIA EMAIL FOR DOWNLOADING YOUR PHOTOS IMMEDIATELY. EVERY COLLECTION COMES WITH PERSONAL USAGE AND PRINTING RIGHTS, SO YOU CAN SHARE WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY ON SOCIAL MEDIA, CREATE BEAUTIFUL ALBUMS TO HAND DOWN to generations AND HANG YOUR MEMORIES PROUDLY ON THE WALLS INSIDE OF YOUR HOME.  Please note that your online gallery stays open for 30 days so make sure to save your images somewhere safe.

6. Enjoy

THE SESSION MAY BE OVER, BUT THE ONE THING ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHS IS that THEY LAST FOREVER. I ENCOURAGE MY clients TO CREATE AN ALBUM FOR EVERY SESSION THEY HAVE. CHOOSE A FEW FAVORITES TO FRAME AND HANG ON THE WALLS INSIDE OF YOUR FAMILY’S HOME. THEN, KEEP IN TOUCH UNTIL YOUR NEXT SESSION! I VALUE MY CLIENT’S AND THE RELATIONSHIPS I BUILD WITH you all. FOR THIS REASON I DO OFFER SPECIAL INCENTIVES AND EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THAT YOU’LL HAVE ACCESS TO VIA MY PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP.

Places I recommend printing your images at:
Mpix
Vistaprint
Shutterfly
SmallWoods
Freeprint app (for quick prints at great QUALITY)
Provided with your online gallery is a printing shop you are also welcome to use for your printing needs.

Lets talk about the importance of lighting!

Lighting is key. It has an influence on just about everything I do to make an image. The best time during the day for outdoor lighting is a half an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset. Lighting is usually harsh during midday.

What is Golden Hour? This is the magical time roughtly an hour before sunset. It is, without a doubt, my favorite time of day to shoot. When the sun is at a low angle, it provides a magical quality of light that makes photos pop. Since this time is closer to sunset, it helps to diffuse lighting. How this is created is when the sun is at a low angle during  golden hour, sunlight is traveling through more of the atmosphere, which softens and reduces the intensity of direct light.

Morning light is generally soft and doesn’t have as much brightness as the light we see at high noon. It appears warmer in photographs. Keep in mind that the seasons play a crucial function in the intensity of light as well. On a bright day in the summer season the light is very intense and very white. This means that there may well be a lot of contrast in your scenes, such as vivid areas and deep shadows. This might be suitable if you want to include shadowed areas to tell your story.

If we are shooting indoors, I prefer late mornings because that is when homes are usually lit up the best. Making sure there are plenty of natural light sources coming from your windows in your home is key to lifestyle sessions.

What To Wear

This guide is meant to style you best to compliment the way I shoot and to give you the best end result.

Please bring multiple options with you and get dressed at the location if you’d like. That way I can help you decide what will work best given your location and the weather that day. If you have your heart set on something in advance you can email or message me a photo! 

Try and pick outfits that suit the backdrop. For example, heels might look great downtown but they'll be out of place (and unfomfortable) in an open field. Keep it casual & true to your story.

Consider getting your make up done! It's a great day to do your wedding trial, but keep your hair natural and down. We want to create movement wherever we can - this goes for dresses too. Fabric that can flow and move is ideal and wind is our friend!

Compliment each other but don't be matching.
Try and stick to neutral, muted, or earthy colors. 

Keep it relaxed - so you look relaxed!
As awesome as a crisp dress shirt can look for a date, in a field or forest it won't look believable. Try layering a button up over a t-shirt instead. 

Love Pinterest for Inspiration as much as I do? Check out my Style Guide Mood Board HERE!!
Spring inspiration HERE
Summer inspiration HERE
Fall inspiration here
Winter Inspiration here

SOME SHOPPING SUGGESTIONS!

www.freepeople.com
www.vicicollection.com/collections/dresses
https://shop.spelldesigns.com.au
http://madewell.com
http://forever21.com
https://www.anthropologie.com
https://roolee.com/collections/dresses
www.balticborn.com (My personal favorite)
Amazon (perfect for inexpensive flowy dresses)

Remember, always be yourself. Too cheesy… how about, for photos always be the most fun version of yourself.
Go ahead and tell your partner that india told you to go shopping, you can blame me - I won’t tell.

Below are some certifications of workshops I have completed through the Photography Academy that I attend. These courses have truly helped me master my skills of capturing true emotions and authentic connections in my photographs. I am so proud of these certifications and all of the hard work that I continue to put into my education for this business.