First and foremost, if you’re looking at this post for engagement photo inspo – congratulations! This is such a fun time and I hope you’re enjoying every single moment of it.
I wanted to write this series of Engagement Photo posts because Ben and I just finished up our shoot and we have some great little tips and tricks to pass along!
We got engaged back in January and just like a lot of other 2020 couples, our wedding and all of the fun parts and pieces that go with it were pushed into 2021 and 2022.
We booked these photos about a month ago and I was so dang excited. After almost a year of being engaged, we were finally doing something wedding’y lol and so I poured my heart into trying to make these perfect!
We learned a lot planning for this shoot, so I’ll be doing three posts – one that focuses on picking a photographer, one on location and one on outfits!
This first post is all about the photographer! If I missed anything or if you have additional insight, please leave it in the comments below to help another sister out!
The Photographer
When Ben and I got engaged, he had hired a local photographer, Sam Hugh, to catch it on camera! Sam was amazing and really captured our personality as a couple even though he only met us minutes before go time! We loved his artsy and candid style and how he was all about finding unique shots and angels (see our proposal shoot here).
When we went to book our engagement photos, we knew we wanted to use him again and thankfully he was available!
Below are three steps to follow if you’re looking for a photographer of your own 🙂
Step One
Figure out your personal style. Do you and your fiancé like staged photos, or candid shots? Do you like artsy or classic? Once you have a good idea of the style you like, look for someone who fits that vision. There’s someone out there for everyone – trust me!
You can look online, ask friends for recs or search Instagram using popular engagement hashtags for your area (#austinphotographer #austinengagmentshoot #austinengagementphotographer).
Step Two
Once you find someone that sparks your interest, check out their website and Instagram to see more of their work. Make sure you look at tagged photos on Instagram to see how they’ve captured other couples.
Do you like the style of their photos? The colors they use? For instance, Sam has a darker and more editorial editing style which I love, but some couples prefer that light and airy look!
Step Three
Reach out via a phone call or email and have a conversation with them! Talk about the shoot – what your goals are, what you’re looking for, etc. and see if you vibe!
It’s important to feel comfortable with whoever you choose because you’ll be sharing some pretty intimate moments with them. The more comfortable you are, the more natural your photos will look.
Some Questions To Ask On The First Call:
- How much is your engagement shoot package?
- How many locations are included in that cost? Will you help us pick locations?
- How many outfits can we bring?
- How much direction do you typically give? (For anyone who isn’t comfortable being in front of the camera, having a photographer that’s vocal and gives you direction during the shoot is a must)!
- How many photos do you get with that package?
- What is the turnaround time for those photos? (These can take weeks to get back, so if you need them to move forward with Save The Dates then make sure your deadline is realistic).
- What does your availability look like?
At the end of the day, vetting and finding the right photographer can take time, so don’t get discouraged if it takes a minute to find someone you love! I promise it’ll be worth the wait 🙂
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