We’ve all been there.. standing in front of a camera, staring at a little circle with out best smiles and thinking about so much more then happy thoughts. Usually when someone and myself included are in front of a camera or in front of my iPhone the usual things people think are:

“Is this my good side?”, “Should we stand differently?” ,”I feel awkward!” ,”Where should I put my hand?”, “Am I squinting too much?”, “Does this angle make me look fat?” ,”I can’t keep my eyes open much longer” and.. so on. but if the pressure of those thoughts wasn’t enough, Engagement session’s can increase the nerves even more for most couples which is why I recommend having a good relationship with your photographer and talking over a few details in advance.

I personally like to check in with all of my clients in advance and give them a few helpful tips to better prepare and they can leave all the rest to me. Trusting your photographer doesn’t come easy but when couples do the results are truly breathtaking!

WANT TO ROCK YOUR ENGAGEMENT SESSION TOO?! Heres 8 tips on how to prepare for your first professional photo session and to achieve organic results!

1. Outfit’s- Matching is so yesterday! Choose something that you feel confident in and feels like you and not America’s next top model! When choosing an outfit for you and your partner try to pick outfits and accessories that coordinate instead. If everyone wore the same exact color at their engagement shoot, how boring would those images be? – Don’t be afraid to be bold! Accessorize and make your outfits your own. Scarves, bold necklaces and fun shoes are always welcomed! – Most patterns are okay…however, graphics are not favorable for portraits. If you’re wearing a pattern, make sure it’s not overwhelming and distracting. – Need some outfit inspiration? Check out my Pinterest page for some super cute ideas!

2. Make sure you’re comfortable in what you’re wearing. And ladies, if the top is super low cut, that will limit the amount of angles I can shoot from and photoshop is not always the fix to everything!

3. Most often, couples like to have one dress casual outfit and then one outfit that is to the nine!! This will give your shoot two totally different “looks”. I recommend beginning with the dressier outfit first and ending with the dress casual later, but its all up to you!

4. Empty your pockets! Literally. You don’t want to have key chains, wallets, or phones showing through your pockets. If you have car keys give them to your photographer to hold during your session. (This is for the guys especially.) the last thing you want to have is a wallet that made one side or your rear look twice the size of the other!

5. BE ON TIME! The sun is only out for so long. The later you arrive, the less time we have to shoot, and nobody wants that. Give yourself extra time to arrive and avoid that harsh banter in the car which will only increase the tension between you two and the last thing you want to do is to look back on those photos and see a fake smile on your face.

6. Clean the ring! I love to shoot a few rings shots while you change outfits, and the cleaner, the better.

7. DON’T PRACTICE! We all love and adore models but there is no reason to force you significant other to practice poses. Your photographer will guide you in and through your poses which won’t look forced like “Barbie and Ken”, but more like you and your soon to be spouse!

8. Relax and have fun! You don’t have to be a pro at this, you just have to be yourself. If you have a great photographer they will guide you along the way on what to do and it’s going to be a blast! Don’t be afraid to giggle, flirt and play during your session, those make for great candid moments. Enjoy this time together, and make a date out of it. Heck, if your all dolled up or even dressed to the nine then go out on the town and celebrate your engagement!

I hope these tips help you rock your engagement session! If you are still in need of a photographer, hop over to the contact page and drop me a note and we will be in touch soon!