As stressful as planning a wedding can get, an engagement session is a perfect chance for couples to celebrate their love and take a break from the planning and just let their hair down. So, since you are the chosen one, besides impressing your couple and giving them a glimpse of what they could expect from you at the wedding, it’s on you to ensure that they have a good time too. Engagement sessions are also a great chance for you to spend time with and get to know your couple. And lastly, they are also a way to get your couple to be comfortable in front of the camera, so they are prepared for the wedding day. Whether you plan to photograph at a picturesque outdoor location or suggest an at-home engagement session, if you are looking for engagement photo ideas to impress your couples, then these ShootDotEdit customers have just the right thing for you!
Engagement Photography Ideas By ShootDotEdit Customers
1. Christin and Chris Photo
Engagement photo ideas don’t have to be all about grandeur! An at-home engagement session is going to look just as stunning, with the bonus of your couple being super comfortable and feeling literally at home. Even if your couple isn’t too confident in front of the camera, being photographed in their home will instantly put them at ease. This photograph by ShootDotEdit customers Christin and Chris Hume proves that instead of a grand setting, engagement sessions can be used to show the connection between your couple. Documenting something as simple as your couple preparing food in the kitchen can also lead to picture-perfect moments.
2. Infinite Loop Photo
When an at-home session isn’t your couple’s style, then perhaps an engagement session on a boat in the middle of the ocean might just lead to some unique engagement photos! This engagement photo idea is perfect for couples who want something extraordinary from their photoshoot. The blues of the ocean and the sky perfectly complement the couple in this image by ShootDotEdit customer Jerry Cantave. Note how there are no fancy poses involved, just a couple showing their affection towards each other.
3. Lovers of Love
Some couples get on a boat, and others get on a motorbike for their engagement session! If your couple is an adventure lover, incorporating some adventure into their session is an engagement photo idea you could explore. It’s always great to add a personal touch that is unique to the couple to the engagement session, and ShootDotEdit customers Dana and Nate Dorn know exactly how to photograph their couples in their element.
4. Photography by Orlando
Even simple city streets can make for great locations for engagement sessions! The busy streets offer a great backdrop for the photos, and when you solely focus on the couple in the middle of all that city hustle and bustle like ShootDotEdit customer Orlando Oliveira in the photograph above, the result is stunning! However, stay alert! Try not to obstruct any major crossings, and prioritize keeping yourself and your couple safe.
5. Salt and Pine Photo
What do you get when you combine black and white with a couple who is down to have fun during their engagement session? A classic, timeless photograph that they will look back on years from now and remember exactly how they felt at that moment! One of the most common (and doable) engagement photo ideas is to just let your couple have fun. Whether they splash water on each other or make silly faces, the idea is to just let them have their moment. And ShootDotEdit customer Joe Geske perfectly captures that moment in the photograph above.
Tips for Taking Engagement Photos
1. Find Stunning Locations
If your couple is onboard with the idea, you could suggest your preferred engagement session locations to them. As a photographer, you are likely to have visited more photograph-worthy spots, so if they are in a fix about finding a location for their session or request your expertise, then you could either look for new places (if you have the time) or you could give them some options based on what they have in mind. Depending on where you are, stunning locations could involve the beach, mountains, or even just wide-open spaces with lush greenery.
2. Photograph at Home
Engagement photo sessions don’t have to be all about the great outdoors. There’s something extraordinary and intimate about photographing couples in their own homes too. The best thing about photographing at the couple’s home is that they are already familiar with the place, so they don’t feel awkward when being photographed. Additionally, they might have their special nooks and corners in the house where they spend the most time together, and being photographed in a place like that would mean more to them. If they are not big posers, you could simply ask them to go about their day doing things they usually would – cooking, eating ice cream, playing a board game!
3. It’s All About Having Fun
No matter where you photograph your couple, don’t forget that the best engagement photo idea involves having fun. If they are at home, they could goof around, or if you are photographing by a lake, they could have a mini water fight! The easiest way to get some unique engagement photos is just by letting your couple be themselves and have a good time together. This is also an opportunity for you to build your relationship with them so take it easy and perhaps even join them!
Suggested Read: 10 Ways To Help Your Couples Decide What to Wear For Engagement Sessions
4. Document the Love
Besides some classic engagement photo poses, add some poses that focus on showing the love between your couple in your shot list. Whether it’s about sharing a sweet embrace or a passionate kiss, discuss what your couple is comfortable with and tell them to give you their best ‘we are in love’ pose!
5. Think Big
Some couples may be game for going all out for their engagement session. And if your couple is one of those, then think sessions on luxury boats, destination locations, and everything else that’s out of the ordinary. If your couple is into adventure sports, you could discuss and prepare for a session where they do their favorite activity together. Whatever be it, the aim is to do something that would result in some unique photographs.
An engagement session is a great way to capture beautiful portraits of your couple and one of the most organic ways to build a relationship with them. If they have also hired you as their wedding photographer, this is your chance to impress them! Whether you photograph them in picturesque locations or the comfort of their homes, an engagement session is for your couple to enjoy the time together and ease into being in front of the camera on their wedding day. So, think big or find beauty in the simple things, but make sure that you make your couple’s engagement session memorable in the best way possible!
Further Read: Unique Wedding Photos That Inspire: Featuring ShootDotEdit Customers
At ShootDotEdit, besides offering you ideas on how to photograph your couples, we also help lessen your post-production workload by taking editing off your plate. To know more about how we can help your wedding photography business, check out our price plans.