second up in the Style Guide series is engagement photography! there are some giant myths here, and i can not wait to pop them!

my favorite myth of all:  you should match.

oh, please dont.  If you don’t normally pick out matching outfits on a daily basis, don’t start with your photo session. I encourage couples to wear clothes that fit their personalities, and that includes clothes with pops of color, patterns, layers… anything goes.  The most important thing is to be comfortable in what you wear so you can concentrate on your fiancé, and not your clothes.  Check out polyvore.com or pinterest.com for thousands of style ideas.

my second favorite myth:  you need to bring props to have a successful shoot.  if you feel this way… continue reading

Some Do’s:

• Do stay in the same style group together.  If you’re going formal, you both need to be formal and likewise for casual.  If you’re going vintage, he should too.  Same era, same style

• the attire should match the location.  very rarely does a form fitted feminine business suit fit the style of a country road and golden sun filled field.  of course, rules are meant to be broken, but only carefully with thought. better to have bohemian in bohemian, and formal with formal.  if you’re going for a theme (say, a retro Pan-Am feel at an airstrip with some old Cessnas) your attire needs to not only match the era, but also the location.

• If you want to retain some cohesiveness without being matchy-matchy, set a color pallet and pick clothes from that with different textures and patterns.  Textures, patterns, and layers give interest to your shoot just as those same elements give interest in interior design.

• De-stress beforehand, even if that means having a glass of wine.

• Bring two outfits, or more if you’d like for me to help you choose between them. Flowy dresses are always a big bonus- anything that shows movement will translate beautifully to photography.

• Do get hair and makeup professionally done- it makes such a huge difference in how you feel during the shoot and the final product afterward.

• Trust your photographer, and the locations I have scouted.  Remember, it’s all about the light, then the connection between you, and very lastly, the location.  A boring parking lot can be completely transformed once you step into the best light.

Some Dont’s

• only bring props that you feel are intrinsic to you as a couple and that are interactive.  props that are not able to be interacted with (like that statue he gave you for your first anniversary together) may not translate into photography as well as, say, the guitar he serenades you with every night.  Or the vintage car he proposed to you in. or the swing where you kissed for the first time. or the quilt his mother made for him, and will cover your bed.  You get the idea- but the main objective is to photograph your love, not the items in your life – unless they relate directly to your love.

• Don’t put off shopping until the last minute and wear your clothes for the first time on your shoot.  You want to know what you can and can not do in them.  If you feel restricted, it might not be the best choice. We’ll be having fun during your engagement shoot, and he might be spinning you around, running through a field, or dancing in the street.

• Your shoes will be shown in photos, so don’t forget about that style! Ladies… we LOVE great heels!

• Sometimes less is more- but that doesn’t necessarily apply to clothing! The less skin exposed the more we focus on your faces and the connection between you two, and the more timeless your photos will be.

• Don’t leave tags on- the less time I spend photoshopping out stray tags, the sooner you will see your images. a photographers worst nightmare is hearing “but you can photoshop that, right?”  from their clients.

now for some inspiration!!!

The Romantic Adventurer:

i LOVE this roadtrip theme, and have always wanted to do an engagement shoot with an old convertible, oversized maps, driving up to the beach, dance party on the seats with the stereo playing, bobblehead doll bouncing to the beat on the dashboard, a kiss leaning up against the side of the car along the road…. please someone do this!  and pick me! me! im your photographer!

clothes can be found here

The Bohemian Desert Sunset:

clothes can be found here

Parisian innocence:

oh! trench coats! you know i love you. and your little hat too.  you can stay, and we will photograph you all thorughout the city. preferably in the rain, under an umbrella. kissing.  make my heart melt…

clothes can be found here

The Intimate Couple:

i can just imagine this in a vintage hotel room, smoky light streaming in from the windows.  you and your fiance, quiet, the two of you. he with his shirt unbuttoned, you in this vintage slip dress.  beautiful and timeless and elegant.

clothes found here

Sun-Kissed:

oh please, pretty please, someone do a session in an orange grove? and wear this jumper. with big sunglasses and buckets full of oranges. and we’ll sit on blankets and eat them and climb in trees to get them.  i must do one, i live in florida!!

clothes found here

Into The Field:

If you dont buy those 15 dollar pair of lace shorts, i’m gong to.

clothes found here

All Aboard!

imagine your engagement session on a sailboat, champagne, a little breeze, we dock to have lunch on a picnic blanket on the beach with straws in soda bottles and little mini pies.  throw in an oversized beach ball and umbrella, and i call that an engagement session.

clothes found here

Russian Doll:

bold prints and pops of color with accessories can make some of the best accents for photography!

clothes found here

Hippie Chic:

bring your guitar, bring your drums, bring your canvas and your paints, your handmade wildflower wreath. i already love this session, and i havent even photographed it!

clothes found here

Sunrise at the Beach:

can you even imagine owning this dress?  i can not imagine a dress that could possibly photograph more beautifully.