How To Plan Your Engagement Photoshoot
Congrats, you’re here! It’s time to plan your engagement photo shoot or photo session. Are you looking to plan the session but don’t know where to start? These tips will help you guide you to planning the engagement shoot of your dreams!
Create a Mood Board
So many of the decisions on theme, clothing, time , location and other things will start with establishing a mood board. It’s an easy way of visualizing what type of images mean the most to you and your partner. Sometimes it’s hard to put into words what you want in your images, but by selecting 10-15 images and placing them on a moodboard, this will allow you to think clearly and express what you are looking for. There’s no wrong answers here, so don’t be afraid to post more than 10-15, as you can always review it before making decisions. Your photographer will be able to get a sense of what you are looking for, the type of images and also focus in on how you want those images to feel based on the expressions on your board.
This is one of the biggest things that I ask my couples to do before we decide on anything else. The mood board allows me to look at the images and look at commonalities in terms of poses, expressions, theme, location and much more!
The platform or tool that I recommend using is Pinterest. Pinterest provides you a way to easily search for different topics, ideas and pin them on a board. You can name that board something like “engagement inspiration” or “engagement photo shoot ideas.” If you’re looking around on different websites, some have the function of being able to click and pin images from a website on your board. Look for the little p button in the corner of images.
Usually once you put 10-15 images on a board and review it, you will start to see some commonalities and from there you have a great starting point.
Decide on a Theme
Are you going for something casual, natural, and relaxed? Would you rather something that is more formal, dramatic and upscale? There are so many options but I would recommend going with a theme that you are most comfortable with. Make sure your theme or ideas suit your personality because that will reflect in the emotions of your photos.
Establish a Location (and a backup location)
From your mood board you’ll likely start to see commonalities in terms of locations. Here are some ideas for photo shoot locations
The Beach
Your Favourite Park
A local coffee shop (with big windows)
Your Home
Financial District
Waterfront
Local conservation areas or parks
Urban areas ( graffiti alley, boutique shops, Queen West, etc)
Local landmarks (like the CN tower, Casa Loma, Distillery District)
One thing I would recommend looking into ( and of course you can refer to your photographer as well), is to check into permit requirements. Most public areas in Toronto and the GTA like parks require a permit believe it or not. You can risk shooting without a permit, however sometimes bi-law officers may approach you and require you to show proof of permit to continue. In some areas like Univerisity of Toronto, Casa Loma, Distillery District you are required to have a permit, and are almost guaranteed to be stopped by someone if you shoot there.
If you are shooting outside, I would recommend having a backup location in mind just in case the weather doesn’t cooperate, or there’s something wrong when you get there. Just like planning a wedding, if it rains on your wedding day, it’s always good to have a backup plan so the show goes on!
Decide on a Time
Here’s my recommendation, if you’re shooting outside and want the best natural light, plan to shoot around sunrise or sunset. Specifically, I would suggest starting your session 1-2 hours before sunset. This will give you the best directional light, and also you can get those awesome colourful skies during sunset. The one hour after the sun goes down is called “blue hour” where the sky generally has that deep blue colour and you can get some really interesting photographs.
Decide on Clothing
I have another blog post on this very topic (CLICK HERE), but I’ll give you the short version of what to do in terms of clothing.
pick clothes that suit your theme
generally avoid patterns and stripes
bring proper footwear (if you’re planning on wearing high heeled shoes, bring a comfy pair of shoes or flats so you can walk between areas)
bring a 2nd outfit or backup outfit
Eat before coming to the shoot!
This is something that’s often overlooked! If you’re hungry during the shoot you aren’t going to be as comfortable as you should be. Micro expressions will show in a photograph so make sure you’ve eaten and are well hydrated. It’s also not a bad idea to bring a bottle of water and a snack during your session too (just in case).
Bring Props (if you want)
If you have props that you want to bring to a photo shoot, feel free to do so. Couples often bring champagne and glasses, or items that are significant to them and have meaning which is great :)
Bring a Pet (if you want)
A photo session wouldn’t be complete without your furry friend, so feel free to bring your favourite animal along with you for some photos!
These are my recommendations and thoughts on how to how a successful engagement photoshoot. Based in Toronto, Ontario I’ve mentioned a some locations that are local to this area. This isn’t the complete list of great locations in this area either, feel free to message me for some personalized recommendations. If you’re looking to book engagement photography in the Toronto and surrounding area, you can email me info@mattstratton.ca or head to the contact page to get in touch!
I do also have another list of resources on my website for helping you plan your wedding day or engagement session so check those out here!