Engagement Session

Planning for your 

Other things to Know

Other things to know— Pets are welcome! It is helpful if you bring along a pet wrangler to take your pup off when she's ready for a break, if you're not comfortable having her wait in the car. Bring along water and favorite treats as well. Your photos will be retouched for skin imperfections, so don’t worry if you have a break out. Because my focus is on you as a couple in the photos, I do not usually provide props for engagement sessions. The goal is to have beautiful, unique photos that will not become dated by trends or fads. However, feel free to let me know if you have any special signs or props you’d like to include. Please leave your purse at home or locked away securely in the car. Guys, please remove wallets or cell phones from your pockets as well as sunglasses. I’m happy to carry keys, cell phones and anything needed for touch ups for you during the session. Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions or need any further info from me!

A great engagement session will show the connection that brought you together in your photos. As your wedding photographer, this is a great time for us to get to know each other. You’ll get used to being in front of my camera and I’ll see the connection you have with your fiancé through the lens before your wedding day. If you’re a bit nervous about being photographed or have specific concerns, the engagement session is a good time to discuss these. From a photographic standpoint, I can also assess if you are a chronic blinker, seem nervous in certain situations, or favor a certain kind of pose, which is great for me to know before the whirlwind of your Big Day. Couples that take the time to do an engagement session have a much easier time getting into the flow of the portraits on the wedding day.

Whether you're having your engagement session in a wild and natural setting like Olympic National Park, a beloved neighborhood locale, or a bustling downtown landscape, you want your images to reflect yourselves and your personalities! Engagement sessions are one of the best investments you can make in your upcoming wedding photography. First of all, the season you’re in now is worthy of celebrating! It’s important to take little moments to focus on your connection and relationship, especially when wedding planning and the sheer business of life are a constant distraction. Being engaged is a really special time in your life since it’s the transition from casual dating to the long-term commitment of marriage. 
With a few exceptions, most people haven’t been photographed professionally many times in their lives, so this will give you the chance to practice in front of the camera and see what images and expressions result in photos of yourselves that you love. 

I'm so excited to be working with you and I can’t wait for our time together during your engagement session! I'm a big fan of engagement sessions for a few reasons. First, they allow you to get comfortable in front of the camera. It takes time for most couples to warm up to being photographed and understand how to feel comfortable in front of a camera. I love documenting this season while you're anticipating your wedding day, and giving you some gorgeous photos to look back on and use for save-the-dates or wedding decor! Your engagement is a special time in your lives and relationship that will pass more quickly than you realize, so having beautiful photographs to look back on is a treasure!

WELCOME!

When picking outfits I recommend aiming to “complement” rather than “match” each other. For example, if one person is wearing a blue and green plaid shirt, the other person might want to choose a long, soft blue dress. It can also be a great idea to choose “color-families,” such as pastels or jewel tones. I recommend choosing one "statement" item first, and then choosing other pieces using colors based on the statement piece.  If the statement piece is a solid color, choose 2-3 neutrals like gray, khaki, taupe, brown, white, or navy to complement, or other shades of that color.

 Often couples pick two outfits for an engagement session: a more formal outfit and a casual outfit. We recommend saving your favorite outfit for later in the session, once you're feeling more comfortable in front of the camera. And don’t forget to bring a few accessories! Statement necklaces, cute shoes, a great hat, and classic watches are great ways to add detail to outfits.

For guys, I recommend a collared shirt and jacket or sweater with khakis, slacks, or dark jeans, and nicer shoes (not sneakers).

For gals, you can never go wrong with a nice dress! Long gowns in solid colors, a beautiful texture like velvet or linen, or a statement pattern can be great. If you prefer separates, a sweater or blouse with nicer pants or a skirt are good choices.

I encourage dressing up! You'll be looking at these photos for years, and I want you to love how you look. A great outfit gives you confidence, and that shows up in your expressions. 

Please avoid: lots of busy patterns, more than one bright color, or anything too casual like sweatpants or athleisure. 

OUTFITS

Let me know what kind of feel you want for your engagement photos -- wild and oudoorsy, mountains, beach, or forest, urban and modern, quaint or rustic. I've been photographing portraits in the northwest for almost fifteen years and I know dozens of gorgeous spots where we'll be unlikely to run into construction, seasonal events, or huge crowds. Do you have a special or sentimental place in mind? Let me know about it!

LOCATION

Some of my favorite locations include:

Olympic Peninsula:
Lake Crescent
Hurricane Ridge
Salt Creek State Park
Dungeness Spit
Ruby Beach
Cape Flattery
Marymere Falls
Madison Falls
Kalaloch Beach

San Juan Islands:
Cattle Point
English Camp
Roche Harbor Resort
San Juan County Park - San Juan Is.
Moran State Park - Orcas Is.
Westside Preserve  - San Juan Is.
Turtlehead Mountain Preserve

Seattle Area:
Discovery Park
Ravenna Park
Washington Park  Arboretum
Ballard Locks
Volunteer Park
Alki Beach
Seward Park
Golden Gardens Park
Sunset Hill Park
Carkeek Park


Here in the Pacific Northwest, we have gorgeous scenery to spare but we never know what the weather is going to have in store! In the best case scenario, we’ll plan your engagement session for “golden hour” on a sunny or partly sunny day. The most perfect light for photography happens during the hour just before the sun goes down, and for about thirty minutes after sunset. However, a beautiful sunset isn’t always in the cards. I like to keep an eye on the forecast during the week leading up to your session and, if necessary, move our starting time 1-2 hours earlier if it looks like the day will be overcast. But don’t worry if the sun isn’t shining! Many of the images you see on these pages were created with cloudy skies. The weather and scenery in the PWN offers a variety of beautiful lighting conditions throughout the year.

LIGHT & WEATHER