If you’ve ever had a photo shoot planned, you know the insane frustration that can ensue when you have to choose a location, outfits, a vibe… it can feel like a lot. Dying to know how to rock your adventurous couple pictures? I’m here to tell you how!
Ask them what time of day works best for photos (usually golden hour, about an hour and a half before sunset), which locations they can recommend, and what outfits will photograph best.
I cannot tell you how many people have said, “oh, I don’t use Pinterest…”. Which is fine if you’re not into social media apps. But Pinterest is more of visual search engine. Unless you’re into a creative field or are a fashion blogger or designer, it can be almost impossible to describe to your photographer exactly what your vision is. If you have a visual inspiration board created where you can save all that inspires you, and share that board with your photographer, boyfriend, mom, and your cat, then you just saved yourself a ton of frustration and a lot of potential disappointment when your photographer couldn’t read your mind. Check out my Pinterest to get some vibes and ideas!
Go through your closet and pull out anything that makes you happy and that you feel comfortable in. You don’t have to go shopping and spend a fortune for your photo session (but you totes can, and if you do, send your photographer some pics of your outfit choices!), and you don’t need to wear that “goal dress” that fit you five years ago but is hella tight and makes you feel awful about yourself. Dig through your closet, grab some of your fave items, and lay them flat on your bed and start mixing and matching to see what might work. Often, what doesn’t necessarily work in real life can photograph beautifully, so even if it’s not something you’d pair together to wear out on the town, it can still look amazing for your session.
There’s no point putting on a hardcore matte lip if you’re going to just be paranoid about smudging it when you kiss, and if you never wear makeup and show up with a caked-on face it might do more to make you feel uncomfortable instead of glam. I always recommend wearing your makeup a little bit heavier than normal, but not to go nuts and look completely unlike your day-to-day self.
Also, don’t be afraid to be yourself. Are you a jeans and tee kinda gal? Then wear that and pair it with messy beach waves and some fun jewelry. Are you in love with photos of couples on the top of a cliff, boho hat atop head and dress flowing in the breeze? DO IT! (your photographer will love you for it). Whatever speaks to your soul, do that and you’ll love your photos.
Talk to your partner and tell them what you have in mind, and let them in on some of the planning. Sometimes you’ll be surprised at the good ideas that can get swapped back and forth, and they may even be able to suggest a location that has some sentiment behind it that you may not have thought of.
Once you have your session all planned out and it’s the big day, RELAX AND LET LOOSE. You hired your photographer for a reason, so trust that they have you and your story in mind, your best interests at heart, and all the know-how to make sure you have a blast and end up with amazing images. The more you can relax, have fun, and just enjoy each other, the more fluid and authentic your images will be.
[…] Looking for more tips? Check out this post about wedding dress shopping, or this one about how to rock your engagement session. […]