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The point behind an engagement shoot with Geoff Wilkings Photography is quite remarkable, and I am excited to break it down for you. But first, to answer the question, the simple answer is NO; you do not need an engagement shoot? So why do many photographs include a photography session within their packages, and why am I always reading that is a good thing to do.
To answer this, I have to tell you that a fantastic photographer will be able to make you feel and capture your richness and organic nature on your wedding day without “you” getting to know the photographer. This somewhat contradicts many magazines and what people are lead to believe.
I cannot stress enough that I do not get caught up onto images on the web. Photographers showcase their best work online, but only when you put in the effect to meet them in person and view their work does the truth come out.
Visiting at least three photographers and seeing how they make you feel and comparing products, be it an album or wall art, is only when you’ll notice the difference. If you’re far away, then Skype.
Given the importance, I believe that you should put in the effort to visit photographers, don’t forget photos will be there forever, you do not want to make a mistake.
Knowing the cost average cost of a wedding photographer is useful to understand and learn. I believe that all couples should know the costs involved and the experience they’re going to receive, do you not agree?
I’m going to cover this within this article and more because I believe that having an engagement shoot is important and the value behind it. When you read and really read and think carefully about the topics below, I think you’ll see why you should have an engagement shoot.
What means the world to you
You and your partner are very important to each other. You love each other, and you have fallen in love to spend the rest of your lives together. This alone is very important and is worth photographing any day of the week and not limited to your wedding day. Do you not agree? What if I ask you to look upon a wall in your home and take a look at the gorgeous photographs of you both. As you look at that professionally printed photograph, you see your connection and the way you look into each other’s eyes. A moment was captured, was this by accident? No, it wasn’t. By learning what is important to you allows me to photograph those moments. It’s about your love and not my awards.
This portrait or engagement shoot is somewhat different from your wedding day. It’s time to celebrate with no real-time limitations, unlike your wedding day. Your wedding day involves the groom getting ready and bridal getting ready photos. Hair and Makeup artists are working hard, your bridesmaids are around you, and it’s so much fun. Your wedding day creative portrait session is scheduled in, and you’ll have portrait photos if nothing falls behind schedule.
Wouldn’t it mean the world to you if I could photograph moments that mean the world to you? I believe it would be otherwise what is the point in photography. When someone passes, what happens to people, they find a photograph and look at it. The joy, love the emotions that you feel all come flooding back through that photograph. This is why I do what I do. Isn’t that important to you?
Schedule
Your wedding day is a different celebration to a portrait engagement shoot as there’s no pressured schedule for your engagement shoot. A wedding planner on a wedding day organizes all the details allowing you to enjoy your wedding day, but there’s a schedule involved. An engagement shoot consists of an hour or two of time dedicated to you two.
Furthermore, your engagement shoot can be photographed a year or two ahead of your wedding, allowing you to view your beautiful photos on your wall way before your wedding day. Why wait!
How to pose
Unless you’re a trained model, you won’t know how to pose. You might be thinking; I don’t want to be posed. Welcome to my unposed posed approach where I want you to be photographed in the most natural way possible, capturing your love for each other.
Do we all not want natural-looking photographs, so when you look on your wall, you see you and the one you love as you are, naturally beautiful.
Connection & Forever Session
Call it whatever you want; a connection session or forever session is an engagement shoot. Different terms are flying around, but they come down to the same thing being a portrait shoot. A wedding day is a big portrait shoot known as a wedding day! The aim is to capture sincerity and love and your connection between you both or loved ones. A forever session is something seen as couples will be together forever, so hey, let’s call it a “forever session.” To learn more about Geoff dedicated portrait service OKES Portraits covers in detail the experience that you will receive.
Location
An engagement shoot can be photographed in a different location for your wedding. For instance, you are hosting a Calgary wedding venue, so why not celebrate your engagement session in Canmore, Banff, or Lake Louise? You love the mountains, so let’s head into the mountain for your shoot. Or, you might have a mountain wedding venue, so let’s photograph your engagement shoot in Calgary.
How about this, let’s take a helicopter ride and land and go hiking to a remote location in the Rockies. Okay, you don’t like helicopters, but you’d love a mountain top experience. Awesome, we head out with my hiking adventure experience.
The point here is that you’re not limited, and an engagement shoot can be photographed anywhere.
Comfort
This is often described as the top reason to have an engagement shoot. Seriously! Okay, for sure, you will get used to being photographs and used to the photographer, and the comfort level picks up. What I have to say to this when you hire a professional photographer (with which there’s not many around), she or he will make you feel comfortable out of the box. The cost of an average wedding photographer won’t be able to do this and will have to upsell you for an engagement shoot to make themselves feel comfortable.
Social Media
Do you not value a professional print, but instead you want images to be seen only one your phone or social media. Maybe your favorite social media platform will not be around in 5 years, and you’ve lost the photos. Social media is just that, social.
Think about the value of a professional shoot and the images and what photographs mean to you. We’re so caught up with unprofessional work that people view gorgeous prints of themselves as they want to have them celebrated in print. There’s a difference, so it’s up to couples to visit photographs and see the finished work.
Love
You love your partner. Do you not want that captured? This celebration of life called love is fantastic and is worth a gorgeous print. Try not to think of the only time you have a print of yourselves is a one-off time at your wedding.
Fun
You love to laugh and have fun with your partner. Is this important to you? Yes, I can photograph your laughter, joy, and fun on your wedding day, but I have found people print more engagement shoots photographs to have on their walls than they do their wedding day photographs. Wedding day photographs are often celebrated in my gorgeous albums, and Wall Art prints are usually dedicated to couple shoots and family shoots.
Conclusion
So no, an engagement shoot isn’t necessary, but why on earth wouldn’t you have an engagement shoot given all of the points above? Life is precious, and for me, it became more important when Tammy and I had Henry and Charlie. I realized that the love I have for them means everything to me, and I want that captured and printed. I love social media, but it’s not my life to show images to people who just scroll down their feed.
What is important to you means everything. This is worth photographing professionally and printed. I would instead you end with one incredible print from me than 80 photos than do not connect with you.
Life is precious; let’s capture it.
