1) Choose a Cool Location
Some ideas include where you like to hang out, maybe where you went for your first date, or where you got engaged. Need some inspiration? Here’s a few locations I love: Disneyland, the Viceroy Santa Monica (shown below), Paramount Ranch in Malibu, The Queen Mary, Walt Disney Concert Hall, the famous street lamps outside of LACMA, Olvera Street/Union Station, Griffith Observatory, Venice Beach, Santa Monica Pier, beaches in Malibu, Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills, the Long Beach lighthouse, lavender fields, boat docks, an ice skating rink.
NOTE: If a location requires a permit, it is your responsibility to provide this.
2) Outfit Selection
Not sure what to wear? How about relying on your location for some inspiration? If you’re out in nature, look around to see what colors are already there. If you want to bring a couple options, and I can help you match them up before we start shooting! A fun idea is do a casual look, and then a dressy look for cocktail attire. Things that DO NOT photograph well: overly matching outfits, busy patterns, white on white, spaghetti straps, small checkered patterns, logo shirts. Things that DO work: limit yourself to 2-3 complimentary colors, stylize from head to toe, and don’t forget to accessorize! Layers are always great, and most importantly… wear something you’ll be comfortable in!
3) Shooting During Golden Hour
I just love all the pastel colors of a California sunset… the periwinkle blues, candy pink, and soft purples! It definitely sets a mood for romance, with soft lighting and a warm glow. To capture this kind of lighting, you will want to start your session about an hour before sunset or just before sunrise. To check sunset/sunrise times on your photo shoot date click HERE.
4) Bring Some Props
There are lots of things you can do with your engagement pictures. Such as: creating custom save the dates, for your wedding website, for decoration at your wedding reception, as a guest sign in book, or maybe even wall art for your new home together! Bringing personalized props can be a great way to express your personalties and get images that reflect who you are and the things you love to do! Some ideas would be having props that tie into your wedding with things like the wedding date or your initials. Other fun ideas include bubbles, lanterns, luggage, vintage chairs, pinwheels, craft projects, cupcakes, games, picnic stuff, candy, balloons, fishing poles, football, art stuff, etc. (I could go on for a while with this!) The main focus is to have fun with it, make it personal, and get creative!
5) Professional Hair and Makeup
Get your hair/makeup professionally done for your photoshoot. The average cost for engagement makeup is about $75-$150. Trust me it’s worth it, you’ll both look like a million bucks! Check out the referrals for “beauty” on THIS link. Looking to save some money and DIY? Check out THIS educational tutorial! Additional beauty tip: apply Visene right before your photo shoot for natural white eyes!
For more information, contact sherri@sherrijphotography.com
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