Planning for the Best: Engagement Locations

The weather is getting more and more beautiful each day here in New England, and the light is that luscious shade of summer gold as day closes into night. As we go into these warmer months, many of my clients begin to start thinking about their engagement sessions. The first question I ask when we begin planning is “where and when would you like to do your session?” Bundled up in Beacon Hill in the winter, on the beach in Cape Cod in the summer? Or perhaps your style is to grab a picnic and head to the mountains for a rustic adventure. There are so many striking and beautiful places to choose from starting with the landmarks, and so many hidden gems. I wanted to put this post together to help as you begin brainstorming, so you can have a session that’s true to you and have photos you’ll love looking at for years to come. I approach the engagement session like the ideal afternoon you’d spend together, and go from there. We will wander around, and explore together finding pockets of light, grand views, nooks and crannies, and letting you two be yourselves – once we’ve gotten those totally normal initial photo jitters out of the way!

Let’s start with location since that will set the scene for the rest of the session. Think about places where you and your partner like to spend time together, but also where you feel like you can really be yourselves. Do you like being surrounded by the urban landscape, or do you prefer to have room to roam in the wilderness?

I love photographing in the city, whether it’s Boston or New York City, because there is such a variety of backgrounds and settings in just a few blocks. It’s great to go beyond the landmarks, too so you can photos unique to you. Whenever I’m out in the city running errands, I make a mental list of places I see like cool colored doors, interesting buildings, and great public art to incorporate into an upcoming shoot. While it’s great to include the iconic spots sometimes, just keep in mind that it’s an engagement session about the two of you, and not a tour guide to your city.

Going to a more secluded, or rural spot outside the city that’s special to both of you is a wonderful setting too. There are fewer people around, so sometimes more shy couples can feel more like themselves in these settings too. You also have room to get lost, and run around which is really fun to incorporate as well.

After you have the location selected, it’s great to ask your photographer about what time of day would make for the best images in that place. I plan my sessions around sunrise, or sunset for the best natural lighting opportunities. The middle of the day is less than ideal because the sun is directly overhead, and creates harsh facial shadows. This applies to wedding day portraits, but often we can work around this by finding a nice area of shade for the portrait session. The engagement session is longer than portraits on the wedding day, so we want to have the freedom to wander and play in different settings. Time of year plays a part in where the sun is positioned in the sky, and what the light will look like. Soft, overcast lighting in the spring is beautiful and subtle, whereas full-on sun around golden hour in the summer and fall is energetic, and can provide for some epic sun flare.

Regardless of where and when you choose to have your session, my best advice is to keep it simple and be open to exploration with your photographer and enjoying your partner’s company. Try not to overthink it, and pre-plan out the shots, or rely upon Pinterest to tell you where to go for your locations. Your photographer will have some ideas in mind, or draw inspiration from the two of you and your energy. My couples’ favorite photographs come from moments of spontaneity, all those elements of chance, trust and creativity coming together. For part two of engagement session tips,  we’ll talk about wardrobe, style and the key to those “un-posed” moments. Until then, get out there and explore!