November 30, 2019 /
How to get the Best Engagement Pictures
And, no, we’re not going to say that the only way to get the best engagement pictures is to hire us. (I mean sure we would love that, but we are well aware that we’re not for everyone.)
So. How do you get the best engagement pictures ever? No matter who your photographer is or where you’re having them taken? Friends. It’s not as hard as you think. We’re going to break it all down for you today. And, of course, share some of Molly and Mark’s gorgeous engagement pictures along the way. 🙂
How to get the Best Engagement Pictures
1. Drink all the water.
What the heck does drinking water have to do with engagement pictures? Well, we’re assuming that you’re going to be in those pictures, right? And that you actually want to be seen, right? Okay, good. In addition to your normal skincare routine, drink lots and lots of water in the days and weeks leading up to your session. All of that consistent water drinking will help even out your complexion, hydrate your skin, and keep your face nice and clear of blemishes so that you look and feel your absolute best in your photos.
And as my dad likes to say, “when you look good you feel good; when you feel good you do good.” I’m not claiming that it’s all grammatically correct or anything, but it’s good, solid dad advice. You want to be able to relax and have fun during your session, and part of being able to do that is feeling good.
2. Wear something you feel good in.
Again, this goes back to “when you look good you feel good; when you feel good you do good.” Your engagement session is not the time or place to try the newest, trendiest look that may or may not fit your personality. Wear clothes and colors that you LOVE and you’ll be so much more confident. We’ll be the first to admit that when we had our photos taken we did allllll the shopping trying to find “the perfect outfit.”
What did we wind up wearing? Clothes that had been in our closet for the last year and that we love so much. Clothes that we felt really, really good in. 🙂
3. Trust your photographer.
I realize this sounds like “duh” thing to say. BUT. All the same. When your photographer suggests starting a little bit earlier or later, or has some crazy idea about a location, trust them. You hired them for a reason, right? Probably because you love their style or aesthetic and the images they produce. Give them a chance to be them and you’ll be so much happier with the outcome of your images than if you try to micromanage every single backdrop of your session.
4. No expectations.
This is a really, really hard one, friends. We first learned about “no expectations” last December during a once-in-a-lifetime photography workshop with The Manns in Jamaica.
What exactly is “no expectations?” Well, to be blunt, exactly what it sounds like. Approaching experiences with no expectations. Hang with us for a minute on this one, friends.
There’s absolutely nothing worse than getting your heart broken when something doesn’t turn out the way you thought it would. Especially when you’re so excited about it. But if you keep a level head and just agree to go in with an open mind and not put all kinds of expectations on how you’re “supposed” to feel or how things are “supposed” to go? You’ll feel so much better and will be so much happier with the outcome.
What makes this so hard?
Well, social media for one. All of those Pinterest/Instagram-perfect photos make it really, really hard to live up to expectations set by our society. Often it takes hundreds of tries just to get the “just right” photo. In real life that magic doesn’t happen on the first try, and often, you’ve got to work to build up to those super-special photos and not just dive in head first.
What does this mean for your engagement pictures? Every photographer is different and has their own approach to making their own magic happen. Don’t expect them to do one thing or another just because you think they should or somebody else did. Let them work their magic.
5. Let go
Wait… isn’t this the same thing as trusting your photographer? Well, kind of. But, here’s the thing. This is kind of the secret sauce that ties everything that we’ve already talked about together. And again, it’s a lot easier said than done. But let go and let yourself just live in the moment for a little bit. Is your photographer asking you to do something that sounds absolutely ridiculous or downright stupid? It’s okay. Trust them. Let go of your own ego and go with it. Chances are they’re asking for a specific reason.
(I mean… we may or may not ask people to stand in the middle of the street with their eyes closed and spin in circles…..always with one of our eyes on the traffic of course!)
Let go of those expectations, of how you think you look, of what you think you should be doing, and just go with the flow. It may sound silly, or crazy, or feel a little uncomfortable at first, but go with it. Run with it. Embrace the crazy and just know that there’s a reason behind it.
Kansas City Engagement Picture Location | Liberty Memorial, Washington Square Park
And when you finally get those engagement pictures back that you’ve been waiting so long to see? Friends. Our guess is that if you look and feel your best, trust your photographer, and let go? You’re going to absolutely love what you see.
Molly and Mark – thank you so, so, SO much for embracing our crazy and letting us create your engagement pictures!! We had so much fun with you both and absolutely cannot wait until your wedding next spring!
Feel like you’re missing something? Check out Molly and Mark’s sneak peek here.