When we began gifting our clients with engagement sessions when they booked their weddings with us, the main goal was to form an even stronger bond with our clients (and to spoil them, of course!) There is absolutely no way that you can get to know your clients’ photography style, personality or other important factors just by talking over the phone or one meeting. To get the most beautiful portraits possible, and most importantly, the portraits that your clients deserve to receive, you need to KNOW them. I don’t believe in super-posed photography…of course I use specific variations of poses in my work but I interact with the couple throughout the session and have them interact with each other…we laugh, tease, take breaks to chat; this makes for real, happy photos…and ones that emulate who your clients truly are! And to me, that’s the entire point of photography…what is a portrait with no personality? Having your photo taken is an unnatural thing for most…especially if you’re shy (if this relates to you, I feel your pain, too!) So having timid clients is one of the most challenging aspects when it comes to not just trying to force that character out in the portraits but coaxing it out on it’s own. From the minute I met Katie I literally told her about 10 times that she was just like me…some of the things she said and even her mannerisms were identical to mine which cracked me up. Included in that was her shyness! Both she and John are so mellow and laid back, and you can tell that they are of the same temperament, but they are easy to joke with…even from our first meeting we were bouncing zingers and quips off each other. During our second meeting, I noticed several times how adorably Katie would burst out laughing at John…all that love just radiated in the way she laughed and looked at him; there was SO much giddiness and compassion there. So I knew that during our session, as timid as she was, I had to get that laugh in Katie and John’s portraits! So, rather than having John and Katie simply smiling in their portraits, they’re actually laughing! And it makes all the difference.

Katie and John also managed to get 3 firetrucks driven to their session…2 of which were absolutely gorgeous antiques! From fields to flowers to bright fall foliage to firetrucks…engagement sessions don’t get much more unique and diverse than that!

Can you believe this was only a tester shot?!

This field was covered in morning dew and rising fog…heavenly!

Favorite!

There’s the laugh and shyness combo!

Can you believe that this firetruck is 94 years old?! Amazing.

And this beauty of a truck is from 1948!

…and then I turned the Mack dog emblem into a drop-dead pageant winner.