Welcome
I love engagement sessions as it allows us to get to know each other a bit better, it gets you folks in front of the camera and familiar with some poses/direction. This guide I’ve created is a guideline and not the rule, it allows you insight into getting the best out of your session with me.

Time
I am are natural light specialists and LOVE, I mean love the light close to sunset or sunrise. It’s called Golden Hour. Although I wish it really lasted an hour. I believe it offers the opportunity to capture you in light that feels fresh, timeless and truest to you. I generally try to shoot between one and two hours before sunset. Please remember the sun sets much earlier during the colder months of the year compared to the warmer months. We will discuss a time that suits us. To get the most out of your session, please plan a buffer when getting ready so you can arrive a few minutes early to your session. If you are wearing two outfits save your favourite one for the second half of the session, if you plan to wear one, arrive in that.

Styling Your Session
Something I love, when couples bring a little extra something with them, especially their DOG, a bouquet of flowers, guitar, cars, hats, blankets, it adds an editorial look and feel to the session. If you do bring your pup, a few things to bring with you, an extra person for an extra set of hands, a squeaky toy, treats and a towel for muddy paws and please take them for a long walk or play session earlier on in the day to burn off some energy.

Don’t be afraid to dress up for the session, if you are unsure, I suggest leaning into date night attire. Most importantly, do you! Say yes to the dress, long flowy dresses look incredible and add movement to photos, consider soft fabric. If it’s winter and freezing outside, leave the dress behind.

When choosing colors, I recommend softer, lighter tones and muted shades. A softer color palette fits beautifully into all-natural outdoor settings. Try to coordinate your outfit with your partner, not match. Ovoid small patterns, thin lines, loud colors and big labels.

For your partner, long, fitted pants and closed-toed shoes are the most sophisticated looks. They draw attention away from their legs and feet and place it where you want it: on their face. So, for your session, it’s best to leave the shorts and sandals at home, too, as well as any pants that are loose or baggy. Fitted dress pants or fitted colored pants work best on camera. Layers look great too, adding a blazer, coat, jacket. Adding a layer will bring extra dimension and visual interest to your photos.

Sometimes partners aren’t overly excited to take photos for an hour, because they don’t have an expectation of what’s to come and why it’s so important to you. Take a few minutes to educate and empower them. Tell your partner why you chose The Photo Farm and our style of photography. Show them a few of your favorite sessions on Instagram that we’ve done, explain why you love them and express to them how much it means to you. Once they knows it’s important, they will light up the camera for you! By the time we’re done, though, they can’t believe how fast it went and just how much fun they had!

Pro Tips:
If you are wearing heels, bring some flats to move around in. If you are thinking about getting your hair and makeup done, by all means, go ahead. Skip the spray tan

After the session:
Plan a dinner date, you are all dressed up, take advantage of it.

Final thoughts:
I know I just gave you a bunch to think about. I created this guide to help you get the best out of your photo session. At the end of the day you won’t look back on the outfits but more the memories you create together. I want your session to be a time for you to be yourselves and enjoy it!