7 Ways to have a comfortable and confident engagement session

film photographer, Christine Gosch

Feel free to hit ‘play’ to accompany your viewing, or just scroll right on past it and view the images with no music. *please note: works best with desktops and laptops, may not work on phones

Let’s preserve your excitement and joy during this special time! An engagement session is a photo session that takes place before your wedding. I like to shoot engagement sessions anywhere from 3-9 months before your wedding. We spend time taking quality photos that express your personalities and capture you + your fiancé looking and feeling your very best!

Let’s start with an obvious statement: being in front of the camera can be intimidating. I like to make couples feel as comfortable as possible in front of the camera by doing a couple of things, so let’s hop right in with my tips + tricks to make the most of your engagement session!

Christine Gosch - engagement session information

Let’s chat before your engagement session

It always helps to get to know one another before your engagement session. Once your session is booked, let’s plan to meet up or have a phone call to talk. You can come to my studio near downtown Houston, or we can meet at a local Houston spot & grab a bite and get to know one another. If you’re not located in Houston, I love a good FaceTime call! Having a chance to chat before your engagement session is a great way to get a conversation going and learn a little bit about how our chemistry is! It will translate over into the engagement session which will help you feel more comfortable in front of the camera.

2. Pick a meaningful or favorite spot for your engagement session

Heading to a favorite local spot for your engagement session can help you to be more comfortable in front of the lens. It can be a favorite park, the spot where your fiancé proposed, where you had your first date, or any other spot you love. Your professional photographer can also recommend some favorite places of theirs to shoot if you’re coming up short with location ideas. Most photographers will scout the location if they haven’t shot there before to find little corners with great light and beautiful backdrops that could look good in your photos.

3. Pick out your clothing ahead of time

Go with a classic style rather than a trendy style you’ll regret in 5 years.
The colors that look best on film are earth tones, cooler tones, pastels, and neutrals. Fluorescent colors don’t translate well onto film and distracts from the focus of the photos- you!
If you like accessories, incorporate at least one into your outfit.
Focus on complementing (not matching) your partner’s wardrobe with your own.
Smaller scale or subtle patterns look good in photos (like herringbone, stripes, lace, twee, gingham, or plaid).
Solid colored looks excellent, especially if it is textured or layered.
Avoid contrasty graphics or large logos that distract from you.
if you’ve booked a full session, pick out two outfits each. If you’ve booked a mini session, pick out one outfit each.

4. Research poses you like before your session

In the days leading up to your session, I encourage you to look up engagement sessions online and see which poses/ shots you like, and which you don’t. At the session we’ll be sure to avoid anything you feel uncomfortable doing. Some poses may feel too ‘intimate or mushy’, or on the opposite end of the spectrum, you might feel some poses are too ‘silly or carefree’. I’m there to help direct you into natural poses and actions, and it helps if you do a little research ahead of time. My main point of focus during an engagement session is to capture the connection between a couple, NOT the connection between the couple and my camera.

Now it’s the day of the session, so let’s…

5. Make a day out of your engagement session

Book an appointment to get your hair, nails, or makeup done, buy a new outfit, and make dinner reservations following your photo session. I’m happy to recommend local professionals to help you look and feel your best for your shoot (just shoot me an email)! You’re going to look and feel great, so let’s use it! All of the hype around the session will get you so excited for your photos. It’s a true investment of your time, money, and energy, so make the most of it by making it a joyful and lovely experience with your partner.

6. Keep the mood light & enjoy your shoot

Don’t put too much pressure on yourselves for the session! Energy reads energy, so if you’re feeling less than happy at your session, your partner will feel it, I’ll feel it, you’ll be worrying about it, and all of that will show in your photos. Pick a couple of things you enjoy doing together as a couple, like going for a walk with your pup, playing chess in the park, or flying kites at the beach, and let’s do that at your engagement session! The more comfortable and familiar the shoot feels, the better you’ll feel during photos so your best self can truly shine. Just be yourself and your shoot will turn out beautifully!

Thanks for getting all the way to the bottom of this post! You get two Schrute Bucks!

Photographer: Christine Gosch | Film lab: The FIND Lab

COZY FALL ENGAGEMENT SESSION AT HOME

HOUSTON WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

Daniel + Tara already had portrait session photos taken earlier in their engagement, but decided that they wanted to have more of a cozy, dressed down engagement session at their house as well. When Tara came to my home office, we talked about the session ideas that could be sweet to incorporate. We talked about their record player, snuggling on the couch drinking coffee, and their two pups, Sadie and Bear.

When I arrived to their home, I was greeted my a big old American bulldog (who I assumed was Bear) and a playful little corgi (who I assumed was Sadie). Nope! Strike that, and reverse it. This joyful little ball of energy corgi was Bear, while the protective, lovable, mama dog was Sadie. It took Sadie a minute (or 30) to warm up to me, but we finally figured out how our relationship was going to work: she would not allow me to look at her or she would growl and bark at me, but she wanted me to pet her. Forbidden love! So I had to look away while petting her OR I had to be behind my camera, which wasn’t a problem since I was there to photograph anyways. It was hilarious. This definitely added an awesome level of depth and soul to Daniel and Tara’s in-home engagement session.

We started in the living room where they showed me their handmade industrial coffee and side tables. So special! The pups made sure to show me how a cozy day at home with their people went, with Bear readily waiting for Daniel to throw her ball while Sadie lounged around, either wanting to be pet or left alone. No grey area with Sadie, like I mentioned before. One extreme or the other! Once the pups got some pets and play time in, Daniel and Tara got out their beloved french press for some coffee house vibes with their seriously adorable husband and wife mugs. Coffee and chatting seamlessly turned into migrating to the front room where we listened to Johnny Cash on the record player with more pets for Sadie and Bear. It was such a fun morning, and the perfect example of why I love shooting in-home sessions so much! It allows for endless opportunities to showcase who you are as a couple.