As I am building my site, you will see occasional posts from past sessions I have done. This awesome couple had a long engagement which gave us time for TWO engagement sessions. One session was in the fall at Great Falls park in Virginia and the other in the spring in Maryland’s Baltimore Harbor. I actually love sharing these two sessions in the same gallery. You can really see how time of year and location impact the photos. The fact that they had two engagement sessions may or may not have something to do with the face that Jeremy is my “little” brother.
Choosing your session time and location:
The location you choose for your session sets the stage for a number of things. If there are any cool landmarks, like a lighthouse, waterfalls, a canal, harbor or rocks, it gives room for added creativity. For example, with this gallery I took photos of the couple on the lighthouse and up close but also of them kissing atop the lighthouse from afar. We walked all around the harbor and took photos among several backdrops.
You also don’t want to wear heels as you are climbing rocks. Location is going to play a part in what you wear for your session. If you want some romantic photos on the rocks at Great Falls you are likely going to wear pants and cute boots over a dress and spiky heels. Now, that’s not to say heels are good for walking all over the city, either but I say that as someone who prefers to wear flats.
Time of year is a significant factor in the way your photos look. Obviously there are fewer leaves on trees in late fall and winter. Your clothing is different for each season as well and you are most certainly not going to wear boots in the warm summer sun all day for photos. If you do, you likely will be sweating profusely and very grumpy. The texture and weight of summer clothing is typically lighter in color and more airy where fall and winter fabric is more heavy and textured. Colors in the spring tend to be more pastel, summer, more bright and bold and fall/winter colors more neutral, jewel toned and or “burnt” colors.
The sun also sits in the sky differently at different parts of the year. In the winter, “golden” or “magic” hour is longer, despite the fact that days are shorter. The sun also sits lower in the sky so the shadows are a little softer and give more depth to your photos. In the summer, a strong, bright sun high in the sky makes for harder lighting in the summer.
Enjoy these photos and comparing the two very different sessions!
