so, your session is coming up…
… and you’re probably starting to wonder “what do I wear” “where should we go” “how does it work” “how do we prepare”
Don’t worry. I gotchu. This page will help you prep for your session and make sure you get the full experience from start to finish. Many of you have never been on a photo shoot before, so it’s totally normal to feel a little stressed out during the weeks leading up to the session. Totally normal.
Maybe you’ve been on a photo shoot before and you’re a veteran at this, that’s great. But, for the most part, most of my clients have never done this before. That’s why I’ve put together some tips to help prepare you for your upcoming shoot. Read through this page and let me know if you have ANY questions at all regarding your session. At the end of the day, this is more than just an engagement session. It’s an experience (one you won’t forget), and I want you to make the most of it.
01. where to go
This TOTALLY depends on you as a person, and what your preference is regarding location. Also, it depends on what your package includes.
If your package includes a standard couples session, we’ll be doing the session at one location.
If your package includes an engagement or connection session, you have the option to go to two locations.
The locations must be in the Hamilton area. Anything outside of Hamilton is subject to a travel fee. As the warmer weather arrives, my shooting time is much more limited (especially during wedding season). For that reason alone, I like to keep all of my engagement sessions in Hamilton, where I’m based out of. To cover the time spent away from the office, I do have to charge a small travel fee for anything outside of the Hamilton area. If you have a location in mind and it’s not in Hamilton, shoot me a quick email and we can make that happen.
step one: pick your “vibe”
What do you mean, vibe? Well, pick a theme for your session. Here’s some options to get you started.
Tip: think long-term when it comes to your session. Ask yourself these questions:
“will I be printing these for my home?” “will I be printing these photos for the wedding?” “will we be using them for cards?” “what season do I want my photos to be in?” “our wedding is in the summer, do I want winter engagement photos printed on the welcome table?”
Clients don’t typically think of these things, so I’m here to remind you of that. Think of WHERE these photos will be used, and now think of what season you want those to take place in (winter, spring, summer, fall). Once you have your season picked, you have to pick your vibe.
Here’s some examples of themes for the session:
Nature/Outdoors (usually a forest, waterfall, conservation area etc)
Downtown “street” vibes (coffee shop, walking along the street etc.)
Architectural (think old buildings, like Cotton Factory, and brick walls)
Studio vibes (I have a BEAUTIFUL modern loft-style studio located downtown Hamilton we can stay cozy at)
In-home/cozy/cuddle vibes (can be done in my studio or at your home)
Steamy Sesh (when you want to get REAL mushy with your person)
Once you pick your theme, I can run some location ideas by you. Scroll down to the next section for some examples of some of my favourite spots in the area to get your started. Don’t see anything that catches your attention? We can brainstorm some other ideas too.
step two: pick your location(s)
MY STUDIO
I have a beautiful studio space located in Hamilton. We are constantly changing the decor, getting new props/set-ups, and changing the vibes. I love shooting in my studio, and we can totally customize the space for you.
AS A BONUS, you get full access to the client closet too!
As of March 2020, I’ll be in an entirely new space as well, bigger and better than the previous! Stay tuned for updated photos of that.
NATURE: WATERFALLS
Waterfalls are a great option too. There’s tons in the area (Hamilton is waterfall capitol of the world!). Ask me for some great waterfall locations that are easily accessible. Can be done in summer and winter seasons.
NATURE: DUNDAS PEAK
Dundas Peak is a great spot for nature shots. It’s beautiful in the fall, but can work in Spring/Summer as well. It’s not accessible in the winter though, so can only be used in the warmer weather.
UPDATE: The City of Hamilton has added bars/fencing to the Dundas Peak. We can still go, however it is not open like it used to be and the images might look a little weird with a fence in the background. Also, due to COVID, you have to book and reserve time slots now. Frustrating.
NATURE: FOREST/GREEN SPACE
Conservation areas or green space are also great options for nature vibes. There’s tons of these in the Hamilton area, I can give you some great options if you just want forest/trees.
DOWNTOWN HAMILTON
One of my FAVOURITE types of engagement sessions. There’s nothing better than roaming the streets and seeing where we end up. We can get some shots on the street like this, or check out some coffee shops along the way. The possibilities are endless, and usually end up being a BLAST. If you have two locations in your engagement session, we can always start off downtown and then head to a nature area afterwards.
DOWNTOWN: COFFEE SHOP
Similar to the point above, if you want to hit up some coffee shops and peek through some cute windows, downtown vibes is the route you want to take.
ARCHITECTURAL: DUNDURN CASTLE
A classic spot in #HamOnt. I love Dundurn all season long, and it has a mix of castle/white walls, and nature vibes too. Best of both worlds in one spot!
ARCHITECTURAL: COTTON FACTORY
I LOVE THE COTTON FACTORY. The vibes here are incredible. If you really want some industrial vibes, ESPECIALLY if you’re an edgy couple, let’s go here. I love the brick walls and old windows. You can’t photograph inside the Factory, but you can utilize the grounds outside. It’s a killer spot for industrial vibes. Anyone have a motorcycle? Let’s bring it here!
IN-HOME
What better than to document your love inside the place you call home. If you want to get super snuggly and document EXACTLY who you are, go the in-home route!
Plus, if you want to steam it up a bit, we can get suuuuper steamy photos in the comforts of your own home. This isn’t for every couple, but for my SUPER adventurous ones that are open to this style of photography, let’s make it happen. Ask me for more info!
AIRBNB
Want the indoor cozy vibes, but don’t think your house is “picture-esqe” enough? No problem. Rent an Airbnb!
This is a GREAT option when you want to find a space equipped with adorable decor, without having to re-do your entire house.
If you go this route, I do ask that the client covers the cost of the Airbnb (in fairness to all clients). You can get them pretty cheap (anywhere from $70-150/night), and I always tell clients.. why not turn it into a date night? Rent the house, do the photo shoot, then stay the night and turn it into a romantic night out?
Most Airbnbs give you some wine/beer too. It’s a great excuse to get out of your house and make a night out of it :)
Here’s some other great studio spaces and Airbnb’s available to rent!
https://www.millworkscreative.com/photography
https://www.carpenoctemphotography.ca/the-loft
https://www.klassh.ca/sol-atelier-photo-studio (TORONTO)
https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/32382089?source_impression_id=p3_1583269269_H6OQB0XrDG61%2F%2BIX
https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/31123852?source_impression_id=p3_1583269328_lblN5IZpRUxGEfz4
https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/30717431?source_impression_id=p3_1583269286_Uckml7RInAIw5SCi
https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/30494983?source_impression_id=p3_1583269213_kKyKWizjmu182l%2BD
https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/36427669?source_impression_id=p3_1583269401_JuHdUhpblhqle6EA
https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/29300878?source_impression_id=p3_1583269256_5DbmahsC3Nty7oq1
airbnb.ca/rooms/34126616?source_impression_id=p3_1583269408_6f9%2BllkeeA3a3svo
https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/34980064?source_impression_id=p3_1583269415_5%2FfpVJClz%2BcYqbt4
https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/19132293?source_impression_id=p3_1583269053_lIVesiSPBn3aadyr
https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/2950845?source_impression_id=p3_1583269077_%2FUfQpucTbzevtd%2FQ
https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/40776544?source_impression_id=p3_1583269295_At1sZjhSHJozG5zn
02. what to wear
This is the part you guys usually stress out about. It’s a lot more simple than you think! Here’s some do’s/don’ts when it comes to outfit choices.
do:
Wear a casual outfit, OR a dressy outfit. It depends on your location and vibe, and how you want the images to look. If you want to dress it up in a field, a nice dress that blows in the wind is a great option. If you want to be more casual, jeans work too. Again, think of your VIBE, and how you want to portray yourselves
Wear something you’re comfortable in. As much as a great outfit makes a great photo, I want you to feel like yourself at the end of the day.
Wear NEUTRALS. I love a good black, white, brown, beige, cream ensemble. I also LOVE mustard yellow and maroon when editing photos.
Bring multiple outfits, especially when you have two locations to use. If we can squeeze in an outfit change, why not switch it up and bring two options?!
HATS! I love a good hipster hat. LOL! Wide brim hats are my jam. They might not be your jam, and that’s ok. However, if you’re open to the idea of hats, why not :)
Make it edgy! If you’re an edgy couple, wear some black! Bring those leather jackets, band tee’s & doc’s (I will probably be wearing this myself to be honest LOL). Black goes with anything, you can never go wrong with black.
don’t:
Stay away from logos on clothing. You don’t want the focus to be on the giant ADIDAS symbol, do you?
Stay away from neon colours. Hot pink, neon green, bright orange… neon colours don’t edit the best
Don’t FULLY match your outfits. It can sometimes work, but most times can look a bit cheesy. If you want to match your partner, try to coordinate COLOUR SCHEMES, not exact pieces. Essentially, stay in the same colour scheme, but alternate pant colours/shirt colours between you two.
Try not to wear casual shoes with a dressy outfit. Men… I’m looking at you. If you’re dressy from the ankles up, make sure you pick a shoe that doesn’t look like you came straight from the gym
Don’t wear something TOO tight, because you’ll be moving around a lot. Make sure you’re at least a bit comfortable so you can do all the prompts with ease.
I’ve made the process simple for you, and pinned a bunch of outfit inspiration to my Pinterest page. Here’s some links, check it out for visual ideas!
03. frequently asked questions
how soon should we do our engagement session?
I try to book your session at the same time as you book your wedding, just to get it in the calendar. My dates fill up super fast during wedding season and when the warmer weather arrives, so the quicker you get in the calendar, the better date options you’ll have. As for the session itself, there’s no timeline! Some clients prefer to wait for a specific season (winter or summer etc), and some want to get it done right away. It also depends on WHEN you plan on using your images. If you want to send out save the dates, you’ll want to do your session a little quicker. So, in essence, the timing totally depends on your preference. Let me know what season you want, and I can give you some dates!
how long are the sessions
If you are doing a standard couples session, those are 1 hour long. We stay in one location, and you’re welcome to swap outfits half way through if you like. If you’re doing an engagement/connection session, those are closer to 2 hours, just because we travel to two different locations and it’s more of an “adventure” style session.
how long does it take to get our images back?
Full galleries will be delivered within 6 weeks!
can we include pets?
Absolutely! If you’re bringing pets for your photos, it’s a good idea to bring some help with you. A friend or family member that can watch them while we do the rest of your photos. Pets are amazing, but you probably don’t want them in EVERY single shot. To avoid chaos, bring someone to hang out with them while we shoot the rest of the photos. I love animals, and I am a dog mama myself. So, pets are always welcome :)
something came up and we have to switch dates, is this ok?
Of course! Things happen. If you need to move your session around, let me know as soon as possible and we can push it back to another date as needed.
I need to cancel my session and I don’t plan on rebooking. (for non-wedding clients only)
That’s okay, however, you will forfeit your deposit. If you booked an engagement session on it’s own, and you are not one of my wedding clients, unfortunately you will lose your deposit paid upon booking. This covers the loss of time held, and the ability to book another client in that time slot. All deposits are non-refundable, so if you decide you want to cancel your session and do not wish to re-book, your deposit will be forfeited.
what if it rains? or we have inclement weather on our shoot date?
Inclement weather is unavoidable. Typically, I don’t make the call until the morning of the session. This can be tricky, because a lot of clients will book hair/makeup for their session. I won’t make the call to cancel the session until the night before, or the morning-of, as weather is so unpredictable in Canada. We can shoot in any type of weather, but it’s up to you if you want to risk shooting in the rain. Rain can make for some great moody shots, but if you wanted a sunny day, we can move the session if needed. I do my best to keep in touch with you the day of your session and make the cancellation call in the morning. Most makeup/hair companies are pretty understanding, and should be used to clients cancelling due to weather. Definitely check with your HMUA artists and see what their policies are, but for the most part, they should be able to swap dates too. If the session is cancelled, I’ll give you some new date options to move to.
do we get black and white images, or all colour?
I give a variety of both! If I think a shot looks better in B&W, I’ll give you a B&W option. Sometimes I’ll duplicate the image and give you a colour and B&W option, but only for specific shots. It’s all dependent on my eye, and not EVERY photo will have a black and white option. I do try to give a good mix of both in your gallery though.
how are our images delivered?
Your images will be delivered through an online gallery system. It’s super simple to use, and it allows you to download your images straight to your computer in high resolution. The photos are already sized for print, should you wish to print them off. If your package includes all of the images, you’ll be able to download them all instantly. If your package includes a set number of images, you’ll be able to select your favourites and purchase any additional images afterwards. You may also purchase the entire gallery for an additional set rate.
how long will my gallery be active for?
Your gallery will be active for 1 year. Please make sure you back up your images as SOON as you get them, to avoid any fees. Should you wish to access your gallery after the 1 year mark is up, you will have to pay an archival fee to retrieve those images, as long as they are still available. I do purge my hard drives/computers every few years, so if the images have been removed from my back up, unfortunately you will no longer have access to those photos. Again, it’s crucial you back these up and print them off to avoid any problems down the road.
can i print my photos?
Yes, you have full printing rights to your images, for personal use. If you are contacted by a media company, magazine, blog etc… please inform me. They need special permission to use these images for commercial uses.
can we order albums, guest book albums, thank you cards, save the dates through you?
Yes! I have an online store integrated into your gallery. It comes from a professional grade printing lab in Toronto, and the quality is guaranteed. If you need help designing an album, let me know! I can put it together for you :) Once you get your final gallery, you’ll see the store option built in. Just pick the photos you love, plug them into the template, check-out, and it ships to your doorstep :)
we have more questions, where can we contact you?
Shoot me an email! Or, we can set up a time for a phone chat to go over all the details. For the most part, just give me the “theme” or locations you want, and we can pick a date for the session. I’ll touch base a few days before the session, and meet you at the meeting point!