Engagement Photography Tips for the New Photographer

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(Newswire.net — July 1, 2019) — Are you wondering about engagement photography tips for the new photographer? The key to providing excellent photographs for new brides and grooms is to utilize a color scheme to your advantage.

Engagement Photography Tips for the New Photographer 

Some engagement photography tips for the new photographer include embracing the power of backlight, making sure to avoid dappled light, getting higher for those angles and more. 

Tip 1: Embrace the Power of Backlight

The backlight can be a powerful aesthetic for engagement photos. One example of using backlight is to include the sun in the back of the photo, utilizing it as an artificial illumination from the “back” of the subjects of the photo. Engagements, after all, are meant to be bright and joyful occasions. What aesthetic is best than the orb which provides sunlight to the world?

Most cameras also enable the ability to artificially add backlight into a photo. As always, it is important to ensure that your photos do appear overly enhanced or overpowered by the backlight.

Tip 2: Make Sure to Avoid Dappled Light

Dappled light occurs when sunlight becomes “filtered” by trees and leaves. Engagement photos are best taken during the brightest times of the day. During the afternoon, it might be harder to achieve a well-lit photograph as the sun comes down and it becomes trickier to avoid filtered, or dappled light. Dappled light is problematic because it creates both light and dark spots within a frame, and can often affect the appearance of the faces in the photo. Engagement photos should focus on the faces of those who are getting engaged, not a reflection of the sun.

Tip 3: Get Higher

There are often practical concerns about creating the best engagement photo. Often, there are drastic height differences between the bride and groom. By leveraging the difference in height, the new photographer can create new, creative photos that utilize or remove this difference. Instead of producing the standard angled photos of everyday objects or decor, the photographer can utilize forms of angled photos to distract and minimize body flaws.

Tip 4: Lights Have a Color Scheme As Well

Sunny days lead to bluer skies and can create different moods for engagement photos. The sun moves higher up as the early part of the day go on but then descends. The light appears warmer later on in the day as it directly exposes itself to the camera. In a darker, more rural terrain, manipulating light schemes can help to create a warmer tone to a photograph of the couple. Filters and white balance control allow for manipulation of the color scheme to create the proper setting for the portrait.

Tip 5: Be Prepared for Inclement Weather

The mood of the couple is always very important to consider. When inclement weather arrives, it is important for the couple to have a plan but for the photographer to also present ideas. The photographer can suggest alternative locations, such as museums or coffee shops. Creativity and fun during times of potential stress can help lighten the mood for newly engaged couples.

If they are adventurous, prepare your camera for exposure to the rain by covering it. Create a hole for the eye of the camera to take a photo, and utilize the rain or snow to your advantage!

Final Thoughts

It is important to be creative, understand your tools and to understand the couple you are taking engagement photos for. In order to be successful as a new engagement photographer, being open to suggestions and creating new ideas for the bride and groom can help make the process fun for you and them. Be sure to give them a checklist on what they should wear, any props they want to bring, and any ideas that you may have for the couple. Overall, by following the above engagement photography tips for the new photographer and beginners will help you to get off your feet to take some amazing photos.