ENGAGEMENT & LIFESTYLE SESSION GUIDE

Welcome to my Engagement & Lifestyle Session Guide! I created this guide to help my clients feel ready and excited for their upcoming session. This guide goes over purpose, outfit recommendations, possible props that you can bring, prompts, and timing in terms of the time of year and the time of day to schedule your session for. I've also included a handful of location suggestions at the bottom in case you needed some ideas.

01

PURPOSE

The first thing to do before you even start planning out your session is ask yourself what purpose do these photos serve. What's the overall vibe or theme that you want your photos to have? Do you simply want some nice photos for your Save The Date wedding invitations? Are you looking to capture this milestone in your life in a unique or creative way? Or, is there maybe a location, activity, or item that's special to you that you want documented? Creating a Pinterest board is a great way to bring all of your ideas into one place that you can easily share with me.

TL;DR Thinking of a purpose for your photos can help make them more personal and unique to you.

02

OUTFITS

Let's start off with what to wear for your session. It's important to put on something you feel comfortable in and that fits you properly. It’s best to avoid clothing that has stripes, patterns, vivid colours, large logos or text. Simply put, avoid anything that looks "too busy". You really can't go wrong by keeping your outfit and outfit colours simple. I recommend sticking with muted colours and neutral tones; black, white, grey, and earthy tones are all great options to start off with.

If you're not too sure what to wear, bring some options and we can play around. Don't forget to bring some accessories such as a hat, watch, purse, jewelry, etc. I'm always more than happy to help out if you're stuck or if you just wanted some feedback on your outfit and accessory choices.

While completely optional, I always recommend doing an outfit change at some point during your session to mix up the looks. You could start off with a casual outfit before switching into something dressier, or vice versa. Lastly, something to consider is scheduling the trial with your wedding hair and makeup artists on the same day as your session.

TL;DR Don't wear anything distracting, keep it simple, and bring options.

03

PROPS

Also completely optional but highly recommended is to bring some sort of prop to your session. A prop could be anything such as a bottle of champagne to pop and glasses to cheers with, your favourite beers, a picnic basket with some snacks, or even a classic car. This is your chance to get creative. Just like outfits, I'm more than happy to provide my thoughts on any ideas you have.

If you have a furry friend that you're thinking of bringing along just give me a heads up first. I would highly recommend inviting a friend to join who wouldn't mind taking over the leash from time to time. Don't forget to pack extra treats and maybe a lint roller.

TL;DR Props can be a fun and unique addition to your session.

04

PROMPTS

If you've never done a photoshoot before or you're feeling a little camera shy, don't worry! I like to keep my sessions as natural as possible without any super awkward or stiff posing. Instead of posing, I like to suggest prompts and give subtle directions while capturing natural moments in between. If you have a wedding package booked with me then your engagement session is a great way to get comfortable in front of the camera before your wedding day.

I also love to be creative and try out new ideas, so if you have anything you wanted to try or you have some inspiration photos saved please let me know! I love when clients have a vision for their photos that I can bring to life for them. I've created a Pinterest board with different photo ideas so please feel free to check that out to get inspired.

TL;DR Prompts keep things more natural but I'm always up for trying out new ideas.

05

TIME

An important part of planning your session is the time of year you want to schedule it for. Basically, how do you want the backdrop of your photos to look? Think vibrant flowers in the spring, sunny summer evenings, or colourful fall days. The best time of day to schedule your session for is around golden hour. Golden hour is the 1-2 hour window of time before the sun sets where the light is soft, warm, and glowing. This is when you’ll get the best quality of light for photos. Early morning or even sunrise sessions are always an option too.

If you're set on doing an outdoor winter session, then I highly recommend waiting for a day that's at least -10 degrees Celsius or warmer. Any colder than that and the session won't be much fun for you, for me, or for my camera.

Once we've got a date and location I'll let you know where and when to meet. I usually like to start sessions around two hours before the sun completely sets as this’ll allow enough time for shooting and moving around. When it comes to the weather forecast, I like to make the decision whether or not to postpone as late as reasonably possible, usually the evening before or the morning of the shoot.

TL;DR Golden hour is your best friend.

Note: For the time being I'm not available for any engagement & lifestyle sessions during the following months: January, February, and March.

06

LOCATION

Lastly, time to start thinking about the location for your session. I recommended choosing somewhere that matches your personality and fits your lifestyle. Do you love being in the city? There's many amazing spots in downtown Ottawa to explore. Are you more active and outdoorsy? Consider Gatineau Park or one of Ottawa's beaches. Want to do something a little more creative and editorial? Then consider a restaurant or studio session.

Choosing more than one location is highly recommended. This could be as simple as stopping by your favourite coffee shop towards the end of your session. If you're stuck on choosing a location, don't worry, I have a handful of suggestions to get the ideas flowing.

TL;DR The location of your session should match up with your lifestyle.

LOCATION SUGGESTIONS

Below is a handful of location suggestions based on different categories; city, nature, beach, and indoors. Almost every location suggestion will link to an Instagram photo that I've taken there, so click away to get an idea of what these spots look like!

Please keep in mind how long it'll take you to travel to a location. Depending on the time of year the sun could be setting as late as 8:30PM, or as early as 6:00PM where rush hour traffic can still be bad. Other factors to keep in mind are major events going on in the city, construction, closed roads, etc.

NOTE: FOR THE TIME BEING I'M NOT AVAILABLE FOR ANY ENGAGEMENT & LIFESTYLE SESSIONS DURING THE FOLLOWING MONTHS: JANUARY, FEBRUARY, and MARCH.