JENSEN’S TAKE
Photographing family can be both easier than your typical clients and more of a challenge. On one hand, you know your relatives and what makes them smile. They’re already comfortable with you. At the same time the stakes are that much higher, and the last thing you want to do is disappoint them.
Danielle is my smart, gorgeous, driven, sarcastic-as-hell cousin. I was thrilled when she and Brian said they’d be down to play with us. They were open to trying different poses, set-ups, and even let me style them! Talk about dream subjects.
It was important to me that Danielle and Brian enjoyed working with us and that their poses didn’t seem too forced. They’re a laidback couple and it’s obvious that they’re at ease with each other. They also make each other laugh pretty frequently. Instead of controlling them too much and forcing them to stay within strict parameters, we guided them to “cheat” towards camera and simply shot around their interaction.
In order to avoid micromanaging their couples too much, I always recommend photographers let them connect organically- in the beginning, at the very least. I think this helps the subjects get used to being in front of the camera. Meanwhile, the photographer figures out how couples express their love. Call it a win-win. Personally, this is the part of engagement shoots I enjoy the most. Every couple has their own unique energy and it’s my job to capture it in an interesting way, all while making sure they’re happy.
I loved incorporating elements of the shoot location into Danielle and Brian’s set into my edits. I wanted to go with something colorful, whimsical, and dramatic. Magenta azaleas checked all of these boxes for me. They even inspired me to explore this technique further in future work! Never let anyone tell you engagement shoots can’t be creative or push the boundaries- just find yourself a Danielle and Brian who are cool with getting weird. ;)
VINNY’S TAKE
One of the benefits of working in pairs is that whenever the one runs out of ideas or has trouble conveying something, they can always count on the other to be full of them! Some locations simply inspire people more than others, and there's no shame in that. I notice photographers (me too, sometimes) will get stuck in one place and continue to "wear out the location" when they should be moving on and keeping the shoot fresh and exciting.
Jensen and I see things differently, but our approach to the subject matter is very similar. We create with a focus on empathy, intention, communication. At one point, Jensen handed me a strand of moss to use as foreground blur, and the shots immediately became dreamier and brighter. Throughout the day, I shot through flowers and leaves. It's important to utilize the environment, and make the shoot unique to the area that you're using. Often photographers will bring a ton of props to a shoot- I feel this puts unnecessary pressure on both the subjects and the photographers. Create in the moment and listen to what your surroundings are telling you. Keep it simple!
It's a treat to work with subjects who don't take themselves too seriously. Danielle and Brian kept things light; in fact, they kept us laughing with their random "Shallow" renditions. I appreciated the opportunity to get to know them and document such a special time in their lives!
