I can finally get around to posting the rest of the preview album for Alison and Jeff when we were in High Park last month. The light was divine — golden and soft as the sun began to set. We started shooting by Grenadier Cafe and made our way to the spot I’ve been wanting to shoot for ages, the very south end of Grenadier Pond by the Queensway. It was a good spot to end our session, just as the light faded.

Alison and Jeff are both pretty sporty people, so I advised them to dress casually and bring their bikes and a frisbee. They play Ultimate, and I wanted some flying-through-the-air shots 🙂

I try and centre my engagement shoots around activities and doing things, specifically things related to a couple’s life together. After all, this is about them. I try and get an idea of the things they like to do as a couple and then incorporate that into the session. It goes without saying, this is more than just photography, it’s anthropology — I study people before I do anything with my camera.

No matter who I’m shooting with or where we’re shooting, my main objective is to make the photography experience FUN and enjoyable for each couple. It’s the only way I can do my job, which is reflective by nature (technical stuff notwithstanding). Sounds easy, but to achieve that they have to be comfortable with me and my camera, and nine times out of ten the engagement shoot is the first time the couple have ever had their photos taken together by someone who isn’t a friend or family member.

When couples are in their engagement glow before their wedding it’s beautiful to witness and photograph, but it can often be accompanied by a case of the nerves. Usually the engagement shoot happens months (sometimes many months) after our first meeting, and when we meet for the e-shoot we’re sometimes a bit shy around each other because — let’s face it — we’re practically strangers and I’m following them around with a camera. The first thing I do is ostensibly for photography but in reality it’s more of a warming-up exercise. After every shoot I notice the pattern: some of the best shots are at the end, because by then the couple are completely relaxed and they barely notice me. And when I tell them we’re finished and how many shots I’ve taken, they’re surprised at how quickly the time passed and inevitably someone (usually the groom) will say it wasn’t what he was dreading after all! By the time their wedding comes around, the camera isn’t intimidating anymore and they’re preoccupied with the flurry of the day.

In many ways I’m like the restaurateur who comes around your table and asks about your overall experience… because just like a dining experience where it’s not just about the food, for a portrait session it’s not just about the pictures, either — it’s the happy feeling that comes after kissing and snuggling with your soon-to-be spouse for a couple of hours while I make you laugh and run around and climb trees. Just be happy and in love and I’ll take care of the rest 🙂

The engagement album can be viewed as thumbnails, a full-screen Flickr slideshow, or just sit back and watch the mini-slideshow below: