Please follow this guide to prepare for your photo session. The way you do your makeup and hair and your wardrobe choices are highly important for me to make your photos look the best possible.

Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions or concerns.

I am looking forward to working with you.

As a general guideline, avoid prints, stripes, or any patterns and stick with solid colors. Prints tend to look too busy and distract attention away from your pretty face.

Textures = Awesomeness. Clothing with texture (like a lacy dress and/or ruffles) will add more depth to your images.

Avoid: logo or graphic t-shirts and tops; too many patterns; bulky clothing.

Unless you are able to do your own makeup, hair and nails perfectly, It is a good idea to go to a salon to get them done beforehand or have a friend who is skilled in this area help you out. This is a great way to give yourself a boost of confidence before the engagement session!

Hair: Ladies, please touch up your roots prior to your shoot day. And while you’re doing that, you might as well have a stylist trim your hair. Plan on scheduling this one week before your shoot day. On the day of your photo shoot, come with nicely styled hair. The same for the guys: please make sure your hair looks well groomed. Also, please bring a hairbrush with you.

To avoid flying away, make sure your style is sleek. A good fizz control spray or dry oil will help, but use it lightly. If you are afraid to use too much, spray on your hands and then lightly try to control the fizz.

Face: Ladies, please make sure to apply a little bit heavier foundation and eye makeup since features tend to look lighter in pictures. However, please do not apply heavy black eyeliner; if possible, don’t apply any. Instead, you can use a softer eye shadow.

Mascara is a must! The eyes are the focal point of a picture. You want to draw people’s attention into a picture, so you want to maximize the impact of the eyes. Faux eyelashes always look great in pictures.

Also, make sure you wear a matching lip gloss or lipstick and have one handy with you during the photo shoot for touch-ups. Wear bright lipstick! Avoid dark lipstick; it can have a minimizing effect on lips. It can look old and unflattering. Stick with brighter colors.

Blush is a must! Without some color on your cheeks, your face can look two-dimensional in photos. Use a medium pink or peach shade on the apples of your cheeks to help shape your face.

Fill in your brows. Not only do your eyebrows convey character and emotion, but they often mean the difference between looking wide awake and washed out on camera.

Avoid too much sparkle on your face. Anything too shimmery on the skin can just appear too much in a photo. A soft glow is nice, but if you have oily skin, it can really exaggerate the shimmer and make you look very shiny. If you are a shimmer addict and just can’t help yourself, keep the face matte or semi-matte (a velvety finish).

Add a little highlighter to just the tips of the cheekbones and the bridge of the nose with a powder highlighter that has a very soft sheen.

On the other hand, a bit of sparkle below the neck can give your skin a pretty sheen. Dust your collarbone and shoulders with shimmering powder.

Get a manicure done because your hands will most likely show. If you’d like to put a nail polish on, stick with a neutral color or opt for a French manicure.

It wouldn’t hurt to get a spray tan. The great thing about tans are that they tend to make women look slimmer and fitter!

You can’t go wrong with a few good props for your engagement photos. When looking for props, think of your style, the locations you are being photographed at, and what you are planning to wear. It should all blend nicely! We will appreciate your creativity! Some prop ideas might be: balloons, Antique Items, Signs, an old trunk, an antique car, Blankets, a picnic, Flowers, Cupcakes, etc.

While we, as photographers, are great at suggesting locations, it is always helpful when you have a few good ideas in mind. Make sure to scout out location ideas before your engagement session. It would be good to have multiple locations that are different but within walking distance of each other. This helps to eliminate dealing with traffic or worrying about losing lighting as you bounce from one location to the next. Find places that have equally as much sunlight as shaded spots! Keep an eye out for unique textures and backgrounds that allow for diversity!

The timing of an engagement session is really important. Typically, there is a specific window of time during the day that provides ideal lighting for the photographer. So be on time!

Our job is to photograph you “in love”, the true connection between you, the light and love in your eyes... So relax and have a good time. Laugh, smile, jump, dance, etc. Digital cameras are great because they can delete any “bloopers”! Let loose and enjoy yourself.

Don’t take yourselves too seriously! When the moment feels right, kiss or hug without the photographer asking you to. crack jokes and flirt with one another!

It is a given that you will feel a tad awkward when you first start your photo session. Don’t be surprised if it takes a few minutes to warm up! A good photographer will help “pose” you. However, it shouldn’t feel posed.”

Here are a few guidelines and helpful tricks to keep in mind in order to look your best on the photos.

Take a look at your favorite pictures of yourself and try to spot a pattern. Do you like the way you look from a certain angle? When you smile a specific way? Try to replicate your best poses next time you have your photo taken.

So, let’s start with some little tricks:

We all have double chin ;( even if a person is skinny in certain positions it appears as well. To avoid a double chin, elongate your neck and push your face forward a bit. Think of sticking out your forehead and tipping your chin slightly down. It might feel awkward, but it will look great — promise.

Think about angles. Facing the camera straight on is rarely flattering for a woman; instead, turn your head to a three-quarter position to give your features depth. Try the “red carpet” pose: put your hand on your hip, angle your body to the side, and turn your head towards the camera. It’s a cliché, but it really does work to help you look slimmer.

For a man, though, the broader you keep your shoulders, the more masculine you look in the picture. Keep your hands in your pockets with your thumbs out, across your chest, or on your better half.

Keep your eyes open nice and wide. If you tend to blink in photos or it is too bright outside, close your eyes just before the picture is taken and slowly open them before the camera clicks. Avoid squinting your eyes! No more half-closed eyes!

Keep your eyebrows and forehead relaxed! It’s very important to avoid frowning.

Avoid standing directly under the light, which can cast weird shadows on your face. Instead, stand facing a natural light source, such as a window, or in a spot where soft light hits your face from the side.

Forget saying “cheese,” and instead think of something funny. Better yet, joke with the photographer. A natural smile trumps a fake one every time.

Realize that to get “unique” and different photos, you might need to step outside of the box and try something new! Prepare to sit down on the ground—yes, even on a not-so-clean patch of grass or sidewalk! You may need to act goofy, be silly, and do something a tad childish! The more fun and outgoing you can be, the more it will allow us to dig deep into our creative ideas!