Thank you for scheduling
your engagement session!
I’m so excited to work with you and get you some dreamy photographs that you will treasure forever :)
Ain’t no party like a Red Herron Art Party
because a Red Herron Art Party is FUN this thing I’m going to make you read.
Bet you didn’t think that booking this session would come with homework— but yeah, I’m going to require you to read this whole thing before your session. Read it once now and then again right before your session!
DO NOT SKIP THIS.
You’re here because you want great photos— and that’s why I’m going to tell you that getting amazing photos is so much more than showing up and putting on some cute clothes and posing in front of a camera. It’s so important to me that you’re in the right frame of mind for your session, and I’m going to give you everything you need to get you there! If you’re stressing about how you look, feeling awkward or unsure— we’re going to knock out those negative thoughts BEFORE you get to the session, and I’m going to help you do it. You’re going to show up excited, looking/feeling your best, and confident that I’m gonna get the best out of both of you!
And listen, if you hate reading things— I get it, I tear up basically every piece of mail I get because WHO HAS THE TIME but trust me, you’re going to want to read all of this. It is genuinely the actual secret to getting GREAT photos vs. good photos, and I want you to have the best. Everything that I’m sharing with you here is real, tested and proven and I’m so thrilled to share it with you! So let’s talk about it.
General Expectations for the Session
At the start of the session, the first thing I usually do is take about 2-3 minutes to just chat about how you’re feeling, for me to go over how I usually do things, and about any last minutes plans or ideas we want to incorporate into the photos! I usually show up a little early just to have some time to adjust the settings on my camera, scout the area and make sure everything is ready to go. I also generally have a bag or backpack of some kind with me, so unless we discuss differently beforehand, you don’t need to bring a bag or much of anything with you! You can put your phone/keys/wallets/purse in my bag and that will leave you both free and ready to be photographed. (If your purse is part of your outfit and you want to keep it with you, I’m all for that). I’m always going to be taking photos— sometimes when we’re just walking from place to place, and all the little in between moments that happen to be some of my favorites. The more you can set yourself up to be carefree during the session, the better!
The way I feel about taking your photo is this —
I don’t like things that are fake. I don’t like the idea of telling you HOW to interact, where to put your hands, telling you to kiss, etc. But I will give you some direction on what to do and where to stand for best light, etc because that’s half the battle in getting a good photo (framing and good light). The other half is the subjects (that’s you!) interacting in a meaningful and genuine way. So I won’t be telling you HOW to do things, but I will give you prompts so that you have a jumping off point, and I may ask you to tweak things if I’m feeling inspired. I’m not looking for you to nail the prompts— there’s no right or wrong here, it’s just a tool to get you to get out of your head and into your body, and focus on each other instead of on the camera.
For example: If I tell you to dance, that’s up to your interpretation! If you’re the kind of couple that cuts a rug on the dancefloor and you love big and bold movement, go crazy. If you’re the kind of couple that is more understated and romantic, do a nice sensual slow dance. If the idea of dancing or dancing in front of anyone makes you want to crawl out of your skin because you feel so awkward, do it anyway. What’s going to happen is that you’re going to laugh at each other and the resulting pictures will show how you comfort each other even in moments of uncertainty and THAT’s where the magic is. I promise I do not take awkward photos— focus on each other and not how you feel or how you think you look, and I promise your photos will be fire.
If I ever ask you to do something that makes you completely uncomfortable, feel free to tell me no (this has never happened but I always remain respectful of people’s boundaries). But for the most part, I am asking you to trust me: Worst case scenario, I ask you to do something that makes you feel kinda silly for 30 seconds. Best case, you lean into it with no fear and GASP when you see how the pictures turn out. The couples who come in open minded and ready to feel ridiculous are the ones who get the best photos, trust me. I’m also going to constantly give you feedback, so if something looks off, I’ll tell you to adjust. But most of the time I’m just telling you how cute you look. It’s going to be insanely annoying how many times I say it. I apologize in advance, I really can’t stop it.
Basically, this whole session is going to feel like a date night with a kind of bossy third wheel. I get so many messages after sessions that go something like this:
“Hey just wanted to let you know that we both had so much fun today! (Chris/John/Amanda) was really nervous to do this but when we got home he said “ I thought that was going to be horrible but Karly actually made it really easy and fun.”
Trust the process.
How to set yourself up for success
Think about this entire day (so not JUST the time your session starts, but the whole day leading up to it) as a chance to mindfully connect with your partner in a way that you don’t normally take the time to. Give yourself plenty of time to get ready, travel to your session (maybe stop for some coffee/tea, get a drink (ONE drink— sloppy drunk does not translate to good pictures), hold hands and treat it like a date!) and in general treat the day like you have nothing better to do than to focus on each other and how you make each other feel. What I’m saying is— life is stressful and we all get lost in the day to day. Just make sure that the day of your session you pull yourself out of that and try to focus on what really matters (each other).
Mindset is going to be HUGE on this day— you don’t want to show up frazzled because you didn’t give yourself enough time to get ready or to drive to the session, and you don’t want to be stressed and picking at each other about how you should have left earlier or worried about ANYTHING. Because then you will feel like you are faking smiles for the photos and faking it is the last thing we are going to be doing during your session! Showing up relaxed, open minded and in a good mood is going to do WONDERS for your photos.
If you’re reading this and you can barely follow along because you’re just trying to think of ways to fake your own death to get out of this, this section is for you.
I try really hard not to generalize or stereotype most of the time but if you’re a man who feels like they’re being dragged here against their will, or anyone who feels like photos are kinda stupid or a waste of time or you hate all photos of yourself, listen up extra hard:
Okay, so first: I’m so with you here. I’m the biggest hypocrite on earth because I spend all my time behind a camera telling people how cute they are but the minute someone turns the camera around I’m like… “excuse me I have to return some videotapes.” I could show you my senior pictures that belong in a museum for awkward photos, in a big giant gold frame in it’s own room where people have plenty of room to point and laugh at it together. But in my defense, I think it was just because my photographer was bad. I got no direction. I did nothing interesting because no one told me to do anything interesting. Someone pointed a camera at me and said “smile!” and it turns out that just doesn’t make great photos.
Are there some people who are more meant for the camera than others? Absolutely. I’m not going to lie or sugarcoat, of course there are. But of all the people I’ve had in front of my camera, I’ve had maybe 2 people who were really feeling themselves and were hitting angles and giving me ideas for their poses. This is not the norm. I would estimate that 80% of people tell me they are “awkward,” have never had photos done before, and don’t know what to expect. And I think what they expect is what they’ve already seen, which is bad iPhone photos taken by friends or by themselves. Every time someone takes a photo of me with a phone I want to look for the nearest 5 lane highway and lay down in the middle of it.
Of those 80% of people who say they are going to be awkward, I would say most of them are still excited and optimistic, and the rest range from people who are like “well we’re here so lets get this over with” to people who are so visibly uncomfortable that they seem like they forgot they have limbs or the ability to speak and look the way I imagine someone who’s just been told they’re going to spend the rest of their life in prison would look (If this is you— do not panic! I’ve seen it all. I promise this is not something we can’t work through. If you don’t trust me, ask me to send you the gallery of a couple who was struggling with this— it’s one of my favorites to date).
But as someone who does spend most of their time behind a camera lens, I can tell you that every time I take a “bad” photo of anyone— and this includes people of every size, every color, every gender, every age— it is 100% my fault. And those go in the trash never to see the light of day again. And I think that’s the main difference between me and your Aunt Linda with a cell phone: I know what pictures are bad, and I know where they belong (hint: not tagged on facebook without your permission). I also know how to get good pictures, because I know that angles are our friend, that bad light makes you look 300 years older than you actually are, and that genuine emotion in a photo is way better than any pose I could coach you into. And I know how to get it out of you even when you’re annoyed/nervous/skeptical of the camera in your face.
Like with anything you’ve never done before or anything that you’re dreading, the key is to just jump into it. Part of the reason that I make plenty of time for these sessions is because sometimes you need to warm up, and that’s ok! Maybe it will suck at first to feel like paparazzi is following you, but as time goes on you’ll care about it less, and you will get more confident.
If you’ve read all of this and you still feel like “yeah but that was everyone else, I’m different” …I’m sorry to break it to you but you’re just not that special. There’s no amount of awkwardness, acne, extra weight, scars, birthmarks, etc that will keep your photos from being great. There’s something breathtakingly beautiful about you, your relationship and the way you love each other. Just focus on that, and I’ll get the visual proof of it. The only way your pictures don’t turn out absolutely stunning is if you come into this thinking you’re too cool to try any of my prompts, loosen up and trust me. You’re paying me money for a reason and trusting me with an open mind is how you’ll get the most out of this.
Helpful tips
If I could pick ONE thing to tell you before your session to help you out, it’s that you need to remember to look at each other. When you’re walking down a forested path, or downtown, or sitting on a bench together— the story we’re telling with these picture is not “here’s two people sitting on a bench.” That’s not the interesting part of the story. The interesting part is what the two people are doing— What’s their relation to each other? How do they interact and what does that say about who they are as individuals or as a couple? Are they in love or do they hate each other’s guts?
This is just part of overcoming the awkwardness of having a camera in front of you at all times, but it’s really easy to lose the plot. So when you are hand in hand and focusing on a prompt I’ve given you, don’t worry about how you look or what to do with your hands or if you’re “doing it right”— remember that the way you are interacting is the entire point. Channel your past selves on your first, second or third date. Think about the way you were super enamored with each other and how you couldn’t wait to make physical contact to the point where you might drift in an out of the conversation because your fixation on wanting to touch the other person was so distracting. So if you’re lost on what to do or feeling awkward, look at your partner. Snuggle up to them, get closer, put your face in their face.
And if you forget this part, don’t worry, I will remind you. If you end up doing a mental tally of how many times I say “CUUUUUUTE” and “Look at each other!”— just don’t tell me because I will probably die of embarrassment.
Another thing I will say is prioritize your comfort over everything. Wear something comfortable. Choose a location that you feel relaxed and comfortable in. Don’t make your partner do or wear something they don’t feel like themselves in. The confidence that shines through in your actions is so much more important that the “right” article of clothing. I have a style guide at the bottom of this page and you should reference it, just keep in mind comfort here is going to be so important. For people who like dresses, I would say wear a dress 100% if you can. Dresses are great because they allow movement that looks really good on camera, and it’s flattering on pretty much anyone. Same with hair— If you have long hair and wear it down it’s gonna look amazing in photos.
Over all, I just want you to come to this session ready to have fun. I want your prevailing emotion on this date to be excitement, because this is truly going to be a good time.
FAQs:
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Congrats, you're normal! I know that most people aren't models and don't feel super comfortable being in front of a camera. I will help you have fun during the session so that you don't feel like you have to pose or perform--the only thing you have to worry about is being yourself! I'll do the rest.
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It can definitely be exhausting trying to come up with something to wear for your session-- you want to look and feel like yourself, but the best version of that! Luckily I got you covered- scroll to the bottom of this page to find a link to my Wardrobe Guide and we'll get you looking spiffy!
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I know you're excited to see the magic we've created and believe me, I'm excited to get you those photos as soon as I can! I'm always working as fast as possible while also taking the time to make sure the photos are looking AMAZING and something you'll cherish forever.
In most cases, I deliver sneak peeks within 48 hrs-- 15 or so images that will hold you over until I can get the rest to you. It typically takes 2-4 weeks to get the full gallery delivered to you, dependent on how busy I am.
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When your photos are done, I'll send you a link to your private gallery where you can download high resolution and web sized versions of your photos. I recommend that you immediately download all high res versions to a safe place (or two!) so that your images are always safe. I always pay for your gallery to stay up for at least one year, but I can't guarantee anything past that. You can also share the gallery with anyone you want-- friends or family-- and they can also download or buy prints right from the gallery shop!
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I don't offer specific packages because I've found that everyone's needs are so different and I don't want you to pay for anything you don't want! Your online gallery has many print options so that you can choose what's best for you, a la carte! There are photo prints, albums, holiday cards, and anything else you could possibly want!
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I really just want everyone to come prepared to HAVE FUN and be themselves. Also keep in mind that these photos are so important because not only are we documenting specific events or milestones, but we're also capturing who you are as people, and how you interact with anyone who is in the photoshoot with you. It sounds obvious but try to get everyone in a good mood before the session! Remember how much you love each other and remember that the more you positively interact with each other during the session, the more your love will come through in the photos. Be ready to hold hands, look at each other a lot, dance, run through fields, and be YOU. And if it's all too overwhelming in the moment, I'll be there to help you the whole time.
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ABSOLUTELY. (If I could require people to bring a dog to every session, I would!) Bring anyone who is going to put you in a good mood, make you laugh, or just make you feel more comfortable. If you're going to bring a dog, it's not a bad idea to bring a dog wrangler along in case you want some photos without the dog in it and don't feel comfortable leaving a pup in your car.
Don't bring anyone who is going to be disruptive, distract you too much, or make you feel uncomfortable.
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Typically I always offer that if the bad weather is mild, like a light rain, I do have some clear umbrellas for use that actually look really great in photos and will suggest everyone just comes with their rainboots on ready to play in the rain! Rain photos can be really cool if everyone is willing to embrace it!
But if that bums you out too much, or the rain is really heavy or it's storming, we can try to find a time to reschedule if my schedule permits. Let's keep our eye on the weather and catch up closer to the date!
Look out for an email
a couple days before your session for additional info
about your session, weather/location issues + more!
As always, reach out any time if you have any additional questions, concerns, or anything that needs clarification!
