This month the SOAR! Recipients are assigned Engagement Shoots!  So get ready!  Tomorrow through Thursday, you can visit the SOAR! blog to see their photo results from doing an Engagement Shoot or even staging one for practice!  The purpose of the shoot is to capture a couple and show their engagement with each other.

Charisse is one of our lovely SOAR! Recipients this year, and her family happened to be models at our Sacramento CONFIDENCE Workshop.  I decided to demonstrate with Charisse and her husband some favorite photo tips to capturing a couple whether they are newly engaged or have been married for fifteen years.

I started by asking Charisse what she loves about Keith, and then asking Keith what he loves about Charisse.  At one point, Charisse said that she loves the way he makes her laugh.  As a photographer, I know it’s easier for people to start with “loud” photos and then move to a more quiet photo.  Laughing photos are more loud in energy and action.  So I photo coached Charisse on what I wanted her to do–I wanted that great big FAKE LAUGH with lots of leaning into Keith, and I also wanted to use her hands to communicate affection.  I think Keith was so amused by it all that he smiled naturally on his own.    He was such a great sport!  In capturing a couple’s love for one another, we are focusing on all the nuances, subtle gestures with hands, leaning into one another, eyes closed, etc to create a three dimensional image.  These are a few of my favorites!

I LOVE how Charisse’s hand on his chin, a subtle action that happens so fast, and yet communicates so much adoration and tenderness.  (If it happens to fast, I ask her to do it again.  I’m all about “Do Overs”.

I had Charisse rest her hand on her chest.  I think hands communicate TREMENDOUS emotion.  In fact, try doing a photo shoot of a couple in love.  They don’t have to be engaged, it’s more the photo exercise of drawing out their subtle gestures that shows us a story of affection in the photos we capture.

And when they are done doing the loud, animated, laughing shots, and they have tried a hundred different ideas that you’ve given them on what to do with their hands, they get to exhale.  That’s when the quiet shot is most powerful and rich.

Charisse, you and Keith were the most fun, beautiful models!  Thank you for letting me play with all different kinds of ideas!  And thank you for getting silly with me!  Your husband is such a GREAT sport!  I can’t wait to see YOUR engagement photos this week on the SOAR! blog!

And Ali, boy, did she luck out!  She second shot my DC Minis with with me on Friday!  Our last mini was a couple celebrating their third wedding anniversary, and they are SO IN LOVE!  Can’t wait to see her results of a couple engaged!

Happy Monday everyone!  After an incredible DC CONFIDENCE weekend, we are off with the kids to the Smithsonian!

xo,

m