Engagement Shoot

June 14, 2010 | 6 Comments |

A lovely engagement shoot and short interview with Jon Thorpe of Union Photography.

Did you stumble upon the big yellow wall?

In this case I knew about the wall beforehand, but for many shoots we will just drive for five minutes and stop at whatever place catches my eye. I am not usually hunting for grand architectural features, as something as simple as a colourful garbage bin can provide a visually stimulating backdrop. I usually look for colour, texture, reflection, tone (light) and message.

Did the couple do a lot of the directing? Did they provide the location ideas?

They chose the wardrobe after I made the suggestion to pick out a few versatile outfits (I love the cute Dan & Jill shirts they made up), but everything else was on me. I typically choose locations based on my clients’ interests and personality. I also provide what I call ‘organic direction,’ as I want them to look as natural as possible while still having a stylish lifestyle flair. I don’t believe that photojournalism works so well for engagement and lifestyle sessions, as couples quite often require a degree of direction to look and feel comfortable in front of the camera. A lot times, I will lightly pose the couples for the first portion of the shoot and then let them take over and/or collaborate once they learn a few simple posing tricks.

How long did this particular shoot take?

Lifestyle engagement shoots are casual and last 1.5-2.5 hours depending on the time of day and logistics. I take my time, as my shoots are as much about getting to know the couple as they are about photographing them. It’s very important that I get a vibe from them. This shoot was done in the evening hours (7:30-9:30).

Where were all of the other locations? Where was the grass field, for instance?

We went from the Brickworks (which now has a $200 permit in place, FYI) to Harbourfront and did a few wardrobe changes along the way. I like to mix things up as much as possible as it gives my couples a more useful range of imagery.

All photographs by: Jon Thorpe of Union Photography.

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