One of the most important aspects of any session, not only Engagement Sessions, is mood and direction.

Even if I tell you I have a photojournalistic approach, I will let things happen naturally while taking pictures of the wedding. During the engagement session, the story is halfway different. 

We are all trigger to do the same while being in front of a camera. We stop breathing, staring at the camera, and say cheese or smile. This is entirely normal because we have been told this is the way to be in a picture. 

Adding to this, when we go to a studio, we need to stand without moving, or sometimes we receive direction of walking slow, trying to allow the photographer "capture" the moment. This makes it hard to relax or to capture real moments.

The magic of capturing moments is precisely that. We are capturing the in-between moments from the direction.  Those are the real moments. Now let's go to an engagement session. It is posed, and it is not natural because we are deciding to make a photo session. But the result from these pictures must be as realistic as possible. The way you grab your hands, the way you walk together is unique. How you look at each other is your way.

How does direction work in your favor?

The idea is to fill your mind on simple tasks and concentrate on what you need to do. For example, lines while directing a couples session will be:

Walk from point A to point B as fast as you can, counting every three steps and saying this while looking at each other.

This is a lot to process, and of course, there will be mistakes that bring up a laugh. That is the goal—a real laugh, real moments that come from a directed moment. 

All of this resumes in Trust. Trust your Photographer and follow the direction. It is not always what we are literally saying. It is the effect of what we are saying or doing what we want on the pictures. 

On Monday, we are finishing this series. Now I'm getting ready for my Dutch lesson, hoping really soon I can speak it better.

Have a great day, and see you tomorrow with another blog post,

Joanna

Joanna, your Amsterdam photographer

Weddings - Family - Business Portraits

+31626567232 - info@joannapantigosofotografia.com 

For making an appointment to discuss more your Wedding or Engagement Session, send a message to Whatsapp or fill the Contact Form on the website.