|
March 2008 edition of Rangfinder Magazine
The Art of the
Engagement Photo Session
The Dream Team of Elizabeth Etienne & Barbara Smith combine
their areas of expertise for a formidable one-two punch:
|
| Bridal shower invitations don’t have to be cutesy! Consider combining a bold photograph with complementary fonts and a right-justified border for a sophisticated, elegant layout. |
| One of the most significant items you can offer your clients is an elegant engagement album, guaranteed to preserve the magic of this very special time in the couple’s life. Whether formatted as an art book filled with individual images of artistic perfection or a storybook chronicling a tale of love, creating an engagement album is the perfect opportunity to strengthen the relationship you have with this couple, to present them with something unique and priceless, and to boost your profits. And if that isn’t enough, |
| |
| |
Elizabeth Etienne:
It’s almost impossible to over estimate importance of the engagement session. Adding a photo engagement session to your wedding package isn’t just for increased profits, it also establishes the crucial foundation between photographer and bridal couple. The engagement session has come a long, long way from the standard posed portrait of the couple used for the society page announcement in the local newspaper. It is now an exclusive photo opportunity to capture the personality of the couple in a thoughtfully chosen, stress-free environment without the time constraints of the wedding day.It’s typically a time when they are madly in love, and looking and feeling their best. With props, clothing, and hair and makeup selections,it’s also a chance for them to feel like stars for a day.
Creating a location-based theme for their session is part of the fun of collaboration between client and photographer and can be simple or elaborate—from a hippy, woodsy canyon or romantic sunset on the beach to a vintage, 1940s Hollywood set complete with period piece clothing, props, and hair and makeup styling. As the photographer, I can sometimes just look at a couple andimmediately see them in a particular setting. I’ll often make suggestions; other times they will enthusiastically tell me what they had in mind. Sometimes it’s based on a sentimental reason: One couple chose a specific beach because it was where he proposed to her. Another couple loved to spend weekends cuddled in bed watching old Hitchcock movies, so we created a photo session based on old film noir stills. Personalities, appearance and common interests play a key factor in determining the direction, look and feel for the session.
Preparing for these types of photo sessions involves location scouting and research. I pore through magazines, old books, websites and other photo-related materials to find images I can use as reference tear sheets. These are then shown to the couple to get their feedback so they feel involved in the pre-production process. It also gives my hair and makeup assistant a specific direction to follow. When I scout locations prior to the shoot day, I always try to arrive at the sametime I will be shooting the actual session and as close to the shoot date as possible. This enables me to analyze the natural light: what direction it comes from, where it falls and it's overall quality at that time of year. This is when I really get flooded with inspiration and excitement! At this point, I’ll often make quick, rough storyboard sketches for myself to use as reminders of specific ideas I have in mind.
On the production shoot day all reference materials are reviewed with my photo assistants so that they too are a part of the collaboration and can prepare the proper equipment we’ll need for each specific shot.During the session I try capturing a mix of moods, from serious to playful. Many couples confide they are un-photogenic and camera shy. By the end of the shoot, it’salways those people who say, “Wow! That was fun. It’s over already?” I think we all enjoy hamming it up now and then or getting the chance to play the part of a gangster or a Hollywood starlet for our 15 minutes of fame.
When I present the finished photos t othe clients, they are always ecstatic. Each image looks like a still from an old movie,an album cover, a celebrity editorial story ora Vogue fashion shoot. They feel connected to the images because they were part of the process, and once they share them with their friends and family, everyone has a deeper respect for my capabilities. By making the most of the engagement session, I’ve established an intimacy with the couple while also instilling confidence thatthe wedding day will run smoothly.
 |
consider this: An engagement album is something that will undoubtedly and eagerly be shared with friends and family members, which translates into invaluable word-ofmouth promotion for you. With the proliferation of online services offering professionally bound Simplicity is key: Just a few fabulous images, each ac- albums, you may be asking, “Why in the world would I bother doing this myself?” The answer is simple: Because either way, you will be designing the album. Why not print it yourself so you have ultimate control over the look and quality of the end product? Fine art quality digital papers, user-friendly desktop printers, and simple classic binding methods—it’s easier
|
Barbara Smith:
The engagement session calls for a unique photo album showcasing the best shots. I like to keep it simple, whether sweet or sophisticated, saving the real glory for the wedding album.
I lay out the pages in Photoshop, and a few well chosen wordsto accompany the images speak volumes.
You can also tap into an additional stream of income and give your clients the convenienceof one-stop shopping by offering save-the-date cards, wedding invitations,and even a guest book featuring favorite photos from the engagement session.
You may be surprised to learn just how easy and cost-effective it is to design, print and assemble these types of items in the comfort of your studio. My guess is that you probably have most ofthe equipment you need right at hand. If you edit your photos in a software program like Adobe Photoshop, you’re already way ahead of the game. What youmay not realize is that Photoshop is also perfect for laying out stationery, books and promotional materials. All you need now is a reliable printer (I prefer Epson inkjetprinters) and a good paper cutter.
Thanks to the advent of fine art digital papers, it’s easy to offer your client a truly elegant product. The creative qualityor mood of each photograph will inspirea particular paper. Elizabeth  favors romantic, sepia-toned images that are complemented most effectively by off white, watercolor-type paper and other natural-hued, textured papers. The font choice is determined by the desired theme: elegant, romantic, eclectic or even grunge! The fun lies in playing with all the options. When meeting with clients, I give thema choice of three looks. Usually, one is classic, one has a touch of something different and the third is over the top. Each has its own price point: very affordable, mid-range and high-end. Speaking of high-end,I recently designed a deluxe wedding ensemble, featuring a photo of the Swedish castle where the wedding would be held as a background for the invitation, with three inserts—an itinerary, a toastmaster card and a response card—as well as a program to be handed out at the wedding. After the event, I’ll also be creating thank-you notes featuring a favorite photo from the wedding itself, photo-based gifts for the bridal party and an album. Now that’s not just an additional stream of income, it’s a raging river!
The format of the piece determines the amount of labor and expertise involved, thus determining the expense. A simple, flat, save-the-date card featuring a favorite photo of the couple and a basic center alignment takes about 15 minutes to layout. Once you’ve tweaked the layout to perfection (always print rough drafts on plain paper), copies stream off the printer in almost no time, the only expense being paper, ink and envelope. A basic card like that can cost as little as 25–50 cents to make and sell for $3.00–$4.00. You do the math. Wedding invitations and thank-you notes are just as easy. For wedding invitations, use the finest paper you can find. I prefer Crane’sMuseo II.
than you might imagine. The bottom line is this: When properly executed, nothing compares with the warmth and attention-to-detail inherent in a handcrafted album. As with all of your digital endeavors, the first step is to create a finely-tuned workflow that will ensure that each project moves along in a timely, efficient manner. This includes editing each photo individually, then laying out the pages. Check out magazines and online albums for inspiration. Resize images to your liking. Surround a special shot with a lot of white space to set it off. Combine several images on one page for a miniseries of sorts. If necessary, flip an image’s orientation to improve the contextual flow of the album. Take the overall color into consideration, whether it’s black-and-white, toned or tinted; use a recurring color as an accent for backgrounds or borders, or add standard, sloppy or faded borders. Add any special effects at which you excel—but not too many! Include some text—a title page, perhaps a short poem or lyrics to a song, or maybe some personal quotes from the couple. |
Above: Laying out pages in Photoshop is a breeze. The turquoise guides don’t print, but in this
case help align the layout with a sufficient border to accommodate the torn pages. |
Once you get the hang of it, you’ll want to create folded cards printed on both sides,even little booklets and pocket invitations (perfect for destination weddings). You may want to add embellishments such as ribbon, charms or sealing wax. And here’s a bonus: If you print your studio information onthe back of each piece, every person who receives it will know how to get in touch with you.
Barbara Smith and Elizabeth Etienne will be offering The Art of The Engagement Session workshop.
For more information and their 2008workshop schedule, go to: http://www.eephoto.com/index.php/Workshops/Workshops.html
Elizabeth Etienne has lived many years in Paris, shootingadvertising, music, film and fine art. She has alsophotographed weddings for more than 20 years. She isthe author of the soon-to-be-released book titled FromSnapshot to Cashbox. Elizabeth currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.
For more information visit:http://www.eephoto.com
Barbara Smith offers workshops and seminars onusing Photoshop to combine images, graphic designand paper arts to create unique social stationery anddistinctive promotional materials. She is the author ofThe Art & Craft of Keepsake Photography (2007, WatsonGuptill/Amphoto).
Her second book is, Baby Face:Celebrating Your Pregnancy and Baby with BeautifulPhoto Crafts.http://www.bsmithphotography.com
|
