You know those photos of couples frolicking around a beach, entangled in one another, beaming from ear to ear? Photos like that are some of my absolute favorites. Not because the couple is at the beach, but because you can tell that the couple is in their happy place with their person. As a full-time couples and wedding photographer, I’ve spent a lot of time photographing couples. But my absolute favorite sessions are the ones that really encapsulate who my couple is as a whole. So if that sounds like something you’re trying to nail down for your engagement session, this one’s for you! Here are 3 ways to add personality to your engagement photos. 

#1 Tip to Add Personality to Your Engagement Session

Infusing personality into engagement sessions is something that I take a lot of pride in as a couples photographer. This process starts as soon as I get an inquiry from a couple. My biggest goal when a couple reaches out is to find out as many details as possible. Here are a few of the top questions + details I ask for from my couples:

• Tell me about your partner – what is their personality like!? (Side note: It is SO cute to hear how my couples talk about one another)
• How did you meet?! Give me allll the juicy details!
• What do you envision for your engagement session?

By taking away as many details as possible from my couples, I’m able to get to know them on a deeper level. Which means: I am able to tell their story more authentically through the photos I capture.

If you’re looking for a photographer to capture your engagement photos, I want to encourage you to share all the sweet details with them. (And if you’re a photographer, this is your sign to start digging a little deeper with your couples.) 

Story Time

Let me tell you a story of one of my recent engagement sessions. I had a couple inquire; when I asked how they met, they told me the sweetest story of how they met at a local movie theater when they were in middle school. Flash forward to today, that movie theater still means a lot to them. When I asked what vibes they were looking for in their engagement session, both of them wanted beachy, coastal tones. It was at this point that I knew I wanted to do something epic with the couple. 

I remembered that my couple met at a local movie theater. So we decided split their sesh into two parts. We began our day along the beach at Morro Bay before heading back to Bakersfield to the same movie theater that they met at. We seriously that the raddest time in both locations, but my personal fave was at the theater. From the arcade to the photo booth, this couple actually crushed their session. And ps, I can’t freaking way to share more from this engagement session!

Whether you’re a photographer or a recently engaged couple, I hope that my #1 tip to add personality to your engagement photos helps create the dreamiest session. And if you’re still searching for a photographer? 😏 Look no further, babe! I’d love to chat HERE. In the meantime, be sure to follow me over on the ‘Gram (@sierrabrookphotography). ’Til next time, lovers.