Tec Petaja

As well as thinking about an engagement session as a story, I like to include detail shots to break up all the portraits. A blog post just gets old fast if it’s all portraits. So I make sure I’m getting good shots of cool stuff around them or of their hands or anything I see them doing that’s sweet. And then I’ll also take some shots of the environment, which is one of my favorite things to do. It gives the story a more grounded, personal feel. A couple standing underneath a tree doesn’t tell you much. Add in a wide shot of the nearby hills, or something like that, and you’ve got yourself a story. Some people like to take environmental shots beforehand (while they are scouting) so they can focus on portraits during the shoot. I don’t do that for one important reason: the light will be different. The whole point of documenting the environment is to be a better storyteller. If you shoot all your nature shots when the sun is up and all your portraits during golden hour, there will be a clear disconnect. Even if you get it at the same time the day before, one day might be sunny and the next day is cloudy. Plenty more detail on this topic in Wedding Photography with Tec Petaja. The link is in my profile until midnight tonight when the sale ends. #ifimade ⠀