Planning & preparing for your engagement session.
For the most part - majority of people haven’t had professional photos taken. So it’s totally normal if you’re not sure what to expect or even if you’re a little nervous. It’s a big deal! Whether we’re documenting your engagement or just celebrating your love, these photos are important & memories you’ll be able to hold onto forever.
You may be coming from out-of-state for your engagement photos in Arizona. It can be a little overwhelming deciding exactly where you want to have your photos taken, what will fit your comfort level, and narrowing down what aspects of the desert you want showcased in your photos.
Fear not though, I’m here to help you. I talk a lot about elopement planning, but I help plan for engagement photos just as much!
The Process:
•Once you’re booked and we have a date set, I’ll send over my detailed location guide. This features spots I’ve photographed all throughout the Phoenix metro (or all of Arizona, depending on where you want your session). I share insight on specific trails, what time of day is best, what type of crowds to expect, and just how to prepare in general.
•After you narrow down what spots you like the most, I’ll send over some full galleries from those areas to give you a better idea of what each location has to offer. This also shows the different lighting scenarios you can expect depending on the time of day & type of weather.
•Then once you two have chosen a spot, I can help with outfit ideas and color schemes. Arizona is an extremely different climate from most areas and it’s no surprise that certain colors stand out better against the oranges and reds of the desert.
I’ll help prepare you for what to expect the day of your session. We’re celebrating you two being engaged so I want your photos to be as stress-free as possible. I’ll help pose and prompt you both the entire time so no need to worry about knowing what to do with your hands or how to stand - that’s what I’m here for!
Ultimately my goal is for your engagement session to just be a fun day where the two of you get to hang out together, be yourselves, and celebrate your love before you get married.
I’ll also probably be your tour guide the whole time pointing out what different cacti are and the surrounding mountains.
What to prepare for:
We’ll start off simple with some classic poses that get you two comfortable & relaxed in front of the camera. I promise you - everyone thinks they look awkward, but you never actually do. When you’re not used to having a photographer up close when you’re hugging & kissing each-other, it’s normal to overanalyze your every move. Once we get into the flow of things though & you get used to the sound of my camera, things will flow smoothly. We’ll transition into more prompts & poses & I’ll capture you two just interacting with each-other.
My engagement sessions are typically anywhere from 1 to 2 hours. This gives us time to explore a lot of scenery & capture the changing light.
What to bring:
Comfortable shoes to walk in
Change of clothes (either a backup outfit or just an outfit for after your session depending on the weather)
Backpack/bag to carry everything (ie. keys, phone, water, wallets, etc).
WATER - this is the desert & even in the winter it is DRY out here
Blanket - a great option for sitting/laying down photos!
Comb/hair brush, make-up, compact mirror for touch-ups if needed
Accessories - add in a hat or jacket to easily change up your outfit
What to wear:
This is truly up to whatever you & your partner feel comfortable in. You by no means have to wear “dressy” or “formal” wear for your engagement photos. These are photos you’ll be able to look back on for your entire lives, so you want to be able to see these photos & really feel like they encompass who you both are.
My biggest suggestion is that you don’t want to have contrasting styles. If one of you is wearing a nice dress, but the other has on a t-shirt & running shoes - that’s when you may want to look at other options for how your outfits can work together. You don’t need to be matchy-matchy, just enough that the style of your clothing works well together. If you’re going to have more than 1 outfit, I typically suggest 1 casual & 1 dressy option to give you the best of both. Wear something that’s comfortable, you can move around in, & won’t wrinkle too easily!
Where to go:
This is one of the toughest decisions because there are SO many options. Some things to consider - do you want desert landscapes? Water? Tall saguaros? City views? Red rocks?
Do you want to go up north towards Sedona or the pine trees of Flagstaff? Or head down south to the thick saguaros in Tucson?
My blog post about Seven of the Best Spots for Engagement Photos in Phoenix may be a good place to start - check it out here.
Embrace the Unexpected:
We may end up with rain, crazy wind, snow (yes, even in AZ), unexpected crowds, an overcast day, or so many other things. And I know how hard it can be to try & accept these things when in your head you’ve probably imagined the “perfect” day. No matter what happens though, it can still be your version of a perfect day (just with some minor tweaks).
We’ll plan ahead as much as we can to prepare for what could happen (I’ve learned to keep spare ponchos & hand warmers in my car on the regular) & we’ll take it for what it is. Because no matter what the weather is or what ends up happening, it’s going to be an amazing, memorable day & let’s face it - sometimes crazy weather can make things even more memorable.
And if you’re worried about anything affecting your photos - trust me, photographers accept all types of weather with open arms. We’re prepared for this & our biggest concern is just that you & your partner have the best time.
FAQ:
Q: How long is an engagement session?
A: 1-2 hours depending on which package you choose!
Q: How many outfits can we bring?
A: 1-3 outfits depending on which package you choose!
Q: Can we bring our pets?
A: Absolutely! Just let me know ahead of time so we can plan accordingly. I always suggest bringing someone else along so that they can watch your animals during the in-between. :)
Q: We’re not really hikers, can we still get great views without going very far?
A: YES! There are so many spots all over the Phoenix Metro & Arizona in general that are incredibility accessible for all levels.
Q: Do we have to know how to pose?
A: Nope! That’s what I’m here for - I’ll help pose & prompt you two the entire time.
Q: What time should our session start?
A: For sunset sessions, I typically have us start about 1-2 hours before “official” sunset time. For sunrise session, we typically start about 15-20 minutes before “official” sunrise time.
Samantha Rose Photography is a Phoenix, Arizona based photographer specializing in elopements & couples photography. When she’s not photographing couples she can be found exploring the desert, planning her next trip to Sedona, or taking photos of the sunset (again).
