Liesl from
Claris Photography just wrapped up an engagement session with a couple planning to get married next June. When she shared her photos with us, our jaws dropped and couldn't believe that this happened right around the corner. Check out what Liesl had to say and how she worked with the couple to bring their ideas to life!
Kristen and Dan will be getting married next June and wanted to get started by doing an engagement session for a "save-the-date" photo. Kristen is the manager of an art gallery and has a very artistic eye. We shared ideas ahead of time and Kristen's input was essential. Dan was incredibly patient and willing to go along with our sometimes bizarre ideas. I loved that Kristen had done her homework and used tips she learned on postures and poses she liked - The "Broken" look she was after which totally worked in some shots. This was a perfect example of the "Collaboration" concept I like to convey before and during photography sessions.
The locations were all very close to their home on the lake and careful consideration had been taken to determine outfit changes to maximize our time. However, we realized at one point that Dan didn't have the perfect shirt so it seemed only natural that we should ask him to take it off entirely. He didn't skip a beat and removed his shirt just as a jogger went by. And, ok so maybe an orange couch in the middle of someone's driveway is a little out of the norm but its all about the art! (We also noticed halfway through the security camera zooming in on us.)
Mostly, Kristen and Dan were very forgiving people and hopefully weren't offended by my habit of opening my mouth as words tumbled out without consideration (like telling them their boat house reminded me of the ice pick scene in "I Know What You Did Last Summer" or asking to use her lamp "Hey, how about if we use that dorky lamp you have in the bedroom?". Maybe it wasn't ok to ask if she had a hard time finding a date to her Senior Prom in that purple dress she wore...oops :)
I learned a few lessons along the way which always seems to happen. At one point, probably because Dan and I were giving her a tough time (in a fun way), Kristen started to second guess herself on one of her ideas. She hesitated and thought maybe we should skip it and I said "NO WAY...You had the vision so we're going to follow it through even if it doesn't work out!" I told her we should just try it...that we can't go back now. And while the shot we may have been after wasn't exactly how it was supposed to go down, the images that happened before and after were some of the most powerful of the day. Just goes to show a concept that happens all the time if you keep your options open...Sometimes the journey along the way is WAY more interesting than the destination.
Thanks Kristen and Dan! Can't wait for next June!
