Afternoon beautiful peoples ;) You may have noticed that I tend not to feature too many engagement or pre-wedding shoots {or 'love shoots' as I prefer to call them} and that's probably because I feel that for the most part, these photographs are a private opportunity for the couple to learn how to relax in front of the camera, to became used to being directed by the photographer and feel comfortable about being photographed ready for their wedding day.
For many, I guess it's a fairly uncomfortable and daunting experience at first, for others it might be something they relish. For some couples however, when it comes to their love shoot, it seems that they were born to be in front of the camera, a little like Sara and Andy...
Sara is the blogger behind The Wedding Sparrow, and she is due to marry her long-term fiance Andy in the next few weeks...
Love My Dress Wedding Blog - Photography Copyright (c) 2012, Debs Ivelja
Sara told me about the experience of finding her wedding photographer and getting used to being in front of the camera ready for her big day...
"Choosing our photographer for the wedding was one of the hardest decisions we made during the wedding planning process. What made it harder was that I had a massive fear of being photographed too.
No exaggeration, it literally gave me panic attacks to know that someone would have a camera in our face whilst the pressure was on to look as calm and serene as you see the brides on wedding blogs and in magazines. In truth, I was putting way too much pressure on myself to be perfect. Like most women I have my insecurities and I was convinced the camera would just be picking these up and showing them off to the world. I’m not relaxed when a camera comes out and I didn’t want this to show in our wedding day photos."
"So why on earth have an engagement shoot I hear you ask?! I figured I needed to get used to the camera and how to look more natural and relaxed whilst getting used to someone pointing a lens at you. It’s a very personal thing and I needed to have a ‘dummy run’ so to speak before the big day.
The last thing I wanted was to look back at stiff looking photos of the wedding and wished I’d had practised beforehand. It doesn’t matter how good your photographer is at Photoshop, they will struggle to get that ‘terrified’ look off the bride’s face!"
"I did my research on the internet and didn’t restrict myself to the local area. I read a lot of blogs and follow a fair amount of photographers on twitter so I checked out as many websites as possible. Some I found certainly had obvious ‘styles’ about them and some seemed more traditional.
We met up with three contenders at our home to find out what they were like in person too. It was important we shared the same style (and they were good at Photoshop!). In the end (and after a three hour chat!), we choseDebs Ivelja..."
"Debs was really kind and much more than a wedding photographer. It was important to us that we chose someone who was passionate about photography in general and was always striving to be better. It was amazing how many photographers out there just saw wedding photography as a paycheck and not about making beautiful images. Debs’ passion shone through as we saw her pictures from her around-the-world travels and the way she spoke about wedding photography sealed the deal for us.
So the e-shoot came around and Debs was very patient with us whilst we played ‘model’ for the day. We went to the New Forest which is near to where we live and full of wild ponies and beautiful scenery. Although I breathed a sigh of relief when it was all over, I was glad I did it and now have a much better expectation of the wedding day..."
"I can’t recommend Debs highly enough as a photographer as it’s more like having a friend photograph you than a stranger. Debs always keeps in contact and I can’t wait until the wedding in ten weeks when she captures the day for us.
To anyone who is not confident in having their photograph taken, I would highly recommend having an engagement shoot prior to the wedding to get used to how having someone take your picture feels like. Not only would you get used to them and how they work but it also gives the photographer a chance to see how you are and give tips on how to get the best images. Drop Annabel a comment below and let us know if you are having an engagement shoot and how you found it – would leave to hear your experiences..."
Isn't that just lovely? I adore these photographs, they depict such a perfect moment in time and Debs' skill behind the lens is evident in the way she captures the light, the love and the bond between Sara and Andy.
Sara, I'm s excited for you guys and your wedding, thank you so much for allowing me to share these beautiful photographs with my readers.
You can learn more about Sara over at The Wedding Sparrow and see more of Deb's work on Love My Dress here. Those interested in learning more about Debs' photography services should visit her website here
Are any of my readers planning a 'love shoot' in the near future? I'd love to hear from you, what your experiences so far have been, and how you've handled the task of finding your own wedding photographer...
You can see more love shoots on Love My Dress here.
Annabel
♥
