Sunset Beach Engagement Portraits At The Capitola Wharf – Four Things To Help You Plan The Perfect Session
For many people, engagement portraits are their first professional portrait session. It is a great opportunity to celebrate the months leading to your wedding and to celebrate this special moment in time. If you have never taken professional portraits before – no need to worry 🙂 Here are some sun and candid sunset beach engagement portraits in Capitola. As well as four things to help you prepare for the perfect session.
The Timing Of The Session Is Key
When it comes to sunset beach engagement portraits, the first thing to coordinate with your Photographer is the timing. The best time to take outdoor portraits is going to be in the evening, about an hour before sunset. And this is especially the case with portraits at the beach. I recommend taking a quick look at a sunset calendar to see the exact time the sun will be setting at your location. Once you find out the time the sun will be setting, I would set the session to end about 15 minutes before the sun sets. At sunset, the lighting is soft, flattering, and vibrant – which make for beautiful engagement portraits.
Along these same lines, I would also keep in mind that the beach can be a popular place. I would avoid Holidays and weekends if possible. If your schedule allows you to take the engagement portraits on a weekday, the beach will be far less crowded. And you may even have the entire beach to yourself.
For Sessions At Sunset, Arrive Early
Secondly, I highly recommend planning to arrive at least 10-15 minutes before the start of the session. If you are unfamiliar with the location, this will give you enough time to find parking and walk to the starting place. Keep in mind that if you are running behind, your Photographer will not be able to extend the session past the scheduled end time. Once the sun sets, you’ll be out of light and won’t be able to take any more portraits.
Keep The Session Fun, Candid
I believe that the best portraits are fun, candid, and feel unposed. When working with couples, I love getting you and your partner moving and interacting with each other. By keeping the session fun and candid, your natural smile can be highlighted in the portraits. If you have never taken portraits before, there is no need to plan ahead on poses. Your Photographer will walk you through the session and have poses and ideas. Prior to booking your session, it is important to take a look at your Photographers website to see if the style that they shoot in matches what you are looking for. As much as possible, I recommend hiring a Photographer whose style you LOVE. Not hiring a Photographer and showing them examples of another Photographers work that you would like them to replicate. Working off of a shot list of other Photographers work can cause the session to feel more choreographed than fun and candid.
Research A Great Restaurant To Go To After The Session
Last but not least, I encourage couples to plan something fun for after the session. Your engagement portraits should be a celebration of this time in your relationship. Planning dinner or a fun activity afterwards is a great way to keep the entire day focused on celebrating your engagement 🙂
If you are planning your own sunset beach engagement portraits, hopefully this article has been helpful. Thanks!
