Elizabeth Etienne - The Art of Engagement Photography: Creative Techniques for Photographing Couples in Love

Copyright 2011 by Elizabeth Etienne

All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Amphoto Books, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York
www.crownpublishing.com
www.amphotobooks.com

AMPHOTO BOOKS and the Amphoto Books logo are trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Library of Congress CIP data is available from the Library of Congress.

eISBN: 978-0-8174-4974-2

Cover and interior design by Megan McLaughlin
Front cover photograph by Elizabeth Etienne

v3.1

: Nikon F100, 105mm Nikkor lens, Kodak 400CN film, 200ASA, 1/125 sec. at f/2.8

: Nikon F100, 85mm PC Nikkor lens, Kodak 400NC film, 200 ASA, 1/125 sec. at f/2.8, natural ambient light

: Nikon F100, 85mm PC Nikkor lens, Kodak 160NC film, 100ASA, 1/500 sec. at f/2.8, natural ambient light

: Nikon F100, 105mm Nikkor lens, Kodak BW400CN film, 100 ASA, 1/125 sec. at f/2.8, natural ambient light

: Nikon F100, 85mm PC Nikkor lens, Kodak B/W400CN film, 100 ASA, 1/60 sec. at f/2.8, artificial, incandescent studio lighting

: Nikon F100, Kodak BW400CN film, 200 ASA, 85mm PC Nikkor lens, 1/500 sec. at f/5.6, natural ambient light

: Nikon D3, 200mm Nikkor lens, ISO 200, 1/1250 sec. at f/4.5, Tiffen polarizing filter, natural ambient light

: Nikon F100, 105mm Nikkor lens, Kodak 400NC film, 200 ASA, 1/125 sec. at f/2.8, natural ambient light

: Nikon F100, 105mm Nikkor lens, Kodak BW400CN film, 100 ASA, 1/30 sec. at f/2.8, tripod, Nikon soft #1 filter, natural ambient light

: Nikon F100, 85PC Nikkor lens, Kodak 400CN film, 200 ASA, 1/250 sec. at f/2.8, natural ambient light

: Nikon F100, 105mm Nikkor lens, Kodak 400CN film, 200 ASA, 1/125 sec. at f/2.8, Tiffen #85B warming filter, natural ambient light with white fill reflector

: Nikon F100, 105mm Nikkor lens, Kodak 160NC film, 100 ASA, 1/125 sec. at f/2.8, natural ambient light

I want to express my deepest gratitude to all the passionate, eager, aspiring photographers who have come into my life through my unique internship and assisting program. Their enthusiasm and hunger to learn gave me a wonderful platform of inspiration. While going through the day-to-day activities in and out the office, which involves market research, finances, self-promotion, location scouting, photo shoots, and client relations, I came to realize how much knowledge I had actually acquired over all these years. As a result of their endless probing questions, I finally decided to compile all my knowledge and write this book. I love teaching as much as I love photography and my goal for this book is to explain things in my no-nonsense, Midwestern way. I receive great joy in seeing my students apply these principles with their go-get-em attitude!

Special thanks goes to my packaging box designer, Christine Mills, and to Jill Martin and Laurie Scavo, who all so carefully reviewed my manuscript as I wrote. Their passion, diligence, and perseverance made this book come together.

As we teach we learn and so it goes. I want to thank all of you who taught me how to lead.

I dedicate this book to my family, for understanding an artists path is different from everyone elses and for giving me the support I needed.

INTRODUCTION

If you still think of engagement photos as the standard posed portraits of couples that appear in the announcements column of your local newspaper, think again. Engagement images can be fun and whimsical, intensely passionate and sexy, sentimental and romantic. For that matter, engagement images dont even necessarily have to be for a couples engagement at all: Some couples, whether they are about to be married or have been married for years, might just want an excuse to have romantic pictures of themselves. Whatever motivates a couple to commission you to shoot engagement images, the session opens up a new market for your photographic talents and comes with all sorts of other benefits, toofrom challenging your creative skills in new ways to getting to know your clients before the wedding shoot.

For the couple, the engagement session is a special opportunity to pose in a stress-free environment of their choice, without the time constraints and pressures of the wedding day. This is the time of their lives when they feel young at heart, are caught up in the throes of romantic love, and look and feel their best. An engagement sessions allows them to capture the moment. For you, shooting an engagement session is a chance to explore a variety of concepts, themes, and styles.

Millions of photographers are now shooting engagement sessions. If you dont, youre definitely lagging behind your competition. In todays tight economy, more and more couples are opting for simpler, more intimate gatherings rather than big-budget weddings, leaving some extra money for a unique engagement shoot. Learning how to stylize and customize an engagement session requires a bit of work and thought on your part, but these images could take your photography business to the next level.

As a wedding photographer, I see four compelling reasons to shoot an engagement session.

Here is a different way to sell a product. The image is from what I call my Deluxe Engagement Session package, which includes a retro-style theme option along with professional hair and makeup and a vintage wardrobe. It was inspired by the 1940s film Nightmare Alley, starring Tyrone Power and Joan Blondell.

Nikon F100, 105mm Nikkor lens, Kodak 400NC film, 200 ASA, 1/125 sec. at f/2.8, natural ambient light with gold fill reflector

The image is from my standard session, what I call my Nobel Engagement Session packagethis includes one location and basic retouching. Giving your clients a choice of a few different packages ensure that there is a choice for everyones needs and budget.

Nikon F100, 28105mm Nikkor lens, Kodak BW 400CN film, 100 ASA, f/5.6 at 1/125 sec., natural ambient light

The main reason to include an engagement session in your list of services is the opportunity to increase your income. With a few basic Photoshop skills, you can provide services every bride and groom want and need by creating a variety of items to be included in the wedding: handmade invitations, save-the-date cards, thank-you notes, digital projection shows, framed prints for the parents and bridal party, montage boards for the guests to sign at the registry table, and dozens of other items (see ).