The
Engagement Session
Guide
What to wear, when to shoot, where to go, and how to stop feeling awkward about ten minutes in.
A guide to getting the most from an engagement session — what to wear, where to shoot around Auckland, the best time of day for light, and how to look natural if you have never been photographed together. Written by the photographer who shoots them.
This one is entirely about you two
No running sheet, no guest list, nobody waiting on you. An engagement session is the only shoot you will do together where the whole thing is just the two of you doing something you like.
So build it around something real. If you walk the same beach every Sunday, we should shoot there. If your first date was a bar in the city, we should go back to it. The sessions that work best are almost never the ones planned around a location someone saw online — they are the ones where the couple already knows the place.
It also does a job. If you are getting married, this is the rehearsal: an hour or two in front of a camera, months before the day, so that on the day itself the camera is already normal.
The two hours before sunset
If you take one thing from this guide, take this. The best light of the day starts about two hours before sunset and gets better until it goes.
Sunrise is the other good option and almost nobody chooses it — which is exactly why the beaches are empty and the light is just as good. Overcast and foggy days are not a problem either; flat grey light is soft, even and forgiving, and it makes colour sing.
What we avoid is the middle of a clear day. Midday sun is directly overhead, which puts shadows under everyone’s eyes and makes both of you squint. If midday is the only time you have, we shoot in shade or under trees and it is fine — but if you have a choice, take the evening.
Allow two to three hours including travel between locations. Editing takes three to four weeks.
Mountains, bush, black sand or a bar
There is no right answer. There is only what looks like the two of you.
Around Auckland
West coast black sand at Muriwai, Bethells or Karioitahi. Native bush in the Waitākere Ranges. The Domain and Cornwall Park for big trees. The waterfront and the city at night for something harder-edged — brick, alleyways, neon, reflections after rain.
Further afield
Queenstown, Wanaka, Glenorchy, Tekapo, Mount Cook, Milford Sound. Closer to home, Northland, the Coromandel, Russell, Rotorua. We run full-day and two-day sessions down south across several locations — see the pre-wedding page.
Two things worth knowing. Permits: private venues are covered by your hire, but council parks and beaches and Department of Conservation land sometimes are not. We check before, not on the day. Scouting: if you have somewhere in mind we do not know, tell us and we will go and look at it first.
Wind is not the enemy
Some of the best frames we shoot are on days nobody would have chosen.
Two outfits, and comfortable shoes
Two or three outfits gives you range from one session. One is completely fine if that is simpler.
What works
- One dressed-up look — formal or semi-formal, or traditional dress, a sari, something that matters to your family
- One date-night look, the sort of thing you would actually wear out
- Neutral and earthy colours: beige, grey, white, black, denim, rust, mustard, blush, blue
- Complementary rather than matching — you should look like a couple, not a uniform
- Movement. Anything that catches wind photographs beautifully
What to avoid
- Big patterns and logos — they pull the eye off your faces
- Bright saturated colours, which reflect onto skin
- Brand new shoes. Comfort matters more than you think, because we walk
- Anything you are still thinking about at hour two
Shop your own wardrobe first. You look most like yourself in clothes you already own, and it shows.
If we are shooting a beach sunset, assume you might get wet to the knees. Plan the outfit and the shoes accordingly, and bring a towel.
The first ten minutes always feel strange
Almost every couple tells us they are terrible in front of a camera. Almost every couple is fine by the end. The first ten minutes are the tax, and then you forget we are there.
You will never be left standing there wondering what to do with your hands. We give direction the whole way through — something to do rather than a pose to hold — and we will not ask you to do anything that feels ridiculous.
Arrive unrushed
There is nothing worse than turning up frazzled, late and disconnected from each other. Take the morning off if you can. Eat something. Get there early enough to stand around for five minutes before we start.
Have zero expectations
Embrace whatever turns up — the wind, the rain, the laughing. Every session is different and none of them follow a pattern. The photographs end up being of your life exactly as it is right now, which is the entire point.
Use this as your trial run
If you are getting married, book your hair and makeup trial for the day of your engagement session. You get to see it photographed rather than just in a mirror — which is the only test that matters.
Our honest view: unless you wear a full face every day, less is more. Heavy foundation photographs heavier than it looks in person, and a formal updo on someone who never wears one reads as a costume. If you normally wear your hair down, wear it down.
The version of you that photographs best is the one you recognise. Do whatever makes you feel confident — that is the thing the camera actually picks up.
Small things that make a difference
Bring the dog
We love animals and plenty of dogs have come along. If your pet is part of the family, they should be in the photographs. Bring someone who can hold the lead when we need both your hands.
Travel light
We can carry the small stuff — wallet, keys, phone, sunglasses, lip balm — in the camera bag. Bags and jackets pile up and having to put things down and pick them up every five minutes breaks the flow, especially in town.
Bring a drink
A bottle of something fizzy is genuinely useful. It loosens everyone up, it gives you a reason to toast in the middle of a field, and if you want the spray shot we will need a bottle you do not mind losing.
Make a night of it
Book dinner afterwards. You are already dressed up, the light has gone, and finishing a session by walking to a restaurant turns it from a photo shoot into a date. Most couples say that was the best part.
Engagement sessions — the usual questions
When is the best time of day for an engagement shoot?
The two hours before sunset. Sunrise is just as good and far less crowded. Overcast and foggy days work beautifully too. The one time to avoid if you can is the middle of a clear day, when overhead sun puts shadows under your eyes.
How long does an engagement session take?
Two to three hours including travel between locations. Editing takes three to four weeks.
What should we wear for an engagement shoot?
Two or three outfits gives you range: one dressed-up or traditional look and one date-night look. Neutral earthy colours photograph best. Avoid big patterns, logos and bright saturated colours, and wear shoes you can walk in.
We are awkward in front of a camera. Is that a problem?
No. The first ten minutes feel strange for almost everyone, and then people forget the camera is there. You get direction the whole way through, so you are never left wondering what to do with your hands.
Can we bring our dog to the engagement session?
Yes. Plenty of dogs have come along. Bring someone who can hold the lead when we need both your hands free.
Do we need a permit for engagement photos?
Not at a private venue you have hired. Council parks and beaches and Department of Conservation land sometimes require one. We check before the day rather than on it.
Should we do hair and makeup for an engagement session?
It is the ideal time for your wedding trial, because you get to see it photographed rather than just in a mirror. Unless you wear a full face every day, less is more.