How To Take An Engagement Portrait They Will Love To Buy

A while back I gave a few tips on how to take great engagement portrait sessions, and concentrated more on how to use them within your studio for larger sales.

An engagement session isn’t like a typical family portrait. An engagement session is actually designed to be so much more. It’s designed to introduce the couple to your services. And it’s also designed to get the bride and groom excited about being together, and sharing their love with the world.

I remember when Andrew and I had our engagement photographs taken. It was a standard session in studio, smiling at the camera, without much glamour and romance.

So when we moved into wedding photography, we set aside the traditional portraiture, and created a new way to view engagements. In fact we didn’t even call it engagement portraits. We called it Love Portraiture, and it was designed to celebrate the love a couple felt about each other.

What Do They Love?

Every couple has a unique aspect to their love. And they are always happy and excited to tell it to you. Ask them a few questions.

  • How did you meet?
  • When did you know it was love?
  • What makes you work as a couple?

Very quickly you will start seeing the picture, and learning the story of their romance. Maybe they love being outside, and have climbed mountains together. Maybe they love traveling, and have been to far away places. Or maybe they just love the home team, and are at the stadium every week to cheer their team on.

Once you find their passion, you can put that into a photograph. Why not get special permission, and place them in the middle section of their stadium? Or use the gates, signs and other memorabilia as backgrounds?

Romance It Up

A newly engaged couple simply can’t get enough of one another. They love to play, kiss, hug and showcase their love to the world. If you’ve ever told an engaged couple to kiss, you know you’re in for a wild ride. So go on the ride with them.

Instead of showing them how to stand and what to do, simple directions can lead to amazing things. If you already have the background in place, move your couple into position, and give simple directions. Kiss his cheek. Kiss her temple. Forehead to forehead. Spin her around.

Trust me – they will follow directions very well. Have fun with it.

Tell The Story

Too often, photographers are out to get the one great image for the client. They shoot a few images, looking for a great one, then relax and call it a day.

Instead, why not make a day of it? Spend an hour or so with your client. For example, if they love the home baseball team, create dozens of images all around the stadium. Then head down the street, and capture some great artwork in the neighborhood. Here in Denver, the Rockies stadium is in a great downtown district, filled with warehouses, restaurants and lots of great looking buildings. Walk around and capture some attitude with your images as well.

No matter what the look or style, you can find dozens of things to photograph. And dozens of ways to tell the story of their love.

Now that you have dozens of great images instead of one or two, you can up your sales, and put an entire Love Portrait album together. Sell it as a part of your largest package. Or better yet, make it an event in itself.

Even if some engaged couples can’t use you for your wedding services, you can still become known and well respected for your Love Portraits.

And the great thing about Love Portraits is you can promote and take them seven days of the week.

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clientexperience@todaysgrowthconsultant.com' About Virtual Photography

We're the co-founders of VirtualPhotographyStudio.com and have been writing on this blog since 2004. We started Virtual as a way to help photographers stretch beyond a part time income, and develop strategies to become a Five Figure Photographer or a Six Figure Photographer. Ultimately its all about lifestyle, and if your goal is to live as a photographer 24/7, we think you should have the knowledge and the tools to do so. Welcome!

  • Mindy

    While I love the article. The photo above looks rather pornographic to me. Great if it was a boudoir photo, not so great if it’s an engagement photo. It could be an ad for a condom commercial.

  • http://www.kerstenbeck.com Erik Kerstenbeck

    Hi

    Great article! We we shoot Environmentals we reserve a good 3-4 hours either at a location of the clients choice – often it has a special meaning for them. The we take our time and try to generate a series of shots that do tell a staory when you look at them – just not The Pose. Getting to know the clients helps to connect and this comes through in the final product!

    Regards, Erik
    Kerstenbeck Photographic Art