I love that as a wedding photographer I can offer engagement photography.  In fact, it’s one of the best things that I can do with a couple who I’m shooting their wedding. This is often done as an add-on for the wedding photography package and has a very specific purpose.  First, it lets you get used to working with me.  You get to see how I work, how I get you to move around, how I arrange you, and whether I’m funny, serious, or goofy (hint: it’s a little of all three!).  Mostly it makes sure that on the big day you’ve got a familiar face that you’re confident with for your wedding photography, because you’ve already spent a day with me shooting your engagement photography.

Secondly, it lets me get used to you.  Are you nervous in front of the camera?  How well do you take direction?  Do you smile naturally or do I need to crack a joke before the reaction feels natural?  All that stuff will help me immensely when I’m at your wedding and working to get the best photos in the shortest amount of time.

This is Jason and Amy.  Goofy and fun, with two of the biggest and smiles I’ve seen.  Amy was hard to get to stop smiling.  Luckily that wasn’t required today.  We wandered up and down Fort Langley‘s waterfront walk through the marine trail.  The weather was perfect and we stopped at a few different on the way.

See what I mean about the smiles? Oh, and you probably think that we ended up in the forest, far from town, but no, this was just a little bit of landscaping scenery outside of the new apartment buildings on the Fort-to-Fort trail.  The sun setting added the perfect little glint in the eye for these two lovebirds.

As the evening sun set, Amy and Jason drew their initials in a heart on the sand and watched the sun go low over the horizon.