Engagement photographer: The hour before
As your engagement photographer, we spend an hour with the two of you a few months before the wedding, somewhere that's already yours: the beach you swim at, the vineyard you got engaged at, your own front step. It's a pre wedding photoshoot, and it's practice for the day itself.
Why the engagement hour matters
The first time most people are photographed properly is their wedding day, in front of everyone they know, with a few hours to get it right. The engagement hour moves that first time somewhere quiet. You find out how we work, what we'll ask of you and what we won't, and we find out how you stand, laugh and lean into each other.
On the day, that's the difference between two people waiting to be told what to do and two people who've done this before. It also gives you photos for the save-the-dates, the welcome sign and your parents' fridge.
- Time
- One hour, usually the last before sunset
- Who
- One of us, the same person you'll see on the day
- Where
- A place we choose together
- Previews
- Ten frames within three days
- Gallery
- The rest, edited by hand, in about two weeks
- Prints
- Five, of the frames you choose
It's included in the full day collection and can be added to any other; all four are on the collections page. Planning to skip the big day altogether? Look at elopements.
What to wear, tested
Before a print, a darkroom makes a test strip to see how the tones will come out. Do the same with your outfits: pick a colour each and see how the two of you print in black and white, which is how every frame here starts.
Patterns and logos pull the eye off your faces, so keep them small. Layers help: a jacket on and off gives two looks in one hour. And bring a second outfit if you like; there's time to change.
Places that suit an hour
Your own place comes first. If you'd like a suggestion, these are four we come back to, each close enough to the next that a second spot fits in the hour:
Merewether, first light
The sun comes up over the water and the beach is almost empty. Bring something warm for after: the wind off the ocean is cold at six.
The dunes behind Stockton
Sand that runs for kilometres, and the harbour and the city across the water at dusk. Soft shoes, and a jacket for the wind.
The vines at Pokolbin
Rows of vines in the last hour, with the Brokenback Range behind. Best from spring to autumn, when the vines are in leaf.
Shoal Bay and Tomaree
Calm water and white sand on the beach, and for the fit, the climb up Tomaree Head for the view over the islands. The walk itself takes most of the hour.
Asked before the hour
How long does an engagement shoot take?
An hour, usually the last one before sunset or the first after sunrise, when the light is soft and the beaches and lookouts are quiet. That's long enough to stop thinking about the camera and short enough that nobody gets tired of smiling. If we're going to two spots close together, allow another twenty minutes for the walk or the drive between them.
We're awkward in photos. Will this work for us?
Most couples say that, and most stop being awkward about ten minutes in. We don't line you up and ask you to smile; we give you something to do, walk to the end of the breakwall, tell each other how you met as if we've never heard it, and photograph what happens. By the wedding you'll know what we do and when to ignore us, which is half the point of the hour.
Can we bring our dog?
Please do. Bring someone to hold the lead for the half of the hour the dog isn't in, and check the place allows dogs: a lot of Newcastle's beaches have off-leash times and areas, and national parks generally don't allow dogs at all. Treats in a pocket get you more looks at the camera than anything we can say.
Where should we have our pre wedding photoshoot?
Somewhere that's already yours: the beach you swim at, the street you first lived on, the pub where you met. A place that means something gives you something to talk about, and that's what makes the photos look like you. If nowhere comes to mind, we'll suggest a few of ours in Newcastle, the Hunter Valley or Port Stephens that suit the time of year.
Can we use the photos for our save-the-dates?
Yes, that's one of the best uses for them. You'll get ten preview frames within three days and the full gallery in about two weeks, so book the shoot at least a month before the save-the-dates need to go to the printer. Every frame is yours to print, post and send.
Is an engagement shoot included with a wedding?
It's included in the full day collection, and it can be added to any other. On its own it's a collection of its own, an hour with one of us, ten previews in three days, the full gallery in about two weeks and five prints of the frames you choose. Many couples book it on its own first, to see how we work before they book the wedding.
Start with an hour.
Tell us roughly when, and somewhere you'd like to go. We'll send times that catch the good light there.
Newcastle ▸ Hunter Valley ▸ Port Stephens ▸ Central Coast