Dallas Engagement Photography Featuring Roadtrip Theme
One of my favorite parts of being a photographer is brainstorming ideas for shoots. I love to create a unique experience with each client because truthfully I’d get bored to tears if I didn’t! This requires creative collaboration between the two of us and usually starts with a conversation where I ask questions about what they do for fun, their likes/dislikes, what they see when they mentally visualize their session, etc. While they talk, images start to form in my head and I pitch ideas…some are loved, others not so much. It can be a challenging “back and forth” at times, but other times, like this engagement session, collaborating can be a dream!
Lacee found me from this Cabin Engagement Session that was featured on the Green Wedding Shoes blog. This was a session I had dreamed up and put a lot of time, energy and resources into. I did it to not only release images that had been floating in my head for years but to also show people what I want to shoot. This was me putting it out into the universe, “hey, this is what I like to do and what I can do for YOU” It’s a gamble really, putting yourself out there. Sometimes it doesn’t work but this time it did by attracting several ideal clients. Go, universe! So when it came time to brainstorm with Lacee for her engagement session it was easy because we were already on the same page – she wanted something similar to the other session I styled and that’s what I wanted too. Crazy how the laws of attraction works, right? After talking with Lacee a bit, I learned she and Matt had recently moved from New York to Dallas and that’s when inspiration struck. “what if we incorporate your move into the session….like a roadtrip?” To my delight Lacee loved the idea. Here was my inspiration board.
The next step was to create the look and feel for the session with clothing and props. Well, actually the next step was to convince my husband to fix his broken down 1967 Volkswagen Beetle so I could use it for the shoot. heh. That took some convincing but… the force is strong with me. For the styling, I knew with a VW bug and vintage suitcases the look could become trite if I wasn’t careful. It had to be modern, yet classic and feel like a real road trip. This is the suggested look I sent and once again Lacee was on board. Woohoo!
So that’s basically my process. I listen to personal stories, find one to latch on to and try my best to keep the location and styling cohesive. When these choices are made intentionally vs randomly (and if people are open to my ideas) the image quality can only go up and the session becomes a unique experience for everyone. I’m not saying my ideas are earth shattering – nor do the clouds part and rays of light from the heavens shine down on every image I take but I can guarantee a no cookie-cutter experience over here. And that’s a win/win in my book!
I have a Part II to share later from this same session if you can believe it! My cup runneth over with images of this gorgeous couple. Thank you Lacee and Matt for trusting me with the vision of your engagement session and thank you Grey Likes Weddings for featuring it on your wonderful blog!!
