Engagement photos are more than “Save-the-Date” photos. They document your love from the start of your proposal. They allow couples to meet with their photographer and help them get comfortable being in front of a camera before their wedding day. When looking for a Baltimore Engagement Photographer, there are many things to consider. In this blog, we are going to cover some of those key things!
#1: Hire a Baltimore Engagement Photographer Whose Style Matches Your Vision
Doing your own research and looking at a potential photographer’s portfolio can help you get an idea of what your photos could look like. Are all of the photographer’s galleries consistent? If not, it might be hard to know what kind of images you’ll be receiving after your session. With the photographer, discuss their editing style and posing approach, and try to get a feel for their personality to see if it matches yours.
Ask to See Full Engagement Galleries
Seeing a full engagement gallery can help you understand how your photographer handles lighting, movement and posing, and different locations. When you look at a full engagement gallery, take note of the season, time of day, and style, making sure it is similar to what you are looking for in your own engagement photos.
Choose Someone Familiar With Baltimore Locations
Engagement photographers specific to Baltimore can recommend hidden spots in the city perfect for your vision. They can also give you advice on time of day as the sun sets, best parking spots, and crowd considerations depending what location you’re interested in. Check out my Baltimore engagement session with Jameson and Jordan where we walked the cobblestone streets in Fells Point to truly capture the vision they wanted.
There’s a lot of value in having an engagement session. So if you’re engaged and you’re looking for a Baltimore engagement photographer, contact me! I’d love to be there for you.
#2: Choose a Meaningful Baltimore Engagement Photo Location
Popular Baltimore Engagement Session Locations
There is so much variety in Baltimore! The waterfront areas in the Inner Harbor, Fells Point and Harbor East provide stunning backdrops for engagement photos. If you don’t picture yourself in front of the water, that’s no problem. The historic neighborhoods provide a classy timeless backdrop, or consider a nature style. With parks like Patterson Park and Druid Hill, or gardens like the Rawlings Conservatory or Sherwood Gardens, Baltimore is not foreign to beautiful, scenic settings.
Match the Location to Your Relationship
What do you and your partner love to do together? When you picture your engagement photos, are they in a cozy coffee shop or city skyline? Baltimore has so many different scenes in its city that I think you will have no problem choosing something that fits you!
#3: Plan Your Session Around the Best Lighting
Great photos can happen any time of the day, not just golden hour. The best lighting depends on the location, season, weather, and overall vibe that you want. It’s important to find an experienced Baltimore engagement photographer who can adapt to different lighting situations based on your preferred style!
Baltimore Seasonal Lighting Tips
In Maryland, the weather can be unpredictable. From a photography perspective, overcast skies can actually be ideal for engagement photos. Clouds act as a natural diffuser, creating soft, even light that feels romantic and flattering on skin tones. While many couples picture a bright summer sunset, cloudy days often produce some of the most timeless and emotional imagery. Of course, heavy rain may require adjusting plans, but your photographer can guide you through backup options and their weather policy if needed. But if it were me, I wouldn’t delay my engagement photos hoping for hot, sunny weather; it’s not worth it!
Weather Backup Plans
Talk with your photographer about your plan B for the weather. Either picking a separate date, a different time of the day, or finding an indoor alternative are all things that should be discussed if you’re planning an outdoor engagement session. This is especially true for spring and summer months in Maryland!
#4: Wear Outfits That Feel Comfortable and Timeless
Figuring out your outfits
This can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be! You can never be too over-dressed, but you can definitely be under-dressed. I like to tell my couples to avoid distracting colors, patterns, or logos. We want to keep the focus on your connection and emotion. Distractions take your eyes off the couple, and we never want that! I also like to recommend neutral and earthy tones. Olive greens, soft beiges, and warm browns are all good options! But not everyone’s color palette matches that style, and that’s okay. You can have a look through some engagement photos below to get an idea of what I’m referring to.
#5: Schedule Hair, Makeup, and Grooming Thoughtfully
Consider Professional Hair and Makeup
This would be a good time to do your hair & makeup trial with your wedding stylist! But if the timing doesn’t work out, that’s okay, you’ll still look beautiful. Just keep your hair & makeup simple and understated. This wouldn’t be the time to try a completely new look! You want to be comfortable and confident for this session.
Grooming Details Matter
Polished nails, clean facial hair, and wrinkle-free clothing are just a few things to consider when getting ready for your engagement photos.
#6: Hiring the Right Engagement Photographer
One thing that most people want in their Baltimore engagement photographer is the style of their photos (check out my portfolio). But more than style, you want a photographer who matches your personality. Keep in mind, your engagement and wedding photographer is going to be physically by your side more than any other vendor on your wedding day. In the beginning stages of chatting with a photographer, catch on to their personality, and ask yourself if you vibe with them. Did they seem engaged during your talk? Are they confident in their work? Did they care to ask you about your love story? Trust your gut and make a decision!
#7: Bring Personal Touches That Reflect Your Relationship
Include Meaningful Activities or Bring Intentional Props
Do you and your couple love coffee? Take some photos in a coffee shop. Do you love being outdoors? Do a picnic setup. There are so many ways you can incorporate personal touches to your session, whether that’s the setting itself or bringing a prop. I had a couple bring a book with them to their session because they loved reading together. I had a different couple who had their engagement session taken at the man’s favorite garden, where he would sit and pray to God for a wife (and then she came! How sweet!). These touches are meaningful to you two, so don’t be afraid to bring something personal that truly makes your photos authentic.
#8: Leave Extra Time and Avoid Rushing
Relaxed Couple Photograph Better
Timing is so important. So, get there a little early if you can. I typically recommend at least 15 minutes to settle in. The added buffer time reduces stress, plans for possible hiccups (like finding parking), and accounts for walking to your location if necessary. As you plan for buffer time, this automatically creates more natural interactions with your partner and also with your photographer! Stiffness comes through when you are stressed, so just don’t be late!
#9: Trust Your Photographer During the Session
Your Photographer Guides the Experience
Your photographer directs with posing, finds the flattering light, and helps you feel comfortable during your session. You need to trust them! If you can’t trust them, don’t hire them. If you can, then let them take the lead and guide you to capturing those engagement and wedding photos that you have always dreamed of.
The Best Photos Often Happen Between Poses
The genuine laughter and quiet moments in between the prompts are my favorite. They truly capture your personality together, and often create the most authentic images! Inquire with me if you want a relaxed engagement photo experience with guided posing when needed that reflects who you two are together.
#10: Where and How to Get the Most Out of Your Photos from Your Engagement Session
My favorite tip.
You can use engagement photos for so many things! For save-the-dates, invitations, website registries, social media announcements, LinkedIn headshots, practice for your wedding day, artwork in your home, artwork and guest albums for your wedding day, and so many more! It’s not just photos for the sake of photos. There’s loads of value in having an engagement session. So if you’re engaged and you’re looking for a Baltimore engagement photographer, contact me! I want to be there for you.
