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winsomelychic · 4 years

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Engagement Photoshoot | Creating your own photoshoot on a budget: Beaufort, SC

I had the privilege of taking photos for our dear friends for their engagement. Unfortunately, with COVID and everyone kind of being off their normal schedules and booked up to catch up on appointments, they needed some photos quickly and couldn’t find a professional photographer to take photos in time. I had mentioned that I love taking photos and would be willing to help them out if they needed so when she came to me I was both excited and honored. I was nervous though because I wanted these photos to be the best quality that I could produce. These were their engagement photos, the photos that they will look back at and remember the moments leading up to the big day. Luckily, this is a fun hobby of mine so I was ready to take on the job.

I figured why not share how to create a wonderful engagement shoot on budget with you all. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for splurging on photos that will hang on your wall for a lifetime, but for some the timing doesn’t work out, a pandemic might get in the way and change all you plans, or you want to save money on a photographer for the REAL big day. I am sharing some tips for making a photo shoot work on a budget.

Camera Quality

If you don’t have a camera, you can either ask a friend or rent one. There are many sites that you can rent a camera. One quick google search and you will find plenty. I bought a Canon off of the Facebook market place and it has been the greatest investment. I am not a professional so I didn’t need anything crazy, but when you find yourself in moments like this it’s nice to have a good one. For less than $150, I found someone selling a camera with two different lenses, the power strip, a couple memory cards, a couple batteries, a camera bag and case. Keep your eye out for these deals. You would be surprised what people are selling and what deal you can score! Also, don’t underestimate the power of the new phones. For my blog, I often just use my IPhone. You can get some really good shots with it and with a little editing, you can make photos look professional in no time.

Locations

Wherever you are going to be taking photos, scout the area and have some places in mind. For this photoshoot, I knew I wanted to take them to this beautiful old train stop that is along a trail. It has this beautiful warehouse building you can walk through! I also spotted a beautiful hotel downtown and the beach. However, when we went to each place, I took photos all over. I thought Dylan was going to get sick of me when I had him running all over the hotel in every corner. We went along the staircases, found random benches, little hiding areas with shade, and even next to a service entrance. I am telling you, try everything. One photo was even off to the side in a corner by some greenery. At first, it didn’t look like the most appealing spot, but after finding a good angle to hide this awful sign that would have ruined the photo, changing the focus (or aperture - not a professional but I think this was it), and taking a few snaps, we made it turn into the most beautiful spot. If you are in Beaufort, SC I highly recommend you check out these places for your next photos.

Beaufort, SC Locations

If you find yourself in Beaufort, check out the locations below to get some photos!

Spanish Moss Trail Train Depot

Beaufort Inn

Sands Beach

The Perfect Outfit

I am always one that thinks soft colors are perfect for photos. One thing I loved about Dylan and Jasmine is that he kept it simple in all black and let her outfit do the talking. You don’t want the photo to be busy, but having some patterns really helps with photos. My other big tip is don’t be so matchy - match. Don’t get me wrong, I love color coordination and a good family matching outfit, but sometimes mixing patterns or playing with what you got depending on the locations can really be cool too. I thinking focusing more on matching a theme of an outfit, then both wearing the same white shirts and khaki pants really helps. It can blend all together if it is too close to the same, but mixing can really accentuate the two people. It is important to think about the places you will be taking photos and the type of photos you want to get out of the shoot. Certain hair colors, skin tones, and eye colors can be pulled out based on your outfit so keep that in mind when deciding what to wear. I am no fashion stylist, but PINTEREST has many stylist that can help you for your body type and your aesthetic. Also, finding an outfit you are confident and comfortable is KEY. If you don’t have to fuss about what you are wearing and you feel good about yourself, you can just enjoy the moment and get those perfect candid shots. .

Being Prepared

Before we went, I pinned some really great poses just incase we needed some help. Often times, people can kind of freeze behind the camera. Having some poses in mind and just talking to them naturally as a photographer really helps. One thing with my friends I learned is by making little comments while they took photos really let everyone calm and relax and the beauty naturally came out. They were also great at coming up with their now poses, so my preparation wasn’t needed but it was great when we felt like we were doing the same things.

Another way to get prepared is to learn how to use your camera and the different settings. I am always learning but I did one quick youtube video tutorial and went outside with my camera to practice. It made me feel real professional when I was changing the aperture while taking their photos. I am telling you, I had never heard of that or knew that button existed on my camera until the tutorial. Be sure to try out your device before the photoshoot so you are comfortable as the photographer. When the photographer is confident to deliver, it helps take the photos. You know the whole saying, “Fake it til you make it, well mama I made it!”

Get creative

Don’t be scared to take a photo that you might think won’t work out. Get out of your comfort zone and get your models out of theres. There were many kissing photos, looking into each others eyes, hand placements and movements to make the photos. I also used natural props to help add more content to the photos. For example, I literally went behind a tree with the leaves obscuring the lens to get this cool out of focus photo. I thought it might be weird and turns out, it added an element I didn’t expect. I have seen people put panty hose over a lens or lace in front of the sun to create a cool lighting feature. There are so many people on social media that have some killer photo tips to capture these awesome photos. This is all trial and error too. Don’t be scared to fail or get a bad photo. Professional photographers definitely have more knowledge on this but it doesn’t mean you can’t give it a try. The worst that can happen is the photo doesn’t turn out and you move on to the next one.

PRESET

One big thing I have learned is that EDITING really enhances a photo and makes it look professional. You can take an average photo and with the right adjustments, you now have professional looking photos. There are so many editing tools to help you. My favorite is Lightroom, which I use for my blog photos and many of my friends who are photographers use it. If you aren’t keen on editing photos yourself, you can purchase a preset on Etsy or from other photographers and let the preset do the editing for you.

HAVE FUN and Keep snapping the photos.

My biggest takeaway from this photoshoot is that if you take 500 photos (Literally I had taken 572 to be exact!), you are bound to get some good photos somewhere. Keep snapping away to increase your chances and get the best photos. Walk around them to get different angles while they pose for you, get low and get

high to get that photo. I may or may not have sat on the floor too get a new angle that I thought was perfect. I am sure the people around me thought I was crazy, but hey its all in the job as a photographer. Keep the session fun, get them laughing and making jokes, have them kiss and smile and talk - I promise you will get the perfect photo. Let their personalities shine through in the photos, at the end of the day those are the photos you will cherish forever. Jasmine has this big, beautiful smile that worked to my advantage and Dylan just had this way of looking at her that made your heart melt. Those are the little things you want to capture because that is the story of them.

Sharing some photos below to help you with some ideas.

Below are some more ideas of photos if you find yourself preparing for an engagement session or planning to take one. I hope this helps and that your next photoshoot is everything you envisioned. Don’t be scared to try new things and take the shot! As I said this entire photoshoot with Dylan and Jasmine, “I am shooting my shot!”.

Also, I just wanted to give a special shout out to Dylan and Jasmine for letting me take their photos. They are literally the epitome of what true love looks like. The way they show their love in these photos I think is what made them turn out. The smiles and the realness was all credited to them. They made my job as pho-photographer really easy. Many best wishes in your marriage and I hope you treasure these photos forever! Share in the comments your favorite place to get photos done or take photos!

xoxo,

Jeana Hughes

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