Weddings, Tips, engagements matt ritscher Weddings, Tips, engagements matt ritscher

Get The Most Out Of Your Engagement Shoot - Colorado Engagement Photographer

Sutro Baths Couples Photos - Denver wedding photographer (14 of 30).jpg

Engagement shoots are one of my favorite types of shoots. I guess couples shoot fall in this category as well, but with engagements there is the excitement of the upcoming wedding, and the fact that these photos are probably going to be used for the save the dates. 

Colorado has so many locations that I have the opportunity to use for engagement photos that I get giddy just thinking about it. 

Not everyone likes doing engagement sessions, which is understandable due to the fact that being in front of a camera can be intimidating. Most of the time it tends to be the guys that don't see the need for them, but do them because their soon to be bride is keen on having them. 

But why would a couple even need or want engagement photos? Well, there are several reasons. 

Engagement photos.

As I mentioned above, these photo are great for save the dates. (Artifact Uprising  has some really amazing options for wedding invitations, and save that dates). It's is always great to have an epic photo of you two to add to these, plus you have some extra photos to give to mom and dad, which always is a good move. 

Another reason to have engagement photos done is to be able to spend time doing something with your future spouse. Weddings are stressful, and getting ready to go and shoot engagement photos has the potential to be stressful as well. After the shoot you can look back on the shared time as moment of building intimacy between each other. 

My favorite reason for getting the engagement photos done, is that in a way it can be an interview, a trial run for you and your chosen photographer. You have the opportunity to see how they work, how they pose, and best of all you get to build a relationship with someone who is going to spend the entire wedding day with you. Once you see their photos of you and your partner, you will have complete trust in who they are and what they can do.  

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There are a ton of things that you can do to make your engagement session more enjoyable. One of the main things is finding an experienced photographer. Someone that knows how to put people at easy, how to direct, and has ideas in mind. After all they are the professional. And I believe that first and foremost that it is the photographers responsibility, not the clients to ensure an enjoyable session. If the engagement session is miserable, what will the wedding day be like?

Here are some things that you can think about for your session. 

Coordinate your outfits. (maybe not cheesy matching)

Launder and iron your clothes, Photoshop won’t take out wrinkles or animal hair.

Bring props: something meaningful to you, your pet, an instrument, a hobby, sport or whatever suits you the most. 

Use it as an excuse to get professional hair and makeup or splurge on those fantastic new shoes you have been wanting. 

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Now for some things to NOT do

Wear anything with big logos or lots of writing (it detracts from the two of you)

Wear exactly matching outfits (unless you’re going for the 80/90’s look)

Wearing new clothes that still have store wrinkles. 

Wear clothes that hug the wrong spots, or hang to loose.

Wear white socks that peek out of your pants, this just looks ridiculous.

Tan right before your shoot. Just Don’t. Lets leave Oompa Loompa’s out of it. 

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Think about your body type as well; you know what suits you and what doesn’t. Dress for the season, especially if your engagement shoot is outdoors. 

The most important thing during your engagement shoot is to be yourself! The whole purpose of the shoot is to capture exactly who you are, and show your personalities. If you pick an outfit that just isn’t ‘you’, you’ll feel uncomfortable and that is never fun.

Also be willing to try something, get in the water, ride the bike, lay in the middle of a road (if no cars are coming). The best photos are the ones that are challenging to get. 

Check out some of my favorite engagement photos from the past years

Mention this blog post and receive $100 off your engagement session in Colorado!

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Mount Evans Wilderness Engagement - Heather & Tim - Colorado Elopement Photographer

Being a Colorado native, I love getting out in the mountains. There is something about getting out in nature that just hits the me and breathes life into the soul. Well, anyway, one of my favorite things is taking couples to new places, locations where when we roll up, they just stop and say

“Wow”

Well, when we planned on this location there was a chance that the Mt. Evans road would be closed. We were hoping to get up into the Summit Lake Park, but I knew there was a chance that we would not be able to use the road, so I had a back up plan.

We planned to meet at Echo Lake Park and start shooting. There is a great view of the mountains there and it is absolutely gorgeous.

Next we did a quick outfit change. Heather had been on the search for the perfect red dress for the engagement session. And all I can say is CHECK IT.

And as with all of my sessions we created a video together. Check out their engagement video!

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Boulder, Colorado - Fall Engagement Session - Marissa & Ben

Marissa & Ben Boulder Colorado Engagement.jpg

The bell had just gone off and I had a lunch period after the class that I was subbing in, the voice on the other end spoke. 

"Hello, my name is Kathleen, you were referred to me by Mary who owns Metalmark Jewelry. My daughter just got engaged and I would love to talk to you about wedding photography."

Well, Ben and Marissa had just gotten engaged and were flying in to see Marissa's parents. Kathleen, Marissa's mother, was doing a whole bunch of ground work. Boy, was she efficient, she had already booked the venue and a few others and was on to the photographer. So, we talked for about 45 minutes and I relayed to her my style and how I operate during a wedding day. Most importantly I talked to her about how I work to create a stress-free experience for my couples. 

I was so excited when I received an email from Marissa and Kathleen saying that they wanted to book me. Kathleen loved how prepared I was, how I took the time to talk with her, and how I work to make the experience stress-free. 

Weddings are stressful enough, you don't need to have your photographer, the vendor that is with you all day to create a more stressful experience. After the boring paperwork part, we set up a time to shoot engagement photos, and that is where magic happened. 

The engagement session location was South Mesa Trailhead in South Boulder. I love this location because it is (usually) quiet and you get an amazing view of the Flatirons. On this particular day, there were probably about 10 other photo sessions happening here, so it is not a secret location by any means. But the colors and the light were killer. 

These two met while taking their dogs to the dog park, and hit it off. 

Their wedding will take place next year at the Vail Interfaith Chapel with the reception at The 10th Restaurant.  I cannot contain my excitement as this will be my first wedding in Vail since moving back home to Colorado. This is going to be epic.

 

You can see the video from this engagement session below. (All my couples sessions include video!)

 

{This session was shot with Nikon d750's and Sigma 24mm and 35mm Art Series Lenses) 

 

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DENVER RINO DISTRICT - ENGAGEMENT SESSION - AARON & TAYLOR

This session was so awesome. I have always wanted to shoot in the RINO district here in Denver and I finally had the opportunity to do so. 

It has been a little bit since I have blogged, or really been on social media for that matter. I felt like I needed a mental health break for my own good, and guess what. The world did not fall apart while I was away. But during this time I had a super fun time shooting with Aaron and Taylor in the River North District of Denver here in Colorado. These two just got engaged, and when I put out a call on my Instagram that I was looking to do a shoot with a couple that had visible tattoos, they responded. 

Aaron is the Shop Manager at Dedication Tattoo in Denver, and Taylor is a hair stylist. when these two showed up they mentioned that they are super awkward in photos. I can't tell you how many times that I have heard this and the couples are not at all awkward. Aaron and Taylor completely killed it during this session. 

I had realized that while I have a good number of tattoos, that my portfolio was quite lacking in couples and people with ink. So I would like to remedy that, if you or someone you know would like to book a couples session, or even an individual session, and you have a good amount of visible tattoos, hit me up. I am offering half price tattooed couples sessions through 2017. 

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