#hengistbury head engagement photography

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Pre-Wedding | Jess+Paul - Hengistbury Head Engagement Shoot

Yesterday it was glorious sunshine as far as the eye could see, freezing cold, but still sunny. Today it's attempting to snow here in Bournemouth, and boy is it cold again. So I'm sat making my way through some recent engagement shoots, keeping myself warm with lots of hot tea, and I thought I'd post some of the photos from Jess+Paul's recent pre-wedding shoot at Hengistbury Head. 

It is by far the most popular location for engagement shoots with my couples, which is fine by me, as I love it there. If you've not been, you really should get down there (and take me with you!). 

Since we all first met late last summer, Jess+Paul have become more than just another couple to me (not that any of my couples are JUST a couple), they are now more friends.

I KNOW, I KNOW. I CAN HEAR YOU ALL RUNNING FOR A BUCKET... 

Sometimes you click and others you really click -- we're all comic book geeks, so we have more in common I guess -- plus they brought their scrumptious dog, Fozz, along for the day which was a massive bonus. 

So for any of you lovely couples out there who are yet to have your engagement shoot with me, and you're wondering whether to bring your dog, the answer is quite simple...

BRING YOUR DOG!!

Jess was harping on about forgetting her Fitbit, but it was all for nothing as we walked plenty that day. A full loop along the coast, up to the head, down to the beach huts and back again. I slept very well that night, and no gin was needed. 

By now, you'll know I have a different take on photographing people, as in I don't spend a lot of time or energy posing couples. I like to incorporate walls, bright colours, even bushes if they're around. I'm not your run-of-the-mill wedding photographer who tells you exactly how to sit/ stand/ look, in robotic fashion. I might suggest somewhere to stand, like against a mural wall, or the awesome coloured beach huts at Hengistbury, but how you interact with one another is totally down to you. 

So talk about the weather, the dinner you're planning that night, say you farted to see if that gets a smile/ laugh. Hell, tell him/ her you love them and have a smooch, it's up to you. I like to keep things as natural and laid back as possible. 

Blah, blah, blah. 

If I haven't sent you to sleep by prattling on, here's some of my favourites from their awesome pre-wedding shoot. 

Ps. If you or anyone you know would like to book in, give me a call or pass them my details. I love having a day out and snapping away.

Until next time, 

R x

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Where should I have my engagement shoot?

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Where should I have my engagement shoot?

Where should I have my engagement shoot? This is a question I often get asked by my clients when planning their engagement session…

My advice is, first think if there is somewhere particularly special to you both, perhaps where you first met or got engaged, or like to visit regularly. Even if it’s abroad, the prospect of travelling abroad will excite most photographers and providing that the travel expenses are covered and it fits in with their busy schedule, I don’t know many photographers that wouldn’t want to travel and capture beautiful engagement photos for their couple in an awesome new location!

If you really can’t think of anywhere or want to have your engagement / pre-wedding photos taken elsewhere because there’s nowhere particularly special to you both, then you could either get in touch with the wedding coordinator at your  venue and have your shoot there and around the grounds, so that you know the best locations for photos on the big day, or you can check out my list below and see if there are any other places that take your fancy.

I personally feel lucky to live in such a beautiful area that has plenty to offer in terms of beautiful locations and backdrops. There are vasts amounts of countryside & nature reserves, forests, seafronts and harbours etc in and around Hampshire and Dorset and I’m always on the look out for new locations when I’m out and about. I have created a list of great places to have your photos taken.

I have created a list of great places to have your photos taken, and a lot of  these areas I have already used for engagement shoots.

Check out the list below!

Where should I have my engagement shoot?

Roger Penny Way, Bramshaw

Titchfield Abbey

Holly Hill Woodland Park

Kites Croft Nature Reserve

Warsash Common

Netley Country Park /Royal Victoria Country Park

Meon Shore / Titchfield Haven

Rock Gardens, Southsea

Staunton Country Park, Havant

Farlington Marshes Wildlife Reserve

Milton Common, Portsmouth

Southsea Rose Garden

Wildgrounds Nature Reserve, Gosport

Canoe Lake, Portsmouth

Baffins Pond, Portsmouth

Portsdown Hill, Fareham

Stokes Bay Beach, Gosport

Warsash Seafront – Parking @ Warsash Sailing Club

Hill Head Sea Front – Parking @ Hill head Sailing Club

Fareham Sailing & Motor Boat Club

Rhinefield, New Forest

Burley, New Forest

Hot Walls, Old Portsmouth

Sandbanks Beach

Hengistbury Head

Mudeford Quay

Christchurch Harbour

The Deer Sanctuary, Boldre, New Forest

Portchester Memorial Gardens

Hamble Marina

There are many more locations but hopefully, you found this list helpful and that it’s given you some ideas…

Photographers often see the extraordinary in the ordinary, and you wouldn’t necessarily think that the photos below were taken at my local park where I walk the dog and kids play in the play park & Skate Park. This park is just a 5-minute walk away from my house and because I’m always there, I had spotted opportunities for lovely portrait photos, that without being told, people would not know were taken there. Having great light is actually more important to photographers than location as if the light is great, we can make most places look beautiful. That’s why we generally opt for a shoot to be during golden hour (The last hour of light before the sun sets) as this golden light is the most gorgeous and gleaming. Us photographers also do weird things when photographing to enhance the look of an image and make it more interesting, for example, the image below was taken whilst I was inside a tree and shot through the branches as I could see how the light was hitting the branches and lighting the edges so prettily.

If you want more tips for your engagement shoot and how to prepared for it, check out my previous blog post here – http://ift.tt/2mf8Fl5

The post Where should I have my engagement shoot? appeared first on Lucylou Photography - Hampshire Wedding Photographer based in Fareham.

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Why have an Engagement Shoot?

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 Why have an Engagement Shoot?

I often get asked what an engagement shoot entails by couples when they first book me and are interested in having an engagement session but don’t really know much about what purpose an engagement shoot serves. With engagement season currently rife as we’ve just had Christmas & Valentines Day I thought I’d write a little blog post on why have an engagement shoot and the benefits. My aim with this blog post is to educate about engagement and pre-wedding photo sessions and why they are incredibly beneficial to both the couple and the photographer before the wedding.

The way I describe an engagement shoot or pre-wedding portrait session is that it is a great way to get to know your photographer and how they work, and for you as a couple to become comfortable being in front of the camera and having your photos taken. In no way do I do ‘cheese’, I certainly enjoy a bit of cheddar but not in front of the camera! The way I personally work, is that I give a little direction so that you’re not just stood there like lemons, not knowing what to do, but I then allow you to interpret what I say in your own way and encourage you to just be yourselves with each other, chatting and laughing as if I’m not there, so that the photos look and feel as natural as possible. The aim for the session is to get you both to loosen up and enjoy yourselves without feeling the presence of a camera snapping away at you. To do this, I may crack some (bad) jokes but I love to genuinely get to know my couples on a personal level before & during the shoot so you feel as comfortable as possible and can get the most out of the session. The words I usually hear before the session are “I hate having my photos taken” or “I’m not photogenic”, which often comes from the groom to be, but at the end of the engagement shoot I always get told that “The shoot was actually not that bad at all and I enjoyed it!”, exactly the words I like to hear at the end of all my shoots The great thing as well is that, by the end of the session, you will also end up with lots of beautiful photos of you both, that can be printed and given as gifts to family members, displayed around your house and on your wedding day. I’ve often had my couples display a collage of photos from their engagement shoot or Instagram-style prints hanging from pins on string, which is a great way to show them off and to decorate your venue. I like to throw in a couple of more creative/arty shots to each shoot too, things like silhouettes, double exposures, unusual angles etc, so you’ll have a real variety of photos and some beautiful wall art.

So why have an engagement shoot?… In summary, I feel that there are 3 big reasons why you should consider having an engagement shoot:-

It’s a great way for you and your photographer to get to know each other better (After all, you want to have a great relationship before the big day!)

It’s a chance to get used to having your photos taken (especially for those of you that are partuclarly uncomfortable in front of the camera)

You’ll end up with some lovely photos of you both at the end of it!

Hopefully that gives you more of an idea of what an engagement shoot entails and help you decide if it is right for you before the wedding…(Let’s just say, you can’t exactly go wrong by having an engagement shoot!)

 Why have an Engagement Shoot?

  Below are some links to previous engagement sessions that I have photographed.

Ali & Sofiya at Old Portsmouth Hot Walls

Sam & Vanessa at Warsash Seafront

Dan & Katie at Mudeford Quay

Stew & Sarah at Hengistbury Head & Christchurch Harbour

My next blog post will be useful tips to help you prepare for your engagement session.

The post Why have an Engagement Shoot? appeared first on Lucylou Photography - Hampshire Wedding Photographer based in Fareham.

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