Capitol Advice: Engagement Shoot Ideas for Camera-shy Couples

This morning I felt compelled to share some of my thoughts on the rise of stylized engagement shoots and share some ideas/advice for couples that are having an engagement shoot, but aren’t all that comfortable in front of a camera.

Believe it or not, not every couple is ecstatic about their engagement shoot. Not because they don’t want to spend a day commemorating their love with their fiance, but more-so because not everyone is comfortable in front of a camera.

With the rising popularity of stylized engagement shoots, I find it even more pressing to continue to feature non-stylized engagement shoots on my blog, as the editorial, modeling-esque feel of a stylized shoot, just doesn’t appeal to every couple. Some couples see all these overly stylized shoots and think, “well that isn’t us …” or “if I tried to do that, I would look insanely awkward”.

Here is my simple advice to couples that have an upcoming engagement shoot, aren’t a fan of the stylized approach, and are a bit camera-shy:

Do something.

That’s right, actually DO something in your shoot – check out books in a library, go ice skating, get some ice cream, decorate a Christmas tree … the possibilities here are endless. What this does is distracts your mind from the thoughts of looking awkward or silly, and allows you to be more natural with your significant other. It allows you to enjoy yourself AND your special someone, in a completely relaxed nature. And once you are relaxed, you will be left with pictures that show your true happiness & love.

This advice sprung from a conversation I had with one of my best friends a few weeks back, as he was prepping for his own engagement shoot. He was not thrilled at the idea of having his picture taken, so I suggested that him and his fiance Amanda, have some fun with waterballoons. This afternoon, I am sharing Part 1 of their Pittsburgh engagement session, and tomorrow you will get to see the amazingness that is their Part 2 – a totally fun engagement session, that is SO totally them.

For the rest of this post, I wanted to share some pictures of other couples that opted for action ~ and did something for their engagement sessions. Enjoy!

For the musically inclined ~ have a record store engagement!