The greatest complement
Fall engagement session in Philadelphia, PA.
A few months ago we received an Instagram message from a woman named Michelle who was interested in our wedding photography. She had been leaving us likes and sweet comments on our photos for a while and we, in turn, we had been following her. We had enjoyed viewing her adorable pictures with her fiancé John and seeing their travels around the country. They seemed like adventurous and fun people and we were thrilled that they had reached out to us.
We moved forward with a phone consultation. Sarah and I sat in the yard by the chicken coop with a cup of tea and coffee on a beautiful morning (Our favorite way to do a consultation.) We were so excited to get to know a little bit more about her and John. We said our friendly hellos and before we could get any further she said
“ Before we start, I have to tell you the story of how we found you.” Sarah and I were intrigued and excited. She explained to us that while traveling the country she and her fiance had stopped at a brewery called Idletyme brewing in Vermont for a drink. While there, they had met a couple on their honeymoon who told them all about their amazing wedding and were over the moon about their photographers aka (us). They shared our information with Michelle and she fell in love with our work.
Let's stop for a minute to reflect on that. This meant so much to us for so many reasons. The obvious appreciation of our art and hard work. But moreover, the fact that the honeymooning couple hadn't seen one photo from their wedding sample yet, meant that the glowing review of Sarah and I had been sent hundreds of miles from Cincinnati, Ohio to Stowe, Vermont by little more than the couple's wedding day experience with us! This was the biggest complement of all. Making someone's wedding day as magical as possible is of course the biggest thing on our hearts. Writing this story brings that feeling of love for our couples and pride in our work rushing back. The couple at the bar by the way, are named Ashley and Justin and tomorrow, over a year after their wedding we will be in Yellow Springs, Ohio shooting their maternity photos as they prepare to welcome their new baby into the world! I will link their wedding sample below and you can expect a sample of this soon to be amazing maternity session to be up in the coming weeks!
Justin and Ashley (The couple at the bar in Stowe, Vermont.)
Michelle and John booked us on the spot after our call and we are so thrilled to be working with them. They will be having us travel to Philadelphia, PA for their wedding next year and just last weekend we traveled out to meet them in person and shoot their engagement session at Hunting Hill Mansion. Which was GORGEOUS by the way. What an awesome adventure that was for us! God has blessed us with an amazing life of love and adventure fueled by art and the love of others. We have the privilege of bringing positive energy to such a special time in people's lives and we don’t take that for granted. Not even for a second.
Michelle & John at Hunting Hill Mansion. Outside of Philadelphia, PA.
Michelle & John at Hunting Hill Mansion. Just outside of Philadelphia, PA.
Sarah and I are open for bookings in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky area as well as traveling sessions. If you’re interested in possibly booking a session just hop over to the contact page and shoot us an email!
If you enjoyed this read, please leave a like and consider subscribing for more photo session advice. Follow us on Instagram at the link below to keep up with our most recent photo session samples and reels.
Thanks for reading!
- Jordan Epperson
The art of having fun.
Advice on how to loosen up for your engagement session. Tips and tricks from professional photographer Jordan Epperson in Cincinnati, Ohio.
If you're reading this I’m going to guess that you, your partner or both of you are at least a little camera shy. If so I have good news! You’re not alone. In my experience most people are uncomfortable in front of the camera. Myself included. Ironic, I know… For the majority of my life I hated my smile. I would see photos of myself smiling and think my face looked fat or my smile caused my eyes to squint. My solution to this was to attempt the stoic “Sexy guy” face. I was happier with that back then but now realize I just looked angry in every photo for 2 decades. It wasn’t until recently that I started to apply the tips I give my client’s (the same tips I’m about to give you) to myself.
HOW MOST COUPLES FEEL!
Most couples arrive at their engagement session nervous. They usually haven’t met their photographer and if they have it was at a consultation. Sometimes they haven’t ever had professional photos done and have no idea what to expect. They feel awkward and they are sometimes worried that the photographer will be frustrated or upset with their inexperience while posing them. These worries are completely false and totally normal.
WHATS HOLDING YOU BACK?
The human mind often focuses on the worst case scenario. When I was a young musician I was technically very good, and everything should have sounded amazing… except, I sounded like a robot. It wasn’t until someone said something so simple, so obvious and wise that I was able to get past that stage.
“Let the weight off your shoulders, just relax and know there is no pressure.”
Being the subject of a photograph is no different. Get out of your head and just have fun. With modern photography styles like ours, we don’t want a perfectly posed photograph that looks stiff and rigid. We want to photograph you enjoying yourself and enjoying your partner. We are trying to capture your love! Here are a few tips to help you ease into this state of mind.
DON’T BE EMBARRASSED.
Maybe you're not a publicly affectionate couple, and that's fine but you're not in public here. It’s just you and the photographer. And just like your Doctor, they don’t judge you! It’s your photographer's profession and you're not doing anything they haven’t seen hundreds of times. To see a couple who has mastered the art of chill in front of the camera check out the gallery below!
TALKING, TEASING & TICKLING.
Talking, teasing and even tickling are fantastic ways to break you out of that stiff nervous zone. If your photographer poses you that doesn’t mean you have to be a statue. You are free to talk and enjoy each other. Joking back and forth is great or saying something loving. If your partner is nervous, whisper something funny into their ear. And if they are extra nervous give them a tickle. The laugh will be a great release of tension and makes for a really cute photo!
DANCING.
Dancing is also a great way to loosen up. Any type of dancing you like is perfectly fine. Bringing a Bluetooth speaker is an option or just dancing in silence. Can’t dance? Even better. Do it anyway!
PLAN FOR SOMEWHERE SECLUDED!
If you or your partner is camera shy you should consider planning your session somewhere private and away from crowds. The feeling of being gawked at doesn’t help when you're being romantic. Give yourself a place where you can feel secluded and for goodness sake do not invite your friends or family! Believe it or not, people do this thinking it’s going to help. IT DOESN’T.
Your engagement session is more than just a photo session. It is an opportunity to rehearse for your wedding day photos. You get to know your photographer, develop a working groove and flow and learn to chill out on camera. If you're nervous, that's absolutely fine and normal. Just know that your fears are all in your head. I assure you. Before you know it the session will be over and you will be surprised at how much fun you had! Afterword, go out to dinner with your fiancé and you can both have a laugh about how nervous you were!
Sarah and I are open for bookings in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky area as well as traveling sessions. If you’re interested in possibly booking a session just hop over to the contact page and shoot us an email!
If you enjoyed this read, please leave a like and consider subscribing for more photo session advice. Follow us on Instagram at the link below to keep up with our most recent photo session samples and reels.
Thanks for reading!
- Jordan Epperson