i've known Anna and Martin for many years so this was supposed to be a fun shoot. this was supposed to be an easy shoot, because i understand their sense of humor and know what i could do to make them smile and laugh. this was supposed to be a relaxed shoot because of our established comfort with each other, ensuring that genuine emotion would come through. this was supposed to be all that...and i'm glad to say it was.
with all of my clients, it is important to have an engagement shoot to build a relationship with them, to understand what style of communication they prefer and develop a plan for cues to make the wedding day shoot a breeze. i need to know what kinds of things will make them smile, be loving and be silly. they have to know what i mean when i ask them them to "relax the hand, give me blue steel" or "tell her a secret". so even though Anna and Martin are friends i know very well, they are a couple i have to treat as clients just the same.
being a friend doesn't hurt though. they were comfortable with me from the very start and i believe their comfort came through the final images. it didn't take very much for us to get into a groove and capture some really fun "fly-on-the-wall" type moments while also putting them into a few posed images that are captivating and beautiful in its simplicity.
we spent the afternoon wandering around downtown and wanted to blend in important elements which i felt was key to the theme of the shoot. using the diverse backdrops our city has to offer, i tried to create a soft theme which celebrated the past, present and future. in looking to the past, we worked in front of a historic sandstone building that used to serve as a school many decades ago.
being in the present led us to the infamous stephen ave walk, where we enjoyed some candid moments dancing around and having good ol' fashioned fun on the streets in front of complete strangers. Anna and Martin really let loose here and indulged me into some fantastic candid moments that really captured what i love about working with couples who are in absolute adoration of each other. these are the type of genuine moments you can't manufacture.
we covered off the tour by touching on the future. using the latest public art installation in downtown calgary called the "chinook arch", we basically utilized the scuplture as a giant softbox and managed to get a combination of fun and artistic images that helped me explore my rooted interest in utilizing architecture and art installations as backdrops for the image. the movement of lines of the sculpture helped frame Anna and Martin as the focal point yet provided enough dynamic interest for the viewer to dance around the images playfully until they found the lovely couple in a sweet embrace.
earning trust with your clients is the one of the most important things you can do as a photographer. it enables you to focus on your creativity because the client has already bought in to your philosophy and style and believes that you have the eye that matches well with their expectations. they will "stop, collaborate and listen" to whatever situation they are being put in because they trust that you will be rewarding them with the best images possible.
i'm looking forward to spending time with these two very special people on their wedding day this summer. if this engagement shoot was any indication, the wedding day shoot will be just as fun and relaxed and should be full of really amazing moments that i will be fortunate enough to capture.
de jesus. summer's here. out.
