I am excited to have Valerie Baron from Studio Baron Photo as our guest blogger today! She’s a Montreal wedding photographer with 10 years of experience photographing weddings and she shares some tips with us for your wedding day photos.
You found the photographer of your dreams and are super excited to work with her, but your fiancé isn’t into pictures and is questioning the need for one altogether. You’re scared that the photos won’t be what you imagined because your fiancé isn’t cooperating and the wedding is only a few months away. “Not to fear!” your experienced trusty photographer tells you, I have just the ticket to create magic.
I’ve been photographing weddings for nearly ten years. Over that time I’ve seen it all and created lasting memories through all kinds of situations, which include un-cooperative partners. That person is usually the guy, but not always so let’s not give the men of our hearts a bad rap.
Is everyone excited to be in front of the camera? These days it seems like the answer is a resounding, YES! But in truth, not really.
Anyone hear of a little app called Instagram? Lol. Yep, that little puppy is upping the game on the “ideal” photo or look and it’s not necessarily a good thing. Couples are feeling the pressure to compete with total strangers who they follow and whose lives they know nothing about, except for what they see on Instagram. What they don’t see is the team behind the camera making them look flawless and setting a scene to create that “selfie” which is not at all a simple photo they took themselves.
Don’t misunderstand me, I’m mildly addicted to it too like everyone else. I watch the click rate when I post to watch those hearts keep going up with anticipation. Of course feeling better the higher that number goes, sigh…
Reality-check time for us all! Take everything on social media with a grain of salt and enjoy it for what it is and don’t compare yourself, that’s the key! When it comes to your wedding and especially the photography, it’s about you and feeling amazing in your skin and with the person you love.
How do you do that, you ask?
The best way to start is an ENGAGEMENT PHOTO SHOOT. It’s also known as a casual session and usually takes place a few months before the wedding (or any season that you love!). It’s often 1-2 hours with just you and your photographer.
The benefits of an engagement session are amazing and majorly pay-off come the wedding day.
- You get a chance to really get to know and connect with your photographer before the wedding. Yes, you have spoken to them, met them and decided on them for any number of reasons. But, you haven’t interacted with them with a camera in their hands. Every photographer has their own style of working and finding that rhythm together is essential to breaking the “photo-ice” before the big day. That way you are rocking and rolling and not losing any time at the wedding to getting comfortable.
- As a couple, how often have you really been in front of a camera together? And not to take a selfie? Not much, eh? This is your chance to work out the kinks between you and shake off that awkward feeling yourselves. Often the photographer will ask you to pose and it may feel weird. A common one is asking you to close your eyes and lean your foreheads together… AWKWARD! This is the perfect time if it makes you uncomfortable to communicate that to your photographer so you can feel more at ease on the wedding day.
- You’ll discover what works for you and even more importantly, what doesn’t. If you are asked to do things that are not what you imagined at all, you can talk about what you had in mind and then on the wedding day you will be on the same page.
- Bonus! You’ll have lovely photos that you can use for the wedding. Some ideas are for save-the-dates, a photo guest book or even as the table markers. Have fun with it!
The most important part for me at an engagement shoot is to connect with the couple. Especially the partner I haven’t been communicating with. I make sure to take the time to find out what they have in mind for their wedding and what they like about photography or even what they don’t like (just as important).
Let’s get to know each other and make the entire experience incredible. The photos will be that much better for it, and it never hurts to have another friend.
Xoxo
Val
About Valerie Baron
I’m the woman behind Studio Baron Photo, your Montreal photographer. Finding the right photographer is crucial for capturing your milestones the way YOU see them! It’s a little like dating actually, let’s see if we’re going to swipe right? lol.
I’m a born and raised Montrealer, and I love my city!!
I have a huge soft spot for dogs, and gush over them whenever I get the chance… It’s a little out of control according to my boyfriend.
I fell in love with photography completely by accident in CEGEP and I’ve been hooked ever since!
My heart is all about capturing REAL moments, seeing the REAL you and sharing with you the best version of yourself as I see it.
