Hello and happy Friday! I don’t know about you, but I’m so ready for the weekend! My parents are visiting me from Texas this weekend, and we have already had so much fun, with more fun to come the next few days. June is one of the best months in Arkansas; the days are warm enough to go to the lake or to the creek, but the evenings still cool down and are quite pleasant for berry picking, walks, or just sitting out on the porch. I may be biased since June is my birthday month, but who really knows?
Anyways, back to the real reason you are reading this post: Couples Sessions. Couples sessions are the heart and soul of my business. My first ever session was a couples session, and it helped me to fall in love with photography. Yes, I love elopements. Yes, I love family sessions. And yes, I love product and branding sessions. But nothing helps bring out my creative side like a couples session. There’s just something about getting to photograph my couples on a date night or in their home or out in nature that I absolutely love. So, if you are looking for a photographer to photograph you and your partner, or if you just want to know a little bit more about what a couples session with me looks like, read on, my dear.
What is a couples photo session?
A couples photo session, simply put, is a special way to document the season of life you are in. Whether you are dating, engaged, celebrating an anniversary, birthday, or milestone, or simply just because, the photos from your session will be a reminder of the love you and your partner share, and they will be a delight to look back on in years to come.
Why should I schedule a couples photo session?
Every year before the holidays, my dad asks me to send him a photo of my husband Keith and I that he can put in the family Christmas letter. Yes, my parents send out a Christmas letter. On paper. Through the mail. Quaint, isn’t it? Before I became a photographer, I would scroll through my phone’s camera roll, finding lots of selfies of the two of us (which, I think we can all admit, are almost always terrible) but hardly any (good) photos of us that were taken by someone else. If this sounds familiar, keep reading!
I personally love having photos taken of Keith and myself. In fact, it’s so important to me that Keith even put it in his private vows to me on our wedding day that he would never say no to taking photos with me. Of course, that was before I became a photographer and our photoshoots turned into a *production*. But he has kept his word and never denies me a photoshoot. In fact, the photos in this blog post are of the two of us in one of our favorite places – Colorado.
When I think about why photos are so important to me, I keep coming back to the fact that I grew up obsessing over our family photo albums. Of course, all those photos had been taken on film cameras and aside from my parents’ wedding photos, almost none were professional. There were tons of pictures of my brother and me, and some of us with one or the other of my parents, but almost none of my parents together. When I did come across one of the two of them, it was so incredibly special. I loved imagining which adult was there taking their photo, or what they had said to each other right before the photo was taken, or why they were dressed in a certain way.
Today, we have cameras that fit into our pockets. We’re constantly taking photos and sharing them with the world in just a few clicks, but somehow they have become less special. Booking a photo session is a way to make photos special again. I know that booking a couples session is an investment and a privilege, and that’s why I shoot and edit every session with intentionality and care, so that you are getting the very best of the best in your gallery.
How do I prep for my couples photo session?
Treat it like a date! I’m serious. Whether dressing up and doing your hair and makeup in a special way is your thing, or staying home and ordering pizza is more your vibe, plan your session around your life. As I’ve said before, I want to photograph the season of life you are in, and I welcome all suggestions or ideas that you have. I love infusing my couples’ personalities into their sessions and delivering photos that look like you.
Something that is so helpful to me as we plan your session is for you to create a Pinterest board of your vision for your session. Searching “couples photos” on Pinterest will help you visualize several different options for location and outfits. By sending me a link, you will help me help you achieve the photos of your dreams!
What can I expect from my couples photo session?
My standard couples sessions are about an hour long (I’m not super strict on time – if I feel like I’ve shot enough we might end a few minutes early, or if we’re waiting for the sky at sunset we may stay a little later than planned) and you will get back roughly 50 photos. As with all of my sessions, my couples have access to my digital session guide which includes a style guide, and are free to contact me with any questions.
I like to start off my sessions with some chit chat. I may have talked to one or both of you on the phone during our consult call (and I have almost definitely stalked you on Instagram), but this is likely the first time we are meeting face to face. I am very aware that it can be awkward to have a stranger put a camera in your face and start taking pictures of you, and awkward is the last thing I want you to feel during our session. Although I will be the first to admit that I’m not super great at chit chat, I do my best to put you both at ease before I start shooting.
Printing your photos
I believe so strongly in printing your photos that I wrote a whole blog post about it! A luxury photo album or high quality prints are the perfect ways to display your photos. Click here to view the blog post – it includes all my pricing for prints and albums.
I hope this post has inspired and encouraged you to book your couples photo session! I believe everyone deserves to have professional photos taken of them – it makes you feel special in a way that you just don’t get from a phone photo. And if you haven’t found a photographer yet, I’m your girl!
*This blog post contains a selection of images of my husband Keith and me. I posed us, my brother took the photos, and I edited them. If you’d like to visit my gallery page of photos I’ve taken, click here. And if you are interested in booking a wedding or session with me, I am more than happy to send you a full gallery upon request!
I’m a wife, a dog mom, a foodie, a wanderer, a registered nurse, and a couples/intimate wedding/elopement photographer … and this blog will cover it all! If you enjoyed this post, first of all thank you, and second of all please follow me on Instagram + Facebook and sign up for my monthly newsletter to get exclusive wedding planning advice and access to all of my new (and old) freebies! If you have any questions about elopement photography, my journey from nursing to photography, or my time spent as a full-time RVer, drop a comment and I just might write a blog post answering your question (but I definitely will)!
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