Pre-Shoot & Bridal Photography Session Tips & Ideas from Swensen Photography

Tips & Photography Courtesy of~Swensen Photography

When to do your  Bridals or Pre-shoot~ schedule bridals at least 3 weeks prior to wedding day (You may need more time depending on your photographers turn around time) to prevent rush charges & stress in case they’d like to make prints for the wedding.

Rings~In case of having a pre-shoot or want your groom to be in your bridals, be sure to have him wear his wedding ring.

Tux~ Some tux shops may offer you a deal for your pre-shoot or bridal session.  Be sure to ask when renting your tux.

Flowers~ Don’t forget to order your bride bouquet.  Some florists will offer a free bridal bouquet (with a wedding package) for your pre-shoot or bridal session prior to you wedding.  Be sure to ask your florist.  Also fake flowers in place of real flowers for bouquets,   if done well, they can look fine from far away but you can tell they are fake with close up shots.  Check with your florist for their recommendations.

Hair~ Before you make a drastic change such as a new color or new haircut make sure you give yourself enough time to make the changes necessary in case you aren’t particularly fond of it.  Also when deciding how to do your hair think about how you normally wear it.  We often times have clients wish they would have done something different with their hair as they don’t think they look like themselves when they have a new hair style that they normally wouldn’t wear. For example if you normally wear your hair down you may not feel like you look like yourself.   Hiring a professional for your hair & make up is always recommended.  Hire someone you trust & be sure to do a test run prior to your wedding or photo session to be sure you are both on the same page & loving your look.

Let your photographer know what you like & what you don’t like~ Communicating with your photographer is extremely important.  Everyone is unique & likes different things.  Some couples prefer more traditional, posed shots and others like a creative approach with different angles, fish eye shots, candid shots & special effects.  If you have a preference or want something specific let your photographer know.  The shoot is about you & what it is you want.  A good photographer will be able to do what it is you ask & can shoot various styles.  If you see something you like or want to recreate let your photographer know & show them what you want.  We want you to get the most out of your photography session so let us know what you want.

Bad Weather~ Unfortunately we can’t control the weather. We do our best to inform our clients of the possibility of inclement weather but ultimately it is up to you if you want to continue with your shoot or reschedule.  Keep in mind that if you choose to keep a scheduled shoot during inclement weather your pictures will have rain or snow in them and that your hair may go frizzy or flat & you could have rain spots on your clothing.  There could be snow spots on the camera & some locations may not be as beautiful.  Ultimately we try to discourage photo shoots during inclement weather so that you can get the best images possible.

Editing & turn around times~ Our turn around times vary depending on the season, however we have extremely fast turn around times.  Contact our office for specific turn around times.  Intense editing such as removal of objects from an image will be done on the images that are chosen to print not on every image that you receive on the disk.  If you want extra images edited we are happy to do so for an additional fee.

Locations & Times~ Listen to your photographer about the best locations & times for your shoot.  If you have a specific place in mind let them know about it & get their opinion.  Having good lighting and a variety of scenery will make a huge difference in having your images turn out the way you like them.  It is ultimately up to you on where you want to go but keep in mind we need to have good light & scenery to make the images turn out fantastic.

Special thanks to Swensen Photography for their incredible tips & images for Pre-shoot & Bridal sessions.  To see more of their work be sure to check out their website HERE.

Swensen Photography is pleased to be part of the upcoming $100k Dream Wedding Giveaway for this years Summer Bridal Extravaganza.  The Bridal Show will be this coming Saturday, July 16th at La Caille.  Be sure to come & visit them in their booth & see more of their incredible photography.

Click HERE to Register for the upcoming Bridal Show!