I love getting to take engagement photos. They're relaxing, enjoyable, fun—and you get to know folks. In fact, that's one of the things I like best about my job.

But it wasn't always that way.

Once upon a time, I used to work in a portrait studio where I had about ten minutes at a time with each client. Sessions were quick and sterile; you had to get good at making folks smile and feel relaxed in a very short amount of time. A lot of folks in that section of the industry refer to it as "Fast Food Photography." It was easy, especially during the Christmas season, to feel like a cook at a fast food joint, flipping hundreds of burgers a day. What was a very personal, expressive art form was condensed down to an assembly line process. During the Christmas season, I once worked a day where I photographed 35 families.

These kinds of memories hit me pretty much every time I'm doing an engagement session. I now have two hours to spend talking to, learning about, and understanding my clients. I make suggestions, hear ideas. I can try new and creative things, things that might take time. Finding different lighting? Trying to get the same shot for ten minutes because the bride-to-be can't stop laughing? Using three different outfits? Yeah, we can do that.

We can do that.

These photos are of Ryan & Andrea. They went on one of their first dates to this location, Chambers Bay. Ryan works in aviation, Andrea is studying to be a teacher and works with kids. They’re moving to Texas soon, returning to be married in Tacoma. We'll be shooting their wedding this coming September, and it'll be the only thing I photograph the whole day.

I am excited about that.

If you'd like to schedule your family, wedding, or engagement session, whether it's one hour or 12, contact us today!