WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE LOCATIONS FOR AN ENGAGEMENT SESSION?
We asked our team where their favorite engagement session locations are, and their process when they plan with their couples. This is what they said:
Photo by Thea Volk
THEA VOLK
Downtown St. Paul is one of my favorite backdrops for engagement photos. The cobblestone streets, quaint storefronts, and historic buildings lend a timeless quality to the portraits. Landmark Center is a great option for cold or rainy days. You can easily get permission to wander the halls and staircases and the natural light coming in makes for good shots.
Finding what the couple enjoys doing together is a great starting point for most sessions. Whether they were engaged at Cafe Lurcat or love bicycling around Lake Harriet, those places or activities that are important in their lives lend a fuller meaning to the photos.
My other favorite spots are local parks when the trees are flowering in Spring, the client's home, and Lake Hiawatha at sunset.
Photo by Jackson Faith
JACKSON FAITH
My go to is the clients favorite spot in the city - some place with a lot of meaning to them.
+ Any body of water around sunset is sure to bring out the romance.
+ One of my favorite lakes is Cedar Lake.
+ Any Local State Parks ( William O'Brien & Interstate Parks) any places with great views!
+ Often times will go to the couples favorite restaurant where they share many personal memories together.
+ My favorite part of town for an engagement session is Lowertown in St. Paul.
MELISSA HESSE
My favorite go-to engagement session spots are always where the couple spends most of their time. They seem to be more at ease in a location they are familiar with. It keeps things casual, and takes off the pressure of being in front of the camera.
When choosing other locations I love to bring the couple out for a drink. Perhaps their favorite restaurant or cafe. It's a great start to warm up, and then explore areas around that location for unique backdrops such as alley ways or hidden gems around the city.
BRYAN BLUMENSCHEIN
I enjoy shooting outdoors with natural backdrops, nothing beats being outdoors with the couple!
A few of my favorite outdoor locations are:
+ Cedar lake
+ French park (Plymouth)
+ Loring park
+ Elm Creek Park reserve(Maple Grove)
MAGGIE WITTER
Minnesota has so much to offer when it comes to photo shoot spots! There are so many gorgeous places to photograph in the twin cities alone, but my favorite spot to shoot is always somewhere that has some sort of significance to the couple I am working with. This is sometimes their home, the place they first met, their favorite coffee shop or restaurant, etc. Going somewhere that the couple is somewhat familiar with puts them at ease which makes for the best photos. Plus, it is a huge part of their story which is so fun to incorporate into engagement photos!
RYAN STADLER
I like thinking about how to make these sessions as genuine to each couple as possible. Most of the time, couples are really nervous at first, so it's great to start in familiar places for them rather than taking them to some spot I love, unless I know it fits them and its going to help in getting genuine photos.
Here's what I suggest to my couples unless they have a specific location in mind:
+ Family cabin on a lake
+ Couples condo/home
+ Immediate neighborhood
+ Cozy cafe's and coffee shops nearby