I had an absolute blast shooting Claire and Aaron’s Mt Compass engagement shoot! I mean take a look at all that golden light that was filtering in through the stunning Australian bushland!
Claire and Aaron are lucky enough to have a friend who owns a farm in Mt Compass – just south of Adelaide that features stunning rolling hills, ponds, rugged bush and some incredible trees. They even made it easy on me and decided to head out for their engagement shoot during golden hour which really made things pretty darn awsome! Turned out to be a stunning shoot!
We began at the top of a hill, which had some huge, gnarly gum trees which we stood under for a few shots to warm up, then walked down the other side to find a stunning little pond enveloped with lush gum trees. There was no wind so the water was still and made for some lovely reflections.
We then head back up the hill and made use of the dying light of the sun filtering in throguh the foliage – which was really beatiful! The hill also overlooked the lovely folling hills that make up the majority of Onkaparinga.
To finish up I broke up one of my last smoke bombs to create a little bit of atmosphere with the sun light filtering in through the smoke.
I had a blast! Looking forward to Claire and Aaron’s wedding at Serafino’s Winery early January now! 😀
Standing together in the sunlight
Couples standing under a gum tree
Standing together under a gum tree
Sun shining through gum tree
Walking down the grassy hill together
Reflections in the pond
Admiring the scenery together
Outstanding in their field
Walking together across the field
Sun shining through a tree above
Couples shot through the leaves
Holding one another in the leaves
Engagement photoshoot
Engagement shoot Mt Compass
Couple near dead tree
Lifting her up silhouette
In amongst the trees with smoke
Smoke backdrop for couple
Couple shoot with smoke
Passionate kiss on engagement shoot
Thanks so much Claire and Aaron for having me shoot your Mt COmpass Engagement shoot! Was amazing!
Finally—you’re engaged!, and nothing could be more exciting! For most couples, this time as an enormously stressful one, especially with the wedding planning going on left and right.
One point of contention amidst the flurry of organising the wedding is whether or not an engagement photoshoot is necessary. You may ask yourself if it’s really worth spending your money on. Engagement shoots, however, are more than just nice-to-haves in the grander scheme of things; it can actually have several practical benefits.
6 Reasons Why an Engagement Shoot Is a Must Have
To emphasise this point, here are six reasons why an engagement photoshoot is a must!:
Tiwi Islands Engagement
You can get comfortable with the camera
A situation wherein either the bride or the groom doesn’t feel at their best on the big day because they’re incredibly camera-shy is something the couple and the photographer want to avoid. An engagement shoot is a perfect opportunity to warm up to the camera and get some practice on comfortable poses in. Doing this before the big day can make you feel much more relaxed, and the photos will turn out much better.
Some photographers will get on with a couple swimmingly while others will have a different style that doesn’t quite match. Remember, you must choose your wedding photographer carefully, as it is a significant investment, after all!
It’s not enough to simply browse a photographer’s portfolio. If you can, book a session with them to see if their work fits your preferences. While some photographers offer free or discounted engagement photo sessions, it might be worth spending just a bit more to make sure the photographs are to your liking.
Not only will this ensure that you get the results you want, but your overall experience will be more pleasant too. Building rapport with your photographer is important, as they will be with you for many hours. As they get to know you as a couple, your wedding photographer will also understand how to capture the both of you in the best way possible.
Surprise!
You’re celebrating an important milestone
The wedding itself often eclipses engagements, but they are nevertheless a milestone that should be celebrated. Being engaged tells everyone of your commitment to one another forever as future husband and wife. It is a beautifully unique period between being in a relationship and getting married that you’ll want to capture in photos.
One Tree Hill Engagement shoot
You can combine it with your hair and make-up trial before the big day
Before the wedding, there’s always a trial day for the bride’s hair and makeup. What better way to capture how they’ll look in photos on the wedding day than your engagement shoot? This kills two birds with one stone and can save a lot of time and effort in scheduling wedding preparations for the wedding on different days.
makeup
You’ll have photos to use for the wedding day
By doing a photoshoot early on, you’ll have pictures to use for your save the dates, invites, or on the day itself. It’s a win-win scenario for everyone!
It’s quite a common thing I’ve seen recently where a couple who had done an engagement shoot had a large printed photo on display above their wishing well at their reception. It’s a nice way to personalise the space!
The Final Word: Are Engagement Photoshoots Worth It?
Engagement photoshoots are not just nice-to-have, but they have a suitable place for your wedding plans too. It can act as preparation for the big day, especially where actual wedding photos are concerned. Besides being an opportunity to commemorate your engagement, engagement photoshoots make part of the wedding planning process easier, and with beautiful photos, to boot!
Are you looking for wedding photography packages in Adelaide? Sven Studios offers professional wedding photography services to capture your special day in the most natural way possible. We cover weddings all around Australia, including Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin, Canberra, and Perth. Visit our site today to view our wedding photography packages!
Hiring a professional photographer is essential to modern weddings. It’s an art that captures special moments – from the blushing bride’s walk down the aisle, the bittersweet dance between father and daughter, to everything in between. One aspect of a couple’s relationship that is overlooked on a wedding day however is the pure, unfiltered love that you show to one another outside of such a formal occasion – which is where an engagement photoshoot steps in.
It’s easy to think that an engagement photoshoot only adds to your expenses, and isnt really needed, but the list below explores the reasons every couple should say “I do” to it.
3 Reasons to Have an Engagement Photoshoot
Benefit #1: Establish Trust and Familiarity
You may have hired a photographer that matches your style, but there’s nothing more effective than putting your chemistry together to the test. An engagement photoshoot can reduce your jitters and make you feel more comfortable in front of the lens, allowing both parties to understand each other’s best and worst angles and what each other would be comfortable with.
It helps reveal any instances that make the bride or groom uncomfortable, allowing the photographer to ensure you can smile confidently and capture it easily on your wedding day. Not to mention, feeling relaxed can go a long way in creating natural-looking shots that you can cherish for the rest of your life.
From above
Benefit #2: Provides an Opportunity to Do a Make-Up Trial
Your dream hair-do and make-up may look stunning behind a mirror, but it’s possible to capture something you may not have noticed when in front of a camera, and Photoshop only helps so much. With that in mind, having a pre-wedding engagement photoshoot gives room for you to experiment with your look.
makeup
Benefit #3: Makes For a Unique Save the Date, or invitations
Pre-wedding photography not only provides an opportunity to do trial runs, but you can also use it to add a more intimate and quirky touch to your Save the Date cards and/or invitations. Attaching a snapshot of the happy couple can be exciting and gives it a more personalized approach, making it a memento to keep as your friends and family anticipate the special day.
If you’re planning on placing a photo of the two of you on either a save the date or your invitiations, please dont resort to a shot you took on your phone! Invest in an engagement photoshoot for much better results!
Don’t be afraid to opt to have a destination photoshoot either, as this would allow for you to make use of some incredible scenery, while not having to pay for an entire destination wedding!
If you’re looking to capture the beautiful moments leading up to your special day, I offer great deals on engagement photoshoots, both locally and around Australia! We’re the best wedding photographers in Australia to ask, so get in touch with us now!
It wasn’t the nicest day to go out and do a photo shoot out and about high in the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens, but I’m so glad Olivia and Dimitiri were keen to head out anyway as the colours you can get here are just incredible! Also the rising mist from early in the morning just made the feeling of their engagement photos that much more surreal!
Olivia and Dimitri were umming and ering over where to go for their photoshoot, thinking maybe a beach, or the Belair National Park but in the end were very keen on heading to the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens, mainly due to it was where Dimitri had originally proposed.
As this engagement shoot was happening only a few weeks after when they were supposed to be married, I thought this was quite appropriate! Olivia and Dimitri had had to postpone their wedding due to the COVID-19 restrictions.
Once a location was chosen, I really wanted to make use of the lovely light either in the late afternoon for the golden hour, or early morning.
We ended up getting up early on the freezing morning for the gates to open at 8:30 as the COVID-19 restrictions had just been lifted and we expected the Botanic Gardens to be packed with people trying to get out and about a bit! The early start, coupled with the drizzly weather meant we had the whole Gardens to ourselves.
Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens Engagement Shoot
We began our photoshoot walk at the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens lower carpark, nearby the dam wall. Our first reaction when arriving was that we were super lucky to still have some colours in the autumn leaves that made these botanic gardens so magical! I was kind of hoping to get a bit of fog into their photos, but it was fast rising.
We quickly hopped up the nearby hill to make use of some trees that were losing their leaves, then head down to the water’s edge as I wanted to use my favourite tree in all of the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens, but unfortunately it had already lost all it’s leaves 🙁
Holding one another at the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens
Laughing through the red leaves
Walking along the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens dam
Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens Autumn colours
Cuddles by the water
Close up of engagement ring
Walking together in the Autumn colours
Olivia and Dimitri certainly made it easy as their carefree attitude was present all throughout the photoshoot and they had plenty of smiles on their faces!
We then head across the dam, which I feel is always an awesome shot to get, making the couple feel as though they are out in the middle of nowhere on ther path way. It’s a very tricky shot to get though as usually the dam walkway is always full of dozens of other people walking across!
Walking along the Mt Lofty Botanic Dam
Couple on the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens Dam
The big draw of the Botanic Gardens are the wonderfully vivid autumnal colours you can get at this time of year, and thankfully we were able to capture some before they all fell from the trees. The colours, coupled with the misty morning really made for some wonderful scenes!
I had a blast taking photos with Olivia and Dimitri during this weather, but it’s so rare to get a couple to get up this early and head out in bad weather like this! 🙂
Just have a ook at the types of unique scenes you can get in weather like this! from fog, to muted autumnal colours!@ It’s a great time to take photos! Just not so great if you want to stay snug and warm :/
Couple under the yellow leaves
Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens Bridge
Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens in winter
Couple under the orange trees
Laughing and playing
Hugs under the yellow leaves
Walking together with the mist
Hugs under the maple leaves
Looking at the camera under the maple leaves
Looking at a flower
I’d like to thank Olivia’s sister in law Thalia whose engagement shoot had been given to them by her mother for giving Olivia and Dimitri their engagement shoot! It’s always nice to know that people appreciate their photos so much they have their family and friends also have their photos taken with me! 🙂
I was lucky enough to have been asked by Stacy and Sam to walk about the wonderful sights and architecture along North Terrace for a bit of an engagement shoot. The weather was wonderful for this kind of shoot, we were dodging some terrible weather on the radar, but luckily we managed to avoid it all together, and as a result the cloud cover made for some lovely moody lighting which I was excited to use!
We began our little walk out the front of the State Library, nearby the outer walls of the Mortlock wing and just around the corner of the old Police barracks situated at the rear of the museum. These spots are almost hidden spaces in Adelaide, without much foot traffic, but some incredible period architecture that lends itself well to these kind of photos.
Adelaide Library
Adelaide Library
Smiles
Adelaide Museum
Behind the Adelaide Museum
We then head in through the Adelaide University to use the incredibly popular pillars nearby the Torrens footbridge – it’s often the case on Saturdays during the wedding season that these pillars become a bit of a rolling door of weddings queing up to have photos there!
Adelaide University
Adelaide University
Adelaide University
Adelaide University wedding photo locations Adelaide
Adelaide University
Adelaide University
Originally, before the weather forecast was put out, Stacy had wanted to venture over to the Elder Park pond for some photos, however I knew it had recently been drained and looked horrible. As an alternative I suggested we head over to the little willos lining the Torrens, and use the Torrens footbridge as well 🙂
Under the weeping willow
Engagewment ring
Kisses on the Torrens footbridge
Holding hands
After the Torrens, we head back up to North Terrace to use the last few buldings, including the magnificent Bonython Hall.
Lifts
On the steps
Bonython Hall
Along North terrace
Bonython Hall
The egg
I had a bunch of fun with Stacy adn Sam, and I hope they enjoy their photos! 🙂