WHAT TO EXPECT AT YOUR ENGAGEMENT SESSION

Scheduling

As a photographer, I'm an artist, but instead of using paint, charcoal, or clay, light is my art medium. My number one priority when I'm shooting is to find the best light possible. This is why scheduling is one of the most important aspects of our shoot! The best light for a portrait session is sunrise or two hours before sunset. The least desirable time of the day is high noon when the sun will be directly above casting unflattering shadows on faces which accentuate imperfections!

Location

Location is another important decision to consider prior to our shoot! I give all of my clients the opportunity to choose their location but I do have some favorite places to suggest if you are having a hard time deciding on the perfect spot! Some things to consider when deciding on a location are:

  1. Choose a place with plenty of options for backgrounds. The more opportunities we have, the more variety your photos will have.

  2. If you are shy or nervous to be in front of a camera, it won't help if a crowd of people is watching while you're being photographed. If this is the case, choose a low traffic location so you can enjoy private snuggle time with your love.

  3. I love shooting in open fields, along hiking trails, and other nature parks! I feel my photographic style shines in these types of locations!

What to Wear

I encourage my clients to choose a color palette to coordinate their outfits and often it is easiest to choose one outfit that has a pattern with this color palette, then choose the other person's outfit based on the pattern. I don't recommend "matching" outfits and wearing the same exact thing (jeans and black shirts). Instead, experiment with different layers, textures and accessories! 

Don't forget the grooming! Ladies, pay special attention to your hair, nails and makeup. False lashes look amazing on film. Also, make sure your bra straps aren't showing. Men, get a haircut, shave and make sure your nails are kept as well! Brush your teeth because there will be lots of kissing!

What to Bring

Please bring yourselves rested and fed! Grumpy and "hangry" show up in photos! Bring a positive attitude and your smiles. My goal of our photo session isn't to just take a stiff, posed, unnatural photograph of you and your fiancé! I want to capture who you are together and the love that you share! I will be doing a lot of the directing so don't worry about being professional models! I will suggest different motions such as walking towards me, that translate very naturally on camera and if I pose you, I will tell you exactly where to put what where! The purpose of an engagement session is so you can get used to how I direct so it's effortless on your wedding day. The best thing you can do for your photoshoot is relax, be silly, have fun, be flirty and intimate and focus on letting how unique your relationship is shine through!

I generally do not use props but you're free to bring some. If you have some in mind, let me know before the shoot so I can come prepared with some ideas as well!

I do collect your final payment the day of the shoot so please bring a check made out to: "Malia Moana Photography".

After our Shoot

My turnaround time for editing your photos is 21 business days. I send my film to my wonderful lab in Los Angeles for processing and they send me the digital scans. I combine my digital edits with these scans into an online gallery and you will receive an e-mail from me with your gallery link.  This gallery will hold your images for 10 years, however, I highly recommend you save your images to TWO separate locations:  on your computer and on an external hard drive. Even better is to back up your photos on a cloud drive. There will be options to save all of your images or just one at a time. You will also have the option to download an app to your phone for easy sharing on the go. If you need a professional lab to print your photos, there is an option to do so in the gallery, however, you may download and print your images anywhere you would like! Finally, I ask for these things when you share your images:

  • Please do not crop, edit or alter the images in any way.

  • Please give photo credit to "Malia Moana Photography" on every image you share. My business survives off of referrals and social media exposure. This is the best thank you I could ask for and I would really appreciate this!

Looking forward to our shoot! See you soon!

Malia