This smiling couple chose to start their engagement session on the family yacht, which is anchored in Palm Beach. Not only is this boat a place of happiness for the two of them, they also got engaged on it during a special trip through the Bahamas, so the sentimental meaning behind these images is very sweet. We love incorporating personal desires and locations that are meaningful to our clients, as it makes the resulting images that much more powerful than simply picking a pretty place.
Their clothing choice embodies a casually elegant style that fits perfectly with the Palm Beach island locale, feeling Nantucket preppy and nautical with a flowing polka dot dress, but not overwhelmed with kitschy props or too many accessories. Allowing your personal taste to shine while keeping a visual aesthetic in mind for the overall feel of the shoot can keep an engagement session feeling documentary in nature, and less like an editorial shoot for a magazine. It's often best to think of viewing these images fifty years from now: will you be able to show them to your grandchildren and say, "That's what we were like. Those are clothes we wore. That was a place we loved."? Or will you be admitting, "Well, no. We didn't usually have a multi-course picnic with old fashioned stacks of luggage next to us. That was just a prop for the photo shoot."
Location: Palm Beach, Florida.
1/2500; f/4.0; ISO 200; 85.0 mm.