Choosing a location for your engagement shoot | Buckinghamshire wedding photographer
Choosing the right location for your engagement shoot is a fairly important decision, as your engagement photos are probably some of the first images you have professionally taken together as an engaged couple.
A beautiful or unique background really helps to create images that will stand out from your wedding photographs and add a sentimental touch that speaks to the history between you and your fiancé(e). Here are some tips on choosing the perfect spot and planning your engagement shoot
- Think about whether you want a rural or urban setting and if there are any places that have a sentimental value. Most engaged couples I photograph share a special location that could be great for an engagement shoot. Rural locations, particularly those on common land are generally ideal for any engagement shoot and have few or no restrictions for your wedding photographer. In contrast, city locations like London, for example, will often require the photographer to be more stealth like in their shooting as so much of London is privately owned.What this means for a photographer is that permits and permissions are required to shoot professionally on the land – some of which you’ll never get. But without them, you will be moved on by security staff or police – depending on where you are. This includes the royal parks. I’m not saying, don’t choose a city. You just need to be quick and your wedding photographer may need to improvise with lighting and camera equipment so as not to draw attention to themselves.
- Think about whether you want photos at sunrise or sunset. In reality, you have to think about this in relation to your location. Where does the sun rise or set at the locations you’re considering? I find the Photopills application pretty useful for determining where the sun will be at a particular time of day – it works at any location.Another important consideration is the time of year your engagement shoot will take place. If you’re too far into the year sunrise could be 4am and sunset at 9pm. In my experience, April to mid-May and mid-September to the end of October are the best months for an engagement shoot. Earlier sunsets and later sunrises and not too cold.You may be thinking, ‘what about other times of the day?’ and that’s a fair question. I wouldn’t rule out an afternoon engagement shoot. Earlier in the day, I wouldn’t recommend, particularly a sunny day as the ambient light is likely to be harsh and more difficult to achieve a pleasing balance with flash.
- Check that your chosen venue will allow photography. If it’s the venue where you’re getting married, there’s a good chance they’ll say yes to an engagement shoot. If it’s not, make sure you ask the venue’s permission first or you may asked to leave during the shoot.People often assume that you don’t need permission to photograph in National Trust gardens like Stowe or West Wycombe Park in Buckinghamshire. That’s not the case at all – you do need permission and you may need to pay a fee as well.
- Take into account how much time you have to shoot at each vista point. Most engagement shoots last one to two hours.Apart from silhouettes, the best sunset/sunrise photos are lit with both ambient and photographic lighting. My reason for telling you this is that you need to allow at least 20 minutes for setting up lights and taking photos at each vista point. And don’t forget to allow time to move between different vista points as well.
- Be inspired by what works in other people’s engagement photos, too. You could also look at inspiration boards or Pinterest to see what colours work well together and appeal to you as a couple.You can also ask your photographer to create a pinterest board where you can all add images and ideas privately.Discuss your vision with your photographer. Do you want something natural and understated? Or do you prefer a bolder approach, more like a styled shoot?
If you fancy the latter, with your favourite ballgown and DJ, I can help you find a hair and makeup artist for a more polished look – there would be an additional cost for an MUA of course.
An engagement shoot at Coombe Hill in Buckinghamshire
Tom and Izzy’s wedding was in July so we agreed that May would be a good time to do an engagement shoot. They chose Coombe Hill in Buckinghamshire because it had special memories for them. It was one of the first places they went to when they started dating each other.
We decided to shoot at sunset as the sun sets more-or-less behind the Boer monument which would give them some of the most spectacular views of the Buckinghamshire countryside as a backdrop.
Tom and Izzy wanted to use one of their engagement photos to create a signing board for guests at their wedding so that two-month window also gave me enough time to get the signing board printed and framed ahead of the big day.
I’ve lived in Buckinghamshire for 25 years but I didn’t grow up here so I’d never been to Coombe Hill until Tom and Izzy chose it as the shoot location.
In reality, that doesn’t really matter. Because whether it’s a wedding or an engagement session, I generally scout any location I haven’t photographed before, ahead of our shoot. It just makes sense as it means we don’t waste time looking for great backgrounds on the engagement shoot and as importantly, I can make sure I’ve got all the lighting and photographic equipment I need to get the best engagement photos.
A few things worth knowing for an engagement shoot at Coombe Hill. Firstly, you need a dry day as there are no shelters or covered areas on the hill. If it’s windy and rainy, it’s pretty horrible.
For Tom and Izzy’s engagement shoot, May turned out to be pretty wet; in fact we had to reschedule two or three times before we finally got a sunset – so you need to be flexible and so does your Buckinghamshire wedding photographer.
Another thing that’s good to know about Coombe Hill is that there may be cattle grazing on the hill so you need to watch where you’re walking (and sitting). Hopefully, you’re not afraid of cows.
I wouldn’t recommend wearing high-heels either as there may be a risk of injury if you walk across uneven grassland or down the side of the hill. The trail around Coombe Hill is largely gravel which will ruin a nice pair of heels. but of course, if you want to wear heels in your photos, one option is to walk in trainers and pop on your heels at each location.
Anyway, here’s a couple more pics from the engagement shoot.
About Coombe Hill
At 260 metres above sea level, Coombe Hill is the highest point in the Chilterns Hills, Buckinghamshire.
Previously part of the Chequers Estate, the hill’s 106 acres donated to the National Trust by Lord and Lady Lee of Fareham in 1918, at the same time the country received Chequers House as a retreat for the serving prime minister.
You’ve arrived at the highest point in the Chiltern Hills, when you reach the Boer War Monument. The monument was built in 1904 to commemorate the Buckinghamshire men that died in the South African War of 1899 to 1902.
On a clear day, you can see all the way to the Cotswolds from the monument, with wide views over the Aylesbury Vale in Buckinghamshire.
If you’re planning your wedding in 2022 and you’d like to book an engagement session with me at Coombe Hill or anywhere else in Buckinghamshire, send me a message using my contact page and let me know what you’ve got in mind.
Visit my wedding photos gallery to see more examples of my work.