What to expect on your connection photo session

Your Connection Photoshoot

So, you’ve booked a Connection Session with us – That’s amazing news. Honestly, we can’t wait to hang out with you and get to know you both and take some amazing photos while were at it.

They’re not only a brilliant way of having some time in front of the camera getting some awesome photos of you both together, but most importantly, they allow you to re-connect with each other.

When was the last time you just stood silently together in each other’s arms? Sounds cheesy I know, but isn’t this what you did when you first got together?

In our busy lives, stresses and strains can easily make us forget to just enjoy being with each other, so these photoshoots are a perfect remedy for that. We’ll get you to just stand together, cuddle each other like you used to do (or hopefully still do), hold each other tight and with no words, show each other how much you love each other. Showing the love you have, just with a touch of the hands, or a kiss on the top of the head. Amazing.

But don’t worry… you don’t know how to pose, right?! We’ve got you covered. We’ll find some cool light and pretty much tell you guys to just go and hang out in it together. I’ll give you a few tips on posing so you look and feel most natural and if you guys just trust us, we’ll get some stunning photos of you both, looking comfortable together, without them being “cheesy” or “staged”.

So, here are a few tips!

Where shall we go?

The possibilities are endless, but we definitely encourage you guys to be adventurous and make it something special to remember. We could go abroad for the shoot and do a quick hop over to Europe for some photos in a cool city (See Shinal And Ravi’s Madrid Shoot), or maybe take advantage of the beautiful coasts of the Channel Islands. Or maybe somewhere in the Scottish Highlands in amongst misty mountains and epic landscapes, or maybe the Isle of Mull…I’ve seen some photos from a bridal shoot there on Mull that looked amazing and I know you guys could totally rock it…you’ve got rocks, beaches, seals and puffins all in one place – What more could you want! 🙂 My imagination is running wild now, but how about the black, volcanic hills of Tenerife, or being stood in an Icelandic waterfall!!? Seriously guys, let’s make this more than just having a couple of photos…let’s make it something to really remember!!

That said, Derbyshire has some stunning scenery and we can make the most of that if you’re pushed for time and fancy getting up for a 5am sunrise. As I say, the possibilities are endless, so feel free to pick our brains and send back some ideas.

What time of day is best?

Well, you’re going to hate me for saying this, but there are two times of the day that are best and we try to keep our sessions to these times. Sunrise and sunset. Yep, sunrise!! That means meeting at 5am in the summer months!!! There’s nothing more amazing than taking an early morning hike to the top of the hills and sitting there together with a flask of tea with the morning mist around you, waiting for the sun to come up. It’s a magical time when the whole world is still asleep and the peace and calmness of the morning is beautiful. Well worth setting your alarm to wake you up before the birds are even awake!

Sunset can be amazing too – It’s a more civilised time of day for sure and the sun going down is incredible a lot of the time, but there are no guarantees you won’t get people watching you, wondering if you’re famous!!

What should I wear?

We get this question all the time! Have a think what vibe you want from your shoot. Are you going for casual relaxed, or cool urban, or maybe formal and dramatic…

As a general guide; guys, try and wear something neutral and avoid anything too bright, especially reds and whites. Darker earth tones look great. Maybe you fancy going a bit more formal with a jacket, or full-on suit… whatever looks cool and compliments what your partner is wearing. As odd as it sounds, but dressed up in a suit, while your partner has a beautiful new dress on, flowing in the wind at the top of a mountian, or in the sea can look awesome!

Ladies, you’ve got a bit more freedom – let’s be honest, you’re probably going to be the glam looking one there anyway 😉 So, dress how you like. Maybe you’re looking for an excuse to wear that amazing flowing party dress and heels again? It might seem out of place, but that would look amazing at the top of a mountain (we can carry a spare pair or trainers to walk in lol), or dark jeans and a nice top will look fab too. Accessorise it however you like with scarves, necklaces, jackets etc etc. Again, nothing too vibrant in colour, but creams and whites will look fine on you, just not on the guys.

Hair up or down?

I know it can be a pain in the ass, (especially for an early morning sunrise shoot), but hair down looks amazing a lot of the time. We love the idea of our shoots being a little bit wild and down to earth, so if your hair is blowing in the wind, even if it’s across your face, it can look incredible and natural. That said, if you’re not comfortable with it down, stick it up and feel like yourself! 🙂

Makeup

Don’t be afraid of makeup….heavier makeup can look amazing on photos, especially if we’ve gone for a dramatic environment, so feel free to go for it as long as you’re comfortable. If you’d like any recommendations for makeup artists, we’re more than happy to give you some details in case you fancy treating yourself and having your makeup professionally done.

What to bring & what to leave

Bring yourselves, obvs. Everything else can be left behind. Your handbag, spare coat, packed lunch etc etc, leave them safe in the car as it’s only another thing to carry and get in the way.

How about dogs and kids

We’d say leave those behind too! 🙂 We LOVE dogs and kids, but on our connection shoots, it’s really important to us that you guys are connected with each other and everything else around you doesn’t matter. That way, you’ll be less distracted and ultimately will feel more relaxed having a bit of a time out together, so leave the kids & dogs with Grandma and let’s go for a nice explore together. We’ve got “family shoots” that are available if you want to involve the kids and anyone else.

What about the weather?

Well, this is the one thing we can’t control. It could be blazing hot, or crazy stormy…either way, we’re cool with it. Sunshine early morning and late evening are stunning, that’s a given, but if it’s raining, or stormy that can look amazing too as long as you don’t mind getting wet. The thought of standing there in a storm, with dramatic skies and the wind blowing your damp crazy hair around could be seriously amazing as you cuddle your other half to keep warm, so we try not to postpone out shoots if we can help it. Besides, often the storm finishes and you’re left with the sun poking through stormy clouds which is serious bucket list stuff where photography is concerned!! Obviously, if it’s forecast to just be dull, miserable and drizzly, we might suggest another time as that can look a bit rubbish, but we’ll guide you leading up to your shoot.

Anything Else?

I’m sure there are lots of other questions, so feel free to ask so we can make the most of your shoot and give you some incredible photos!!