Today I want to blog about an engagement photo shoot instead of the usual wedding.  Most couples who come to me for engagement photos are most of all wanting the expressions my images convey.  Couples usually first gravitate towards the natural happiness of the people posing in my pictures, and then I try to wow them with images which show rich colors by either using portable lighting equipment or by shooting at sunset.

Sriram and Vita wanted to have their engagement photos taken in San Francisco just a few month before their wedding in India.  I figured The Legion of Honor museum and Baker Beach would be a great combination that would resonate with their family over seas.  

Sriram and Vita were easy going and very comfortable posing right from the beginning of the shoot, they even had some posing suggestions from my Pinterest Board.

Creating environmental portraits with sunflare is something I try to do every chance I get, sunflare adds great drama to a wide landscape images.

under the arch and going for symmetry in this photo...

Getting low with a long lens adds several visual layers to this image and of course the almighty compression!  the background looks like it's only 20' away...

There are just a handful of poses I typically use and within those poses I freestyle a bit and instruct the couple into a few micro poses, this I like to call the backpack.

best friends on a stroll...

All of these photos were shot within a small area at two locations in under an hour and a half.  Once I taught Sriram and Vita a few poses we quickly yet comfortably walked through all of the locations seen here.  I find that I naturally work quickly because of my NBA sports photography background and I think the couples I work for appreciate it, on their wedding day time is usually limited so I like to maximize my formal portrait time.  

Giving couples great images every time you go out on a shoot is a challenge I love to face and ending a shoot at sunset is always a winning recipe for a fun photoshoot.