There’s something spectacular that happens with engagement sessions. Even if I know the couple ahead of time (like I did with my friends here), we still aren’t familiar with each other as couple and photographer. It’s a different dynamic, a special dance that can only be learned through experience. Plus my jokes are definitely better in person.

As the engagement session progresses, we both get a sense of each other, our limits, our creativity. We become a team, building the shoot from one setup to the next, and for me, it allows me to convey the personality of my subjects better into my photography. You see, I don’t feel I have a distinct style – I am a photographer who uses the camera as a mirror. Each session has a unique tone that is influenced by my subject.

When it comes to a wedding, it’s near vital to have this moment at the engagement session – which I’m now realizing is a totally loaded word. Not only are the couple engaged, I’m learning how to engage them. I want to play off their strengths and celebrate them – as a couple and individuals.

Because with this attention to our dynamic, magic can happen.