I have created this guide to teach you everything you need to know about before you hire a Boston engagement photographer in 2023. Over the last 12 years I’ve photographed over a 100 engagement sessions in Boston. The topics I go over are how to hire an engagement photographer, finding locations, what to and not to wear, the day of your engagement session, how I edit and deliver your Boston engagement photos, and lastly what to do once you receive your photos.
1.How To Hire a Boston Engagement Photographer
Step 1 - Find A Style Right For You
There are 100’s of Boston engagement photographers. They all have a unique look. There are two main types of styles for engagement photographers: fine art, and lifestyle . So the first step is to make sure you hire someone whose style you like.
Boston Fine Art Engagement Photographer - This style is a little bit more on the traditional side of things. These photographers are more conceptual and create photos that are a work of art. The engagement photos are well thought out and planned.
Boston Lifestyle Engagement Photographer - Lifestyle photographers have a blend of portrait and storytelling to the photos. The sessions are more laid back and lighthearted. My engagement photos tend to be more lifestyle than fine art.
Step 2 - Review Boston Engagement Photographers Portfolios
Now that you know the style of Boston engagement photos you want you’ll need to review portfolios. Most wedding photographers will have a portfolio and blog on their Boston engagement photos from past sessions. It’s important that you ask to see a complete gallery from the session to make sure the quality and style is consistent throughout the collection of photos.
Step 3 - Review Online Reviews About The Photographers
There are a ton of places that you can read up on the photographer you are considering hiring for your Boston engagement session. Read up on what their clients who had their engagement photos said about working with them. The industry sites that will have reviews about photographers are The Knot, Wedding Wire, and Google.
Step 4. Interview and Hire
It’s a good idea to at least have a phone call and ask some basic questions about the photographers engagement photography services. A few topics you’ll want to cover are pricing, how many photos, print rights, and where the session can take place. If you get a good feeling about the phone on the photo hire them and schedule and time and location for your Boston engagement photos. My engagement sessions are about 60 minutes long and are scheduled Monday-Thursday.
2. Find a Boston Engagement Photo Location
Boston has a never ending list of options for engagement sessions locations. If you have a favorite area of the city that can be a great place to take your photos because you are familiar and relaxed in that space. Couples often pick a location based on their experience with it. For example the North End of Boston is a popular location because it’s home to many couples' first date.
For more adventurous couples, take this time to explore a new neighborhood you’ve never been to in Boston. If you need some suggestions ask your Boston engagement photographer for a list of some of the engagement locations they have been to. Oftentimes photographers will also have a list of new engagement photo locations that they are inspired by and this could be the perfect opportunity for them to create unique Boston engagement photos for you that no one else has yet.
Here are the best Boston engagement photo locations.
The Charles River
Copp’s Hill Terrace
Langon Park
Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
Seaport District
Fenway Park Area
Beacon Hill
Institute of Contemporary Art
Commonwealth Ave
Bay Village
Franklin Square - South End
3. What to Wear for A Boston Engagement Session
There’s a couple things to consider when picking out your engagement photo outfits.
The first thing is to take into consideration what season you’ll be having your Boston engagement session during. You’ll want to wear something that is appropriate for the temperature and you feel comfortable in.
Wear Something That Is You
It’s important that these photos reflect who you are. If you’re still simple and like to wear t-shirts and jeans. If you are a couple that likes to dress up a little bit more then head in that direction.
2. Coordinate Outfits
This does not mean you need to be matching with each other. If your partner is wearing jeans and a t- shirt, don't show up in a ballgown. Your outfits should complement each other's style.
3. Cool Colors, Pastels and Neutral Tones
These are the types of colors you’ll want to try to stay within. They are the color options that photograph the best. Neutral tones keep the photographs about you and your partner and not about your clothing.
4.Classic Not Trendy
When you look back at your photos you want them to look classic. Try to wear clothing that doesn’t define the time period you are getting photographed during.
5. Two Outfit limit
The more time you spend changing outfits, the less time you have to take advantage of the best light of the day. I tell my couples to have no more than two outfits. One casual outfit and if they want to switch it up they bring an outfit that is a little bit more formal.
6. Rent The Runway
If you are looking for a new clothing option that doesn't want to spend a lot on your outfits consider using a rental service like Rent The Runway. You don’t need to buy an outfit just for your engagement session, just rent it. They have a lot of great clothing and jewelry options with several different styles.
4. What Not To Wear For Your Engagement Session
Somethings that you don’t want to wear during your engagement session.
Cloths That Are Not Comfortable
You’ll be walking around and standing a lot. If you are not feeling comfortable that will show in your face.
2. Do Not Wear Matching Outfits.
For example, don’t wear jeans and white tshirts, as that can look like a family photo shoot.
3. Big Logos
You’ll want to avoid clothes that have large logos. You don’t want your photos to look like they're advertisements.
4. Large Patterns
Shirts that have large patterns don’t photograph well. They are distracting and take away from the engagement photos. This includes stripes and checkered shirts.
5. Clothing That Don’t Fit
Clothing that is too tight is not a good choice for your Boston engagement photos. The camera picks up all the details and curves. Make sure your clothes are tailored to your body type.
5. Day of You Boston Engagement Session
1. Double Check The Weather
Before you start your day check the weather forecast. The best type of light for engagement sessions is during the last 60-90 minutes of the day. Overcast light isn’t bad, but most photographers prefer a sunny day. This gives photographers to create more interesting photos because they can use the light to shape the subjects.
2. Hair and Makeup
Your engagement session is a great way to try out the team of stylists that you’ll be using on the day of your wedding. Ask them if they are available to do their trials on the day of your Boston engagement session. Not only will you figure out what your hair and makeup will be like on your wedding day but you’ll show up to your engagement session being styled by a professional.
3. Check In With Your Boston Engagement Photographer
Your photographer should check in with you around noon to confirm that you are still on for the time and location you’ve agreed on. This is one of your last chances to make any changes to your plans.
6. Editing Your Boston Engagement Photos
After your engagement session I edited around 45 photos. Those are the final photos that you will receive. Photos are delivered within 7-10 business days. All 40 images will be edited and color corrected. Which means that the exposure, contracts and color temperature. The style of editing you see on my website is the same style that you will receive for your Boston engagement photos. The final set of photos that are delivered are high resolution without any water markers and ready for your to print from.
7. Boston Engagement Session Photo Delivery
After all your photos that were taken at your Boston engagement session are done being created, they are uploaded to an online gallery. This gallery allows you to view all your photos in one place quickly. Another feature of the gallery is that you have the option to order prints, and drop ship them to your home. The gallery is a shareable link. So if you would like to share on social media, friends and family you are welcomed to do that.
Inside the gallery you will find the download links to all of your Boston engagement photos. With one click you can download all of your photos and start to enjoy them. Not only are you able to download them but since you have unlimited free downloads to your engagement photos you can share those same download links to your families and they can also download, print and enjoy your photos.
8. What To Do With Your Boston Engagement Photos
There are no restrictions on the photos you received from your Boston engagement session - you have the print rights to them. Here are a few things that you’ll want to consider doing with your Boston engagement photos.
Backup Your Engagement Photos - The more places you can back up your photos the better. If you only have them on one hard drive you run the risk of that drive crashing and losing all your photos. It’s not a matter of if it will crash, it’s a matter of when your hard drive crashes. I recommend putting them on a thumbdrive. You can pick up a $20 thumb drive and it will hold all of your photos. Uploading them to cloud service is a good idea too. Amazon Prime includes a free cloud storage service called Amazon Photos.
Save The Dates - This is the most reason couples are taking Boston engagement photos. It’s one of the easiest ways to let your guest know your wedding date. There are a ton of sites that offer design and printing services for your save the dates. I recommend an online company called Artifact Uprising. They have good printers and a large selection of products.
Create a Guestbook - On your gift table at your wedding you can place a guest book and your guest can sign it. Again, Artifact Uprising offers a great book option that’s worth looking into. Then make sure you leave room around your photos for guests to write you a note and sign their names. This is a nice way to not only display your engagement photos but after your wedding you can look back and read the messages your wedding guests wrote you.
Wall Galleries - Pick up 5-8 different size frames and choose a wall in your home and display your Boston engagement photos. I recommend laying out the gallery on the floor before you start hanging them up. This way you can move things around without having to patch and paint holes in the wall.
Give the Gift of Your Photos - Boston engagement photos make great holiday gifts for parents. Pick up a nice frame and put in your favorite photo in it and you have a unique holiday gift! Mom and Dad love photos of their kids.
More Boston Engagement Photo Locations
