Quote Originally Posted by kiley9806 View Post
Hey Marko (or anyone else who knows the answer...)
i've booked a wedding for next summer, and im going to be doing her engagement photos in the next few weeks. i was wondering if you could point me in the direction of any pertinent podcasts? and anyone else can feel free to give me some basic & easy tips/pointers! thanks all!
The basics are often forgotten in engagement photos. Looking at the couple very carefully, what visual problems will you need to work around in order to create flattering shots such as height differences, weight, thining hair, bags under the eyes, teeth problems, skin blemishes, hair styles etc. Clothes and distracting jewellry may also need to be changed. A lot of pros have a pre-meeting with the couple to solve some visual problems and prevent surprises for the photographer when he/she comes to shoot.

The next thing to do is to think about and plan poses that take into account the visual good points and weaknesses and create a flattering shot. A camera angle that emphasizes a pointed chin or high forehead would not work very well in this regard. Look at engagement poses carefully on this and other web sites and see what was done right and what was done wrong.
(I have seen some very unflattering ones.)

Pick a good location and think about lighting. Available light also means shadows often around the eyes. Shooting in the shade might produce a slightly cool colour temperature. Flash can be harsh and unflattering to skin.
Even slightly different exposures or lighting can change the skin colour of some people. Using a reflector may require an assistant. The important part is to plan the solution to problems before you encounter them.

Post processing is always done of these kinds of shots by experienced pros so you should look at the tutorials that are around the web on retouching or perhaps Scott Kelby's books if they are available to you. Even some magazines have issues dealing with portraits and postprocessing.

There is one heck of a lot to learn, in order to really do it well. Good luck.

Tegan