Where should I have my engagement shoot?

Where should I have my engagement shoot?

Where should I have my engagement shoot? This is a question I often get asked by my clients when planning their engagement session…

My advice is, first think if there is somewhere particularly special to you both, perhaps where you first met or got engaged, or like to visit regularly. Even if it’s abroad, the prospect of travelling abroad will excite most photographers and providing that the travel expenses are covered and it fits in with their busy schedule, I don’t know many photographers that wouldn’t want to travel and capture beautiful engagement photos for their couple in an awesome new location!

If you really can’t think of anywhere or want to have your engagement / pre-wedding photos taken elsewhere because there’s nowhere particularly special to you both, then you could either get in touch with the wedding coordinator at your  venue and have your shoot there and around the grounds, so that you know the best locations for photos on the big day, or you can check out my list below and see if there are any other places that take your fancy.

I personally feel lucky to live in such a beautiful area that has plenty to offer in terms of beautiful locations and backdrops. There are vasts amounts of countryside & nature reserves, forests, seafronts and harbours etc in and around Hampshire and Dorset and I’m always on the look out for new locations when I’m out and about. I have created a list of great places to have your photos taken.

I have created a list of great places to have your photos taken, and a lot of  these areas I have already used for engagement shoots.

Check out the list below!

Where should I have my engagement shoot?

• Roger Penny Way, Bramshaw
• Titchfield Abbey
• Holly Hill Woodland Park
• Kites Croft Nature Reserve
• Warsash Common
• Netley Country Park /Royal Victoria Country Park
• Meon Shore / Titchfield Haven
• Rock Gardens, Southsea
• Staunton Country Park, Havant
• Farlington Marshes Wildlife Reserve
• Milton Common, Portsmouth
• Southsea Rose Garden
• Wildgrounds Nature Reserve, Gosport
• Canoe Lake, Portsmouth
• Baffins Pond, Portsmouth
• Portsdown Hill, Fareham
• Stokes Bay Beach, Gosport
• Warsash Seafront – Parking @ Warsash Sailing Club
• Hill Head Sea Front – Parking @ Hill head Sailing Club
• Fareham Sailing & Motor Boat Club
• Rhinefield, New Forest
• Burley, New Forest
• Hot Walls, Old Portsmouth
• Sandbanks Beach
• Hengistbury Head
• Mudeford Quay
• Christchurch Harbour
• Sandbanks
• The Deer Sanctuary, Boldre, New Forest
• Portchester Memorial Gardens
• Hamble Marina

There are many more locations but hopefully, you found this list helpful and that it’s given you some ideas…

Photographers often see the extraordinary in the ordinary, and you wouldn’t necessarily think that the photos below were taken at my local park where I walk the dog and kids play in the play park & Skate Park. This park is just a 5-minute walk away from my house and because I’m always there, I had spotted opportunities for lovely portrait photos, that without being told, people would not know were taken there. Having great light is actually more important to photographers than location as if the light is great, we can make most places look beautiful. That’s why we generally opt for a shoot to be during golden hour (The last hour of light before the sun sets) as this golden light is the most gorgeous and gleaming. Us photographers also do weird things when photographing to enhance the look of an image and make it more interesting, for example, the image below was taken whilst I was inside a tree and shot through the branches as I could see how the light was hitting the branches and lighting the edges so prettily.

If you want more tips for your engagement shoot and how to prepared for it, check out my previous blog post here – https://www.lucylouphotography.com/5-engagement-shoot-tips/

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