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E-pics Tips

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booswim542

Shiny_Rock
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Mar 19, 2008
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So I have a friend that is a pretty good photographer and has a pretty sweet camera. While we''ll definitely do engagement pics eventually (when we book our wedding photographer), FI and I want a couple of pictures to post on our wedding website and to put on our STDs without having to pay for a separate engagement session when one will likely be included in our wedding package.

We''re gonna hang up a white sheet in our living room and have her take about a million pictures. We''re hoping to get 1-2 pictures to turn out decently!

1. Did anyone have their epics taken in a studio? If so, I would love to see them
2. What are some must-have poses I should not leave out?
3. Any other tips would be great! All 3 of us will be newbies to epic taking!

Thanks PSers! <3 you and Happy Valentine''s Day!
 

Winslet

Shiny_Rock
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Dec 27, 2008
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If you aren''t doing your epics professionally you should try to do them either outside or somewhere with a gorgeous backdrop. I tend to not like studio posed epics in the first place because I feel like they looked forced and unnatural, and amateur "studio" pics might come out even worse. I''m sorry if this sounds a little harsh, but I feel very strongly that epics are always better when they are in a real-life setting and reflect the couple interacting naturally with each other
 

booswim542

Shiny_Rock
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Mar 19, 2008
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I completely agree with you about doing them outdoors and with us interacting together naturally - and we will when we hire a professional. Right now, we just want a picture or two to put on our website for the time being; so we're having a friend help us out. It's totally nasty and brown out and we the backdrop is gonna be kinda icky for the next couple of months, so we just want to get a couple done to use now.

Thanks for your input though - you're totally right!
 

islandgirl16

Rough_Rock
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Dec 15, 2008
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I totally agree with Winslet. You should have your E-pic session outdoors.

For some inspiration, go to www.furiousphotographers.com. It''s surprising how a simple outdoor setting can be very romantic and not tacky at all.

Goodluck with the session and post some pictures when ready!!!!!
 

kstar512

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Jul 11, 2008
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Believe it or not sometimes the ugliest days are the best for pictures. Cloudy days with diffused light photographs the best. Beautiful sunny days usually create light that is to harsh for photos, so I wouldn''t rule outdoors out, even just for the one or two photos you need right away. However, I did think the indoor Save the Date photos below were really cute. They were totally DIY too.

oncewed.com - It is the last post on the first page I believe. It is the February 6th post, titled MADE WITH LOVE.
 

AmberGretchen

Ideal_Rock
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Jan 6, 2005
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Ditto kstar and the others - even if the weather isn''t nice, I''d at least try for photos outside. Against a white backdrop - I''ve never seen pics I liked like that, they just look really contrived and fake to me, and a white backdrop will showcase every lump, bulge, flaw, etc...

In terms of other tips, I''d stick with simply-shaped, solid-color clothing - our photographers suggested nothing black, and nothing super-bright, but said navy and other neutrals are good. Also, (duh) make sure you don''t clash with each other - you don''t have to match, but try to coordinate somewhat.
 

mia1181

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Oct 25, 2006
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I agree with others that outdoors would actually be much better. Especially when you consider lighting, the sun lights much better than the lights in your house. Although if you do decide to go ahead and shoot indoors ,I would suggest renting lighting equipment. I did for my amateur boudior shoot and it made the pictures look so much better.

If you really don''t want to shoot outdoors, what about going to an art museum? They are well-lit and will have some interesting backgrounds. I was married in a city hall where the lighting was just fabulous for photography and there was an interesting background. I think you definitely need some type of backdrop for the photos.
 

mia1181

Brilliant_Rock
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Oct 25, 2006
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Oh and some tips from my amateur boudior shoot:

-print out a bunch of pictures you love, to reinact
-stop taking pictures every few minutes to look at your shots and see what you could be doing better/differently.
-experiment with all different themes for photos (cute/goofy/sweet/romantic)
 

jstarfireb

Ideal_Rock
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Mar 24, 2007
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6,232
If the weather where you are is anything like where I am right now, I agree with not going outside. The suggestion to go to an art gallery or museum was pretty cool (just make sure it's one that allows photography!). Maybe a library if you're bookworms? Or a theater/concert hall if you're drama/music buffs?

I also think it's totally fine to take the pics against a white background if they're not your "real" engagement photos. As I understand things, you're basically just looking for some nice pics to put up on the website until you can get your professional ones. I'm in the same boat - getting pro engagement shots with my package, but unfortunately I can't get the photos until a month before the wedding (we're long-distance and can't both get to my hometown to see the photographer until then). So I just put various pics that FI and I took of each other over the years on our website. You could just do that, but I think it's great that you have a photographer friend with a good camera, so I would do the same if I were you.

As for poses, I like the one where you both stand facing the camera, holding one hand, and looking at each other. Also, it's cool when you're facing each other, looking into each other's eyes, like you're about to kiss but not quite there yet. I also like walking while holding hands (hard to do indoors though). And be sure to get one that includes your ring!
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booswim542

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Mar 19, 2008
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121
Thanks jstarfireb!

That''s exactly what I was talking about. These are totally not our "real" e-pics - just something to have for the time being.
 
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