Many of today's wedding photographers offer engagement photography session as part of their wedding packages. There are a couple of reasons for that. Besides having an opportunity to get timeless memories it helps couples to feel more comfortable with photographer's presence and let a photographer to decide what are best angles for the couple. Engagement photography is a stress free experience. It will be much easier for a couple to relax and express their feelings and emotions. It can also be viewed as short training session where photographer will explain about poses, pastures and such. Engagement photographer might provide his clients with tips about wedding photography. It is might be good idea to start your wedding album with the few good photographs from the engagement session in order to create logical timeline.

Couple must avoid to wear black and white dress. Casual, not flashy dress will help to focus more on expressions. There are quite a number of great locations for an engagement photography in San Francisco such as Japanese Tea Gardens in Golden Gate park where trees and flowers create beautiful background. Stow lake and Shakespeare's Gardens might be another good alternatives. The Park Presidio has his own romantic locations. Couples can be photographed in front of Golden Gate bridge (morning are better, in the evening bridge is backlit). There are also some nice old and abandoned military buildings which can help to create very romantic engagement photographs. If you're lucky, you can get a picture on the horse (ask park officer for a permission). And for those folks who love beautiful archtecture, San Francisco City Hall is a place to get photographed.

If you prefer to see San Francisco in the background (if it's not covered by fog) you might want to travel to the other side of the Golden Gate bridge and take engagement photographs in Sausalito on the beach or perhaps even better location is Treasure Island. Sunset is the best time for that. Fisherman's Wharf will be great option (if you don't mind some fisherman's in your photos). Blue water or city scrape as a background is fairly easy created there. Since it is close to Embarcadero, one of the busiest places in Downtown San Francisco, some nice photos can be taken there. Perhaps "couple is kissing in the middle of busy street with lots of pedestrians and traffic around". This engagement photograph will probably look better in BW. Palace of Fine Arts and The Legion of Honor are perfect locations for your engagement shots. It will add a glamour, stylish look to your photos.

I consider San Francisco, as a virtual photo studio. Don't miss your chance to have your engagement portraits in one of the most beautiful cities on earth.

Complete engagement album - flash player required.

engagement session