Try as I did to summons the snow gods on the bluff of downtown St. Joseph, Michigan yesterday evening, they must have been a day off.  I met Elan and Justin in downtown St. Joe for a wintery evening engagement session.  Some fresh white flakes cascading from the sky would have been amazing, but in their absence, I really can’t complain that the bluff is still donned with an abundance of twinkly holiday lights.

The couple will tie the knot next fall but in the meantime wanted to do a quick engagement shoot to capture this anticipatory time before they make it official.  Engagement sessions serve different purposes.  Some couples like to get a feel for their photographer’s working style ahead of time.  Some want pictures to use for a save-the-date to send out.  Others like the idea of creating a more personal guest book for the wedding.  Elan and Justin opted for our engagement mini session.  The mini session is just an abbreviated version of our regular engagement session which allows for a little more location and wardrobe variety.  I, personally, love the mini session option.  A good photographer doesn’t need an excessive amount of time to create great images, and for what most people use engagement pictures, the mini session gives them a nice variety from which to choose.

The same time considerations can also be applied to the wedding day, itself.  An experienced, creative and well-prepared wedding photographer does not require a dedicated three hour post-ceremony photo safari.  Often couples considering different wedding photographers fail to realize they are doing apples to oranges comparisons when it comes to what is included in different photographers’ packages.  For some, having tangible goods in-hand is necessary to equate value for a significant investment.  Others, however, will identify the value of a photographer who has not only mastered the technical skill of manipulating light and camera settings but in the skill of acute observation, anticipation and connection with the subject through the lens.  Products can always be purchased or produced at a later date.  Genuine moments and memories, however, cannot be recreated. We finished the engagement photos with a stop at the South Bend Chocolate Cafe for a quick warm up and a different setting.  Thanks again to the bartender at Schu’s for running three hot chocolates out to us; it certainly gave us enough extra warmth to extend the shoot an extra ten minutes outdoors.  And to Elan and Justin for enduring the cold a little longer than anticipated due to my enchantment with the twinkly lights.