New Brighton Beach Engagement Photography

There is no better place to photograph a couple and their dog than the beach.

Lyndal and Paul wanted to have their engagement photos shot at the beach so they could bring along their beloved dog Sasha and have her in the photos too.

They opted for the area around New Brighton Memorial because it’s not as busy as the other places along the beach.

As the norm, we arrived early to scout out the location for spots to use for the shoot. These spots are a starting point, and the final decision on the locations of choice will depend on the outfits the subjects will be wearing when they arrive for the engagement session. The final decisions are usually in the same area to cut down on spending too much time moving from one location to the next and instead devote more time photographing the couple.

When Lyndal and Paul arrived, they had smart casual outfits on and had an outfit change part way into the shoot.

We warmed up for the shoot by the memorial building before moving onto the dunes. The dunes gave us the opportunity to shoot some landscape/seascape type of images, and I made use of the off camera flash in the process. The results were phenomenal.

The beach/water was the final stop. The reason for leaving the beach/water till the last being, if the dog or the couple got wet or dirty, then it wouldn’t matter at that would be the end of the shoot.

Finishing on the beach also gives Sasha a chance to run loose and let her play, and she did.

When you photograph couples that are truly in love, you can tell, and these guys are one of those couples. Their playfulness and comfort with each other made the job of photographing them ten times easier.

The weather played a big part too; it warmed up slightly allowing the couple to dress down and put their jackets aside.

The lighting kept changing so did the look and feel of the photos, which is a good thing, means at the end of the shoot there is more range to choose.

All in all, a great day at the office and Lyndal and Paul were happy too.

When choosing a location for a beach photography session, plan how and when you are going to use the areas you intend to photograph.

Also, pay attention to the outfits your subjects bring for the shoot and match the outfits to the different locations.

Start dry and finish up by the water. That way, if clothes get wet, you are done with the shoot anyway. Also if your subject/s get wet and cold, then they can change into dry and warm clothes and warm up in the car.