Candid & Authentic engagement photos in Kansas City

A couple during their engagement session in a restaurant in Kansas City is kissing romantically. A mirror reflects their kiss.

A couple during an engagement session in Kansas City's River Market is posing behind lots of pink flowers. The playful woman is putting a flower on the nose of her fiancé.

When you think about some milestones in your relationship that you want to remember with the help of a professional photographer, your engagement could be one of them. But what is it all about?
What is an authentic or candid photographer going to do differently?
Do I really need a pro photographer for that?

What is an engagement photoshoot?

Just so we are on the same page, an engagement session is a photoshoot where you and your fiancé are the main focus. We are taking couple portraits! It is taken during this special and relatively short period of time in your lives: from the proposal to your wedding.

When should an engagement shoot happen?

It typically happens from 1 year to a few months before your wedding. It depends on what you want to do with the photographs. Couples might want pictures to share their engagement on social media, put them on their wedding website, make a “save the date” or invitations cards, or simply have nice prints in their home.

A couple during an engagement session in front of the Kauffman Center in Kansas City is walking under an umbrella.

A couple during an engagement session in a bar in Kansas City is discovering the smoky drink they ordered.

What can I bring you as a candid wedding professional photographer?

Ok, if you plan to use a pro photographer, you expect to have great and beautiful pictures. Is that all? Your I-phone takes amazing pictures too.

It is all about the experience:

If you are hungry you can get a taco at a local food truck or eat lunch at a 3 star Michelin restaurant (only 13 across the USA receive that honorable distinction). Both are making food and will succeed at satisfying your hunger, but the main difference is the experience. Now, whether you find this experience valuable enough to buy is up to you. It is the same with photography.

As a candid photographer, I am focusing on the experience you are having with me. My goal is for you to feel relaxed and comfortable, have a good time, have some fun moments, as well as intimate moments, and some moments unique to you. For example, Allison wrote “We had so much fun taking pictures that it felt like a date night being photographed”.

While we are having a good time, I can catch some pictures. Those photos will send you back to the experience, and the emotion will come back too. You will love the pictures and love the experience of making them.

A smiling couple during an engagement session in the Plaza in Kansas City is posing in front of a door.

A man is giving his fiancé a piggyback ride during an engagement session in a green grass field near Lee's Summit.

Relationship is key for candid photography:

You are going to get married soon. You probably want a professional photographer for that event. You are looking for someone that you can trust to capture the day as you expect. Doing an engagement session with that future photographer is a perfect way to build the relationship between you and him. On your big day, everything will run more smoothly because of that session. It just takes time and common experiences to warm up to another person and trust them more. It is no different with a photographer. With that trust, you will feel more at ease with a camera being around to a point you will forget about it and be yourself. Also, during the couple portraits on your wedding day, it will run faster, more smoothly, and it will be a more relaxed time because we already have this engagement photoshoot experience in common.

A couple during an engagement session at Shawnee Mission Park is sitting on a bench and about to kiss.

Getting to know your story and personality is critical for photojournalism photography:

I specialize in authentic photography with a documentary approach. That means I am here to capture the moments that are meaningful to you, that fit your personality and your uniqueness. During a wedding day, there can be many things to photograph at once and the more I know you, the more accurate I will be in making choices of what is important to you. An engagement session is one of the building blocks to achieve that goal.

A young couple during an engagement session in Lawrence is hugging generously.

A couple during an engagement session at Meadowbrook Park in Overland Park is lovingly hugging.

What about posing?

During a photo session, as your candid photographer, I will create the situation for great photographs and let you be you. It is not about posing, even if I know a lot about it to guide you subtly through different ones as the session goes. You will look natural because you will be doing something other than posing for the camera. If you are attracted to authentic, candid photographs nobody knows better than you how to pose when you aren't thinking about it!

What type of photographs am I getting?

Candid means you will get pictures of raw moments of joy and laughter as well as more intimate moments showcasing your connection.
Also, focusing on natural and authentic images means that I create photos that are personal, true to you and that tell your specific story.