When booking a couple’s session, I get asked the question”Where should we meet you?” all the time. It always makes me pause because this question means it’s time to dive deeper into the details about my couple.
Planning your location for your session should be a no brainer when it comes to what your want your session to feel like. It’s picking a place where that feeling can come alive that sometimes has people stumped.
For starters here are a couple questions to go through together as a couple when trying to decide on a location:
1. Do we have a favorite destination outside the city?
3. Do we love where our first date was? Where we first met? Where we got engaged?
2. What is our comfort level being photographed in a public space with other people around?
4. Are we outdoorsy people and would we like a more natural backdrop?
5. Are we city dwellers and do we envision a more urban style?
6. How fancy are we? Should getting dressed up be a part of the plan?
7. How much do we love our home and could we see ourselves doing our session there? Curled up on the couch, in the back yard, in our bedroom?
After going through these questions together and deciding on the general feel you want to shoot for this is where your photographer comes in. Generally as a company we try to avoid doing sessions at the typical Boise landmark locations (red bridge, Kathryn Albertson’s Park, Train Depot, the Capital building etc), mainly so your photos don’t look like everyone else’s. Not only do we have some hidden gems but we are constantly scouting and discovering new locations to try. Lastly, if YOU have a secret location that you think would be bomb, please share. Photographers are always up for an adventure and a new location.
Below are five in-depth location ideas along with some of the reasons WHY you would potentially choose one of these for your couple’s session!
1. Lifestyle Session in your Home
If you LOVE your home or you have spent time together creating a beautiful, shared space we absolutely encourage you to take advantage. Lifestyle Sessions in the home are more intimate, laid back and all around relaxed. You get to utilize as much of the space as you want- it’s your home!
Three parts of the house in particular we recommend: The living room, the bedroom and last but not least the kitchen! Your usual hang out spots in the house mixed with some good natural lighting make for organic moments and photos that reflect you in your element. Hot tip: In the kitchen make something together (if that’s something you normally would do together).
2. Outside!
This is in reference to Boise specifically! But if live somewhere other than Boise do your research or if you regularly get outdoors ask yourself where you already know that would make for some rad photos. If you as a couple regularly camp, hike, or even paddle board together consider integrating some of these elements into your session. There is nothing more fun then sharing what you two like to do as a couple with those you love.
If you are not an outdoorsy couple BUT you do love how beautiful the area you live in is then doing your session outside is a PERFECT option. For Boise specifically some areas that are often overlooked are: Bogus Basin and the surrounding trails, Lucky Peak Dam (the upper marina), and Mountain Home. I did a session with Nick + Maggie last year about 20 miles north of Mountain Home. There were so many rolling hills, groves of trees and rock formations that were unreal for an engagement session. Thank Nick for sharing your secret location with me!
3. Urban City Vibes
Downtown Boise has many little pockets of places to take photos. I highly recommend asking your photographer’s thoughts on locations if you are going to use an urban setting. Often times photographers have a vision for what you might like in front of a building and sometimes that building might even look a little sketchy or run down to someone who is not in the practice of photography. One of my most favorite secret locations downtown Boise is between Saint Lawrence Grid Iron Grill and Superb Sushi. Sometimes there is a line of bikes, golden sunshine and 4-5 different walls with various textures and colors to shoot against. Last fall I took Zahra and Steven down there for their engagement session. They are new to Boise and they let me lead the way. It gave me the creativity to try new poses, prompts and locations and we ended up with some great photos!
4. The “Day Date”
Whether you have a favorite spot your frequent together or there is a location you adore, going on a date for your session will literally never disappoint. Your favorite brewery that has lawn games, your favorite Donut Shop, Coffee Shop or lookout point up above Boise. Its ok if the location is not part of your story as long as it feels like YOU AS A COUPLE. Even if its not a special location, just doing something together, along with our guidance will create images that come out REAL.
Heidi and Jared, our amazing associate photographers, teamed up and shot this engagement session for Mo and Marques at Goody’s in Hyde Park and then took a two minute drive to the Boise Foothills to get a totally different vibe. Hot Tip: Heidi and Jared both specialize in couples and are taking both engagement sessions and weddings for 2019.
5. Destination
Stanley, McCall, Sun Valley, Caldwell Wine Country, or Mountain Home are all great areas to travel to for the day or weekend to do a couple’s session. Often times your photographer will be totally down to travel to a new location outside the area to document your day, usually charging a travel fee and/or extra hours charge. Communicating your interest in doing an adventurous destination session with plenty of time is key to accomplishing and planning a session like this. In collaboration with your photographer, research the area, so you can nail down a few locations to visit.
Here are a few images from my own engagement session with Caitlin last fall. We did an air tour of the Sawtooth Mountains in a 6 person plane. Of course, I took Paige with me to document the trip. I am not going to go into the details on this adventure, I will save those for another post. All I have to say is getting in a small aircraft and flying at high elevation is NOT for the faint of heart. For now enjoy a few of the photos from our destination adventure session.
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