Sam Carter Photography Blog

I love doing engagement shoots.  It gives me the opportunity to get to know my bride and groom better so that on their wedding day I can give them photographs which really capture their personalities and relationship making their photographs even more personal to them.

Clare and Simon are getting married at Avington Park, Hampshire, in August this year and chose to have their engagement shoot done there as well.  Avington Park is a stunning building dating back to the 10th Century.  While it is now a private home, the grounds are open to public access on Sundays and Bank Holidays.  We had the peaceful grounds to ourselves apart from a few watchful Peacocks.

Clare asked me a very interesting question whilst we were doing the shoot, she asked what I am looking for when I set up each shot.  Whatever type of shoot I am doing, the most important consideration is the light (after all the word photography literally means light drawing).  It is a common misconception that bright sunlight is the best light for photography, however I try to avoid direct sunlight wherever possible – I don’t want my subjects squinting or seeing sun blotches after the shot! So on bright sunny days where there is harsh direct sunlight I look for spots where the light is diffused or reflected.  This gives a much softer, flattering light and is much more comfortable for the people I am photographing.  This doesn’t mean that all the images look as though they are taken in shadows, as you can see from some of Clare and Simon’s images below, in some locations it can still look bright and sunny.

Clare and Simon are a lovely couple.  They have a great relationship and a lot of fun with each other, there was no shortage of giggles and laughter on the shoot!  Here are a few images from their engagement shoot.