No matter where your wedding is taking place, Sedona can be the perfect backdrop for fun, outdoor engagement photos. Hailey photographed this adorable couple a few weeks ago at Tlaquepaque and the Sedona red rocks nearby. They arranged their road trip vacation to include Northern Arizona, in order take advantage of the amazing outdoor scenery for their romantic engagement photos.
Here are a few tips for taking engagement photos in the Sedona desert!
As with all photography, lighting is everything! It can be especially challenging in Sedona. We have clear blue skies and lots of bright sun. We usually prefer the hour or two before sunset for the sweet light. The sun can go behind the rocks at different times of the year, so its important to know the sunset patterns for a particular area of Sedona. Shooting at Bell Rock is different than shooting near Schnebly Hill road. We have lots of experience shooting in all locations and times of the year. We can look up sessions from years past to get the sunset times correct.
All clients ask the question, “what should we wear”? It’s a personal choice and different for every client, but it’s important to take into considerations the overall feel you are trying to create with your engagement photos. We usually have our clients bring several outfits and change at least once throughout the session. It helps to understand your backdrop and choose colors that with compliment or contrast with the environment. There is a lot of red, brown and green when shooting outdoors in Sedona. I would avoid many of those colors. This allows you to stand out from the background. We also find that bright white or shiny material can be too reflective for the camera.
We love to capture personality in each of our photo sessions. A great way is to plan an activity that you enjoy doing as a couple and add that in to your engagement photos. Some ideas might include a pink jeep tour to a special destination, a coffee shop, a bike ride, golfing, hiking or a picnic. There are countless creative opportunities for engagement photos, even if you just come here to enjoy the amazing unique vistas! Sedona can be magical and inspiring.
