Congratulations on your engagement! This is such a special time for you and your partner and an engagement session is the perfect way to honor this moment. As you’re planning and preparing for your engagement session if you already know that you want your photos to have a dreamy and romantic feel you can’t go wrong with sunset engagement photos.
As a Wedding and Engagement photographer in Sydney, I love the vibrant colours and romantic warmth that only come with having an engagement session at sunset. Let’s dive into my top tips for your sunset engagement photos.
Best Tips for Your Sunset Engagement Photos
Here are my top tips so you can get the best sunset engagement photos:
Make sure you know exactly when sunset is supposed to be
You don’t want to arrive too late and realise that you missed the sunset altogether, and you’ll want to have enough time to capture the sunset from beginning to end.
My advice? Arrive at least one hour before sunset. One hour before sunset is golden hour, and the lighting is most ideal, as we’ll have a soft, golden hue to work with.
It’s also good to arrive well before sunset, if possible, to get everything set up and ready for your session. You’ll want to spend some time getting a feel for the location.
If you arrive early enough, you can start taking pictures before sunset so that you can start to feel more relaxed in front of the camera lens during the sunset. Especially if you’re someone who wouldn’t hesitate to say that you feel awkward or uncomfortable having your pictures taken.
Odds are this may be the first time you are getting your pictures taken professionally so this will give you time to figure out what you are and aren’t comfortable doing without the pressure of the setting sun.
Find a location that has good lighting to catch the sunset
You’ll want to scout the location you’ve chosen with your photographer to find the best spot to catch the sunset, and that will have beautiful lighting.
To get the results you want, you will have to be in the perfect place at the perfect time. Ideally, you’ll pick a location with a gorgeous view of the horizon. Another important thing to keep in mind is that if you choose to take your engagement photos on a mountain, you will lose the golden hour lighting faster compared to if you pick a field or take your photos right next to the ocean.
Pick outfits that don’t blend in
When deciding on what to wear, you’ll want to choose outfits that don’t blend in with the sunset or clash with your surroundings. The best colours are soft whites or neutral colours such as cream, ivory, or tan. You could also choose golden or blush tones to coincide with the colours of the sunset.
Use the surrounding elements
If you’re taking pictures next to the water towards the very end of the session, why not get in the water and take some pictures with your partner? Or, if you and your partner love the outdoors, you could take some engagement photos hiking on a path together.
Have fun
The most important tip I can give you is to make sure that you and your partner are having fun together during your sunset engagement session – this is such a significant and meaningful moment in your relationship, so embrace all the emotions and excitement!
Also, if you’re both being yourselves and having fun together, this will shine through in your pictures.
Unique Sunset Engagement Photo Ideas
Try out one of these unique sunset engagement photo ideas to have epic, one-of-a-kind photos to celebrate this moment:
- Take your photos on a sailboat at sunset
- Pop a bottle of champagne during your session
- Take your photos on a dramatic cliff
- Take your photos in a field of colourful wildflowers
- Bring sunglasses as a prop
- Go up in a hot air balloon
- Take your photos next to a waterfall and then get into the waterfall at the end of your session
- Do an activity during your engagement session at sunset, such as a bike ride together on a scenic path
- Incorporate personal elements such as bringing your pets or props that represent your relationship
Sunrise or Sunset – Which One Is Better?
Maybe you aren’t sold on the idea of a sunset engagement session because you also love the idea of a sunrise session. Let’s compare the pros and cons of the two so you can decide which one is perfect for you.
A sunrise session will entail unique lighting with the soft, cooler tones of the blue hour. Everything around you will be quiet and serene. As the sun begins to rise, warm, glowing light will fill the space around you, creating a celestial feel to your images.
The cons of a sunrise session are that you’ll definitely have to get up early and also the weather might affect your photos such as encountering more fog or mist during the morning.
A sunset session will have both a golden hour and then transition to what is known as a blue hour, which is when the natural light is super soft, and the sun is quite far below the horizon. Also, you definitely won’t have to worry about getting up early for a sunset session.
One con of a sunset session is that this is a very popular time for photos, so if the location you have chosen is a popular tourist spot or a busy area, you’ll have to deal with more crowds. Also, the transition from golden hour to blue hour happens a lot faster meaning that you have less time to work with.
Ready to Take Your Sunset Engagement Photos?
I hope this post helps you feel more prepared for your sunset engagement photos. Remember, your engagement session is about more than just taking professional pictures of you and your partner, this is your chance to commemorate this significant milestone in your relationship and celebrate your love story.
And if you’re looking for an engagement photographer to capture your love story (at either sunrise or sunset) while giving you space to feel your story, let’s connect. You can learn more about what I offer here or get in contact with me here.
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