Shelley and Ryan contacted me to document their Oahu beach engagement session for them while they were in Oahu for one of their dear friend’s wedding. (I also got to document this wedding, too!) We decided to shoot this session in the middle of the day, with direct sunlight, creating striking and bold images. This session was fun, playful, carefree, and so special. I shot their images on both digital and film, and at the end of the session I gave Ryan my film camera to take photos of his fiancé with! It was such a cute moment and I am so glad we decided to incorporate it. I love the way these images turned out. They feel like a true reflection of the carefree and gentle love these two share. Here are some of my favorite images:
As a natural light photographer, I used to stay away from midday sun as much as I could. I would typically only schedule a beach engagement session during the early morning light or sunset. Each time I am tasked with shooting in direct, midday sun, I’m learning more and more that I actually love the bright light. It is soft and beautiful on the skin, and if you know how to direct and pose your clients, then the bright light can be your best friend. This Oahu beach engagement session is a great example of how direct sunlight can be beautiful for your engagement photos.
When I do engagement sessions, I like to give my clients prompts that encourage playfulness and natural movement. You’ll never see me posing you in some cheesy pose where you are staring at the camera. I like to give you some direction to get things moving, then capture the in between moments that happen naturally!
A sweet ending to the sweetest Oahu beach engagement
At the end of our session, I gave Ryan my film camera to take his own photos of Shelley. This moment turned out so precious, and I am so glad we decided to do this! Here are the results:
If you love what you see, check out my portfolio at https://kolbywall.com/portfolio
Looking for some great locations on Oahu for your engagement session? HNL Studios has a great article about this! https://www.hnlstudios.com/top-engagement-session-locations-on-oahu
