10 BRISBANE ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY LOCATIONS THAT YOU WILL LOVE !
So you have the ring and will soon be in full-on wedding planning mode for your dream Brisbane wedding. Congratulations! One thing to consider doing before things get too hectic is to organise an engagement photography session.
An engagement photography session (often referred to as ‘pre wedding shoot’, ’e-shoot’ or e-session’) is a relaxed photo shoot with just you and your significant other (oh and your photographer 😉 ) I often recommend an engagement session as a way to get to know your photographer and become accustomed to how they work. It also gets those couples that are not so super confident in front of the camera used to things in a more relaxed unpressured setting. I find an e-shoot helps reduce the stress of the unknown on the actual wedding day as well.
Engagement photography sessions give you the opportunity to include locations that you love but can’t get to on your wedding day. For example, many people have their wedding ceremony and reception in the city but love the rustic country look. An e-shoot gives you the chance to have the best of both worlds.
Checkout this engagement photography session as an example of the fun you can have. Now, on to the locations!
New Farm Park & Powerhouse
This one almost doesn’t need to be mentioned, as everyone knows how popular New Farm Park is for locals and tourists alike. But on an afternoon, during the week it is actually a nice quiet spot which makes it perfect for relaxed Brisbane engagement photography locations . The highlights of the Park have to be the enormous Fig trees dotted throughout, the funky Powerhouse Museum next door, the colourful flower beds and the awesome city skyline views. All of this makes for perfect backgrounds for your engagement photos.
Teneriffe Woolstores
Not too far from New Farm park is the Teneriffe area. This great part of old Brisbane is full of large brick warehouses that have since been converted into funky apartments and shops. But the old weathered bricks remain and look great in engagement photos. There are numerous laneways and streets to explore, giving great variety during a photo session. The river is also nearby for some great waterside views.
Gallery of Modern Art
The Gallery of Modern Art (or GoMA) is an excellent location choice for those that love cool/modern architecture. It also has great city skyline views over the river which can be perfect for capturing that unique Brisbane look in your photos. There seems to be something to photograph around every corner which makes it ideal for eshoot fun. The bonus being it is also very close to Southbank and city restaurants (hey, you are all dressed up, might as well make a date out of it too!)
City Botanical Gardens
Another option, particularly for those who work in the city and plan to do their engagement shoot after work, is the City Botanical gardens. This stretch of green space along the river right in the heart of the city has many great photo opportunities. The park is full of huge trees, flower gardens and lush tropical areas to give excellent photo background variety. There is a lovely river walkway for some fun riverside shots as well. And like Goma, the city gardens are close to restaurants for a post shoot date-night.
Roma St Parkland
Not far from the city centre is another popular engagement photography option. The Roma St Parklands is full of gorgeous natural elements and manicured gardens. There is even an amazing man-made waterfall and a lake! It always seems to be a relaxing place which lends itself well to how I approach engagement sessions and photography in general. As a side note, this park is home to a lot of frill necked lizards who love to bask in the afternoon sun. They are completely harmless and will just ignore you, but if you have a particular phobia of lizards, then perhaps choose elsewhere.
UQ St Lucia
The UQ Campus at St Lucia is very well known for its Great Court, an amazing courtyard of sandstone pillared buildings. It is a popular location choice for wedding photos. But it can also work really well for engagement photography. The courtyard is nice for that formal look, but if you want something a little more natural and green, the lake area behind the main campus is a great option. The setting sun through the trees and over the lake can make for some spectacular engagement photos.
Kangaroo Point / Southbank
The Kangaroo point cliffs provide a spectacular unobstructed view of the city skyline. Perfect for particularly late afternoon engagement sessions, as the sun sets over the city and the river. And as the day turns to night the cliffs really show off the colour of the city lights. Below the cliffs are various riverside walking trails that also provide terrific photo opportunities.
Mt Cootha Botanical Gardens
At the base of Mt Cootha is the lovely Brisbane Botanical Gardens. This parkland is huge and provides so many great engagement photography options. Each area of the park has its own unique ecosystem and look. From Lush rainforests, Bamboo forests, quaint flowerbeds to awesome Cactus desert areas! One afternoon in this park and give so many different looks to engagement photos.
Westend
The Westend area also has great Brisbane engagement photography locations. The Brisbane river winds it’s way through this area so there are some great spots to get those sun over water shots set in nature such as long grass. A little closer to Westend are also some funky streets and laneways for that more urban look.
Fortitude Valley
For those seeking a hip, street sort of vibe for their Brisbane engagement photography locations, the Fortitude Valley is the area for you. With streets full of graffiti art and interesting people, there is no shortage of cool backgrounds to use. Just don’t be afraid to get amongst the crowd and enjoy yourself.
Tips for getting the best Engagement photos
- Pick a Meaningful Location – An e-session can be a great way to include Brisbane engagement photography locations locations that hold particular importance to the two of you. Choosing places that you like to hang out or maybe had your first date or first kiss can make the images from the session very powerful and emotive.
- Choose Comfortable but stylish clothes – The best way to look confident and happy in photos is to feel confident and happy. Choose clothing that looks the part, but is also practical and comfortable enough for a session. Choose clothing appropriate for the season as well, no point wearing a great summer dress in the middle of winter, as your discomfort will most likely show through in the images. You also probably don’t want to take the ‘being comfortable’ too far the other way by wearing baggy hanging around the house on the couch type of clothes either.
- Compliment each others look / Don’t go matchy matchy – The days of couples both wearing white t-shirt and blue jeans together for a photoshoot is long gone. Choose complementary colours and clothing styles that work well together and make sense.
- Use the Hair and Makeup Trial – Most wedding hair and makeup stylists offer a complimentary trial prior to the actual wedding day to ensure their clients are 100% happy with the look. This trial is a great opportunity to combine with your engagement photo session. Not only do you get to test the makeup look, but you can also look awesome for your engagement session. And later when you get your engagement images back you can see what the makeup will look like in photos for your wedding. (One less thing to stress about on your wedding day!)
- Choose the best part of the day – The best time for an engagement shoot is late in the afternoon, when the sun is nice and golden and gives images that magical feel. It also usually is a time that ties in well with people finishing work or other activities. Here is a sunset time checker to help you pick the best time for your particular time of year
- Give yourself enough time – Factor in the time it takes for things like the makeup trial and any travel time that you need to get to the session location. Most sessions take approximately an hour, and as mentioned above the best time is that hour before sunset. For some people it can be a great idea to ‘Make a day of it’ and take the whole day off of work and spoil yourself with going out to lunch, and then having your hair and makeup session prior to the shoot.
- Enjoy the moment – It is not often you get to dress up nicely and have nothing else to do except be with your partner and just chat, cuddle and spend some quality time together. So enjoy the session and don’t worry all those fancy poses you saw on instagram or Pinterest. You photographer is a professional and will draw out your true character and showcase your special love story.
If that sounds like something you would love to do, feel free to contact us to book in your session