Beautiful spring flowers engagement
Spring flowers engagement picture
A couple hold hands in a field of flowers during their engagement photo shoot.
The snow is melting and my favourite season is just beginning. One of the photographs that sums up my joy for spring has to be from Gemma and Ben’s spring flowers engagement session in Lausanne. Shot as part of their pre-wedding photo session, it combines beautiful light with a natural but unusual pose. This is one of the reasons it is so memorable to me. I have my go-to poses but here I saw an opportunity to experiment quickly in between locations and it worked perfectly. Here’s how it came to be.
The story of the photo
Gemma and Ben wanted to have their pre-wedding photo shoot in a field of flowers but we were too early for the alpine meadows. With their wedding coming up in June, we searched for somewhere lower down that would still have that natural, wild feel. By chance, Ben came across this wild flower meadow just above Lausanne. It was exactly what we were looking for and also gave stunning views over the lake.
We met up on a warm Saturday afternoon in May and scouted some locations. To start off, and warm everyone up, we did some more traditional couples’ photos in the shade of some trees and sitting in the long grass. Just as we were about to move off, I caught a glimpse of another photo in my mind. To capture it naturally I had to set up a movement and hope that my couple would be relaxed enough to just respond. This is something I often do to keep people at ease and make the shoot more enjoyable.
I asked Gemma and Ben to walk away from me in the flowers, then turn walk back hold each other at arm’s length, pause and then spin in. It was more complicated than I would normally ask but I could see the image so clearly in my mind that I just hoped they would be up to the challenge. Throughout the whole movement I kept shooting and then the sun hit my lens and I knew I had the perfect, romantic—but not cheesy—photo.
Natural poses for real people
You would have thought that nowadays, when everyone seems to be photographing or photographed continuously, it would be easy to capture natural moments. But we are also programmed to smile as soon as we see a camera turned in our direction. Capturing natural poses of real people is really important to me. I want to discover each person’s own unique way of being in front of my lens. And so, if I make you do silly things or complicated actions then the goal is always to get you to laugh—or react—as only you can. In doing so I can feel as if there is a little bit of your personality in each picture.
Discover the story behind some of my favourite engagement photos, check out the links below or visit the Story of the Photo page. If you would like to book a wedding or couple’s photo shoot, get in touch to check availability.
More from the Story of the photo series
Learn more about this charming first birthday shoot in the mountains with a brother and sister enjoying birthday cupcakes on a summer’s afternoon in the Alps.
Go behind the scenes of this spring flowers engagement picture. Perfect alpine meadows and soft summer light for a unique portrait of two people in love.
With the buzz of a summer’s afternoon and a stolen moment together on a busy day, read the story behind this magical wedding photo.
Discover the story behind this tender photo of a big sister and her new baby brother.
A moment of pure joy in the snow. Discover the story behind this incredible engagement shoot image shot in Zermatt in the winter.
Find out the story behind this charming family photo with 3-month-old baby Noah.
Discover the story behind this charming family maternity photo. Taken in the Swiss village of Cully by Switzerland maternity photographer Emma Godfrey, learn about how to get your family involved in a maternity photo shoot.
Be inspired by this natural Christmas newborn photo taken by Switzerland baby photographer Emma Godfrey. With lots of ideas of how to make family photo shoots more fun for families of all ages.
Brighten your day with the story behind this shimmering wedding portrait by Switzerland photographer Emma Godfrey. Read the story behind her favourite shots and what makes them magical.
Unwrap the story of this botanical maternity photography shoot by Switzerland photographer Emma Godfrey. Finding the exotic in the centre of Geneva and hiding from the cold for a unique take on pregnancy pics.
Discover the story behind this charming photo of two best friends laughing by photographer Emma Godfrey. Find out how she likes to work with children to get the best, most natural photos of your kids.
Read the story behind this tender moment between mother and baby. Switzerland family photographer Emma Godfrey talks about her newborn photography sessions, what to expect and those special maternal moments.