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Writer's pictureCara Hodge

Couples wheelbarrow session: Couples, engagement & surprise proposal photo shoot Dublin.

Updated: Apr 2

Couples photo shoots and engagement photo shoots are all about CONNECTION.


With that said, this mini couples session was about making the most of half an hour in a summer meadow. Outdoor couples photo shoots are about choosing a location you love and feel most comfortable in.


Couples, engagement and surprise proposals Dublin are about you turning up as you are. Either very casual and relaxed or else a bit more dressy (if you are feeling it!). (Seapoint Engagement Dublin, Summer Engagement, Blackrock, Dublin).


Whatever the vibe is you want to create between the both of you, I will capture these precious moments with a natural documentary approach but also include more classic portraits as well. The two of you, just as you are, no frills needed...


beautiful young woman with braids leaning against young man in white shirt showing muscles in chest by a leafy tree and end of day light
Couple In Summer

In this summery outdoor location in a summer meadow, I love to make the use of props readily at hand. In this case, I made the most of the old wheelbarrow...again. (The wheelbarrow Summer family portraits Dublin).


The wheelbarrow is great for family photo shoots with kids small enough to fit in, but also with adults way to BIG!! (isn't that where the fun starts?). After all, when couples are having fun, the expressions are light & fun-filled. It's a great way to encourage connection.

young handsome man with beard pushing his girlfriend inside a wheelbarrow across a summer field in golden light. Young beautiful woman in wheelbarrow laughing in a summer white cotton dress. summer couples photo shoot by cara hodge, natural lifestyle and family photographer dublin.
Wheelbarrow Frolicks

In my couples and family galleries, I will present a mix of rich, natural color portraits as well as timeless, cinematic black & white. I don't do black & white "conversions." All my black & white pictures are carefully hand edited from scratch (award winning black & white photography).

young handsome man pushing young beautiful girlfriend in a wheelbarrow. photo shoots for surprise proposals dublin. outdoor natural light, on location couples photo shoot
Ride

On a typical couples, engagement & surprise proposal photo shoot Dublin, you can expect pictures that include you both (of course!!) as well as some individual portraits as well. Aside from candid moments, there may be some portraits that may involve a bit of staging. That is where I take into consideration the backdrop to a portrait. Here, I used a humble (but lovely) tree as a backdrop...

This mini couples session took place around 6pm, but as the sun sets so late in the summer, I had to embrace hard light & shadows. Although I used to balk at the idea of harsh lighting, particularly under the shade of trees that can create hard dappled shadows, now I try to embrace this light for its dramatic contrasts. For instance, on this communion outdoor photo shoot in Donadea Forest Park in the dappled light of trees. (Outdoor Communion Photo Shoot)


girl standing in a wheelbarrow ina white sundress under the intense shade of summer trees, with long shadows marking the ground.
Pose Me

To embrace the summer light, I will usually use a higher aperture number (around F4) and a high shutter speed to create bold forms rather than a blurred background. This also helps to give shapes to the shadows.


girl in white cotton sundress leaning back against wheelbarrow under shade of trees
Wheelbarrow Girl

At other times, to make the most of rim light, I use a wider aperture to create a softer background and to capture the summer haze.


beautiful young girl in a white summer dress with rim light around her hair next to a sunlit fig tree in the garden. outdoor and at home couples photographer dublin. including natural family photography, engagement and surprise proposals.
Aura

And more rim light, capturing light on hair, a favorite of mine!!


beautiful young profile with sun light in her hair and filtering through fig tree leaves outdoor in a meadow garden
Light, light, light

And let's not forget this handsome young man and his lovely smile! By the way, I loved that they both chose to wear summery white cottons. Perfect for a summer photo shoot, the landscape & the summer mood...You can't go wrong in neutral whites.

handsome young man in a white cotton shirt laughing by a fig tree with a house with white shutter behind. summer couples photo shoot
Happy

The beginning of the photo shoot when there was a bit of a chuckle at the anticipation of starting. When I want to "break the ice", prevent the self consciousness that naturally comes with being an older child, teenager or adult, it's about shooting quickly and capturing all the in between & natural expressions.


good looking young man with beard and open Hawain style flower shirt with his girlfriend on a rug under a tree in a field. couples and natural engagement and proposals photographer. on location dublin photo shoots
Chuckle

You can see more couples photo shoots that include a wheelbarrow & individual as well as couples photography in Couples Summer Photo Shoot.


Making the most of the environment in the meadow, I had to include out friendly neighbors - the cows. We had to get close enough to include our cows in the frame...without getting too close. Backdrops are so important to create scenic, atmospheric environmental portraits and to add a storytelling aspect to more natural family photography Dublin.


couple dressed in white cottons, with young woman hugging her boyfriend from behind, next to a cow with horns in a summer field. couples outdoor photo shoot dublin. also engagement and surprise proposals
Moo

Not too close here... This was a mini couples photo shoot so I had to shoot quickly in order to get in as many natural moments as possible!


young beautiful woman in white cotton standing behind her boyfriend next to a cow with horns in summer field. surprise proposal photographer dublin. couples and engagement photo shoots
Well, Hello there!

Sometimes it is good to remember the faceless portraits, those that concentrate on a detail revolving around gesture. For instance, here when his arms are giving her a helping hand out of the wheelbarrow. The focus here is on gesture, and their hands grasping. As well as classic portraits, I will try to create unusual compositions whenever possible...A gallery will be a mix of all the best moments, as varied as possible.


detail of handsome man's arm as he pulls his girlfriend out of a wheelbarrow in a summer field
Pull

My couples, engagement and surprise proposals photo shoots can be done on location all around Dublin and surrounding areas. Outdoor photo shoots can make the most of seasonal color & can be as simple as taking a walk across a landscape you love. (engagement & couples & maternity). I will work step by step with you to make your session as memorable & meaningful as possible. There are three steps to telling your story.


Three Steps to Telling Your Story. Couples, engagement & surprise proposals Dublin.

Journey starts here Decide on a location you love. We can take a walk together and let the story unfold naturally. Dress up or down.

Click! Romance A few prompts here and there to help you relax. Close ups of the two of you together along with you in the wider landscape. Natural couples & engagement photo shoot Dublin...

Print Print Print Your edited engagement or maternity pictures in a professional online gallery. Options for handcrafted albums in a variety of luxury covers, & mounted print boxes

At some point, sometimes, couples photo shoot can also become a maternity photo shoot Dublin - when love blossoms to start a family! (Maternity with daschunds Blackrock Dublin).


pregnanct couple holding daschund dogs in a park with trees and golden hour light
Maternity In Pink


You can see all my lifestyle & family packages in more detail here.

Currently I offer the Starter, Gems, Keepsake & Luxe sessions, as well as my mini seasonal sessions, that ALL include a personalized gallery of all the best moments from our time together. That's a fully hand edited digital picture gallery. In addition to this, Giclee pigment prints as well as handcrafted luxury fine art books are available with certain packages. All my printed products are also available a la carte. (Prices)

Please also see my Frequently Asked Questions page that covers popular Q & A.


I look forward to taking your couples pictures soon! Have a great week :)


Cara xx

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