Garden Setting Engagement Portraits

If you’d like an outdoor portrait session in Los Angeles, but aren’t into beaches or urban backdrops, then you could be in for a challenge. Scenic outdoor locations are few and far between in Los Angeles, with many far from the city center, and most are privately owned or have strict policies limiting commercial photography.

So if you’re a downtown loft dweller in search of an outdoorsy nature look, one happy solution to this dilemma is to choose a garden setting for your portrait shoot. Great garden settings can be had at the Los Angeles Arboretum in Arcadia, the Japanese Garden in Long Beach, Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge, or Huntington Gardens in San Marino (near Pasadena). Permit fees may apply, but the variety of natural backdrops in these places can’t be beat.

Crystal and Eddie wanted a garden setting for their engagement session, and we were very happy that they choose one of our favorite garden locations, the L.A. Arboretum! This public garden is among the best you will find in Los Angeles. The Arboretum provides a perfect mix of manicured and wild looks, with amazing flowering trees and bushes always in bloom, an orange groove, a bamboo forest, a waterfall, and several fun bridges.

Our portrait sessions usually last about an hour, but it’s easy to spend much longer here if we’re not careful! Not that Crystal and Eddie would have minded, of course.

Tango-Themed Engagement Portraits in Pasadena

Now here’s an awesome example of a themed engagement portrait shoot!

Brett and Jenny took advantage of a recent promotion and booked a tango-themed engagement photo shoot with a dramatic, black and red matching wardrobe. For them, this portrait theme was significant because they met while taking dance lessons, and went on to become sought-after tango instructors. What better way to celebrate their personal story than to add so many personal details involving clothing, color and location for their engagement pictures?

If you’d like to see another completely different but equally effective example of a themed portrait shoot, check out these little cutie pies.

Before your photo shoot, our advice is to think about what you want to express. Who are you? What is your story? Deciding on a theme for your photo shoot, right down to a meaningful wardrobe, can do a lot to express your unique personality.

Also consider your interests. Are you a gamer? Well, maybe you want to incorporate your laptop, LAN box, or some other trick piece of kit into your portrait session. Or maybe you’re not into computers, but you love your dog. Pack the pooch! What’s most important is authenticity. If you don’t spend a lot of time cuddling trees, a simple photo shoot at a park might not ring true.

Likewise for couples. If you’re having a professional photographer take engagement portraits for you, think about how to incorporate your story or background into a theme for the photo shoot like Jenny and Brett. Trust us, your portrait session will be much more fun, and you’ll love the end results so much more.

It’s National Proposal Day!

Today is National Proposal Day!

What’s that, guys? You didn’t know?! Well, now is the time to whip out that engagement ring, get on one knee and pop the question!

The best thing is, you’re just in time because you have just 10 more days to take advantage of our current engagement portraits promotion.

We’re offering $99 engagement portrait sessions (a $295 value) to anyone who likes our Iconica Photography Facebook page and books by March 31st.

So ask her already! Then get ready to surprise her again with amazing engagement portraits from Iconica.