Participating in this Charity Engagement Shootout was what I would imagine an intense round of speed dating to be like. Imagine only having a total of 15 minutes to photograph and win over a couple you have never met before.

In this instance there was no wooing period where client and photographer exchange pleasantries via email. None of the usual, “I think your images are dreamy!” or “Your wedding sounds like heaven to shoot!” No busting out your cute outfit that’s sure to impress or lovingly presenting a portfolio that’s as sweet as a box of chocolates. No Siree, no time for that here. Each couple was paired up with a handful of photographers based on availability and price. After a quarter hour, everyone moved onto other prospects. Talk about a short “honeymoon”. As we looked down the beach we would see the couple we just photographed in front of another photographer’s lens. It felt a little like cheating, except not only were all parties in on it but they wanted it caught on film too.

Larry and I photographed three really fun, adorable couples. We worked really hard to ensure that each of them had a unique experience with us. We brought several props but didn’t use the same ones twice and even tried to shoot in different areas of the beach. Even though this was a vastly different situation than our usual engagement sittings, it was really important for us to try to tell their love story through our images and capture each individual personality just like we normally do with all of our clients.

At the end of the day, we emptied the sand out of our shoes, and headed home feeling good about not only raising money for Let me Sail, but knowing we faced a challenging situation head on and created photographs that we are proud of.

To find out more about Let me Sail, click on the link below.

If you would like to see more images from these sessions, go to our Facebook page and while you’re there, become a fan!

www.letmesail.org