"We want cinematic Paris engagement photos with just a hint of the Eiffel Tower..."
This is something that I heard incredibly often as a Paris cinematic photographer. The Eiffel Tower is iconic and stunning, but most of my couples tell me that they want the Tower in the photographs, but typically not as the main focal point of the photo. This iconic Parisian street has just a hint of the Eiffel Tower, with the gorgeous Parisian statement doors, architecture. It was a cloudy day that started off a bit rainy, but the weather turned out perfect for Lexi and Cameron's photoshoot. You'll even notice that the umbrella made the photos look even more cinematic.
For Lexi and Cameron, they had gotten engaged in Japan and they were on a trip in Paris while visiting their 2027 wedding venue in the south of France. Paris was a special city for them and they wanted some cinematic, natural and romantic Parisian photographs - nothing cheesy or overly posed. And they wanted the Eiffel Tower in their photos, but moreso wanted to feature Parisian architecture and the vibe of the city. So I knew just the spot for them.
The perfect amount of motion blur...
With Lexi and Cameron, they really wanted to evoke the cinematic energy of being in love and having fun, in their Paris engagement photos. Something I always ask couples before the shoot is how they feel about motion blur. Motion blur is a tough technique because every single photographer has their own idea of what that looks like - whether it's so much blur where nothing is quite sharp, and there's motion blur that is slight and subtle. There's also the wide range of motion blur in between. For Lexi and Cameron's engagement photos, we captured the most stunning and cinematic photographs of them running together, and Cameron chasing Lexi.
To this day, out of all my photos, these are some of my most referenced photos when couples share with me inspiration for their Paris engagement or wedding photos. I think it's the emotion and cinematic feeling you can quickly feel by looking at the photos - the perfect amount of motion blur and the energy from Lexi and Cameron. And I have to be honest, I might have asked Lexi and Cameron to do the running back and forth and chasing nearly 10 times, if not more. All that to say, these kind of photos that look perfectly natural and candid, whether mine or another photographer's likely had many, many attempts behind them. That's why I always tell my couples that 2 hours is the most common timeframe for my Paris portrait sessions. It takes time for couples to warm-up in front of the camera - and especially for non-static photos, with lots of motion - the more time we have, the more natural the photos will look.
Cinematic and not overly staged engagement photos...
Another thing I hear often from my couples - is that they are drawn to my work because it looks natural, cinematic, and not overly staged or posed. As a Paris engagement photographer, focusing on cinematic photography, I'm here to tell you that it is absolutely my job to create an environment that makes you feel comfortable and at ease. First and foremost before any guiding or giving you any photographic direction, ensuring you feel comfortable in my presence is a non-negotiable. Without that, no amount of direction or guiding will result in the candid, natural, and cinematic Paris engagement photos that I know you have saved on your Pinterest (as you should). I am a native English speaker, growing up in Canada, which is helpful as most of my clients are also native English speakers. I'm also an effective and clear communicator with an easy-going personality. It's my priority to make sure before we even meet, I've answered all your questions. In person, I am extremely attuned to my couples, the external atmosphere, and your photography preferences so I can determine the right level of guiding / direction, and the right time to step back and let the moment shine.



