As a photographer, I have cravings. Like, when I see gorgeous, yummy light, I CRAVE to photograph people in it! It tends to be a blessing for the people around me.

So, last week we were at a picnic gathering in Creston, IL and the few minutes before sunset were just fabulous! I got my hubby to ask a coworker of his – whom I’ve never met – if I could photograph him and his lovely fiancé. This adorable couple has only been engaged for a few weeks, so it was perfect! So, we headed across the street and took 3-minutes of portraits.

You may be asking… THREE MINUTES? Yep. Three minutes. I think I took 8 frames total. Here are some pointers for some quick, spur-of-the-moment portraits…

1)      Survey the light. Always know where your light source is coming from. These were taken in the last few minutes before sunset so the sun was low in the sky. I like to put the sun behind my subjects for a bit of backlighting and sunflare.

2)      Be aware of your background. These were taken in a softball field! The playing field was to the left and a school playground was to the right. You don’t need fabulous locations for fabulous photos. Just try to keep your background a good distance from your subjects.

3)       Have fun! Relax, and your subjects will relax too! Can you tell I met this couple just a few minutes before?!

Enjoy! -Jenny