Blake + Madisyn – South Dakota Engagement Session
“Dead season” doesn’t mean “blah” photos. It is actually the opposite. The colors of dead grass, the softer lighting of the sun, and the earlier sunsets make for some gorgeous photos. If you are thinking about booking your engagement session in the late fall or early spring when everything is still dead, I am GAME.
Location
When planning an off season session, location definitely matters. My tips for planning a location during the dead season:
- Pick a location with a variety of landscape. Palisades in Garretson, Lake Alvin near Harrisburg, or Arrowhead Park in Sioux Falls are just some examples.
- Choose a location that you LOVE. Do not just settle. If you want to go somewhere far, do it. If you want to stay close to home, do that! Just pick somewhere that you really like.
- Always be prepared for muddy conditions. Late fall and early spring tend to be more wet than other months! Make sure you are able to get to your favorite spots at the location you pick!
Time
When picking a time, I always recommend sunrise or sunset for the best lighting. If doing sunrise, I will have my couples meet me 15 minutes before sunrise to start. If doing sunset, I will have my couples meet me about a half an hour to an hour before sunset! These times of day will give you that “golden hour” feel if it is not a cloudy day!
Outfits
I always recommend wearing neutral colors or earthy tones. These colors will match any location you decide to do and will compliment the colors of the location. When wearing these colors, the viewer’s eye won’t be distracted by crazy colors in your photos. They will also look even better with my editing!
Blake + Madisyn
Blake and Madisyn chose Palisades State Park in Garretson, SD for their engagement session. We chose to do around sunset time and they both decided to stick to neutrals for outfits. It was the perfect session and their photos turned out so so good!
Ready to book your “dead season” engagement session? Let’s do it! I love the color of dead grass!
See their full gallery here : Blake + Madisyn
