In The Name Of Love

As Tarriell described below, her engagement session with .: Irina Photography :. was this past December. Since we got the story from the bride-to-be's point of view, I wanted to get the experience from Irina and Mihkel, too. They were kind enough to sit down and go over a lot of things with us!

Susan says:
Thanks for taking the time out to sit down with me, Irina & Mihkel! After seeing Tarriell & MM's photos, I had to get the vendor point-of-view and give you both a shout-out, too!
First question, for those who don't know or who are maybe on the fence about it, what typically happens during an engagement session and who should get them?

Mihkel says:
An engagement session is simply a portrait photo session for a couple soon to be married. Nowadays these sessions reflect the lifestyle of the couple (locations, habits, activities) and the emotions between the couple (romance, love, excitement). Irina and I would meet with the couple at a location that means something to them, it can be a coffee shop that they enjoy together, or the grounds of the University they attend or a nearby park. Sometimes we are lucky to photograph the couple in THE location where the proposal happened! Our goal is to capture the real moments, whether they be lovely or quirky. We ask the couple to be themselves, pretend we are not there and for them to 'go about their business' ; this allows for an honest interaction between photographer and the couple. The goal is to create a collection that reflects the true spirit of the couple's engagement, something they can take away with them for years to come.

Irina says:
These sessions are for couples who desire a collection of images that showcase them in a natural and fun way. Most couples plan to use the images during their reception, either in a custom guest book or display their collection in a slide show during the reception dinner.



Susan says:
Take us through Tarriell and MM's session. How did you come up with the locales? Was it really as cold as Tarriell says? ;) How long was their session?

Mihkel says:
The weather was miserable the night before(it rained all night) and the morning offered us bleak glimpses into the possibilities for a workable afternoon. Ottawa's 3 feet of snow had begun to melt from the rain, overloading all drains and leaving large puddles to contend with. When we arrived at 1pm, the sun made brief appearances however the wind began to pick up. Yes it was cold! The clouds persevered even while the wind picked up sending chills down my spine. We carpooled from Tarriell and MM's home to Carleton U since the location has many buildings and covers a vast landscape; we thought it would make for a great starter location. If a location doesn't work then we discuss other options, we never force our clients to stick to a maximum number of spots, that would ruin the experience for both of us. We always consider the client's expectations while also ensuring that we produce work worthy for their collection. Irina braved the cold to capture some wonderful images along side the water and then inside Carleton's many hallways . I focused purely on some candids and then decided to 'keep an eye on the car'. After trying a few other locations we headed to Starbuck's for some coffee and relaxed for a bit. One last location, in the car ride back we said we would capture them in their most common and comfortable place - their living room sofa in front of the TV. Good for the clients, good for the photographer - anything to produce real images. By this time we had gone over our typical 2 hour session almost surpassing a 3rd. Their dog barked a few times to announce it was our time to leave, ending an afternoon of fun and craziness.

Susan says:
What stood out to the both of you about this couple?


Mihkel says:
It is common for shy or nervous individuals to become goofy with our instructions. Or maybe they just like to play rough. At times it seemed as though they were acting in front of the camera yet after behaving the whole session like young crazy lovers, it became clear that true love influences the mind in ways we cannot control.

Susan says:
Can you tell us something we may not know about Tarriell?

Irina says:
Those types of secrets are for us to keep!

Susan says:
It's been a little while since the session. How long does it typically take for your clients to receive digital files and then any photos they've ordered?

Irina says:
After each session, we typically show teaser images on our blog {www.irinaphotography.squarespace.com}. Once we have completed the final image selections for the session collection, images are posted in an online gallery for the client to view; this is approximately 2 weeks after the session. Our engagement sessions include a credit for studio products, to which they have unlimited options to decide how to use! Print orders typically take 2 weeks to process.

Susan says:
I have to ask ... you serve both the GTA and Ottawa ... are you two nuts for travel? ;)

Mihkel says:
I like to travel so any excuse to get out of town is great for me :)

Irina says:
I grew up in Ottawa and my family is still there. We have the luxury of being in both places quite often and enjoy every minute of it!