Experimenting:
If you're lucky, you'll get a couple completely open to experimenting with composition and editing styles. In this photoshoot, I had a couple who were a blank slate for me to work on. It's in this photoshoot that I got to experiment a bit more and bring the style I normally use in my fashion portraits to my couple photos. It's definitely still a work in progress but progress nonetheless.
In the picture to the left, something I wish I could've done in camera was to shoot a couple of stops down. When it came to editing, the highlights and shadows look slightly off. I also struggled with the white balance a bit. This was shot nearly at golden hour so the orange tint from the Sun is there, but it was still very bright and hard to balance. All in all, I'm happy with the overall photo though, and glad I'm making progress towards developing a style.
Framing:
Another benefit to having flexible clients is having the ability to play with framing. Lu and Pao were patient enough to allow me to use the environment in creative ways. In the photo to the left I used a window sign from a nearby business to frame them. There are a few more photos in the rest of the collection that show different types of composition, but I feel this one is the best out of the others. Unfortunately, not every photo from experimenting will pan out, but it's better to experiment early to find the right composition faster in future shoots.
Look for anything in the environment that can create more interest in the scene. Trees, geometric shapes, architecture etc.
Storytelling:
Storytelling is one of my main goals as a photographer. I find that if there is a way to create more meaning than just a cute scene in a photo, it adds more depth and interest to the person viewing it. I also believe that the client will be happier with a photo that tells THEIR story. Something they can look back on with fond memories.
Storytelling is something I've only recently started on so it isn't perfect yet but it's super satisfying when I get a good shot.