Pre-Nuptial Agreement (CLICK HERE TO SEE THIS ARTICLE ON THE NIKON WEBSITE)

In the photographs everyone seems so relaxed and comfortable, so natural, that you might think the photographer is a member of the family, or at least someone they've known for a long time. He's not, but he does have an advantage: the engagement session shoot that takes place shortly before the day of the wedding. According to Mike Colon, it makes all the difference in the world.

"We call it an engagement session," Mike says, "but it's really kind of a pre-wedding portrait session. It's a significant part of my work, and I include it with every wedding package I offer. They don't have to do it, but if they don't want it, I don't reduce the price of the wedding." In fact, he strongly encourages the couple to take advantage of the session because the benefit to him is tremendous. "I tell them it's for me as much as it is for them. I get to see how they interact with each other and with the camera. I get to know them and what to expect from them on the wedding day."

The engagement session functions as a low-key warm-up to the wedding. "I make it fun and casual," Mike says. "I tell them to wear something they're comfortable in, something they look good in. I let them pick a scenario or a theme, like a date night, or just hanging out at the beach or sitting in a coffee shop." He likes to leave the setting and the scenario up to the couple. "That way every shoot is different; I'm not doing the same things. And when they pick a place that's special to them, the session becomes their own."

From the couple's side, the benefit is confidence in the photographer. "They see how I work," Mike says, "and they relax with me. I'm making them feel that I'm the kind of guy they can be comfortable with. Before I start shooting, I just tell them, hey, this is what we're going to do. I'm gonna put you over here in this good light and leave you guys alone and you do whatever you want. Just try not to have your back toward me. I tell them to walk, talk, hold hands, kiss; kissing's always good because it helps them relax, and it always looks good."

Most of the time he prefers that they don't look at him, but he doesn't mind if they hear him. "I back up and shoot with a long lens, a frame every two or three seconds because I want them to hear the shutter going off. When they hear the shutter they feel they're doing something right. Even if I'm not loving what I see, I'll still click the shutter. It builds their confidence, makes them feel, oh, we're doing something he likes. And if they hear the motor drive, they really know it's good. And I'll walk up to them and show them the images on the back of the camera if I see something I really like. I'll say, 'Check out this image!' just to build their confidence and make them feel good. When they see an image or two they really like, they totally get into it and really start having fun."

By the time the four- to six-hour engagement session is over, the couple knows Mike's style and his personality, and they know what to expect from him on the day of the wedding. "They'll get an engagement session album for the photos," Mike says, "but often I'll create a DVD montage of engagement session photos and show it at the reception, or on a screen as people are entering the wedding.

But that's only part of the benefit of the engagement session. "What's so cool about the session is that when I show up on the wedding day, not only does the bride know me, but her family and her bridesmaids know about me because they've all looked at the engagement session pictures. I'll also post images from engagement sessions on my blog, so they'll be checking those out and reading about me. When I get to the wedding, it's like I'm part of the family."

That's from the bride's and guests' point of view, though. From where Mike stands, things are a little different. "Shooting a wedding is really high anxiety for me. It's a one-shot deal—I've got to get the pictures, and there's so much detail, especially in the weddings I'm shooting these days. They're spending so much money and I have to capture everything, from the tables to the little lace doilies the bride's mom stayed up all night sewing."

Despite whatever tension he may feel, he tries to keep a casual attitude. "Before the ceremony I'm just walking around, capturing shots—the women getting made up, the guys putting on their bowties—getting creative, shooting a lot of angles, mainly natural light, wide open, shallow depth of field. Sometimes I'll try to get some of the portraits out of the way then." After the ceremony he gets a little more involved. "I don't direct people, but I do have a mental list of what I still need to get."

By then it's likely some of the tension has dissipated. "I know I've got a lot of great candid shots in the can, and I'm generally feeling confident. I'm in my groove. I don't try to get too creative with the family photographs. I feel that's kind of documenting who's there. I'm into getting through those, making sure I properly expose them and everyone looks good, but I'm just recording. Then I move back to the real stuff—capturing real emotion, real moments. That's the work that makes my photography stand out to the bride. I'll get the bride and groom together and it'll be similar to the engagement session. I try to find some nice spots for them, I try to take them outside, in natural light, and let them go with it. I get tight shots and scenic shots, and it's all done in 15 minutes or so."

Mike's background is general studio work, and it gave him experience working with people in groups, so the family shots at weddings aren't difficult for him. "I shot sports teams, senior portraits, events, party formals, even group shots of Marines at Camp Pendleton. Everything revolved around people photos. After working for a wedding photographer in Orange County, I started my own business ten years ago."

Mike has undeniable talent, but he's aware that talent isn't enough. "I have a degree in marketing, and the promotion end of the business is incredibly important. You have to invest time and energy in getting involved in the industry and becoming an expert. Brides come in, and they've heard your name over and over again. You can be an awesome photographer, but if no one knows about it, you're not going to have any work. You have to know how to get those images and your name in front of people."

Down the Aisle
Mike is currently shooting with the D2x. Among his favorite lenses are three Zoom-Nikkors—the 17-55mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S DX, 28-70mm f/2.8 ED-IF AF-S and 70-200mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S—and the 200mm f/2G ED-IF AF-S VR Nikkor. The latter is a special favorite. "Shooting wide open I get my subjects incredibly sharp and the backgrounds soft. The image quality is extraordinary, and with [a maximum aperture of] f/2 and VR [vibration reduction] I can shoot in pretty low light." It's also the lens he likes to use for engagement sessions. "If we're shooting on a beach or on the streets, I've got plenty of room to back up and then move in when I want to."

Mike also carries a few SB-800 AF Speedlights. "I've been setting them up on their stands and using them [in wireless remote operation] to backlight table shots. I'll throw some light on the table from behind with one of the SB-800s, and have an SB-800 on the camera, but powered down to minus two stops so it looks almost like the ambient light in the room is hitting the table from the front. If you took out the backlight and shot by available light only it would look very flat; the backlighting from the Speedlights makes everything stand out."