Most engagement sessions look the same.

A dress from Revolve.
A field.
A laugh that feels half real.

If you’re planning an engagement session in Upstate New York, you should start here. You want something that actually feels like you. It’s designed not to feel like a template.

Because a great engagement session isn’t about posing better.

It’s about building something intentional.

Stop Asking “Where Should We Shoot?”

Start Asking “Who Are We?”

The best engagement sessions don’t start with a location. They start with identity.

Are you:

• Quiet and introspective?
• Loud and magnetic?
• Obsessed with art?
• City people pretending to be country?
• Film nerds?
• Museum wanderers?
• Dive bar loyalists?
• Bookstore romantics?

Your engagement session should feel like a visual essay about your relationship.

Not a checklist.

Choose Locations That Have Texture, Not Just Views

Yes, Upstate New York has mountains. It has fields. Yes, there’s always Washington Park in Albany.

But what feels layered?

• A dimly lit bar downtown.
• An old greenhouse in winter.
• A parking garage at sunset.
• The quiet corners of the New York State Museum.
• A lake house dock in October wind.
• Your actual apartment, messy and lived in.

Texture > trend.

When couples choose spaces that mean something, the photos stop looking like everyone else.

Wear Something That Feels Like You — Not a Pinterest Mood Board

If you never wear a flowy dress, don’t suddenly wear one.

You live in structured black, lean into it.

If you thrift everything and layer weird jewelry, show up exactly like that.

Editorial engagement photos happen when couples look comfortable in their own skin. Not when they’re dressed for Instagram.

Neutral doesn’t mean beige.
Artsy doesn’t mean dramatic.

It means aligned.

Movement Over Posing

The most compelling engagement photography doesn’t come from stiff direction.

It comes from:

• Walking with intention.
• Sitting close in silence.
• Dancing badly.
• Reading together.
• Driving nowhere with the windows down.
• Touching without over-performing.

Real movement creates cinematic moments. Forced posing creates awkward hands.

If you want your engagement photos to feel artistic and modern, the goal isn’t perfection. It’s atmosphere.

Add an Analog Element

If you really want to elevate your session?

Add film.

35 mm.
Polaroids.
Super 8 snippets.

Analog photography introduces imperfection in the best way. Grain, motion blur, light leaks — all of it creates emotional texture you can’t replicate digitally.

It instantly shifts the vibe from “engagement shoot” to “archived memory.”

Make It a Concept, Not Just a Session

Some of the most powerful engagement sessions I’ve shot weren’t random.

They had direction.

Examples:

• “City After Dark” — downtown Albany at night, flash photography, gritty romance.
• “Sunday Morning” — at-home session, coffee, vinyl, barefoot.
• “Museum Date” — quiet, intimate, artistic.
• “Winter Isolation” — snow, silence, stark composition.
• “Road Trip Energy” — gas stations, highways, wind.

When you build a session around a concept, it feels like a story — not a photo shoot.

Why Engagement Sessions Matter (More Than You Think)

Engagement sessions aren’t just for save-the-dates.

They’re rehearsal.

You learn:

• How I direct.
• How I shoot.
• How you move together.
• What angles feel like you.
• How you exist in front of the camera.

By the time your wedding arrives, nothing feels stiff or foreign.

You already trust the process.

And that changes everything.

If You’re Looking for a Creative Engagement Photographer in Albany, NY

Here’s the truth:

You don’t need more photos.
You need photos that feel like something.

Your engagement session should feel like a short film or an art piece. It should resemble a personal archive — not a box to check.

You’re getting married in Upstate New York. You want an engagement session that feels intentional and modern. Let’s create something genuine. It should actually show who you are. It can also have a little bit of an editorial feel.

Not a trend.

You.

Upstate New York Photographer | Courtney Stannard Photography

I document life, love, and the quiet in-between moments with intention, honesty, and heart. I am based in Upstate New York. My work blends moody, vibrant storytelling with a deeply personal approach. It creates space for you to be fully yourself in front of the camera. My goal is simple. I aim to make images that feel true to who you are. They show the genuine you, not who you think you’re supposed to be. Let’s make something meaningful together.
Inquire about your date here.