Cozy In Home Engagement Session

This cozy in home engagement session is making me feel so much better about being cooped up in doors. I love the intimacy and the way Lensy Michelle chose to showcase Kamelia and Faraz. This beautiful session is definitely a reminder that in home sessions can be just as epic as a fun outdoor location. Scroll to learn more about their story and how Lensy shot the session!

Credits

Photographer: Lensy Michelle & @lensymichelle| Kamelia: @kameliavahneshan

About the Couple

How did you two first meet?

We met in a parking lot! My friend and I were ready to go to a party. We were in a parking lot and we found out that its a white party and we were wearing black and purple. We were driving in the parking lot and thinking whether we should go in or not, and my friend (Sami) saw Faraz. Faraz came and said hi to us. This is Faraz my friend, this is Kamelia my friend from San Diego, Sami said We talked for less than 2 minutes and we decided not to go the party and we said bye. The next morning Faraz txted Sami at 7AM, asking for my phone. And we started talking

What makes your relationship special?

friendship, friendship, friendship. Before anything we try to be each other's friend. To us friendship means honesty , friendship is having each other's back through everything, means love and support. And I think one other thing that makes our relationship special is how much fun we have with each other.

How did you know your partner was the one? When did you first know this in your relationship?

Faraz says the moment I met you in the parking lot I knew I wanted to pursue this and I knew it can get far and far. And he was really serious from the beginning. For me it took longer. It took me a year and half. At first I did not want to be in a relationship because I just got out of one after 5 years. Then I kept telling Faraz not to call me because I could not see us as a couple and I knew how genuine his feelings were and I did not want to hurt him. but after a year and half I realized I should give us a chance because I saw nothing but good from this guy and I started to like him little by little

Give us all the details about the proposal. How and where did it happen? Was it a surprise? What was the planning process?

We went to an airstream in Joshua Tree. I always wanted to go there but the airbnb is booked for almost all year. we finally booked a day and I always told him that if we go there one day, we should hire a photographer, and we did. Faraz is a type of guy that wants to make all my dreams come true (specially when it gets to ring, engagement and weddings) and he did not want to do something that would ruin my dreams. So he started asking me a lot of questions couple months before the proposal , ring questions, whether I like people around us or not, photographer or no photographer ?and so I did sent him a picture of the ring I liked, I did told him I want to be just the two of us and a photographer,So I would say it was both a surprise and planned. But it was the cutest day of my life. And I still remember how happy I was that day. and how I could not sleep that night from excitement.

Are you excited to start planning your wedding day?

Oh Well! We were beyond excited for our wedding on 07/07/2020 in our favorite place Istanbul, Turkey. But then there was this Covid-19 that changed our lives .... its been a roller coaster and we have to postpone the wedding. I have been feeling very sad but Faraz has been supporting me and telling me that Corona cannot stop us from having a wedding. Even if it takes three more years, we will have our wedding in three years! So as of now we are waiting to see how things are going to go. But we are hoping for next year.

From the Photographer

What was your inspiration behind the shoot and the use of light?

The light was all natural and coming in through the windows to the right of the subjects (left side of the frame). I prefer to use natural light, even if it is not perfect, because I think it helps retain the true mood and feelings of the moment. In my experience, using flash or other artificial lighting sometimes disrupts the flow of the shoot and the comfort of the couples. My philosophy is usually to find beauty where it exists in the given location, not to try to create a situation artificially.

How did you prepare your clients for this type of session?

To prep the couple, they were asked to wear comfy clothing that they would lounge around in and that they wouldn't have to think about. It's super important for couples to be able to be emotionally and physically present for their shoot and not be distracted by the clothing they are wearing.

What techniques did you use that were out of the norm?

My style of "posing" isn't really posing... Rather, I set up a situation/mood/vibe/feeling/ect. I do this in many ways that change depending on the energy I feel from the couple, but one way I do this is by giving a prompt for a scenario such as: "Imagine your partner is about to leave for a month long trip. They are leaving to get in their car to the airport in 3 minutes. Express how much you care and how much you will miss them using only your fingertips on their neck and face." Then, give them time to think. Let them really fall into this feeling and this scenario in their head. Then, step back, and shoot. In short, help to give them a situation they can work with, but don't interpret the prompt for them. Let them show you.

Any advice to other clients or photographers who want to do this type of shoot?

Understand that every couple is different in the ways that they express intimacy and care. I see it as part of my job to figure out my couples enough so that the images I take of them reflect their unique relationship. Not every couple is super kissy or physically affectionate. Some couple express love through simply holding hands or writing letters. Some will start making out before I even say one thing to them...it really depends. One thing you can do is ask your couples questions before their session so you know their love story. (Examples: What is something your partner has done recently that made you feel cared for? Where do you like to be kissed? Etc.) I think it is important to use prompts that each couple can interpret uniquely to really express how they would be in real life. Sometimes it take a few different prompts to find one that works with a particular couple, but once I hit a good one, we roll with it for a while and I shoot until I feel like we've gone through all the emotions that prompt brought out. Sometimes I will also play music to set the scene...kinda like I'm a DJ for the mood!