I tell people all the time why getting their photo taken is important. Why freezing one moment in time, even a seemingly insignificant one, means so much. I preach these things day in and day out, but sometimes I lose sight and realize that I just sound like a broken record with no conviction. I knew it was time to get on the other side of the camera. As weird as it sounds, photographers get nervous to have their photos taken. Yes, we know what's coming but we're just like everyone else ... normal! Nevertheless, I think it's especially important for photographers to experience the other side of the lens every so often and get a better perspective on what our clients are thinking and feeling and doing. So, yesterday, Nathan and I had our photos taken by the lovely Arielle Doneson. It was such a beautiful evening and I walked away with a few thoughts that I want to share with you all:

I felt closer to Nathan after our session. We are both so busy and are sometimes like ships in the night, passing each other with opposite schedules. It was so nice to be close and laugh and talk and just ... be. We honestly forgot about the camera for that hour and a half.
A good photographer will give you direction so you don't feel awkward. I think part of the reason we forgot about the camera was because Arielle gave us permission to interact with each other and encouraged us the whole way. She was this sweet and calming voice that reminded us we were doing okay and that we were allowed to just soak up time with each other.
Getting our photos taken was a good excuse to be outside. Because Nathan and I both work in front of a computer all day, we tend to miss a lot of beautiful days. And sometimes we'll come home and sit in front of the TV instead of going outside. Having an hour and a half in nature was fabulous and made us realize that we need to soak up the good days as much as we can.
We took advantage of being dressed up and went out to dinner after our session. It was so fun to have an excuse to go out on a Monday night, and we both felt good (being dressed up and complimented by a photographer does wonders on your psyche). I would encourage all my couples to plan a date after their engagement session!

(Photo taken with an iPhone using the VSCO camera. Arielle is the cutest pregnant photographer ever!)