A Prague love story engagement photo session with Tina & Mike. Two fantastic people exploring Prague with lots of laughter, fun, and dancing in their wonderful love story & engagement photos.
If you really wish to experience this incredible city in a relaxing calm way and without the massive tourists you should really consider getting up early to explore the medieval streets before the tourists invade. If you do, you will be greatly rewarded as there is no better way to experience the incredible atmosphere that Prague in the early morning hours can deliver.
Tina & Mike are one of our latest couples who did just that. They already had the crazy, all day & exhaustive 3 wedding dress pre-wedding photo shoot in Taiwan and decided that the next time they did this they would do it differently. They contacted me and after a few emails everything was arranged. On a cool recent morning after their hair & makeup prep – we met up, quickly hit it off and began our journey
Their idea was to keep it very relaxed, no posing (though they did appreciate being pointed to the best locations) and walking to some of the most wonderful locations and the results: authentic, captivating and lively colorful images that truly capture the fun and that special morning in Prague. The bonus, when the sun finally did make its appearance we created some of the most beautiful images and one of their favorites images (of them dancing under the Castle) was inspired by their favorite movie: La La Land.
The lovely Tina had this to say about her experience:
We had such a fun time in Prague, the highlight of our trip was our photoshoot with Kurt! We are so excited to see the photos once they are done 🙂
Please help us thank Kurt for his time, he made the whole experience so enjoyable and fun!
{Prague wedding & pre wedding photographer / lifestyle photographer / Engagement photographer available worldwide}
A winter pre-sunrise photo session in Prague with Joyce & Timmy.
It was not exactly great weather, in fact, it was freezing when Joyce & Timmy flew over from Hong Kong to have the first of 5 pre-wedding photo sessions captured in Europe. The first location on their wonderful adventure: Prague. When we met up with them they were very excited about their session and we were especially looking forward to creating something very special for them. We decided on a very early morning start to create some artistic images.
We were all hoping for snow but it was not to be. On a winter morning we met up with them at the very cold and very quiet Prague Castle where no one else but a few castle guards were around. As Joyce is a very sexy young lady we wanted to create some very stylish & elegant photos of her and Timmy before heading to the riverside. With a video crew and two lighting people we were ready for everything – but the cold weather. Truth be told there is nothing more wonderful than having a winter themed session in Prague when we have lots of snow. But when there is not snow, well, it is what it is.
As cold as it was Timmy being the good guy that he is was doing his best to keep Joyce warm and while we were on the Charles Bridge he was more than happy to pick her up and spin her around making for some incredible Golden Light portraits. After a few hour our session ended at the roof top terrace of the U Prince Hotel overlooking the Old Town Square. By that time the city was really waking up and as we timed this session accordingly it was time for us to say our adieu’s.
One of my favorite images of them: the two of them taking in the Charles Bridge before sunrise when the water reflected the lights. It was truly an unforgettable image and it was also beautifully captured by our wonderful video crew led by Cary Hubbs.
We heard back from Joyce a few days later, her weather in Hallstadt for their second winter themed session? Only 0-5 degrees. Brr…
Presented here is a small sample of the many images captured during their session.
And the lovely bride to be left us a wonderful review on Google:
I definitely love the pre wedding pictures taken by Kurt. It’s full of art. We have chosen the two hours before and after the golden hours. The sunlight is surely taken at right position. It’s the best photos we have taken along the five pre wedding places We have been. Despite the cold weather, Kurt is so kind to serve us hot tea and bread. The makeup by Linda is also professional, she makes me like a pop star.
Thank you Joyce again for selecting my team – it was a real pleasure creating this beautiful session for you.
c
{Prague wedding & pre wedding photographer / lifestyle photographer / Engagement photographer available worldwide}
An intimate pre-sunrise / sunrise / Golden Hour portrait session with Tiffany & Kiu captured at Prague Castle, the Charles Bridge and the Old Town Square.
When Tiffany contacted me she was not a happy lady. She already had a pre-wedding session and instead of capturing natural styled images that captured her and her fiancee Kiu’s personality the photographer instead posed them with a series of boring portraits. As Tiffany stated, ‘we deserve better than this‘ and then asked if I could do better.
To be honest, I was a bit worried as they were already feeling crushed by their bad experience and truth be told – there are some people you really can not make happy… After spending time listening to her and discussing what was important to them, their backgrounds, their styles and their previous experience here, I decided to give them a try. Sometimes you really do pay for what you get here in Prague…
Experiencing the magical atmosphere of Prague Castle in the very early am before the city awakes is something I will never tire of. The history, the grandeur, the peaceful oasis of calm it offers is truly worth experiencing. By starting their session up there and before sunrise I felt it was a laid back way to get them comfortable again in front of the camera. Yes, there was some posing involved – as you must direct a bit, but the look and feel of those images were what she really wanted.
After our portraits at the castle we headed to the Charles Bridge where the light was starting to break across the City of 100 spires. Sometimes you just get lucky and the flaring imagery was something I wanted to work more with. Tiffany being a West Coast girl – knew exactly what I was going for and was all smiles when I showed her some of those stunning flare shots.
As we were on the Charles Bridge I pointed to them the playground down below and the look in her eyes was all I needed. It was truly magical.
When we hit our 4th hour it was time to say our goodbyes but before we left I showed them a few more images on the back of the camera and then I asked Tiffany what she thought about her session and she responded with a huge smile: ‘everything is awesome!’
Presented here is a small collection of their images captured on that beautiful summer day in Prague with two wonderful people.
For photographers: If you are looking to take your photos up a notch, shooting during the golden hour can make a big difference to your outdoor photography. Here’s another resource on golden hour photography to read.
Portrait Locations: Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, Old Town
{pre wedding photo Prague / Lifestyle & Engagement photographer / pre wedding photographer available worldwide}
People often ask ‘what happens if it rains during our pre-wedding session in Prague?‘ Truth be told if we are available the next day – we will happily change it. After all who wants to get soaked during their photo session?
The lovely Irene & Ryan – who hail from Vancouver – contacted us for a last minute Engagement shoot here in Prague. A week out from their session date they contacted us asking to change the date due to the weather forecast. As they seemed really sweet (though clearly stressed with the weather) and their second date was my day off, I thought why not? The crew being available was also a big plus as we all agreed to give up our day off. The day before their session, well, you guessed it: the forecast called for rain and once again contacted us frantically asking to change the date once more. Unfortunately I was committed to another client and was not able to do both at the same time.
There is a difference between the American / North American Engagement Photo Session and the ‘Asian pre-wedding‘ or ‘overseas photo shoots‘. The pre-weddings sessions tend to be more structured, lit ( lighting crew ), hair & makeup prep and at times in attendance and of course wedding outfits (2-3 wedding gowns is quickly becoming the norm) and a more posed look. Whereas the Engagement sessions are really about two people exploring the city and are photographed in a natural – spontaneous way with their normal clothes with very little posing or even directing. On the morning of the session we met up with them at the castle where Irene was wearing a white wedding dress and her always smiling fiancee Ryan was wearing a dark outfit – and they (like ourselves) were already soaked. Truth be told, as a professional photographer one who works with a crew – you can create stunning images with the rain. After capturing a few images (the castle gates in both color and B&W for starters) and showing these images on the back of my trusty and nearly waterproof Canon EOS 1Ds MarkIII everyone relaxed, smiled – everything was going to be ok.
One of my favorite moments was when we were shooting posed portraits of Irene under the Powder Tower and there was a group of 10-12 Japanese tourists all with cameras (and flashes going off like mad) as she posed for a few images. It was quite funny as they were very excited to show us their images and of course Irene being the center of attention was all smiles as well. Even in the worst of situations something funny, beautiful and unforgettable occurs making it all worth while – fate is like that. We took leave of our new friends and headed up to one of my favorite places overlooking the city down below for our session wrap. It was really at that time the rain stopped and the sky lightened a bit. After a few sitting shots overlooking the valley down below, we said our goodbyes and left them to enjoy the park – after all the sun was starting to shine.
Pictured here are various styles captured during that session – a session where having the right kind of lighting crew really does make a difference.
To Irene & Ryan, congrats on getting married this month – and thanks for bringing that Vancouver weather 😉 On behalf of my team, I wish you both the very best in your new lives together as husband and wife. BTW I am personally quite pleased to hear how much you enjoyed the book as we are always quite proud creating something truly unique for our wonderful couples like yourselves.
Portrait Locations: Prague Castle Gates, Charles Bridge, Old Town, Letna overlook
{pre wedding photo Prague / Lifestyle & Engagement photographer / pre wedding photographer available worldwide}
Kennis & Ripple are two really sweet people who will be marrying in Hong Kong in a few months. But before they exchange their ‘I do’s’ they decided to travel to Prague for their sunrise & sunset pre-wedding portrait session with yours truly.
They decided on a sunrise start on top of the Charles Bridge. Truth be told the Charles Bridge at sunrise feels more like Disneyland than the once peaceful oasis of calm it used to provide. On this particular morning before the sun came up it was already quite busy so we decided to back away from the crowds and take it all in from a different location. Thankfully the bridge is large enough to accommodate everyone. Not only did we capture them during the pre-dawn we also backed up to give them time to stop, look around and take it all in. It is not often that you get a chance to view such a beautiful sunrise from Prague’s Charles Bridge.
Mother nature did her part by providing them with blueish purple sky that flared a deep Orange and it was truly unforgettable. As we work with a full lighting crew capturing these beautiful colors at night is not a problem. Kennis & Ripple clearly enjoyed the experience and were quite happy to exchange a warm hello to the other couples who were also being photographed as we made our way to the Old Town Square.
Sadly the Astronomical clock was covered in scaffolding so we simply took in the square’s architecture and especially the sunlight breaking over it which created a wonderful atmosphere for these two. My only regret was not having a long veil for Kennis to use to create some very stylish images of the bride-to-be. But truth be told, this is a couples portrait session and ultimately that is what they want: couples portraits.
After taking a walk around and seeing more sights we headed back to the already very busy Charles Bridge to capture more unique portraits at some of my favorite locations. One thing I enjoyed (and they absolutely loved it as well) were the many sun flare shots we were able to create during the Golden Light hour here. To complete our morning session we headed to the riverside. Some of their favorite images are of them simply sitting and taking it all in.
As this was a Sunrise and Sunset session we had a much needed break in the afternoon, and with a new hair & makeup look and a stunning red dress it was time to head out and capture more unique locations. For a late afternoon start there is no better location than the peaceful oasis of the Vrtba Garden. We were not the only photographers there during that time but nevertheless we were able to create some beautiful & stylish lit portraits overlooking the city below. Prague Castle was our next stop before heading down to the Charles Bridge after the sunset.
Though we did not have an amazing sunset we did have one of those incredible mornings where the golden light bathed us in its warmth and created some unique images. One of the nicest things I will remember from this session is when Ripple (or as I like to call him Mr. Ripple) finally let go and just laughed and laughed and laughed. His smile and laughter are really infectious and Kennis being the sweetheart that she is lights up when he does as well. As a photographer I am very happy I met these two and were able to create something quite unique for them and about them as they really are a sweet couple.
The following collection of images are some of their chosen ones that they will be showing proudly to their family & friends during their upcoming wedding in Hong Kong. To Kennis & Ripple, I wish you both much luck, happiness and success in your new lives together as husband and wife.
Portrait Locations: Charles Bridge, Old Town Square, Riverside, Vrtba Garden, Prague Castle, Charles Bridge
{pre wedding photo Prague / Lifestyle & Engagement photographer / pre wedding photographer available worldwide}
Pre wedding photo Prague. The wonderful Daisy & Louis traveled over from Hong Kong to the Czech Republic to have their very special photo session in Prague. They also had a very small and sweet civil ceremony at The Old Town Hall in Prague where the two exchanged vows
As the summer months can get very hot and quite busy with tourists, we decided to take things easy and have a sunrise session starting at the incredible Prague Castle before they were to marry. The beautifully lit Prague Castle in the early am provided a quiet, magical scene that was straight out of a movie set – we simply had the castle gates and the gas lit streets all to ourselves.
As with many couples we work with from Asia, Daisy & Louis wanted a more natural and spontaneous look and of course a few fashion oriented portraits thrown in as well. After traveling to the usual locations (the Charles Bridge, Riverside and of course around Kampa) for their pre wedding portraits we headed to the always busy Old Town Square where they were quickly ushered upstairs and exchanged their vows. A short carriage ride afterwards provided the ending to the morning and then a break in the afternoon before our hair & makeup team readied them for a very short and magical sunset pre wedding portrait session.
I am very pleased at how this session turned out and Daisy & Louis were also quite pleased even though they had only seen a few images on the back of the camera. A week later they contacted me again and asked if we can do a second session with them in Venice / Venezia – of course I said yes.
But before we showcase their beautiful Venice session, let’s take a look at one of the most beautiful pre wedding portrait sessions captured by yours truly in Prague.
Portrait Locations: Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, Old Town Square, Letna, riverside, Charles Bridge Hair & Makeup: Linda Chudmilova Lighting crew: Stefan
{pre wedding photo Prague / Lifestyle & Engagement photographer / pre wedding photographer available worldwide}
Hebe and Pierre from Hong Kong sought the ultimate pre-wedding experience in Prague, capturing breathtaking moments at sunrise, sunset, and iconic locations like Charles Bridge and Prague Castle.
With a talented team, including Eliska, Cary, Kari, and Zu, they enjoyed a vibrant sunrise that painted the sky with stunning hues. Their session highlighted the couple’s warmth, style, and love, showcasing unique spots like the Royal Garden and riverside. The result? A collection of beautiful, artistic portraits that reflect their joyful adventure in this magical city. Wishing Hebe and Pierre all the happiness as husband and wife!
