Engagement isn’t just a ring thing. Your engagement photo session shouldn’t be either.

Looking forward to photographing this weekend’s wedding of Kirsten and Paul, I thought I’d share a select few images from my engagement session with them this past summer—plus a couple of tips to keep in mind if you’re newly engaged and planning your own engagement photo session.

In this case, Kirsten and Paul specifically wanted a country theme—they’re wedding at the beautiful Comus Farm in Montgomery County, Maryland. So we worked together to find a location and day when we could put the golden hour to work for us in highlighting their love in a rustic scene.

So yes, you do want to show the ring…

But you also want a balance of focal lengths: You’ve taken the time to select the perfect place that reflects something true and personal about you and your beloved. You should make sure that the photos lean flatteringly into that location.

But to effectively achieve that balance, you also have to make sure that your engagement photos aren’t about the scenery: They should highlight you and your bride- or groom-to-be in that place.

Most important, however, is to make sure the photos also capture the here-and-nowness of the moment. Not just the day and the time and place where you are, but the feeling of being there together.

That’s always what I’m after when I’m photographing a couple: Authentic feeling.

True engagement, in other words: Not just with the person with whom you want to spend your life, but with the moment. So it can last for all time in the photograph.