Posing Tips For Couples
The thought of “posing” may seem totally awkward and daunting to you and your partner when you are considering hiring a wedding or engagement photographer. What do we do with our hands? Where should I be looking? Will you catch my good angles, or do I need to know how to pose my body for the best outcomes? What exactly do we do?
All valid questions, and no fear – your favourite Lethbridge Wedding Photographer is here!
The reality is, not too many people are skilled in the art of posing, and stressing about this will take away from the enjoyment of your engagement session and wedding day. So, put your mind at ease and let’s dig into my shooting style and what you can expect during your engagement session and on your day.
Here is rough breakdown of the “flow” of documenting a typical engagement or couples session
20% safe, totally posed shots
I will literally put you and your partner in position (yes, the most flattering positions only!) and will direct everything from where your hands/legs/arms/faces are placed, to fixing those flyaway hairs before taking each set of posed pictures
This allows for zero work and zero stress from the couple, it may feel a bit awkward but my motto is “if it feels awkward, it will look stunning” – following my guidance here allows for a small gallery of highly styled and flawless shots.
30% prompted, unposed yet directed shots
During this portion of shooting, I will give you gentle prompts that I know create beautiful outcomes and will feel more natural then posed portraits. Examples of prompts I may give, depending on the couple and the overall look they are hoping to achieve:
-hold hands and walk towards me, eyes on each other
-hold hands and walk away from me, eyes on each other
-stand behind her and give her a bear hug from behind
-face each other, hold each other close at the waist and alternate between looking at each other and looking down/in a different direction
-give her a piggyback ride from here to here
-grab your partners left or right arm and walk quickly in a circle
-sit beside each other on that log, gentle rest your head on his shoulder as he looks forward
-throw her over your shoulder like a sack of potatoes and walk away from me
-let’s practice your first dance twirl
-lay down in the grass right here, head to the sky and she will come lay beside you, head and left arm lightly resting on your chest
-stand side by side and wrap your ring hand up behind his upper arm, grabbing him at the bicep
Etc. etc. the list goes on forever, and again, depends on the style of images you are looking for and what your individual personalities and comfort levels are. I come prepared with a digital mood board to every session which couples can then scan and pick out their favourite of my suggested / go to poses. I am always up to see your inspiration poses before our session and am happy to incorporate any of your preferred shots!
50% candid
This is actually a very high percentage of candid work and is my go-to for couples who are wildly in love and affectionate. The higher the affection level between the couple, the higher the percentage of candid’s moves up during our session. If you and your partner love to hold hands, kiss, laugh together and are up to roll around in the grass for fun – you can count on a huge gallery of fun, lighthearted and romantic candid’s.
If you want candid photos and are not into posing – you must be candid and move together in a way that nails your session vision. This is the key right here!
Best Posing Tips
-enjoy each other, be silly and show affection
-play, laugh, chat, dance
-hold hands, snuggle and kiss as often as you'd like to
-camera shy? pretend I'm not there and you are on a romantic walk
-bring your favourite beverage, your dog or other items you'd like to incorporate and mean a lot to you both
-make eye contact with each other
-wear comfortable, complimentary clothing that you feel confident in at every angle
The Engagement Session
This is the best opportunity for me to get to know my clients and their comfortability with posing, and overall shooting preferences. Some couples are super high energy, love to laugh, are very affectionate and easy going – for this sort of couple, a candid session is a piece of cake. Other couples are more reserved, not very physical and prefer detailed direction – in these cases I fully take the reigns and will style, direct and prompt my way through our time together.
The Wedding Day
As always, I highly recommend breaking up your intimate portraits and doing your first set earlier in the day, for example a first look/private vow reading, or directly after the ceremony. Your second set should happen later in the day, preferably during golden hour where we can sneak out for a breather and some breathtaking golden hour images. During one set I will do posed and candid images, during the second set I will do prompted and candid images. This breaks up your time and posing so you don’t feel overwhelmed and feel like you “are just taking pictures all day”.
