Taking photos of couples can sound daunting but you can easily take stunning photos by expanding your knowledge. Create an experience when you take photos of couples by following some simple rules. Click on the link below to learn more!
Wedding and engagement photo sessions come with the thrill of capturing a loving couple in their best life. To make it a point that every photo assignment is perfect, and is filled with photos of the couple that they like, you’ll need to figure out which poses and ideas for photos work for the couple you’re taking photos of. And to do that, you’ll need a guide that gives you all the details and some extra tips when you take photos of a couple. If you’ve been thinking of upskilling and adding something new to your photography skills, then this blog is just for you!
Basics: Before you start thinking about the poses, know this…
Before you head out to meet your next couple for their photo shoot, remember that every photo session will be different. Before we list down the guide to couple photo poses, it is instrumental to remember that since all of us are unique, you’ll come across different kinds of people and every couple will be different from the previous one. That said, understanding different kinds of people with different personalities will help you improve and improvise your photo session.
When you meet a couple for their photo shoot, be it a wedding photo shoot or an engagement photo assignment, it is essential to start off with ice-breaking questions as you start the day. These questions will help you understand the couple’s personalities and will help you make the most of your day. You will have to take some extra measures with camera-shy couples so that you can help them capture the photos in their natural light. Also, building an immediate connection and trust with the couple will help you to take better couple photos.
Another tip to take “natural” photos of the couples is to be the ultimate “wingman.” Do not be afraid to hype your client up. Positive affirmations make your clients comfortable and help them be themselves during the photo session. For example, if your client asks you what to do with their hair because it is windy, provide them with clear answers while making them feel comfortable. Something along the lines of You looks beautiful with your hair like that, or It is adding a wonderful natural touch or helping them remember that they’re not the only ones feeling nervous by saying, “The camera makes me nervous too,” will help you handle the situation easily.
Guide to Couple Poses: Crucial Tips That Will Change Your Way of Taking Couple Photos
It goes without saying that photographers, especially engagement and wedding photographers, put their best to capture the delicate, intimate, and emotional photos of the couple and those around them. The guide below will help you take a couple’s photos easily. Let’s dive in!
1. Preparation is Key
As you’re preparing for your photo assignment, think about the day. If you’re not sure of something, remember to ask your clients the moment you see them. To avoid disappointing your clients, inquire about the location and ask them what they’d like before you start taking photos. This will help you to gauge their requirements. Additionally, it will give you a chance to help them try out the photo poses that they’re expecting to see in their photos. Communication is key. If you get a chance to ask your clients about what they’re expecting to see in their photos, take it and ask. Also, be polite and gentle about it. Intrusive questions or questions that feel like you’re prying into personal space will not help you. Be respectful with your questions, and you’ll be able to give the couple what they want.
Every photographer will have a different process, so don’t be afraid to follow that. However, as you’re going through your process, the first step is always visualization. Before you meet the couple for your photo assignment or even start taking photos, you’ll have some ideas for the couple’s photos that you’d like to take. So start off with some ideas of the “must-have couple photos.” Wedding and engagement photos are all about the celebration of love, so keeping some romantic photo poses in mind will help.
For example, the couple poses like looking into each other’s eyes, the classic hug pose, and the romantic lift-off pose. These poses help you to capture the shared love between the two. Other photo poses to try out with your clients are:
Note: As you go through the session with your clients, gauge their comfort level. Although the ideas for photo poses we listed above are cute and romantic, all of your clients may not be comfortable with all the ideas. It is important to understand how your photo subjects feel. Additionally, keep in mind that there will be times when you use all of these photo pose ideas, and there could be times when you may not be able to try out all. The key to a successful photo session is to know what you can, what your clients are willing to do, and how to get it done.
3. Touch those playful notes
If you have a playful couple, or you see the potential in their playfulness, then you should try to help them with some funny photo poses. Or you could try out the cutesy romantic pose, the piggyback ride. These poses help you tap into the playful side of your subject or subjects. These poses are also fun, the couple will have fun trying them out. However, the key, as we stated earlier, is to know if your photo subjects are into the same idea as you. The photo session will turn into a fun-loving session only if you’re on the same page as your clients.
A better way to have goofy couple photo poses is to tell your clients about it and let them be themselves. However, if you have a camera-shy couple, try to break the ice with them first. Help them with some poses. Photo pose ideas like creating funny mustaches with long hair, or using funny props to add more charms to their photos will work well.
4. Details make for interesting photos
One of the best ways to capture the depth of the emotional moments you’re witnessing is to capture details. Detail photography is your friend when it comes to taking photos of the couple. From holding hands to the photos of their rings and the secret gazes, these details will make the photos come alive with the emotions they were feeling at that moment, which in turn will make your photos even better. That said, to capture details, you’ll have to keep an eye out for the details. Additionally, remember that you can also use the details in your surroundings. From branches to ponds, from reflections to their jewelry, you can use anything and everything.
Additional Tips that help you Make the Most of Your Photo Sessions with Couples
Apart from the photo ideas above, there are more things you can do, you can use other ways to help you make the most amazing couple photos!
1. Outfits can be props too!
When we say “outfits can be props” what we mean is that outfits can help in making your clients stand out. What’s more, if your clients choose to wear coordinated outfits, then you can use them to your advantage. Coordinated outfits help in creating a sense of cohesion. Along with that, it helps in making both of the subjects feel comfortable. The easiest way to express what coordinated outfits appear in a photo is to say it gives a sense of belonging. And if that’s what it looks like, you can be sure that they feel that way when they’re posing for photos.
2. Be communicative
We can’t emphasize how important it is to communicate with your subjects when you’re taking photos. Whether you’re taking directed photos or candid photos, it is important to tell your clients that. It is true, they’ll expect you to direct them and do your job. However, when you put it in words and tell them whether you’re taking candid photos of the couple or you’ll direct them, they’ll be prepared. Communication helps you eliminate the guessing game.
3. Don’t be afraid to try new things
As photographers, you’ve probably heard this a million times before, and probably, you’ve adopted it as well. However, when you’re taking photos of a couple, it is easy to forget the elemental points. We’re here to tell you that do not be afraid to do something new. Every couple is different, and every love language is different, and you should remember that. When you meet the couple on the day of the photo shoot, remember to take note of their language. Along with that, try out different things with them.
For example, you can take photos of them in motion, walking, talking, or before the piggyback ride. These tiny details, and attention to these details, will help you create a personalized experience for the couple. And when you do that, you’ll see the effect reflected in your photos.
4. Close-ups and wide angles for a different perspective
Most of the photo poses for couples are taken to show both of them. In other words, photos where both of the subjects are visible equally in the photo. However, you can try to add perspective to the photos. For example, during an engagement photo shoot, you can recreate the proposal by asking your clients if they’re comfortable with it. And if they say yes, you can have them recreate it and shoot the moment in close-up or wide-angle.
In essence, both of these forms, close-up and wide-angle, are opposites. However, they help you change the narrative and help drive focus to different areas. For example, the ring signifies a union of the couple, a close-up shot will help you do that. But the same example but shot at a wide angle will help you deliver the ring, the subjects, and their expressions in the same photo. You can use this knowledge and add it to other photo poses as well, be it a soft hug, nose rubs, piggyback rides, or holding hands.
Before you go, do not forget to…
Be it weddings, or engagement photo shoots, you’ll find couples of varied interests and personalities. You’ll even find couples who’re polar opposites, and when you meet them, you’ll feel how their different personalities merge together. That being said, when you’re visualizing the timeline of the photo session with couples, it is crucial to remember that some of the ideas you have may not make them comfortable.
And that brings us to the second reminder, be ready to improvise. As photographers, you’re working with a lot of things and you make adjustments. But when you’ve been doing this for a long time, it is easy to fall into a pattern of how you go about your photo shoots. And that is exactly what you should remember to fix. With couples, they could have their pets along, and if they have young children, you may even find that your ideas make your subjects uncomfortable. Break the ice by improvising.
And that brings us to the last reminder, for every couple of photo shoots you go to, go with an open mind. As people, all of us are very different from each other. We’ve said this many times in the blog post, but we want to leave you with this practical advice. Remember to present at the moment with your subjects. Look at the world through their eyes, and remember to capture the essence of their emotions. Be receptive to their feelings as well. Sometimes discomfort is not as easy as a grimace to catch, be keen and keep an eye out for signs.
The takeaway
Whether it is a wedding or an engagement photo assignment, we hope that the above ideas and tips will help you to curate an experience for your clients, not just a photo shoot.
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