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5 Tips For Natural Posing: How To Capture Natural Emotions

5 Tips For Natural Posing

5 Tips For Natural Posing

Capturing Fun Natural Images

We’ve all been there, you know, that first time you meet a client and then BOOM, it’s time to start shooting. Working with clients whom you don’t know very well can be stressful for both you and them. In my opinion, the best photos are the ones where your couple feels comfortable. So how do you break that barrier from strangers to friends within 5 minutes? Here are some of my favorite tips to help my clients feel comfortable and reflect them as a couple.

 

1. Talk with your clients.

Whenever I meet with my clients, let’s say for an engagement session, the first thing I do is get them talking. I ask how wedding planning is going, what’s there week like, what they had for dinner, etc… The more you talk to people, the more comfortable they will be with you. It sounds so simple but it is the best way to break the ice.

When we arrive at the spot I want to shoot first, I always ask them if they’ve ever been professionally photographed before. I like to tell them that we start with simple poses that will build on each other to warm them up. It’s okay to feel nervous or have camera jitters but by the end, they won’t even know I’m there. By verbally affirming this it makes them feel so much more at ease. In my experience, 90% of guys don’t even like to be photographed. When I let them know that this is pain-free and simple, they automatically are so much more relaxed.

 

2. Start with walking.

I start all of my sessions with walking. The first type of walking we will do is walk to our location. I always pick a place to start that is within walking distance. This allows us some time to chat before we start shooting. The first pose I always start with is walking. I have my couple walk away and towards me and then we build on that. I’ll have them look at each other, bump hips, turn and look back at me etc… I only use a couple of these images but it allows my couple to loosen up and have fun. That way when I ask them to do something else, they are already comfortable.

 

3. Don’t be afraid to include motion.

Motion is the secret for organic posing. I never have my couples stand still. I will have them sway, walk, laugh, really any type of movement. If the bride is wearing a flowy dress, I’ll have her swish her dress. Movement keeps my couples fluid and relaxed. It makes for gorgeous images that look unposed.

 

4. Take a step back.

A few times during the session, after my couple has learned some different exercises, I just step back and let them be them. This is my favorite part of the session. Even to simply say, just talk to each other. These are the photos that are silly, intimate, and the personality of the couple shines through. It is also a time for me to be creative. I can step back and layer my images, catch different angles, and wait for different expressions from my clients.

 

5. Make their poses interactive.

Afterall, an engagement session or wedding is a time that is SO exciting and special. I try to root my sessions back to this milestone in their life. One of my favorite exercises that I split up during the session is I’ll have the groom whisper into the bride’s ear why he is so excited to marry her. Later on, I’ll have her do the same to him. This keeps the excitement during the session and I get the precious reactions from my couples.

Capturing Fun Natural Images

We’ve all been there, you know, that first time you meet a client and then BOOM, it’s time to start shooting. Working with clients whom you don’t know very well can be stressful for both you and them. In my opinion, the best photos are the ones where your couple feels comfortable. So how do you break that barrier from strangers to friends within 5 minutes? Here are some of my favorite tips to help my clients feel comfortable and reflect them as a couple.

 

1. Talk with your clients.

Whenever I meet with my clients, let’s say for an engagement session, the first thing I do is get them talking. I ask how wedding planning is going, what’s there week like, what they had for dinner, etc… The more you talk to people, the more comfortable they will be with you. It sounds so simple but it is the best way to break the ice.

When we arrive at the spot I want to shoot first, I always ask them if they’ve ever been professionally photographed before. I like to tell them that we start with simple poses that will build on each other to warm them up. It’s okay to feel nervous or have camera jitters but by the end, they won’t even know I’m there. By verbally affirming this it makes them feel so much more at ease. In my experience, 90% of guys don’t even like to be photographed. When I let them know that this is pain-free and simple, they automatically are so much more relaxed.

 

2. Start with walking.

I start all of my sessions with walking. The first type of walking we will do is walk to our location. I always pick a place to start that is within walking distance. This allows us some time to chat before we start shooting. The first pose I always start with is walking. I have my couple walk away and towards me and then we build on that. I’ll have them look at each other, bump hips, turn and look back at me etc… I only use a couple of these images but it allows my couple to loosen up and have fun. That way when I ask them to do something else, they are already comfortable.

 

3. Don’t be afraid to include motion.

Motion is the secret for organic posing. I never have my couples stand still. I will have them sway, walk, laugh, really any type of movement. If the bride is wearing a flowy dress, I’ll have her swish her dress. Movement keeps my couples fluid and relaxed. It makes for gorgeous images that look unposed.

 

4. Take a step back.

A few times during the session, after my couple has learned some different exercises, I just step back and let them be them. This is my favorite part of the session. Even to simply say, just talk to each other. These are the photos that are silly, intimate, and the personality of the couple shines through. It is also a time for me to be creative. I can step back and layer my images, catch different angles, and wait for different expressions from my clients.

 

5. Make their poses interactive.

Afterall, an engagement session or wedding is a time that is SO exciting and special. I try to root my sessions back to this milestone in their life. One of my favorite exercises that I split up during the session is I’ll have the groom whisper into the bride’s ear why he is so excited to marry her. Later on, I’ll have her do the same to him. This keeps the excitement during the session and I get the precious reactions from my couples.

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