When realising that you need to book a wedding photographer, I’m sure most couples thoughts go to ‘OMG but I hate being in front of a camera’, ‘I hate cheesy, posed shots’, ‘what if we look really awkward together?’.
You are most definitely not alone in these thoughts – even people who like the camera are probably not used to being overly affectionate with their partner in front of a stranger and their camera. I know I am totally useless at photos.. I’ve become so used to being behind it anytime someone turns a camera on me I default to stupid face mode.
Posing is one of the most important parts of capturing good photos of you and your fiancé. Done wrong, it can look horribly awkward, or make you feel uncomfortable, which will show in your photos. Whilst there are things you can do to get the best out of your photos, I think it is down to the photographer to lead the way. I’ve put together this blog to give you an insight into posing.
Firstly, I can’t emphasise enough how important I think an engagement shoot is before the big day. This is the perfect chance to meet your photographer, get to know them on a personal level, and get comfortable with their presence. More importantly, from my side it is a chance to see how you naturally interact with your fiancé, and to try out what works and what doesn’t. This is essentially a test run – you don’t want to be testing out posing on the big day, as time will be limited. I am very relaxed and tend to chat with my couples and see how they naturally fall together while we get to know each other. This immediately gives me an idea of how much guidance is needed, what poses would work, and what wouldn’t. I then go ahead and try a few different options, in 3 or 4 different settings, so by the time I leave I know exactly which poses I would use again for the big day, and how to make you feel relaxed quickly.
On the big day, giving your hands something to do is really important. Hands can so easily look really awkward if left hanging! For walking shots, you will be holding hands, so this isn’t a big deal, but what about when stood still? I tend to pose my brides holding their bouquet, either down at their hip to the side, or out to the front at a low angle. I normally then pose up the groom with his hands around the bride’s waist, resting on the hip, or one hand in his trouser pocket for a more relaxed casual look.
Most importantly, I want you to relax! This may be harder on an engagement shoot when you’ve just met me, but I will work hard to get you to feel comfortable around me. This has to translate into your body posture though – I’m not talking about slouching, but relax your legs and knees, loosen and drop your shoulders a bit. (Any fellow yogis out there may find this easier!). Don’t feel you have to be stiff and proper – it will look stand off-ish and separate you from your partner.
The walking shot is a really good way to start off a shoot – I can let you slowly get into the idea of me taking pictures. I encourage my couples to chat as much as possible – this is when you get the really natural moments of interaction. These are the moments which really shine, and always end up being my favourite photos.
Depending on height, the groom stood behind the bride with arms around her is also a really lovely pose. Again this is only one I try after an engagement shoot as some couples find it awkward and unnatural. This kind of shot is also really good for close ups of the rings.
Hopefully that has given you a little bit of insight into what to expect during either an engagement shoot or your wedding day, and therefore will make you feel more relaxed already! If you would like to work with me, head over to my contact page – I would love to hear from you.
Caroline
