There are so many ways to make your photos unique and memorable at a photoshoot. Here are a couple of my favorite ways that I used with these two to get some of my favorite photos I’ve taken to date.
Switch up the time you shoot to avoid random people around you.
I always try to do my couple’s shoots at Golden Hour, but this kind of lighting actually happens twice a day—once at sunrise and again at sunset. It’s super common to shoot at sunset, but there are some really fun aspects of shooting at sunrise, if you’re willing to wake up early.
First of all, it is a really fun change of pace. You get to start your day outside and really get creative. I find that it’s nice to switch it up every once in a while.
Second of all, it changes how you think — instead of losing light during the shoot with the sun going down, you’re gaining light during the shoot. It’s fun to play around with this and flip how you’re setting up your shoot.
Third, and maybe most importantly, you have a lot better chances of almost no one being around. This is especially helpful if you’re shooting at a location that is really popular or touristy. If you don’t want to work around so many people, go before they’re awake!
Use prompts and poses that feel like a story, not like poses.
I like giving my couples ways to interact. I always include camera-aware photos and poses that look really nice, but my favorite photos are always the ones where they are genuinely interacting and smiling. These are the shots that I find myself continually hitting the shutter and taking photos that look like a progression of interactions.
In this photoshoot with Arianna and Josiah, I had them moving around a ton, whether that meant running, swaying, walking, or some other way to interact. It allows you to become really comfortable in front of the camera because you’re not just stiff and posing. You’re actually reflecting who you are as a couple! This really shows in the photos. You can really see their joy and love in these photos, and to me it feels like I’m watching something sweet unfold.
Use a prop
This was the first time I whipped out a book, and it was SO fun. I almost didn’t, and I cannot tell you how happy I am that I remembered to. Arianna ended up reading the lines in funny voices and accents, making both of them laugh. She also started making up lines and making Josiah guess which were real and in the book, and which were made up. I was cracking up behind the camera. These photos are the best.
Play games.
During this shoot, I discovered something really fun. Randomly, these two started playing a word association game with names of people. That sounds random, and it totally was, but watching them get competitive and laugh with each other, while NOT focusing on the camera, was SO fun and the photos really reflect how much fun they have together. It allowed them to naturally have something to talk about and focus on that wasn’t the camera.
So, to the couples who want to work with me, you’ll be encouraged and guided on how to be as natural in front of my camera as possible, while also getting super cute, Instagram worthy photos.
You don’t have to know how to pose to get these kinds of photos. You simply need to be yourself, interact, and make one another laugh.
