let’s face it…an engagement session is like a relationship! you will get out of it, what you put into it.

i want to share a few tips on how you {as a photographer and a client!} can be getting results from your engagement session that you’re happy with!so i’ve shot numerous couples sessions…engagements, anniversaries, family, etc. i always always always explain beforehand what we’re doing and how the session will flow. it just sets an expectation that everyone can meet. if they exceed it…great! if not…no biggie, we got what we needed and what i know my clients wanted.

but every once in a while, there’s that couple that just isn’t comfortable in front of the camera…no matter how much explaining you do beforehand, it is just not second nature for them to snuggle and get lovey dovey at a moments notice. but guess what? that is 100% okay…

so i’m going to share a few tips here for my future brides… 🙂 let’s make this pretty easy for ya 😉

1} plan comfortable outfits

this may seem silly…but please, plan on wearing something you are comfortable in. if you don’t like how your arms look in a tank top, please, don’t wear a tank top. if your fiancé hates wearing boots, don’t ask him to wear boots. it translates into your pictures and if you or your fiancé are wearing something you aren’t comfortable in…we will all know!!!

2} look at your photographer’s work

know what to expect when you are in front of your photographer’s camera. if they typically shoot a mix of lovey dovey and snuggly poses along with some traditional shots…expect that! they have a style and a process that works for them…just go with it 🙂 you hired them for a reason. i like to send my couples a “posing” guide to kind of set an expectation and ease their minds. it’s a basic guide to show them that what we will be doing is not complicated. it is literally just them, interacting and loving on each other!

3} don’t feel like you have to perform

there. i said it. you are not there to show the photographer how great you are at posing! your photographer should feel comfortable directing you into a pose/position and letting you adjust and make it your own. we know that it takes a good 15-20 minutes to warm up in front of the camera…and guess what…we’re warming up too! those first 15-20 minutes of portrait time with my couple is GOLDEN! i see how they interact with a camera in front of them and how they interact when i put it down. if there are two different interactions…i’m not doing my job correctly. i want to capture each couple and their unique connection…i can’t do that if i’m trying to mold them into what i think they are as a couple.

4} some poses won’t work

so there are 4 basic poses that i use during an engagement session. i show them to my couples in my posing guide and then i start off the session going back through them. they are just that – BASIC! we make adjustments here and there, have them look or move into different positions, etc. some poses just don’t work for some couples. some couples are just goofy together and can’t get those serious poses without a laugh here and there. but i would never force a couple into a pose that isn’t a true reflection of them. so if a certain pose isn’t working…we move on and find something that does!

5} your man will try to out do you… 🙂

this is my favorite tip. because it isn’t a tip. it’s a warning. guys are competitive. don’t get me wrong…girls are too, but guys hit a whole new level when they feel like they have to match or exceed someone’s expectation! so while i mentioned in #3 don’t feel like you have to perform…he’s performing. whether he is a class clown, acting like he loathes portraits, or just trying to be better at posing than you…he’s performing 🙂 just go with it…make it a game and have fun!

[pp_gallery id=”3929″] 

---

i feel the need to explain why i would create a post like this…

i once did a session with a couple…it was awkward. it was awkward for them, it was awkward for me. we never addressed the awkwardness because…well, that would’ve been awkward!

this couple was just naturally an awkward couple. they embraced it too. i tried guiding them with posing, but they took it in their own direction…and rather than go with the flow and voice what i wanted their “poses” to flow into to follow my style of work…i just kept shooting and kept my mouth shut. i shot fewer images than i normally would and i couldn’t figure out why. i finally, after looking through their gallery, figured out the reasoning. i was totally and completely uninspired. and that sounds terrible, but i was. they weren’t taking it seriously and i wasn’t going to ask them to. it was as simple as that. the guy kept making funny faces, the girl kept egging him on to continue and we eventually ran out of time. it was an unfortunate event, for sure. but i learned a very, very valuable lesson that day.

i’m shooting for them and for me. i’m the professional and i know what needs to be captured and what i can let go…but i have to speak up and get the job done.

i went back through their gallery the next day with fresh eyes. and guess what…it wasn’t as bad as i had thought. was it magazine worthy images? no, probably not. was the couple happy with their gallery, yes. did i showcase their images for the world to see? no, because i didn’t feel that it was a true representation of my work and my brand. whew! so while it didn’t work out in my favor, or how i had planned…that small moment of panic the day before…was all i needed to change the way i approach a couple during portrait time.