5 of Our Favorite Poses

We enjoy giving our couples freedom in their posing. We try to do minimal directing, because we don't want the shoot to slip into being stiff. Don't get me wrong, though, we still give a fair amount of direction. But we give each pose the chance to evolve. When we start off the session, we go with easy poses. Those usually include the chest-to-chest position. Generally, our direction is "face one another and get close". That sets the couple up for the basic look of the image Shawn and I want. From that point, we start easing in to tiny tweaks like having the lady give a small leg pop or for them to start telling each other jokes. All of these are very small things that affect the mood and look of the shoot. When a couple is having fun together, they are more comfortable and confident.

When we set up our posing in a very basic way, it allows our couples to feel like they can breath. There is no way that Shawn and I can feel happy by precisely placing every piece of the shot. We know our couples won't be happy with that either. We need the couple to move and to naturally interact with one another. Once those first few shots are accomplished, the nerves melt away. In those instances, we're all able to learn about one another and have a really awesome session.

Nice and close bringing chest to chest

Think about whenever you go to hug your partner. How do you hug them? You naturally wrap each other up and are facing one another. It's easy to look into your significant other's eyes and to have a flirty conversation.

One of the biggest things I love about the chest to chest pose is that it's the easiest to direct. I know that some photographers like to start off with an action, such as walking. What I adore most starting off with the couple facing each other. When there is too much going on in the beginning of a shoot, a lot of stress can be put onto the couple. That stress can make even the most confident people shut down and retreat into a shell. The most comfortable that they will be is within each others arms, so why not start in that pose?

Wrapping each other up in an upgraded prom pose

I like to say it's an upgraded prom pose because it isn't the classic "boy stands behind girl and puts hand on girls hip" look. What I like to do looks a little more intimate and shows tenderness. With my upgraded version of a classic pose, the couple is able to still look at each other and have some really wonderful interactions. A great lesson I learned from another excellent wedding photographer, Ben Sasso, is to tell your couples to get tangled up in each other. I like to use that direction in this pose because it's easy for the arms to intertwine from this position.

What makes me absolutely giddy over this pose is the fact that loads of snuggling happens during it.

Have a seat and relax

During a session, we are always looking to get the couple at a variety of levels. Some of the simplest things to use in order to change up height is benches or stairs. Getting the couple to sit down next to one another and have fun puts them even more at ease. If I have the couple sitting on a bench next to one another, I have one of them lean more into their partner. It gives off a very natural vibe, because who hasn't just lounged on their significant other before.

Sitting down definitely allows the couple to feel more silly. They can be closer since any height difference is basically nullified, so there's a lot of giggling and sweet whispers.

Facing away from the camera with a slight turn toward each other

This pose is a little more complicated to describe to couples, just because it seems a bit strange. We start by telling the couple to face away from us. Following that, I let one of them know to shift their feet a little more toward their partner so that they can easily look at each other, nuzzle one another, and give kisses. There needs to be some sort of extra connection to complete the entire look, so I also get them to loosely lock arms. At that point, everything looks fantastic and I'm a total nerd-ball and just shouting how adorable the couple is.

I know that this pose can seem a little daunting, but I am such a huge fan of how romantic it is. Something about it puts butterflies in my belly.

A few inches apart while holding hands

This set up is one that I like to do either when we are nearing the end of a shoot or immediately following a more difficult pose. 99% of couples go into this one very easily, so it's a great "reset". The only direction we have to give is to "stand next to one another and hold hands," and once the couple is doing that, we can tell them to take one step apart. From there, it's just a matter of having them alternate from looking at the camera to looking at each other.

Bonus: When we feel comfortable with what we shot in this pose, we direct the couple to slowly start walking towards us. Letting them know to switch from looking at each other to the camera adds some extra options to this look.

None of our couples come with years of modeling experience and already understanding what poses work for them. They rely on us to communicate effectively in order to capture a beautiful moment in their story. From all of our favorite poses, we are able to achieve so much. Starting off with something easy and getting comfy in your posing ability makes the more challenging images feel like a breeze.