What's the secret of a great engagement / couples portrait session?
A great portrait session is what you and your spouse make of it! If you and your spouse have had an engagement / couples portrait shoot done, you probably know... there is no magic formula. Obviously it takes a skilled photographer with a good amount of camera, lighting, composition, and posing knowledge (along with people skills), but ultimately it's the people IN the photos that produce the emotion in the shot! The best photos taken with you and your spouse probably happened when you were just being yourself with your best friend by your side. Some couples are just naturally goofy, romantic, and comfortable behind the camera... even if they don't know it until they see their photos. It may surprise you that you don't have to be a professional model or have an outgoing personality to create beautiful and fun photos. There is something about being close to your spouse during a photo shoot that makes everything so much more natural and fun, even if you're not the "outgoing type." If you've never had a photo shoot with your husband, wife, or fiancé, it truly is one of the most fun portrait shoots you could ever experience. But don't take my word for it... try it yourself! :)
Now that we've determined that there is no magic formula for a great engagement / couples photo shoot, and a great portrait session is what you make of it, there are still a few things to keep in mind during your next Engagement / Couples Portrait Session:
#1 - Treat the photo shoot like a DATE with your spouse!
If you go into the photo shoot wishing you were at home sitting on the couch watching sports or out at a restaurant, your mind won't be in the moment, and your photos will reflect your lack of interest. You don't have to fake your way through the shoot! Just focus on spending some fun time with your best friend, and the shoot WILL flow naturally. You might even have a
great time!
#2 - Have FUN, show some LOVE & be ADVENTUROUS!
I touched on this in tip #1. If you treat the photo shoot like a fun, adventurous date with your spouse, then your love and chemistry with each other will undoubtedly show through in every shot! As a photographer, it's always important for me to gain a good understanding of my clients and their styles and personalities. It's also important for me to gain a sense of their openness to trying new or different things. Some couples don't need too much direction and will interact with each other as they would off-camera (for the most part), and others might need some more direction. Regardless of the couple, none is left completely uninstructed during a photo shoot. That would only result in utter chaos, make for a very quiet and awkward photo session, or a combination of both. A skilled photographer knows how to interact with their clients in giving them clear instruction, space for freedom of expression, and knows when and how to guide the photo shoot in a new direction.
#3 - Bring your sense of HUMOR!
How many
beautiful engagement or couples portrait photos have you seen where both the man and woman looked completely indifferent and emotionless in every shot? Probably not many! If you have witnessed photos like these, then you definitely didn't describe those photos as "beautiful" by any means. Most of the couples photos you've enjoyed looking through probably included a good range of romantic/cute shots, simple and classy shots,
some serious/modeling type shots, and shots filled with laughter, smiles and all things goofy. As already mentioned, every couple is different, so some may be more naturally goofy with each other in front of the camera, showing their sense of humor, and some may need some more direction during the shoot. There is always something to laugh about, even with the more naturally serious couple. The key is to come into the photo session with a light heart, ready for some adventure and fun times!
#4 - Choose a photo shoot LOCATION(S) that reflects your TASTES & INTERESTS
I always like to know more about my clients' interests and their personal style to be able to come up with a good list of location ideas for their shoot. I like to know if they both have a love for the outdoors, a passion for sports, do they enjoy walking around the city, do they enjoy spending time at their home with their families? If I don't know the couple very well, I like to meet with them before their portrait session to learn more about their interests, because the more I can understand what their passions are, the better I will be able to pinpoint a great location for their shoot. Ultimately, the more fitted a photo shoot location is to a couple, the more engaged and natural that couple will be throughout the shoot because they are in their natural or preferred environment. Sometimes a couple will already have a few ideas for where they'd like to have their photo shoot, in which case I do everything I can to fulfill those wishes.
#5 - OUTFITS that reflect you and your spouse's STYLE
Many times I will ask my clients to have 2-3 changes of clothing ready for their portrait session.
It's important for me as a photographer to know what their style is prior to them picking out their outfits, so I will discuss this a bit with them and make sure that their clothing style will work out well with their photo shoot location. It also helps me to visualize what the session might look like and helps me come up with more ideas before the day of the photo shoot. You and your spouse might like getting dressed up and want your shoot to reflect a more sophisticated and formal feel, or maybe you both enjoy the vintage dress style, casual style, or sporty style. Whatever your taste is in clothing, make sure to let your photographer know in advance as this will help them better prepare and bring all the details together for your photo shoot.
I hope these tips help you for your next engagement or couples portrait session! Please feel free to
contact me if you have any questions regarding scheduling an engagement / couples portrait session, or if you have questions about this particular type of portrait session that I didn't already address in the post. You can also leave me comments or questions below! Thanks for reading, and remember to ENJOY your next (or first) couples portrait shoot date!
