Posing Guide
Did you know that 40% of brides have regrets about their wedding photos? I honestly couldn’t believe the stats were that high after doing my research. As a photographer, I find this to be very disappointing, and what’s even more disappointing than unsatisfied couples is that a lot of photographers don’t understand that it’s not just about the the good composition, beautiful backdrops, and the moments. Although all of that is mportant, it is an absolute necessity to be a master in the art of posing to ensure the bride and the groom look absolutely dazzling on one of the best days of their life. That is why I decided to dig deeper by checking out a few wedding forums and asking some of my married friends what they thought about their wedding photos, and this is what I found:
1. “Our photographer got drunk, and you can see the photos in the gallery getting blurrier and blurrier as you scroll through.”
2. “He just really didn’t seem to know what he was doing. He didn’t guide us during the portrait session and we we’re just standing there awkwardly!”
3. “She only captured moments of my husband and I, but not of our close friends and loved ones. That was really disappointing.”
and that’s just the tip of the iceberg…
Personally, I take pride in my work, and after seeing almost half of the brides that I spoke to being extremely unhappy with the results they were getting from other photographers, I couldn’t help but be proud of what my couples said about me.
“During my wedding planning I searched on theknot.com for wedding vendors. When I came across XO Quinntographer’s page I immediately feel in love with the photographer’s work. My Groom and I felt her photos captured the moments and told a story. Nothing appeared to be staged. Every photo looked like it captured the essence of every moment. We met with Quinn for our consultation and I knew that her professionalism would carry through the course of our entire journey. We are an out of town couple living in Atlanta, GA and chose to book Quinn for Engagement and Wedding photos. I also scheduled a surprise wedding gift for my Groom and booked a Boudoir shoot with her as well. During each shoot Quinn was extremely professional. She made shooting feel fun and we always trusted her creativity. We are so glad we chose her for all of our photography needs. Every photo, every detail, every product (wedding album, etc) exceedingly surpassed our expectations. For all future important moments of our lives together, when we need a photographer we will MOST DEFINITELY call Quinn first. No matter the distance we have to travel or even if we have to get her to us. Her professionalism, product, work, style and creativity and work every single penny spent! Our 2 year journey with Quinn has been nothing short of amazing!”
My couples inspire me to be better, to grow within my craft and to take chances creatively, and that’s why I'm going to share with you as much value in my expertise in posing wedding couples so you can ensure you look your best and have no regrets for your special day.
How to Look Your Best In Your Wedding Portraits
Posing is an ART, but it should also look natural. Understandably, it's an art that a lot of couples are nervous about, and unfortunately not all photographers actually know how to direct people correctly.
So if you happen to have a photographer who doesn't know how to pose you with expertise and intention, here are a few things you should remember about the foundation of posing:
1. Imaginary String:
You’ll want to ensure that your spine is straight, but NOT stiff and unnatural. I often ask my couples to act as if there is a string on the back/top of their head pull up. Have a straight spine and natural curve in you lumbar (lower back).
2. Shoulders:
Push your shoulders 1 inch back. This will further bring confidence and beauty in your pose. Whether you are standing up or sitting down, keeping your shoulders straight prevents you from slouching.
3. Weight Distribution:
You want your weight distribution to be uneven or else your pose will look unnatural. There are two ways to do this. Either cross one leg over the other or put more weight on your back leg.
X FACTOR
When posing with your fiancé, you always want those imaginary lines crossing making an X. You never want to look directly in the eyes of each other for the portrait. Why? It doesn’t look authentic.
Instead of having my couples look at each other in the eyes, I'll have one of them turn their chin slightly to the side and down, and drop their eyes to the ground. This gives the portrait a more CANDID and AUTHENTIC touch.
It’s also important to embrace each other in ways that feel natural to you. Amelia’s fingers are not perfect as she gently touches John’s face, and I instructed John to place the bridge of his nose into her cheek, and whisper something sweet into her ear as he held her close.
THE CIGARETTE POSE
The hands and arms can be used to lead attention to the right places. With the cigarette pose (looks like she's holding a cigarette almost), it leads the viewers attention towards Chanel's face, but is also very natural and beautiful. With her other arm we could either make it out of sight behind her, or across her waste which also looks very natural.
HOLDING SOMETHING
When you hold something, it naturally gives your hands something to do, but also brings attention to that object. In this photograph, I have Jessica holding her bouquet, which also is a beautiful way to lead attention and show it off.
In this pose I also had her tilt her head slightly to the left and look down. If there is nothing to hold and I see a pose may look better with hands and arms NOT straight down, you can place one or two hands at the waist.
Having your elbow at more than a 90 degree angle gives a more elegant pose than having it at 90 degrees or more.
AVOIDING THE “FLOATING HEAD”
Photographers who don't know how to pose the hands and arms often give brides and grooms what is called the floating head (what you don't want). It's when you have a close up shot of the face, but no hands and arms in the photo.
You can use hands and fingers to lead attention to where you want with a close up. In this portrait I wanted to lead attention to Jae's eyes and lips. So I gently directed her hands naturally in this position. As you can see, this portrait does not look forced or rigid even though the hands are in a place that you would not expect. This can enhance a close up portrait in a really beautiful way.
POSING THE EYES
So where should you look?
Where you look can dramatically change the feel of the portrait. As you can see in the 2nd photograph, I had the Amelia look down, giving an almost candid feel of the portrait. But no matter where you look, you want to avoid only seeing the "white" part of your eye. In the portrait on the right, I had Jae pay very close attention to the movement in the camera.
Why? When you focus on something very hard, it triggers the Parietal Lobe in the brain. This brings out a VERY captivating look in the eyes.
BONUS TIP: HOW TO WALK FOR THE CAMERA
So far you’ve learned:
1. The Foundations of Posing
2. How to Make Your Portraits Look Authentic
3. Posing Your Hands and Eyes
In this last tip, I'll teach you the correct way to WALK for the camera.
Remember how I talked about weight distribution for your portraits? It's the same thing for walking. If you walk normally, it's possible your portraits could look like a penguin walking.
For the camera, you’ll want to walk as if you are walking on a straight line under you, starting with your right foot. This will change the weight distribution in your hips making it look much more flattering in the portrait. Also, be aware of your surroundings by not walking too fast, and keeping an eye out for uneven ground as well as debris. Make it a point to make eye contact with each other, smiling or joking as you walk. This will complete the authenticity of the photograph.