AmSnaps - Digital Photography Basics For Amateur Snappers

Exciting and Creative Couple Poses are Essential for Celebrating an Important Event

Couple poses and photographing couples is not just about acquiring a portrait of two people. It's about illustrating a relationship and what defines that bond.

For example, when shooting a married couple you want to capture the love between them. With siblings, you should depict the camaraderie that only a brother and sister can have.

Once you have the purpose of the photo in mind, you can get a better idea how to get the perfect pose.

When choosing a photography pose, you need to find a location with the right background and lighting. If you want to truly capture the couples' expression of love and are planning a close-up, then you might want a background that is less busy so that the eye is naturally drawn to their look of affection.

In wedding photos, the focal point and purpose of the photo may be to showcase the wedding dress. In that case, a full body shot where the train of the dress flows over a simple set of stairs sets the tone and conveys the message you are trying to get across.

Steps can also be helpful if there is a dramatic height difference between the individuals. It's much easier for couples to make eye contact if one doesn't have to crane their neck to do so.

When you're deciding on lighting it's easier to test your exposure and rigging before the photo shoot. For example, if you're photographing a wedding, let the bride and groom mingle with their guests between shots while you get everything ready in various locations for the posing.

If you find yourself with a couple who are not "naturals" in front of the camera, it can help to act out the pose yourself with an assistant. Once you show them what you are trying to achieve, you can then give them pointers along the way to get the perfect look.

You should direct them to have eye contact with each other, or with the camera, or to close their eyes, etc. You can even offer adjectives to set the mood of the shot, such as warm, relaxed, flirty, vulnerable, cool, excited, and so on.

Using a monopod can be helpful in getting the perfect picture. It enables you to get the focus right and then swing the camera out of the way. You can then engage the couple to get them "in the moment," swing the already-focused camera back into place and take the ideal photo.

When a picture conveys the right amount of energy or intimacy, it won't matter if it's not perfectly sharp.

Try to avoid couple poses that are awkward or feel unnatural. If it feels unnatural it will look that way in the picture as well. Some poses just don't translate well to film and some are just downright painful to look at! As you get more practice, you'll soon have a repertoire of couple poses that work well and you can adjust them to fit each photo shoot.

A pre-wedding shoot is a great way to get to know a couple, learn their dynamic and establish trust. After all, you're going to be present while their love is being captured a moment at a time.

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