Nearly every session I shoot I hear the same song, "I'm not good at having my pictures taken- you'll need to help me!" So, here are my top tips for helping make your pictures, whether it's an engagement session or your wedding, something you'll cherish:
1. LET GO. Simple as that. Drop those inhibitions at the door and just relax. No tension, no worrying-- my job is to help you warm up and feel good about letting the inhibitions fall. But if you're not willing to LET GO, then there isn't really anything I (or your photographer, in general) can do. You have to be willing to check your inhibitions at the door so that I can help you make the most of your shoot.
2. SMILE! Have fun! Enjoy your shoot- it's a pretty exciting thing to have you and your loved ones captured for a moment in time. I do my best to make the shoot not only comfortable for you, but fun as well! If you haven't dropped the inhibitions, you won't have fun.
3. TRUST ME/COMMUNICATE. Yep. I said it. Your photographer's job is to analyze your comfort level, your relationships, your physical features, and adjust the posing to bring out your best. If you ignored #1 and #2- then you're probably not willing to trust your photographer's judgment and your pictures will have an air of discomfort and awkwardness. A photographer knows the different styles and techniques, and getting great pictures hinges on your willingness to trust your photographer to select what works best for you. This is not to say that if you know what you angle you like best, or what poses you like, then you can't speak up-- by all means! Voice your concerns on the spot. Chances are you have ample time to review a photographer's past work to get an idea of the style and choices the photographer makes, so there should be no surprises when you see the finished product. FurtherIf for some reason you have concerns with your shots after the session, keeping communication open with your photographer right away is crucial. Waiting several weeks or months to voice a concern leaves your photographer without many options for making corrections- be sure to ask your photographer if they have a time frame for orders and retouching.
4. PLAN AHEAD. What else can I say? You want unique, fun, relaxed shots that show who you are- then plan ahead for the shoot. Contact your photographer ahead of time- communicate the style you are looking for; are you colorful? Traditional? Urban? Naturistic? Your photographer can give you advice to plan outfits, locations, and other ideas to make your shoot true to you.
5. DON'T RUSH. A great shoot can occur in fifteen minutes. Does that mean you'll walk away with 50 shots you'll love? Probably not. An idea can strike on the spot, and you have to plan time to allow for those on the spot adjustments from your photographer. Things like lighting, colors, attitude, etc, can affect the flow of your shoot. If you find yourself asking your photographer two poses into your session, "Are we done?"-- that could be a problem. A typical engagement session, for example, takes about an hour and half (from me)- so if you rush and cut that time in half, your gallery will be smaller and the quality of your expressions will be fake and hurried, especially if you haven't submitted to the #1-4 above.
I hope that these suggestions help you make the most of your pictures! :)
1. LET GO. Simple as that. Drop those inhibitions at the door and just relax. No tension, no worrying-- my job is to help you warm up and feel good about letting the inhibitions fall. But if you're not willing to LET GO, then there isn't really anything I (or your photographer, in general) can do. You have to be willing to check your inhibitions at the door so that I can help you make the most of your shoot.
2. SMILE! Have fun! Enjoy your shoot- it's a pretty exciting thing to have you and your loved ones captured for a moment in time. I do my best to make the shoot not only comfortable for you, but fun as well! If you haven't dropped the inhibitions, you won't have fun.
3. TRUST ME/COMMUNICATE. Yep. I said it. Your photographer's job is to analyze your comfort level, your relationships, your physical features, and adjust the posing to bring out your best. If you ignored #1 and #2- then you're probably not willing to trust your photographer's judgment and your pictures will have an air of discomfort and awkwardness. A photographer knows the different styles and techniques, and getting great pictures hinges on your willingness to trust your photographer to select what works best for you. This is not to say that if you know what you angle you like best, or what poses you like, then you can't speak up-- by all means! Voice your concerns on the spot. Chances are you have ample time to review a photographer's past work to get an idea of the style and choices the photographer makes, so there should be no surprises when you see the finished product. FurtherIf for some reason you have concerns with your shots after the session, keeping communication open with your photographer right away is crucial. Waiting several weeks or months to voice a concern leaves your photographer without many options for making corrections- be sure to ask your photographer if they have a time frame for orders and retouching.
4. PLAN AHEAD. What else can I say? You want unique, fun, relaxed shots that show who you are- then plan ahead for the shoot. Contact your photographer ahead of time- communicate the style you are looking for; are you colorful? Traditional? Urban? Naturistic? Your photographer can give you advice to plan outfits, locations, and other ideas to make your shoot true to you.
5. DON'T RUSH. A great shoot can occur in fifteen minutes. Does that mean you'll walk away with 50 shots you'll love? Probably not. An idea can strike on the spot, and you have to plan time to allow for those on the spot adjustments from your photographer. Things like lighting, colors, attitude, etc, can affect the flow of your shoot. If you find yourself asking your photographer two poses into your session, "Are we done?"-- that could be a problem. A typical engagement session, for example, takes about an hour and half (from me)- so if you rush and cut that time in half, your gallery will be smaller and the quality of your expressions will be fake and hurried, especially if you haven't submitted to the #1-4 above.
I hope that these suggestions help you make the most of your pictures! :)
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