Posing Tips for Couples _ Kern-Photo

8/2/2019 Posing Tips for Couples _ Kern-Photo

1/29

5/3/12 Posing Tips for Couples | Kern-Photo

1/29www.kern-photo.com/index.php/2011/04/posing-tips-for-photographers/

get in touch! 303.474.0983 / [email protected] check availability

Home

Categories

Weddings

Engagements

Portraits

Personal

Happenings

About

About RJ

FAQ

Gear

Pricing

TestimonialsResources

For Clients

Ask the Expert

For Photographers

Contact

Search

Posing Tips for Couples

04.18.11 / Photographer Resources, Weddings / 19 Comments

Show a person their portrait, most likely they will search for immediate flaws. As a photographer, we should speak to those weaknesses by not emphasizing them what our

clients feel as their insecurities. How? Be specific about what we shoot and show how beautiful they can look. Photojournalists might might ace the expository essay, but whats

the point if clients dont lookandfeel confident and sexy?

Different body types react to different angles. As wedding photographers practice, they should learn what works and what doesnt. Magazines like Harpers, W, Vanity Fair,

Marie Claire,In Style inspire. However, most clients are not models. The goal for natural posing is to create a realistic, flattering, natural, and sexy portrait. Its the

PHOTOGRAPHERS fault if a client looks goofy in a pose.

I see a lot of bad bad bad posing on The Interwebs. Myself, guilty, but have learned from my ways. I used to try tooo hard to pose. Ultimately, now, I want my clients to look,

and feel, like models of themselves, real & genuine.

Which is why I share my black book of tips, illustrated for future clients and wedding photographer competitors alike. For free.

Three Ps of Posing (Peas & Carrots):

1. Pre-visualize. Sketch out poses and keep them in one place, a notebook or iPhone. Take photos of clippings from magazines and load into your iPhone by creating an

iPhoto folder called Posing Ideas. Study those the next time you wait for the barista

2. Pass notes. If desperate, share that iPhone photos with the client on location so you both know the goal.

3. Practice makes perfect. Thats wrong.PERFECTpractice makes perfect. In advance, practice directing your different poses with a friend or loved one. Liking a pose

is one thing, but making it happen is art.

My top 55 posing tips, 100% pre-visualized.

When 100% all else fails,make the prom pose happen in your style:


2/29



Have them hold each

other tight and FEEEEEL the moment.

Break rules, and turn

couples away from each other to create visual tension.


3/29




4/29



Then spilit them apart

for extra visual tension:


5/29



Master the Fu-

Mancho arm pretzel and you might get a black belt. Or a deadly funny-romantic pose creating leading lines & interesting perspective, with emotion to boot:


6/29



Stage it and fah-get-

a-bout-it: Forehead


7/29



to forehead: Then

add the hand with the ring towards the camera to show off the bling. Just be. I tell this to my newly weds all the time. Creates genuine emotion.

Master the 90%


8/29



kiss : When the

moment is right, LOVE IT UP. Smack dab kiss!

Lighting will make or

break any photo. Be creative, otherwise youll look like everyone else in the phone book.


9/29



My classic pose, girl

leans into guy. Works


10/29



again And again

even at Burning Man in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada:

And again

Remember Location. Give them a reason to be there. Walking, stepping, relaxing. Shoot wide to emphasis place, keeping mindful of the importance of environmental portraiture

(portraits of people in a special place). This time, San Francisco Bay:


11/29



And again, girl into

guy: Vary up

perspective and shoot from above:


12/29



Or predict a

candid all while laying her into him (and hell love it!!!)

Let the girl take

control and guy relax for a chance, heaven do not forbid!


13/29



Show your love,

without kissing. This forces them to touch, feel, breath. Arms around each other.

Then theres the

simple role reversal, let the guy do the action without kissing have him show his love to her without kissing, using simple expression.


14/29



Just dance the

hands will do the rest:


15/29



Hands can serve as

circles or leading lines to the faces and eyes.

Note the fingers turn

back towards the eyes.


16/29



Create emotion. A

laugh or tear will make that photo more genuine and special and memorable. Again, check out where those fingers are pointing.

Master the power of

the ability to quickly create two portraits within a few seconds of each other. Four examples:


17/29




18/29



Almost *almost* kiss

above eyebrow does wonders.

Hands on the hips

never goes out of style:


19/29



Hands so possession,

ownership, and power. Use them accordingly to make a statement, from powerful to loveable.


20/29



Dont smile (to the

camera). They can smile at each other, but not at the camera. Real smiles dont usually look into the lens.


21/29




22/29



Step away. Distance

creates tension. When they look back at each other, theyll smile.

In some cases, hands

distract. In this case keep them warm and out of sight.


23/29



Shoot details. Close-

ups of hands, feet, lips tell a powerful story. Show, dont tell. Happy faces dont necessarily have to be pictured to show a happy moment. Details all the way down to the finger

tips Tight denim

pocks serve a marvelous prop.


24/29



Note lleading lines from the dress to brink wall to the pinky hold.


25/29



Use hands naturally to do something they normally should, like be scared:

Hands do things naturally than come easy like hold cupcakes or swings. Getting clients involved in doing something fun is the fun part!


26/29



And for every rule,

theres a chance to break the rule. This time, I used the hands to over accentuate body gestures for the sake of humor.


27/29



19 Comments Link To This

Posted by R. J. on April 18, 2011

Tags: model posing tips, Posing Tips for photographers

19 Responses to Posing Tips for Couples

1. 1

Willie Dalton 04.18.11 @ 11:47 pm

Thank you Mr. Kern!

This is a phenominal blog post. It approached a common part of the job in a simple, easy to understand way.

Every one of your photos is crisp, clean, and well thought out. Your narrations prove this!

Awesome work RJ! I appreciate the hard work you put into these posts and am grateful to experience your growing body of work!

Keep it up!

2. 2

John Bosley 04.19.11 @ 7:41 am

Thanks for the great post! Im inspired just reading it. I cant wait to get out and use some of these tips.

3. 3

Danny C. 04.19.11 @ 9:26 am

We will see you on Oahu this fall! Aloooooooooooooooha!

4. 4

Marci Johnson 04.19.11 @ 9:28 am

Awesome as always

5. 5

Chung Nguyen 04.19.11 @ 11:50 am

Dude, youve photographed, like, a million couples!

6. 6


28/29



becky g. 04.19.11 @ 8:47 pm

I love this post, thanks!

7. 7

Jensen 04.19.11 @ 11:47 pm

Awesome ideas and FANTASTIC photos!!

8. 8

Marnie Kern 04.20.11 @ 9:01 am

Thank you RJ for doing this. It is a beautiful lesson. You art is amazing. Keep those beautiful pictures coming! You are very special to share your talent with the rest of us.

Most could not. Would not. You do. The photo world thanks you.

9. 9

Brooke 04.21.11 @ 11:44 am

Wow these are awesome tips, thanks RJ!

10. 10

Sachin 05.08.11 @ 5:00 pm

Yeah. youre the man dude.. awesome blog post! Thank you for taking the time to write this! Must have taken ages!!

Cheers

S

11. 11

Lori Huskins 05.12.11 @ 8:05 am

LOVED this! Awesome job!

12. 12

Paul 05.27.11 @ 12:11 am

Hey dude, thanks for your post, your tips are absolutely brilliant!

13. 13

Girish 07.20.11 @ 8:59 pm

This is brilliant. Thanks for this. One of the best tips of posing I have seen yet.

14. 14

Rica 07.26.11 @ 1:57 pm

I am not a professional photographer, but am being repeatedly asked to do portraits for friends. I am much more comfortable with candid shots, so this was a tremendous

help, and clearly laid out. Thank you so much!!! I love your work, by the way.

15. 15

Calvin 08.23.11 @ 11:29 am

Use of the hands pointing and frameing were new and most useful but overall I want to thank you many times for each of the points I have learned.

16. 16

Staging Foregrounds {creative tutorial} | Kern-Photo 11.28.11 @ 3:59 pm

[...] shot out of the way. Choose a suitable location, put them in the good light, keep in mind my posing tips for couples, and encourage some genuine interaction. Done.


29/29


Step 2. Keep encouraging the interaction and fun [...]

17. 17

The Hit List: 32 Photo Tips & Tutorials from 2011 | Kern-Photo 12.21.11 @ 1:36 am

[...] of a 5-minute portrait session with a mini-tutorial:22. Workshop highlights from Free to Create:23. Learn the 3 Ps for posing couples:24. Compare, if you dare, the

Nikon 14-24 vs 24 f/1.4 vs 24-70 f/2.8.25. Read my steps on Going Pro, [...]

18. 18

kate 01.12.12 @ 2:13 pm

so helpful, thank you!!!

19. 19

Cameron 04.17.12 @ 8:46 am

I really appreciate this blog post.. Im new to the photography world & I need as much guidance as possible. Thank you

Leave a Comment

Name (required)

Mail (required - will not be published)

Website URL

Comment

Submit Comment

Popular Posts

Posing Tips for Couples

Flatland: A Wedding, Deconstructed

on-axis fill with ring flash

Pages & Information

FAQ

Contact

Pricing

Testimonials

Join our Mailing List

Join to our newsletter to receive news & updates from kern-photo.

enter email address Go

Keep in Touch

303.474.0983

[email protected]

2008 2012 Ke Ph t De i b P

Documents

Posing Tips for Couples _ Kern-Photo