7 Posing Tips for Engagement Portraits
Join Gabrielle Von HeyKing and I as we talk about posing tips for couples and engagement pictures. Learn how she starts with simple poses then works into harder poses. You will glean a lot of wonderful tips on how to get the lovey romantic images you’ve been wanting from your clients!
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My “style,” of posing is very intimate and close. If someone is comfortable getting lovey dovey with their fiancé then I am probably not the photographer for them. One of the things I’ve found that makes sessions easier is really trying to get to know my couples beforehand. This process starts long before the session, right around the time when the couple first inquires with me. To prep for sessions I start off by talking to the couple about the style they envision for their session and what kind of look they want their session to have. I go over prop selections with them (if props are something they want to incorporate) and then we go over outfit selections. I always make a pinterest board with ideas for each individual session and on that board I will pin outfit ideas as a guide to help my couples.
1.) Get them talking!
When I start a session the first thing I want to do is get the couple talking about their wedding, themselves, etc…! One of the things I have found is that if I get people talking they automatically start to loosen up and become more comfortable with me and the more comfortable they are with me the easier it is to pose them.
2.) Start out the session with easier poses!
Each session I do I will start out by doing some simple poses such as (guy kissing girl on the cheek, guy and girl holding hands, couple nuzzling noses). I do this to slowly get the couples out of their shells and as the session progresses I will assess the couple and what I think their comfort level is and go from there.
3.) Always use encouraging language when talking with your couples!
I continually talk to my clients throughout the session and throughout the course of posing them. When I talk to them I use encouraging phrases like “wow, this looks amazing!,” “you guys are naturals at this!” Even if a put them in a pose that just isn’t working or looking right, I would never vocalize that to my clients, instead I continue with the encouraging language and then move on to another pose.
4.) Encourage clients to be lovey dovey at their engagement session!
I love to tell my clients that the more lovey dovey they are at their engagement session, the better! Simple acts such as having your clients touch their faces together when you are shooting them straight on or touch noses and look into each other’s eyes when they are facing each other, will take their photos to the next level and make them look that much more in love (because they are)! 🙂
5.) Give clear directions when posing your clients!
My personal style of shooting isn’t very journalistic. I like to tell my clients what to do because my personal opinion is that they are coming to me because I am a professional and know what I am doing, so therefore I’m going to help them look their best by posing them and giving them direction on what looks best. If a client doesn’t seem to be naturally adept at posing I will tell them in a gentle way where to place their hands, how to turn their head, where to place their weight…on their back foot or front foot (if they are standing), etc….
6.) Model with your body how they should be posing!
One of my favorite ways to demonstrate how to do a pose is by using my own body to model what they should be doing! If a pose isn’t easy for me to demonstrate or feels uncomfortable to me, then chances are it’s not going to be easy for my clients to do either.
7.) Watch the hands!
It seems like such a small thing to notice in pictures, but when you are posing people watch their hands to make sure they look natural and not clenched and tense. If a couple is posed great in every way, except they have clenched, tense looking hands, it can ruin a picture! If I notice my couples hands not looking so great I will do one of two things a.) either tell them to shake their hands out or b.) loosen their fingers and soften their hands. sometimes just the act of telling them to “soften,” their hands, helps them to loosen up and look less tense.
Gabrielle shoots with the Canon 5D mark iii.
Tiffany Skidmore says
WOW! What beautiful images. I have an engagement session coming up and this is so inspiring. Pinned!
aimee fauci says
Hands down I love the picture in front of the ship. My boys are in the Navy and I hope one day when they get married we can get a picture of them and their soon to be wifey in front of their ship like this.. all romantic.
Gabrielle says
thank you so much Aimee!! that is amazing!! tell your sons I said “thank you so much for your service!” If they get engaged any time soon, I would be honoured to talk with them and their fiances about engagement photos. 🙂
Tiffany Khyla says
All of these photos are beautiful! You’re so talented! I love that polka dot dressed paired with the red pumps. I’m always looking for poses to do with my boyfriend when we’re taking pictures instead of the typical holding each other and smile pose.
Gabrielle says
thank you so much!! I really appreciate it! I love it when couples use vintage pieces (like the polka dot dress), it just brings such a special element to an outfit! Of course, I hope some of my tips helped give you some inspiration.
Erica @ The Crumby Cupcake says
I love all of these tips! My engagement shoot with my husband two years ago was fun, and only slightly awkward, because we knew our photographer! But tips like these helped to make the shoot experience much more relaxed and the photos came out so much more natural. Love it!
Melanie says
These are really awesome and super tips! I can’t wait to use them for my own future engagement photos and any I mess around with with friends!