to pose (verb) – assume a particular position in order to be photographed, painted, or drawn.

As a wedding photographer I have a lot of meetings with couples who are planning their big day and I seem to be hearing sentences like “We hate having our pictures taken” or “We don’t want traditional pictures” or even “I don’t look good on any pictures ever!” I can’t teach you to pose like a model but I can make you feel relaxed and the position you naturally and cleverly without being awkward. I can pose you without looking posed.

When I kneel down and shoot from a lower angle, I can cut the landscape out and just frame you with sky.

If you are a professional model you don’t assume a pose, you know how to pose. But let’s face it, 99% of us don’t know how to pose and that is totally ok. Because I will tell you all you need to know!

I love taking wedding portraits! I love the challenge of using what the venue and landscape around it offer. I love working to time restraints and having to be creative quickly. There is no point planning those pictures in too much detail before the wedding as you cannot predict the weather, how much light you will have at what time, which angle the light comes from, what flowers will blossom, where is the grass is high…

I am great at taking quite different portraits of you in a short time and in just one place. I will tell you where to stand but I will not tell you small things like where to place your hands – I let you do that naturally. I will tell you to look at each other or look at me without making you smile minutes at a time. Instead I will distract you and let you be you.

Here are 5 easy ways of taking fun and creative portraits of you.

 

1) I step away & leave you alone.

At the beginning of our little portrait session I am trying to keep it really simple. I look for a beautiful setting, leave you there and step away. By leaving you alone you can be yourselves, have a chat, a laugh or even a sneaky kiss. I use a zoom or portrait lens which works great when you are far away and produces amazing results.

2) I use frames.

I find features that frame you, whether they are ornamental like an arch or spatial like a path leading through an orchard. Framing the couple always looks good, whether it is during the day or at night. All you do is gaze at each other in amazement!

This shot is spectacular but the set up is extremely simple and quick to achieve.

3) I encourage you to be yourself. 

I ask you silly questions that make you interact with each other and forget about my camera. “Tell me your favourite moment of the day” or “How do you feel right now? I don’t want you to think about me and my camera, but about how special the day is, how much you are enjoying yourself and how awesome your new husband/wife is.

 

4) I am getting closer

Once you have warmed up to this process I get my portrait lens out and get a little closer. Don’t worry, I will never be right in your face or on your toes or in your pockets, I’m just having a little closer look, which is still at a little distance with my trusty 85mm portrait lens.

5) And finally: Have fun

Jump, dance, kiss, hug your friends. It’s your day and it’s special! Whatever you want to do that is you and makes you happy!

My method is easy: make sure you enjoy the day – you will look happy on your photographs. Delegate all duties before the day – you will look more relaxed. And don’t worry about your photographer too much. Then you will achieve natural, relaxed and genuine photographs that you will hopefully cherish for many years to come.

Copyright © Betty Bhandari