Bridal Portrait Posing Tip
Posing is hard. In fact, it’s so difficult, I think it’s why half of the photographers in the industry are claiming to be ‘pure photojournalists’. Bogus I think. A true photojournalist would never tell a bride how to pose – they would only shoot the event as it happens naturally. That means, a true photojournalist would probably not be a very good wedding photographer. Most brides want some pictures where they are looking into the camera. And I don’t mean, look, smile, ‘say cheese’.
[blockquote text=’We have to remember that our brides are not professional models.’ text_color=” quote_color=’undefined’ width=” line_height=” background_color=” border_color=” border_width=”]
They have not spent hundreds of hours in front of the camera figuring out what looks good, how to stand, and what to do with their hands. This is the job of the professional wedding photographer. It’s part of what seperates us from the amateurs. We have to learn to direct if we want to take successful ‘posed’ portraits. It takes practice. There is no shortcut.
More Wedding Photography Tips.
If something isn’t working, don’t tell the bride. Shoot, and then change it up. Try something different, but don’t bother telling the bride if something you are doing isn’t working the way you’d hoped. It will serve no purpose. We want to keep their confidence UP. This shows in the pictures, so it’s a win-win situation.
Why would we want to shoot an over-the-shoulder pose? The main reason I would want an over the shoulder look is to show off a brides back, but still wanting to see her face. Many dresses have deep plunging lines and a womans back can be very sexy. This is a picture we should be taking! The first thing to remember when shooting over the shoulder is that we are not taking a profile picture. We need to see the line of the face on both sides.
We can’t leave the eye stranded. It may be hard to tell, but there is some face/skin to the right of the brides eye below. That’s important. The second thing to remember is that women have curves – and seeing them is wonderful! A straight profile doesn’t allow you to see a womans back. Also, think about what the arms are doing. Ninety percent of the time, we have the bride put one of her hands on a hip. This creates natural open spaces and makes a bride more slender.
