A common concern we hear from our engaged readers is: "I'm not a model, so my wedding photos will be terrible". Wait a minute?! You mean to tell me that the second you go to work, there isn't a team of hair & makeup genies that glam you up and then a world-renowned professional photographer that snaps away as you fiercely stand in a wind tunnel?! Don't worry, that's none of our lives! We live in the real world and if you ask me, we're all the better for it. Your fiance fell in love with your natural gorgeousness, not some digitally remastered version of it. So in yo' face, Miranda Kerr! (haha, that's the second time I've gotten to say that in the last week).
What then is the key to taking great engagement photos, you ask? Be yourself. I know I must sound like a broken record since that's my only piece of advice about weddings, but it's true. I get tons of wedding submissions a month for the blog and this is the one common theme amongst the good photos: the couples look natural. And when the couples look natural, they look fantastic.
In order to accomplish this organic photogenic ability, you must understand the unifying theme amongst the bad photos: posing! This is about the time when traditional wedding photographers should cover their ears if they don't want their egos' bruised. Covered? Okay, here we go. When you pose or are unwillingly put into a posed position (I'm looking at you old-school photographer), you look awkward. And when you look awkward, the picture looks terrible. There, I said it!
So the trick? Don't pose! And don't let your photographer pose you! It's not to say you can't look at the camera every now and then, but only do it when you're comfortable. An engagement session should be the time when you get used to being yourself around your wedding photographer. It's a test-run for your fabulous wedding photos. So go to a beautiful location, forget there's a camera pointed, and frolic in a field with your love.
Enough of my talking, now let me show you the perfect example. Lisa has her masters in higher education. Alex is a lawyer. They fell in love in college and have been busy the last five years working on their careers. Now it's time to finally get married and they couldn't be happier. Captured by one of our favorite photographers, Jennifer Bagwell, here are Lisa & Alex's gorgeously (unposed!) engagement photos:
What then is the key to taking great engagement photos, you ask? Be yourself. I know I must sound like a broken record since that's my only piece of advice about weddings, but it's true. I get tons of wedding submissions a month for the blog and this is the one common theme amongst the good photos: the couples look natural. And when the couples look natural, they look fantastic.
In order to accomplish this organic photogenic ability, you must understand the unifying theme amongst the bad photos: posing! This is about the time when traditional wedding photographers should cover their ears if they don't want their egos' bruised. Covered? Okay, here we go. When you pose or are unwillingly put into a posed position (I'm looking at you old-school photographer), you look awkward. And when you look awkward, the picture looks terrible. There, I said it!
So the trick? Don't pose! And don't let your photographer pose you! It's not to say you can't look at the camera every now and then, but only do it when you're comfortable. An engagement session should be the time when you get used to being yourself around your wedding photographer. It's a test-run for your fabulous wedding photos. So go to a beautiful location, forget there's a camera pointed, and frolic in a field with your love.
Enough of my talking, now let me show you the perfect example. Lisa has her masters in higher education. Alex is a lawyer. They fell in love in college and have been busy the last five years working on their careers. Now it's time to finally get married and they couldn't be happier. Captured by one of our favorite photographers, Jennifer Bagwell, here are Lisa & Alex's gorgeously (unposed!) engagement photos:
Special thanks to Jennifer Bagwell Photography & Two Bright Lights!
Great advice and great examples! Beautiful couple!
ReplyDeleteLove! Thanks for the advice!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for telling it like it is. I hate when photographers make you pose. I had a friend who's wedding photographer refused to take any photos of them unless he had specifically placed them in a posed position... naturally the photos were horrible! And this couple in the post is gorgeous & so natural, you know they weren't posing.
ReplyDeleteAwesome write up Sam..... fantastic advice :D
ReplyDelete