How to Pose Couples: Smiling, Fun and Intimate Photos

Who else is tired of those stiff, face the camera, smile, click; move to the next background, face the camera, smile, click; repeat for two hours until you have to massage the life back into your cheeks photoshoots?

Raises hand while also raising Nolan’s hand

For the longest time Nolan REFUSED to take photos with me, and one look at his senior photos told me all that I needed to know: he did not have a good time standing still and smiling for the camera. I mean, that’s really honestly not fun for most people, so I can’t blame him. But photographers now are working SO HARD to shift the narrative around photo taking- it’s no longer something to be endured, but an event to be experienced. In my personal philosophy, it’s a story to be told.

Through the use of gentle posing and fun, interactive prompts, photo sessions can be SO much fun - this is something both Nolan and myself will personally attest to. Particularily in this session that was captured during a styled shoot hosted by Ellie Jo Photography and Lloyd Photography, prompts were extremely important to capturing these big, life-size smiles and the true love that exists between Sydney and Connor.

I went ahead and listed out some of my favorite prompts to use to get reactions from couples, both intimate reactions as well as silly and fun. I’m always working with my couples to figure them out, where they are in their story, so that I can best cater the prompts I use to how they love each other. This is essential for good story tellings, and photos worthy of bring printed on a canvas and hung in your living room