Last Week's Engagement Shoot
[I haven't posted in a while, so I'll make a quick 10 minute post about a shoot I had recently and my thought process behind it.]
This was a really tough shoot. It was extremely hot and humid that day and by the time we all arrived in the park, both me and the couple were all sweating. Not a great way to start off a photoshoot.
How do you make a natural walking photo? Right feet forward? Opposites forward? Or make them walk a few steps and rattle off 5 shots and pray for the best?
However, we started and I tried my best to think of ideas. That's one of the hardest things to do: think of poses. I had a couple shots in mind, but it was really difficult to find the right location to pull it off.
The first photo I wanted was a natural walking pose. Now, there's no formula for this one. People are all different. Some people I can pose and they fall into a natural look instantly. Others I just have to instruct them to "walk!" and after 5-6 shots, you'll end up with one good one.
Struggling with the sweat being smudged up between my face and the camera, I decided to stop trying to pose them and just rattle off some shots. I got lucky. It looks pretty good, I think.
Then we found ourselves underneath a tree. I had this grand idea that we'd have a cute photo of a kissing couple perched up in a tree. Unfortunately, climbing a tree is AWFUL. Especially when you ask a couple wearing formal wear and slippery shoes to climb. We almost had to ditch this idea, but a spark of an idea on a low-hanging branch resulted in this. If I had a patch of sunlight filtering through the branches, it would have made it even more perfect! (Photoshop?)
As you can see, a lot of the shots relies on luck and being flexible with the environment you're given. I did a shoot in this exact same park with a dance team a couple years ago, where some people had beautiful poses while sitting up in the tree. But you have to remember that people aren't always the same. Remain fluid!
I'll finish today's post with these two shots which demonstrate that a tiny adjustment can be all the difference between a beautiful shot or an awkward pose.
When people look at each other, they keep a comfortable distance from each other (at least 12 inches / 30 cm). But, it doesn't look good on the camera. You have to tell them to hold their faces "uncomfortably close" to each other, to the point where they're literally breathing on each other and their eyes can barely focus.
That small tweak results in a better, more intimate shot. A few inches of adjustment makes all the difference!
Comment if you have questions!
