From what to do with your arms to where to stand so you have the best lighting, an expert weighs in on how to pose in wedding photos.
If you’re nervous about posing for your wedding photos, it’s only natural – after all, you only get one wedding day!
To soothe your fears, Kris Labang, professional photographer and owner of Hawaii Wedding Photography, is here to give you tips on posing in wedding photos to get the perfect photo album.
Relax
Kris says, ‘First and foremost is: relax! This is the key to your photos looking comfortable vs tense. Relax and just listen to your photographer’s instructions.’ If you look stiff or tense in your photos, a good photographer will try to correct that with direction, posing, and/or bad jokes. Natural laughter gives the best laughs, so if you dig your photographer’s humor, all the better.
The other key to relaxing is hiring quality vendors. This might not sound like it has anything to do with photos and posing, but let’s say you have a terrible vendor. Your mind will be so focused on that person that it will distract you, and that will actually come through in your photos – or worse yet, when you look at the picture you took when something terrible happened, it might only remind you of that incident.
Even if they aren’t on your nerves, if your attention is being pulled in too many directions, it can pull your focus away from the moment and cause tension in the photos. Kris says, ‘A good example is a couple I worked with that did not have coordinators at their event and were constantly bombarded with questions throughout the day. This was a huge distraction and disrupted their enjoyment of the day.’
Show Off Your Good Side
Kris advises, ‘The best way to look great in any photo is to shift your weight away from the leg closest to the camera and slightly cross over your front leg over your back. This will make you look taller, thinner, and pop your butt.’
Leaning towards the camera often makes subjects look wider than they actually are, so double-check how you are standing before the camera clicks. You should also angle yourself slightly off from the camera, as you want to avoid being straight on the camera if you are trying to look thinner. Unless the photographer asks for it in the shot, slightly angling yourself away from the camera will do wonders.
https://pixabay.com/photos/
Engage With Each Other
Don’t forget to engage in some PDA (public displays of affection) with each other when you’re getting photos done. While your photographer is working all the great posing tricks they know: touch, hold, kiss each other. You don’t always have to wait for your photographer to tell you to do these things; you may even inspire them!
Kris says, ‘When I see a great photo, what sometimes takes me out of the magic is the couple just standing there. I see the process even if I’m not there. The photographer is trying to get the positioning right, their settings right, make sure the unwanted elements of the scene are out and then snap! The photo is taken. But the couple is just standing there. What’s romantic about that? Their hands are down and they are just looking at each other, not engaging at all. Isn’t your wedding about love? Unless told otherwise, you should be touching each other in some way while taking your photos.’
Kris says, ‘Don’t be afraid to change it up and move from pose to pose often so that you don’t end up looking stiff. Do what feels natural and affectionate, and your photographer will guide you through it by suggesting that an arm be moved here or a chin lifted there.’
Practice!
Like anything else, if you want to get good at something, you need to practice. Engagement photo shoots are great for this. You can get to know your photographer, experience a shoot in a less chaotic setting, and take more time.
If you are not interested in an engagement shoot, take more photos with your phone! A lot of great posing is comfort. Being comfortable in front of the camera nowadays is much easier since almost everyone has one. And when you take pictures together, use the above tips! Don’t just stand there, engage. Try crossing your leg over and shifting your weight in casual photos.
Don’t Forget… Have Fun!
Unless you want a few serious photos for the shoot, you shouldn’t be afraid to laugh as much as possible with your new spouse and enjoy yourself. ‘Overthinking each pose will lead to forced smiling that looks fake in the photos,’ warns Kris. ‘Keep it loose and fun, and you will get some great shots!’
