Free posing guide
15 ways to stand, walk and hold each other
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You do not need to know how to pose. That part is my job.
Most couples arrive worried they will look stiff. Then I ask them to stand still and look natural, and of course they look stiff. Nobody looks natural on command.
So I rarely give poses. I give prompts. A prompt is something small to do or say, and the pose happens on the way. You stop thinking about your hands because you are busy whispering something rude in his ear. That is the photograph.
Below are fifteen I use on almost every session around Dallas, in four groups. Each one has the line I will actually say to you, and a small tip for hands, chin or weight. Pick three or four you like the look of and tell me. You do not need to learn the rest.
Before the session
Group one
Quiet frames. Foreheads, hands and breath.
Hold each other properly, the way you would at the end of a long day. Then stay there longer than feels normal.
“Hug like you have not seen each other in a week. Now do not let go until I say.”
Tip: her hands flat on his back, not patting. Fingers soft.
Face each other, close your eyes and rest your foreheads together. Breathe at the same pace.
“Eyes closed. Breathe in together. And out.”
Tip: chins slightly down, not up. It keeps your faces soft and your jaws clean.
One of you leans in to the other’s ear. The other just listens. I photograph the reaction, not the whisper.
“Tell him the worst joke you know. Quietly.”
Tip: the listener keeps their weight on the back foot so they can lean in when it lands.
Stand close, side by side or facing. One hand rests on the other’s chest, just over the heart.
“Can you feel it going? Tell me if it is fast.”
Tip: show the side of the hand, not the back of it. Fingers together and relaxed, ring towards me.
Group two
The best frames happen between steps.
Hold hands and walk towards me, much slower than feels right. Talk to each other, not to me.
“Walk like you are late for nothing at all.”
Tip: step with your outside feet first. Your legs will not cross in the frame.
Hold hands and run past me together. It never looks graceful in real life, and it always looks good in a photograph.
“Race him. Whoever loses buys dinner.”
Tip: keep your chin up and look at each other, not your feet.
He holds one hand up and turns her under it, then pulls her back in close. We do it a few times.
“Spin her out, and bring her home.”
Tip: a loose grip, just fingers. Let her skirt do the work.
One of you walks ahead, holding the other’s hand behind you, and looks back over your shoulder.
“Pull him along like you have found the best spot in the park.”
Tip: look back over the shoulder nearest me, and drop that shoulder slightly.
Group three
For when the light is low and nobody wants to rush.
Sit side by side on grass or a step, close enough that your knees touch. Look out at the view together.
“Where would you go if you could leave tomorrow?”
Tip: sit on one hip, legs folded to one side. Weight back, so your spine stays long.
He sits with his knees up. She sits between them and leans back against his chest. His arms wrap round.
“Close your eyes and tell me what you can hear.”
Tip: his chin rests lightly on her shoulder or head. Lightly, not heavily.
Lie down on your backs, heads close together and bodies pointing opposite ways. I shoot from above.
“Tell me the first thing you noticed about each other.”
Tip: hands resting on your stomach or in each other’s hair, never flat by your sides.
Stand facing each other, close, and do nothing at all. I step back with a longer lens and wait.
“Forget I am here. I will be over there for a minute.”
Tip: weight on your back foot and knees soft. Locked knees always show.
Group four
Laughter is not something I can pose. I can only start it.
Lean in as if to kiss, then stop just short and hold it. Somebody always laughs first.
“Go in for a kiss. Slower. Slower. Now stop.”
Tip: the shorter one lifts their chin slightly. The taller one bends their knees, not their neck.
Stand side by side. One of you has thirty seconds to make the other laugh, by any means at all.
“Do your best impression of him when he is hungry.”
Tip: hands in back pockets, or one arm round the waist. Not hanging.
He carries her on his back for a few steps towards me. It is silly, and it is usually the frame couples print.
“Carry her to that tree. She is not allowed to walk.”
Tip: her arms loose round his shoulders, chin on his shoulder, cheek towards me.
One last thing
On the day I will talk you through every one. If you only remember to breathe, slow down and look at each other, we will be fine.
Next, read what to wear, choose somewhere from my locations around Dallas, or grab the other free guides.
Ready when you are
Tell me a little about the two of you, and which poses you liked.