Are you a fan of the photos that embody movement and emotion all tied into one neat little package with a bow on top? Yeah, same here. I LOVE capturing raw emotion and it can be SO tricky to get your clients to trust you when you are going into a session.

LET’S START SLOW, okay?

When you book them, send them questionnaires to get to know them better and learn what kind of portraits they’re looking for. If you have a couple who is reserved and looking for intimate, artsy photos and you go in guns blazing with Katy Perry and full energy prompts, you are doing a disservice to not only your couple but to your business as well. If you want to capture authentic portraits, you have to start with knowing who the couple is and capturing WHATEVER moments they give you. That’s what authenticity means.

NEXT UP.

The next thing you need to do with your clients, before you EVER prompt them, is build trust. Lay the foundation by telling them how your shoot is going to go, what they can expect of you and what you expect of them. If you give them nothing to go off of, they aren’t going to realize that they’re doing something right or wrong.

Without further ado, here are my go to posing prompts to get authentic reactions from my couples.

1. BRING IT AROUND TOWN. We’ve all seen Spongebob Squarepants, right? I’ll often make my couples embrace with one partner stand spooning the other. Once they’re there, I make them BRING IT AROUND TOWN. And you get some of THEE cutest reactions.

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2. Walk towards me booty bumping each other along the way. This is a freaking classic, and it’s not rocket science, but it is SO fun to do with couples. The reactions are often so funny and they turn into SO much more if you let the pose breathe.

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3. The Sit and Melt. I LOVE this prompt. I have my couple sit side by side, however they feel comfortable and then make adjustments if I need to. Once they’re there, I tell them to melt into one another so they completely relax. From here, I’ll have them start swaying, singing songs to each other, or whisper sweet nothings in each other’s ears.

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4. Trace each other’s faces with your nose. This prompt is SO gorgeous and intimate. Let one of them keep tracing the other’s face with their nose and then have them switch. You can add in a “almost kiss but DON’T” moment and do a lot from this pose.

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5. Machine Gun Kisses. This pose is SO sweet. Tell one of them to grab their partners face and kiss them as MANY times as FAST as they can all over their face. These photos are always so joyous and often end with a lot of laughter.

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All of these poses ARE GREAT if you don’t know where to start or for sprinkling in throughout a session. If you want to start with these and take it up a notch, here are some tips to do so.

• Don’t be afraid to have couples do it again, that way the KNOW how to do it the next time.
• Give them suggestions or tell them they look AMAZING. Shower them with compliments and tell them directional comments like “I love they way you pushed her hair out of her face” not just “PERFFECTTTT” because they don’t know what perfect means. Be intentional with your comments.
• Let the poses breathe. Just because you had them walk towards you and they’re almost to you, doesn’t mean you need to start shouting a new prompt. It’s OKAY to let there be silence to see what they do after. That is where I’ve captured some of my FAVORITE photos. They think the pose is done and they do their own thing.
• DON’T put your camera down. Have you had a moment in a shoot where you say something off beat and they start laughing and you think “shoot that would have been cute”? YES. KEEP your camera up by your face just in case something happens so you can SNAP away.

What are YOUR favorite prompts? Let me know if you use these and what you think!