THE ULTIMATE POSING GUIDE FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT & WEDDING PHOTOS - Grand Forks | Fargo Wedding Photographer Shawn Morrissey Photography
Congratulations…You just got engaged!!! Take some time and soak in all the excitement. When you’re ready, you’ll start the search for the perfect photographer to capture your engagement photos and the precious moments of your wedding day. If you’re like most couples, you may be a bit anxious when it comes to being in front of the camera. You may have thoughts swirling around in your head like, “I’m awkward in front of a camera”, “I never know how to stand or what to do with my hands”, or even “My fiance and I are camera shy…how will we get great photos that we’ll both love?”
All of these are completely normal thoughts and the most common question I get before engagement sessions is, “We really don’t know what to do…will you be able to give us some pointers and show us how we should pose?”
Hi…I’m internationally published, award-winning wedding photographer Shawn Morrissey and I’ve been photographing wedding couples for over 15 years! During that time, I’ve created a VERY SIMPLE method of posing my couples to get images that come across dramatic, timeless, and at the same time very natural.
My simple system of posing has been narrowed down to 4 basic foundation poses…that’s it! Each one has variations and each variation can be photographed from different angles and distances to create hundreds of completely unique photographs!
So…if you are wanting to feel confident and relaxed during your engagement & wedding day photos, study this guide and even PRACTICE with your fiance.
LET’S GET STARTED!
THE ULTIMATE POSING GUIDE
As I stated before…this guide is based on 4 VERY SIMPLE poses:
Open
Closed (7th Grade Dance Pose)
45 Degrees (the V pose)
Groom Behind Bride
3 of the 4 poses are based on what I call “HINGE POSING” which I will explain. Also…each one of these poses can be used both siting or standing…super close together, or with space in between…and each pose can be photographed close up, mid range, or wide to create a dozen unique looks from a single pose. This system is meant to be simple so you can gain confidence quickly and enjoy your session.
1) OPEN POSE- Stand side by side to your partner both looking forward with your shoulders slightly touching. Imagine you are each covers of a book that is opened to the middle and your shoulders are hinged together in the middle. This is called “OPEN POSE” and simulates an open book. A very simple concept. This pose can be used with the couple very close together or the couple is holding hands (creating the hinge) with some distance between them. It can be done standing or sitting. The couple can both look at the camera or each other. And more variations can be created by tweeking how you pose the hands or how each person stands. Very basic…but it’s the foundation for the HINGE POSES.
Here are some examples of the OPEN POSE:
2) CLOSED POSE
So…you are still that open book hinged in the middle. Now imagine that you are closing the book and the 2 covers are now completely facing each other…this is called “CLOSED POSE”…or what I like to call “7th GRADE DANCE POSE”…(because it’s basically how you looked when you would dance at school dances). Kidding aside, it’s a powerful pose and can create TONS of intimacy. The more places the two bodies touch (touch points)…the more intimacy the pose creates. Touch points of the legs, waste, and heads can create lots of intimacy and having hands touching faces can maximize it!
Here are some examples and variations of CLOSED POSE:
3) 45 DEGREES or THE “V”
Still hinged at the center…we will now open the couple up to half way between being a completely open book and a completely closed book so your bodies are slightly angled towards each other forming a small V opening towards the camera. This pose creates the most natural feel and can be used with the couple wedged close together or with a bit of space to create drama. The couple can look at camera, each other, or even off in the distance. This one is excellent both sitting or standing.
Here are some examples and variations of the 45 DEREES POSE:
4) GROOM BEHIND BRIDE
OK…the last 3 poses were based on my HINGE posing system…this pose is not. It’s a super simple pose and is basically self explanatory…but I’ll go over it because it IS a very effective pose. I call it GROOM BEHIND BRIDE but this pose does work well with same sex couples too…but one partner must be a bit taller than the other for maximum effectiveness. Basically, you put the groom behind the bride and create some touch points. My personal favorite is to have the bride look at the camera while the groom is either looking at the bride or kissing her cheek or forehead…This creates a very dramatic and intimate moment. This pose can be done sitting or standing and can look amazing from all different angles.
Here are some examples and variations:
HANDS and FEET
You’ve learned the 4 basic poses but many couples still may ask…”what should I do with my hands?”…or “How should I stand?” There are so many variations you can do with hands and stances, but here are the absolute basics when in doubt. For the bride…you can always put one hand on your hip and “pop” that hip out a bit for dramatic effect. If your other hand is free (not holding a bouquet or your partner’s hand), simple play with your hair, earring, or necklace. You can also cradle both arms or even play with your veil. For the groom…always stand up straight, with shoulders back, and feet a little wider apart than shoulder length. The groom’s free hand can go in his pants pocket or clasp his suit edges near the chest area.
Here are some examples of Hands and Stances:
There you have it!!!! Those are the 4 basic poses I use to create most of my images. I try and keep it as simple as possible so my couples quickly gain confidence and have fun during their photo session or wedding day AND come out looking like models in their images! There are so many variations of each pose that a good photographer can use these 4 simple poses to create a gallery of tons of unique images that will blow the couple away!
Your engagement AND wedding photos will be such a HUGE part of your wedding day story and feeling confident and relaxed is one of the keys to create amazing timeless images that you’ll love for the rest of your lives.
There are many other keys that go into creating amazing award worthy images of your engagement and wedding such as planning, wardrobe, hair & make up, location, etc…