Five Tips for Posing Couples

Their title may mislead you into think this is just another step one, two, three, posing tutorial but lifestyle and wedding photographers Rachel Gulotta and Daniel Inskeep along with Carlton Banks (a.k.a. Mango Street Lab) are quick to point out that it's directing, as opposed to posing, that gets results. If you follow the wisdom provided in these five simple insights you'll find your subjects falling into their own natural rhythms, resulting in more meaningful images with little to no need to tell subject "A" to put their hand here, and subject "B" there.

Comfort

Step 1: Make sure your subjects are as comfortable as possible.

Your photos will mean more to you, and your clients, if they reflect who they are as a couple as opposed to what you think they should look like. We think these moments make photos look timeless and that's why we prefer directing over posing.

Light

Step 2: Find and put them in the best light.

Movement

Directing Tip 1: Movement can get your clients to loosen up and feel more comfortable in front of the camera. Which can help achieve Step 1. Provoke movement by playing music, asking your couple to dance or even run away or towards you.

Emotion

Directing Tip 2: Provoke emotion from your clients by eliciting love or laughter. Some recommendations for doing this is to have your couple tell each other what they love most about each other, by having them do weird things like sniff each other or even have them whispering their favorite vegetables in one another's ear.

Intimacy

Directing Tip 3: Direct your couple to always keep at least one point of contact between them. Encourage them to pull each other closely, and entangling limbs, letting them to fall into their own natural shapes.

Mango Street Lab's YouTube channel keeps turning out clean, straight-to-the-point, educational content on how to improve your photography. Although Rachel and Daniel do share technical knowledge they also share their philosophies on how to produce more impactful and meaningful images. Which I think is far more valuable and sets them apart from a lot of the other content producers out there. And while it may seem like a small thing, I really dig that they don't clutter up their content with self promotions and product plugs but opt for a very tasteful and well deserved mention at the end of their video.

Their Kit:

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR Camera

Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM Lens

Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens

Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens for Canon EF

DJI Ronin-M 3-Axis Handheld Gimbal Stabilizer 

Kenn Tam's picture

Been holding this damn camera in my hand since 1991.
Toronto / New York City

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