Why We Don’t Pose Our Couples (And What We Do Instead) | Orlando Wedding Photographer
ORLANDO WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER TIPS
At some point in nearly every inquiry call, someone says some version of this:
“I just want you to know – we are awkward in front of the camera.”
And we get it. We really do. Most people’s experience with professional photography involves standing in front of a camera while someone tells them where to put their hands, how to tilt their head, and to smile, but make it look natural. It rarely looks natural. And it almost never feels good.
So when couples find out that we don’t really do traditional posing, they usually have one of two reactions. Either they’re relieved. Or they’re a little confused about what that actually means.
Let’s clear that up.
IT DOESN’T MEAN WE JUST WING IT
Not posing doesn’t mean we show up with no plan and hope for the best. That’s not a photography style. That’s just chaos.
What it means is that we’ve traded the posing checklist for something we think works a lot better: natural direction.
The difference matters. Posing tells you exactly where to stand, where to look, and what to do with every part of your body. It turns a couple into subjects. Natural direction, on the other hand, gives you a starting point and then gets out of the way. It’s more like, “Walk toward the light over there and tell each other something you’re excited about for tomorrow.” And then we photograph what happens.
What happens is almost always better than anything we could have staged.
WHAT WE ACTUALLY DO
Here’s a more honest picture of how we work.
We find good light. We put you in it. We might suggest a loose framework: stand close, hold hands, take a breath. And then we talk to you like people. We ask about your first date, your honeymoon plans, and the most chaotic thing that happened during wedding planning. We make you laugh, or we give you a quiet moment together. And while you’re busy being yourselves, we’re busy taking pictures.
It’s less of a photo session and more of a hang that happens to be photographed.
On the wedding day specifically, we work the same way. We’re documenting what’s already there: the nervous energy before the ceremony, the way your people fill a room, the moment after you say your vows when you look at each other, and everything else disappears. We’re not interrupting your day to manufacture moments. We’re capturing the ones that are already happening.
WHAT ABOUT THE PORTRAITS?
Yes, we do portraits. And yes, we’ll give you some direction. But even our portrait time is designed to feel easy.
We keep it short on purpose. Long portrait sessions tend to get stiff toward the end, and stiff is exactly what we’re trying to avoid. We’d rather spend thirty focused minutes together and get a handful of images that genuinely look like you than spend two hours and have you counting down the minutes to cocktail hour.
We also do Together Sessions with every wedding couple we work with. It’s usually used as an engagement session, and it serves a really specific purpose: it gives you a chance to be in front of our cameras before your wedding day. By the time we’re all together at your venue, you’ve already done this once. You already know how we work. The nerves are mostly gone. That comfort shows up in your photos.
THE BOTTOM LINE
If you’ve ever said “I’m not photogenic” or “I’m awkward in front of a camera,” we want you to know something: that’s usually not a ‘you’ problem. It’s a process problem.
When someone makes you feel self-conscious and over-directed, you look exactly that way in photos. When someone makes you feel relaxed and seen, you look like yourself.
That’s the version of you we’re after.
We’d love to show you what that looks like. If you’re planning a wedding in Orlando or Central Florida and you’re already dreading the photo part, let’s talk.
READY TO MEET YOUR
ORLANDO WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER?
Let’s See if We Vibe!
We believe your photographers should feel like friends, not just vendors. After all, you’ll be spending your entire day with us!
Click below and fill out the form, tell us your story (don’t hold back on the geeky details), and let’s see if we’re the perfect match for your big day.
Can’t wait to hear from you!
