Day 59, Learning 59: Posing Couples

Working with couples offer their own challenges and rewards.  They amuse themselves while you fiddle with your camera settings, which is nice; they also bring their own intimacy and mood to the shoot.  But they can be challenging, especially if one person is uncomfortable in front of the lens.  Here are a few ideas for working with couples:

• The more points of touch, the greater the intimacy.  Work with hands, foreheads, hips, cheeks, and noses.
• Lead them through a sequence of moves in one position: 
• Start facing each other; put your forehead together; rub noses; now, roll your head out to face the camera; give her a tickle; caress his cheek.
• When walking, go slow.  Make sure the hands/arms aren't awkward or swinging widely.  If they are, hook their thumb in their pocket
• When facing forward, make sure their weight is on one leg versus equally balanced (it's more natural and relaxed); bend arms and legs to create angles
• When sitting, start by placing one person, then the other.  Don't have them "sit on the bench together."
• Don't be afraid of giving specific direction, even as detailed as "look at his hand."

Just like in an individual session, make sure they're having fun, give them lots of verbal feedback and encourage, and occasionally show them the image on the back of your camera.