How Couples Often tell me they’re not Photogenic and how I Prove them Wrong.
One of the most comments We get is “I’M NOT PHOTOGENIC.”
We’ve all had that moment, right after a family picture where we notice that double chin, awkward smile or robotic face or pose. This moment could only lead us to the conclusion for the rest of our lives – “I’M NOT PHOTOGENIC.” At this point in my career as a photographer it is one the most common things I hear when meeting with couples. To break this barrier there are different solutions that are critical to implement in order to overcome this issue and I’ll share them with you here:
A First meeting: On a photoshoot or wedding day where I am going to spend several hours with my couples I want to make sure they feel comfortable with me, that’s why it is so crucial to meet them before their event. If we cannot meet in person for some reason, I always make sure to schedule a Skype call. Why is this so crucial? I want to make sure I know the clients’ expectations in order to have a chance to exceed them. I also want to make sure we have chemistry, that my style is what they’re looking for, and on a few occasions where the clients’ particular preference of style is incompatible with my style, I will happily recommend another colleague. There is something that cannot be faked when you can effectively communicate with a couple, create together, and also have fun – believe me, this will be crystal clear in your pictures.
Communication: I only take a limited amount of weddings every year and there is a reason for that, details matter. When we have a photoshoot coming up, my team, most of the time my wife Stephany, will spend time talking with our clients about styling suggestions, the right scenario, creative ideas that might come up, and any details that might be important for our couples and that makes them feel comfortable being themselves. For us, this time spent with the client is really important because the less last minute details pop up, the less stress our couples experience and the more room they have for genuine expressions of love.
Creative Freedom: In our case, we try not to limit our couples too much when it comes to the possibilities for their photos. In fact, we love the creative ideas our clients come up with. I have photographed couples upside down, in the mud, at their workplace, and so on. Our clients are often couples who have fun together, and who are looking for something creative, artistic, and unique. So this works perfect to not only showcase their personalities in the most awesome way but also to help them relax and have fun while we are doing the engagement session.
Posing: Even when we want our clients to look like themselves, it doesn’t always happen right away. Many of us are shy in from of a camera and it might take us some time to warm up. So even though I don't believe that engagement photoshoots should be entirely posed, as a professional I have to know when to direct clients so their pictures look great. I don't want a picture that could be perfect for our clients being ruined by an awkward hand or robotic smile! They trust me as a professional and since I am the one behind the camera, they expect I see what they don’t.
I hope our experience helps you to be more prepared for your engagement photo shoot.If you have other questions please leave a comment.
