Kate’s Top 5 Poses of All Time
As a wedding photographer with nearly a decade of experience I have acquired many of the ‘tricks of the trade’. Truth be told there is no quick way to become proficient at anything, only through dedication, practice, patience, and a love for your subject can you surpass the base level.
One of those ‘tricks of the trade’ is learning how to pose people for maximum effect. People come in all shapes, sizes, and varying degrees of maneuverability! That’s why having a storeroom of knowledge about how to pose couples is essential to this job. A wedding day is a once in a lifetime event for most people and so you really only get one chance to capture those special moments.
I’m happy to say that after so many years in the business I have a much greater understanding of how the body poses and which poses I like best! In fact, I’d like to share with you my top 5. These are some poses that, in my opinion, you simply can’t beat!
Pose #1
The Titanic Pose
In this pose the bride’s back is to the groom's chest, and both partners are profile to the camera. The groom wraps his arms around the bride, the bride cuddles her arms on top of the groom's as he holds her. The bride can turn her face toward the camera while I have the groom continue to look toward her with his face remaining profile to me. This is a comfy, close pose for many couples, plus the groom gets to snuggle up to his bride. It's the perfect pose if it's cold outside!
Pose #2
The Chest to Chest Pose
For this pose I have the bride and groom facing each other chest to chest. With their foreheads close together, the groom wraps his arms around his bride and pulls her into him, making sure there is no space between their bodies. I then have the bride bend her leg closest to the camera to create a more flattering shape of her lower body. This is a simple pose that allows the couple to just focus on each other and fall into the moment. I’ve seen facial expressions vary anywhere from giggles and laughter to more romantic, calm expressions. I love them all!
Pose #3
The Epic Dip Pose
I like to have the groom facing the camera for this pose. He picks up the bride, with one arm under her back and one arm under her legs around the knees. I then have the bride wrap her arms around the groom's neck and with this the bride kicks one leg higher than the other, and they both look toward each other. This pose is especially great for the athletic couple, and I think it’s best used during an engagement session to look extra epic in adventurous locations.
Pose #4
The Simple Dip
With this pose the bride and groom start chest to chest. The bride steps one leg back behind the other and wraps her arms around the groom’s shoulders or neck. The groom’s arms are holding the bride's waist. Finally, the groom dips his bride back, letting her hair or veil fall a bit as they bring their noses close together. This is a simple pose that not only looks beautiful but highlights a long train or veil. If the bride has one!
Pose #5
The Romance Pose
This pose might be my favorite! Once again, the bride and groom go chest to chest with the bride's back facing the camera. The groom’s hands are around the bride’s waist. The bride then twists the top half of her body back toward the camera and lets her gaze fall down toward the train of her dress. This is a beautiful pose for any body type and also highlights the back details and the train of the dress. I've seen facial expressions for this pose vary between calm and soft or with giggles and laughter!
While these might be my top 5 poses there are literally hundreds upon hundreds of other fantastic poses! Often couples come to me with a list of poses they want to do! I am more than willing to shoot almost anything, although on the day of I tend to outlaw the flying superman pose for the safety of the groom and his formal wear!
Posing for photos is a lot of fun and I’ve found that these poses really accentuate the moment and create a unique atmosphere of fun, love, and excitement for the events that follow!
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