Posing: Couples

Again, you will find that posing of couples pulls together many of the elements of posing different body parts to achieve your desired photos.

With couples, it is important to try and show intimacy so that when people view the photograph they can get a sense of how the couple feels about each other. To help bring this out, there are a couple of poses that work best. Place the hand of the female on the male's chest. Try hooking the couple's arms. Have your subject tilt their heads towards each other, or try rest the female's head on the male's shoulder. Don't be afraid to tell or show the couple where to place their hands.

Remember to show what is important. If a couple is newly engaged or married, show off their rings by posing them in ways that accent their jewelry. Even try getting photos of only their jewelry, or a close up of them holding hands.

Also, show the eyes of both subjects as much as possible. However, this doesn't mean you need to put them in the center of the photograph, as this will not follow the rule of thirds and will create an odd amount of negative space above their heads. If there is a large height difference between the subjects, try poses that have them sitting. If this shows the bottom of their shoes, make sure that they are clean.

With the scenery, find a porch or covered area with directional light to make it easier to work with the lighting. Remove background distractions so that the couple remains the focus of the photograph. This can be done fairly simply by blurring your background (changing your aperture). Avoid misleading lines in the background (such as fences or gates), and keep other people out of the photo.