five poses that work with anyone

i’ve been in the photography game for quite some time now and while i love making every single session different and totally unique to them, there are a set of base poses and prompts in my head that i like to pull from. almost like a pose and prompt magical hat if you will, haha. so! here are five poses that work with anyone, in any situation, period. enjoy!

01. the hair tuck

this prompt is such a simple one but is such a rad way to slow down the energy of a shoot. that’s of course if you’re like me, and a cracked out ball of pump up energy during your shoots! simply have the couple face each other, put their belly buttons together so there’s literally no open space. put their forheads together and then have one of the partners tuck the others hair behind their ear. now combine the hair tuck with a forehead kiss, chefs kiss.

02. holding hands but standing apart

i love doing this pose when theres either really cool architechture or nature is on point behind the couple. its a great excuse to shoot super wide and have the focus be on the surroundings rather than the couple. but have them stand a distance apart from each other and hold the hands that are closest to each other. you want their hands to be slightly in the air, so have them take a step apart from each other if needed. this is an amazing way to give a moody, editorial feel. 

03. the hip bump

the hip bump, works every time! lol at me trying to make a legally blonde reference. seriously though, this one works every time. if the couple isnt super familiar with having their photo taken, or is acting a little stiff, i like to do this one right off the bat. just have the couple walk towards you, and every time they take a step they should bump hips. i always tell them to give it enough umpf to bounce each other around, but not enough to leave a bruise. this one always has them naturally giggling super fast!

04. slow dance

perfect for engagements, for couples who are already married, young lovers, literally everyone. if their wedding is coming up, ill tell them to hum their first dance song to each other if they have one. or to take turns humming a song while the other tries to guess which one it is. another great way to slow things down, but the humming can sometimes lead to cute giggles! i like doing this prompt in the middle of sessions so i can take a step back, and they can feel calm and alone for a tiny moment during their shoot.

05. standing back to back

last but not leaset, probably one of my favorites, ever! i already know im going to have a million and one reference photos to share for this one so im going to have to choose wisely! haha. its so simple, you literally just have the couple stand back to back and thats it! you can experiment with shooting up close, a fun shot is to have the couple turn their heads (while keeping their chests facing away) towards you and keep a straight face. love! if the couple is similar in height, i always tell them to lean their heads back until theyre touching to keep the pose feeling super imtimate and connected. 

and thats all folks! comment below your favorite of these if you’ve ever used them for a shoot or! if you’re a past couple of mine and i did these for you, let me know which one turned out the best for you guys in the comments below! dont believe that i actually use these prompts in every session? use my contact form linked here to schedule a session and find out!