The Most Important Skill to Photograph People
This article is going to be geared towards photographers and clients alike. It will shed some insight into what sorts of things to look for in a photographer and what budding wedding photographers should work on.
The photography world is inundated with articles about gear and technology. It gets to the point where people are convinced that the size of their camera will automatically yield good photographs. Frustrated photographers will think, “If only I had that new camera”, or “I just need to buy one more lens”…
Is my camera big enough for you?
It has even gotten to the point where clients will ask what camera the photographer is using or if their camera is “full frame” without having an idea of what that even means.
Let me tell you that almost none of that matters. These days, technology has come so far that if someone can’t take a good photo, it’s likely the shortcoming of the photographer and not the camera.
I don’t shoot full frame, but can you even tell?
When it comes to photographing couples, there is something that is more important than equipment or even skill to an extent. Skill is a given, especially if this individual is advertising photographic services.
The most important thing is to be human.
This is the foundation to interacting with people, making them comfortable, and being able to create meaningful moments. Anyone can find a good composition, stick a couple in it, and snap a picture but it doesn’t matter if there isn’t emotion, story, and a worthwhile moment to capture. I always chat, joke with my clients, and be their biggest hype man about their relationship.
People usually don’t dance in front of people they’re uncomfortable with.
There’s nothing wrong with posing people and taking photos. That can yield good results. However, I feel that there is another level of storytelling to be attained if we move beyond that.
Just as my own standard practice and for my own style, I have a series of poses, looks, activities, and prompts for the couple. I will usually start them with easy poses to increase their confidence in front of the camera. I will show them that they are photogenic and that they look great in a photo. I’ll crack some jokes and hype them up about how awesome they are making the photos.
A pretty low risk, high reward photo. It’s easy on the couple and looks like magic! And it’s STILL not full frame!
Once they loosen up a bit, I will usually start introducing some of the sillier and goofy activities, such as slow dancing to some music (I always carry a small Bluetooth speaker with me), twirling their partner, or even just facing each other and telling them to give each other Eskimo kisses or cuddle their foreheads together. This will almost always yield a couple of real smiles and laughs.
Yo, he just wanted to be twirled!
I know we’re making progress.
I’ll then start pulling out the classics. “Walk towards the camera, holding hands or arm in arm, but act like you’re both super drunk.” Or, take turns swinging each other forward towards the camera.
The sillier it feels, the better it looks.
“Do you have any back problems? No? Good. Lift her and slowly turn in place while looking at each other.”
None of this would work if I can’t establish a foundation of trust and rapport. I’m essentially guiding them through a date of sorts, not just a photoshoot. No one will want to open up about their relationship or show the playful side of themselves if they’re not comfortable.
I just asked them to pretend I wasn’t there and reflect on their relationship.
You will be surprised at how much you can get out of these moments if you just connect with people.
