Home  >   Blog  >   A photographer’s guide to posing couples
Download the app
to get started
1
Download the Unscripted app
2
Start free 7 day trial
3
Enjoy unlimited posing inspiration
4
Run your business on the go
5
Deliver beautiful client galleries
Choose your app store

Scan To Download App

A photographer’s guide to posing couples

No more awkward photos

Wed 11 Dec 2019
Get free couples posing ideas

Designed for photographers, Unscripted Posing App offers thousands of different poses and prompts in one simple app. Get a wide variety of shots without the exhausting prep work.

Want to know what it's all about? Here's a free guide for couple photography poses designed just for you by the team at Unscripted...

Telling your clients how to pose during a photo session is one of the toughest parts of the gig. And when you’re a newbie photographer, UGH! It’s often really awkward. Like going on spring break and realising your ex is at the same hotel - awkward. Posing is not a natural thing to do. It takes practice, and a bit of courage, and a spot of silliness.

But never fear - we’re here to help. In this guide, we’ll cover a simple but effective flow of poses to help you evoke emotions in your clients and capture authentic moments.

We’ve divided our prompts into two categories, fun and calm. Fun poses & prompts are the big-mouthed extroverted kind. They involve exaggerated movement and - you guessed it - energy! On the other side of the spectrum, you’ll find intimate poses. These moments are quiet, delicate, and sweet, and they make you go “awwww.”

Get 1400 posing and prompting ideas for free - Download the unscripted app for photographers today

To get clients to loosen up, we recommend starting with some fun icebreaker prompts. Once a couple is laughing and having fun, it’s time to ease into more intimate and reflective poses to build up the lovely connection they’re feeling. Once your couple are loose and comfortable finish up with a few silly, energetic poses to get them moving.

Let’s dive into some of those icebreakers now. Starting with some silly prompts and poses will help your clients feel comfortable. And if you can make them laugh, they’ll be able to shake off some of those nervous jitters.

Here are a few icebreakers to get you started

PROMPTS:

Make your partner laugh using nothing but your eyebrows.

PROMPTS:

When I count to three, try to guess what color your partner is thinking of!

PROMPTS:

Get in her ear and give me your best monkey impersonation.

Once your couple begins to relax and feel more natural in front of the camera, you can bring in some intimate poses. If you feel like some sitting poses would be a great opportunity to lead them into more intimatemoments, go with it. They may even decide they want to lie down, which will provide a very calm environment. Use this time of relaxation to guide them

Here are a few of our best-bet intimate couple poses

PROMPTS:

Act like it’s freezing outside and you must be as close as possible to keep each other warm.

PROMPTS:

Take turns telling each other three things you promise to always do for your partner

PROMPTS:

Just quietly reflect on all that you’ve experienced to get to this moment.

Now that your couple is feeling warm and gooey, it’s time to move on to more energetic poses. For these prompts, focus on movement, exaggeration, and bold poses! Your gear can also help you achieve this more effectively. For example, using a wide angle lens can help movements look bigger and limbs look longer.

Here are some fun and energetic prompts to try

PROMPTS:

Kick wildly and try to escape.

PROMPTS:

Bump hips and try to knock each other over.

PROMPTS:

Keep spinning until you both fall down.

Let’s recap

  1. Start your session with some icebreakers to help your clients relax
  2. Then use intimate prompts to capture sweet reflective moments
  3. Finish off with energetic, bold poses and lots of movement!
One time offer
Get $20 off yearly
The best way to do that is to
lead your photography
sessions with confidence.
UNSCRIPTED20

FAQs

How do you take candid couple pictures?

The best way to create a candid couples photograph is to work with as much movement as possible. Try to encourage your couples to walk, run, spin, and dance so that the image you capture looks like it’s a snapshot of life in motion.

How should couples pose for a photoshoot?

If they’re an introverted couple, couples should stick with slow and intimate poses like sitting close, leaning into each other, and snuggling in. If they’re a bit more of an outgoing couple, try getting one of them to piggy-back the other and spin!

What are some good locations for a couples session?

Couples sessions can happen anywhere couples feel comfortable. Try their favorite restaurant, a beautiful hike, going to the beach, or even an in-home session.