My job is to make sure that I’m as inspired as possible during a session. 

Maybe that’s a controversial statement, but it’s how I roll. I’d prefer to put in work on the front end of a session than spend time micromanaging clients while together or stressing about getting the shots I want.

So I spend a lot of time picking a location and clothing – it allows me to have creative control and shape the vibe. I curate the experience to make sense. The clients that come to me desire a certain look and I want to make that as easy as possible for them. Instead of Pinteresting for hours or having a long list of exact poses, I put the time into educating my clients on how the process will go so that they can be prepared. As a result, we show up to sessions ready to roll and on the same page for what to expect.

When we get to a session, we’re ready for magic! At the start of each session, I give the whole family a few simple tips that lead to magic every time.

These are the four things I tell every single client to ensure effortless emotive posing!

1. Don’t Look at Me! Setting this expectation starts long before we show up on location. I rarely show images publicly of people looking directly at the camera, so most of my clients know upfront that I’m not a traditional family photographer. Remember: only show what you want to shoot! But we still need to communicate this clearly, especially since sometimes mom is on the same page, but the rest of the family doesn’t know what type of session this is, especially if they’ve been photographed by traditional photographers in the past. I tell them, “I don’t want you guys to look at me at all. I want to capture your connection and have fun together. I’m going to give you lots of ideas for things to do, so just don’t look into the camera unless I ask you to.” There are times where the direct eye contact with the camera is powerful and perfect for the moment, but it’s not my go-to.
2. Sway a lot. Like all the time. Move constantly. This truly helps to catch movement in clothing and hair. I ask for really big movements and basically for them to never stand still. They can shift the weight from one foot to another, step back and forth, hold their child and rock, etc. Just don’t stand there! Keep it loose and fluid and flexible. 
3. Keep your hands moving. “What do I do with my hands?!” We’re all heard that before, right? I really dislike when hands are just limp or awkwardly stiff – so I suggest to keep them moving. During family shoots, I always do couple photos and I start with a pose, then work on it and work on it to make it as connected as possible. For example, I’ll tell them to place hands in a certain place like their partner’s face, then remind them to keep moving. It helps me photograph something more organic than stiff poses. Think about how much more depth of emotion comes from even a thumb moving while holding hands vs a stiff, rigid pose. I also love photos of kids putting their hands on their mom’s face, but I do have to remind them to be gentle because they often grab too hard. It’s okay to give them suggestions and remind them to keep it moving.
4. Look around as if they’re lost something. This is a go-to suggestion that usually combines with another prompt – often for the moms as they walk through tall grass or along the beach. This keeps their eyes and heads moving and helps even control the pace. It’s not a run, it’s slow and deliberate. This tip and prompt creates epic results like the image featured below.

I give these tips, ideas, and put in the work ahead of time so I can show up and be able to make magic. Everything will be beautiful. They’re prepared and ready to go. I joke that I could show up blindfolded, point and still have powerful, emotive images. While I haven’t tested that theory yet (maybe I should!) it’s definitely awesome feeling so confident in my system and the results it creates.

People can overthink emotive photography sometimes, thinking you need so many prompts and poses ready to go or this list of a million ideas. You don’t. Let people know how to act in front of you and your expectations, then set up the location and clothes, and it’s easy! A lot of my sessions feel effortless. Yours can too!

I’d love for you to use these tips for your next session and show us the results in our Facebook group! 

If you are interested in learning more about emotive posing, join the waitlist to be notified about my Emotive Posing class coming to you in February!!

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