One of my most frequently asked questions from my brides is “How do I pose in my photos? What do I need to do to look my best?”. Understandably, most of my clients are not professional models. Often, it can feel awkward, intimidating or embarrassing to “put on” to a camera for hours on end. The last thing any bride wants to do is be hung up these details. I’ve created a short list of what I feel are the top 5 tips on how to pose for your wedding photos or your bridal portrait session.
1 ) Angle The Body. Turning the body at a slight angle or profile is often more flattering on the figure. Women come in all shapes and sizes, but a good guideline for any body type is to not always face straight towards the camera. This reduces the width of the body and creates more depth and dimension to the silhouette. For some added curvature and natural pose, try shifting weight from one knee to the next. This pops the hips and removes any rigidity to the stance.
2) Be mindful of hands. It can feel quite anchoring to busy hands with a bouquet, a gentle tug of the dress, the fixing of the earring or the gaze towards the ring. As often as the face, an awkwardly placed or stiff hand can be a sign of discomfort or the “I don’t know what to do-s!”. These small motions are excellent at creating natural movements. Much like we mentioned in tip #1 - consider also keeping hands at an angle! Don’t believe me? Try this in the mirror! Hold your hand out next your face, palms facing the mirror, allowing the hand to take up as much space as it can. Now, tilt your hand at a 45 degree angle to the mirror. The hand appears smaller and much less of a space-consuming distraction.
3) Correct the posture. A straight spine and upright posture makes a subject appear alert, awake, healthy, energized, and confident. This can be difficult to maintain throughout such a tiring day, but this simple tip should not go ignored during your bridal portrait session. Practice in the mirror until this starts to feel less stiff of a stance.
4) Keep all expressions and movements natural. We’ve all seen that stiff and fake smile. We all want to look like we’re having fun, right?! But after too long, the face muscles stiffen and we start to look like walking caricatures of our happy selves. Let’s banish the myth we always have to smile and stare straight into the lens! Glance at your flowers or downwards in quiet serenity. Take a deep breath, and enjoy a moment of quiet bliss while thinking of your love or taking in the location. Laugh if you feel like laughing, shed a tear if you must, even do a little dance! Lose yourself in the moment and stay present.
5) Mind Over Matter. One of the most wonderful impacts of the Body Positivity movement is women from all walks of life, age, color, ability and size are able to feel empowered and beautiful just the way they are! It is normal to deeply desire looking your absolute best on your wedding day. During this great celebration, let’s throw our insecurities out the window and indulge in our dreams come true! Small nagging doubts and hangups about our physical appearance will remove us from this experience and drain our joy. Remember - YOU are someone’s fairytale come true, so be sure to extend a whole lot of extra love to yourself!
