We’re pretty sure that this juuuuuust happened, but somehow it’s Monday again! Are you guys losing track of the days as horribly as we are?! We were literally planning a Sunday pizza night this morning. But I guess we’re a day late so we’re going to be a slice or two short ; )
If you’ve been following along over the past three weeks, you know that we have been breaking down our favorite tips for creating natural images, and today we’re sharing our penultimate (does anyone else find ANY excuse to use that word?!) tip.
A.B.T. Always. Be. Talking.
We totally feel a bit like Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross telling you that, but it’s true! No matter what, we (ok, mostly Sarah) are always talking. These are real-live humans in front of your cameras, doing something that they probably don’t feel like professionals at, and silence lets minds wander to a place of worry that things aren’t looking great. And like we’ve mentioned every single week, the main thing we want our clients to feel is confident. If they are confident they will feel like they can be their most genuine selves, and that means we need to make them comfortable enough to feel that way! You know who feels comfortable? People whose minds are so busy listening to you that they don’t have time to feel weird!
So unless we’ve set up a super intimate moment, in which case we try to be as sleuthy and quiet as possible while the magic unfolds, we are always sending positive affirmation our couples’ way. We want to constantly be letting them know just how much they’re owning it and how amazing their images are going to be. Because, they obviously are!
All of this being said, we know what you’re thinking. This sounds WAY easier in theory than it does in execution. And we get that. For some people (Sarah) talking is the easy part, being quiet is the struggle. But for others (Ben) he really has to make a conscious effort to open up his mouth at the same time as his shutter. He may be thinking that something is looking amazing, but his mind is so busy with what his camera is doing and the composition he’s creating that he doesn’t even think about saying it. So if you fall into this camp, where you feel like this level of multi-tasking is akin to us asking you to rub your belly and tap your head at the same time (why is that so hard?!) here are a few helpful tips:
1. Time Your Talking to Movement: If you aren’t used to being super vocal while you shoot, an easy way to start is to get in the habit of throwing positive affirmation your couple’s way after every change of pose. Remind yourself that every time you put them in a new spot or position you need to pipe up about something. After a while you won’t even need this little mental alarm clock and you’ll be exuding constant goodness out of habit.
2. Look at the People You’re Shooting: Ok, we know this one sounds crazy, obviously you’re seeing these people because they’re right in front of you! But hear us out. How many times have you gotten home from a wedding and not remembered what a bride’s eye color was or exactly what color tie her new hubs was wearing? We know from experience that it is all too easy to get so wrapped up in finding light and gorgeous backgrounds and choosing lenses and aaaaalllll the other 385,025,830 things running through your head at one time that it is way too easy to not even really SEE the people in front of your cameras. Make sure that you are really connecting with them. Notice the little things about their physical features or their outfits or how they ARE together or ANYTHING you love and let them know!
3. Be Genuine: Last but not least, just as we’re hoping for our couples to be genuine in front of our cameras, we have to come from that same place behind it. Don’t tell a bride over and over again that you love her shoes if mustard just isn’t your color. And don’t say something is looking amazing if it’s not. (Well, fix it so it does and then tell them that ; ) There are a whole lotta photographers out there who have killer portfolios, and so many with similar styles. The reason that this person chose to be in front of your camera and not someone else’s is because it is YOU behind it. So be that.
We hope that this was helpful, and already can’t wait to share the last part in this series, coming to the blog next week! It is our MOST valuable tip! And if you need a recap to catch up before then, you can find previous posts at the link below:
As always we love when you inspire our upcoming education posts, so reach out on social media or through a comment below if there’s a topic you’d like to see up next! Happy shooting friends!
Love + Laughs,
Sarah & Ben
