Elopement photography and couples shoots strive to capture the tender moments between two people and tell a story about their relationship through photos. However, it can be difficult for couples to feel comfortable with a camera in their face. Regardless of the occasion, we have all been there. As photographers, it is our job to help our clients relax during their couple’s photography session, and prompts are one way to do so.
While prompts are a great way to help a couple feel more comfortable, you should only use them to help break the ice early on during their photography session. Couples photography should focus on candid reactions and emotions between two people, so stick to simple prompts to help stir up those tender feelings. Once you get the ball rolling, you’ll probably notice that your couple will ditch the prompts completely and act as though the camera isn’t even there.
If you’re looking for new ways to help your couples feel more comfortable in front of the camera, you’ve come to the right place. Read on for six simple prompts to give your couples during a couples photography shoot.
Fun Photography Prompts
Fun couples’ photography prompts are some of my favorites to help my clients feel natural in front of the camera. Prompts like these should be exciting and give them a simple and fun task to perform during the shoot. Chances are, once they get started, they will be having so much fun that they’ll forget what you told them to do in the first place.
For example, tell your couple to run around holding hands or tickle each other. If the shoot is outside, they will probably fall over laughing in the grass or nearby flowers. Fun photography prompts like these can create cute and endearing photos that your clients will cherish for a lifetime!
Here are three fun photography prompts to try during your next elopement or couples’ portrait photography shoot:
Tickle your partner
Run around holding hands
Snuggle for warmth
Romantic Photography Prompts
Couples portraits and elopement photography can be difficult for many couples for one reason: showing PDA (or public displays of affection). Placing your subjects in intimate poses is enough to make any couple camera shy. This is why you should have an arsenal of straightforward yet sweet and romantic prompts to put your lovebirds on the right path.
There’s no need for them to be complicated or too, erm, intimate, but they should be enough to set the tone for the rest of the shoot. After all, these sessions should celebrate their love and give them something to look back on years from now, so it’s up to us to help them feel comfortable in any way we can. Here are some of my favorite sweet and simple romantic photography prompts to give my couples during elopement photo shoots:
Kiss like it’s the last time
Practice your first dance together
Share a warm embrace
Closing Thoughts
There you have it! Six of my favorite fun photography prompts for couples. Hopefully, these prompts will help you set the mood for your next couples’ portraits or elopement photography shoot. Remember, photo prompts should not be strict instructions but rather gentle nudges in the right direction to help your clients feel more comfortable in front of the camera. After the first few prompts, you’ll probably find that they don’t even need your help anymore, and the rest is magic.
If you enjoyed reading this post, make sure you check out my blog for more photography tips and advice. Need some inspiration for your next couples shoot or elopement session? Take a look at my photo book for more ideas.
Create a black-and-white studio image of me using the same face. It should feature me with a wolf cut, sitting casually on a metal folding chair with one leg crossed. She is wearing baggy denim jeans, a black T-shirt, and black boots, with a slightly masculine style. The lighting should be soft and minimal, creating sharp shadows and a moody atmosphere. Her pose should be relaxed, slightly leaning, with one hand on the chair’s backrest. My face should be turned about 45 degrees to the side, looking realistic. Am holding a clearly visible matcha drink. The background should be plain, simple, and modern.