To Pose or not to Pose...... That is the question.

I hear a lot of people complaining about posing.  "I just want photos of events as they happen."  I understand.  "I want to spend my time with my friends and family instead of posing for the camera."  I get that too.  "I want my photos to look natural, not stiff."  Um, hmmm.

I have even heard of photographers telling clients that "We do not pose you at all."

I hate to burst some bubbles here, BUT, if your photographer does not do any direction, positioning, or posing, your photos from your wedding will be horrible.  Not just not good, horrible.

Here's why:

What are the odds that you and your significant other will stand in just the right lighting, performing just the right movements, at just the right time?  Could happen, right?

Now, what are the odds that will happen 3 to 5 HUNDRED times on your wedding day?  Nil, at best.

A photographer is more than just a person with a light-tight box with some sort of glass attached to it.  They should be an expert in the way light plays on a subject.  They should be an expert in making the human form look its most attractive.  They should be an expert in the technicals of capturing a photograph.

Now, take out the first two and what's left.  Some guy with a box in his hands (which happen to be tied behind his back in this example).  You hire a photographer based on their work, but then ask them to do it differently?  Doesn't make sense.

I don't "pose" in the traditional sense.  Sure, I know all the "rules", but I also know most of my customers don't want to waste time.  I put people into situations and let them "play".  I make adjustments so the shot will look it's best, but it's mostly the customer and how they move.  The trick is knowing what works and what doesn't.  That's what you're paying for.

Next time a photographer shows you this beautiful photograph of a couple in this romantic embrace and tells you they don't pose, you know they are most likely lying.

-B