Wedding Tips Wednesday

I hear it time and time again, “we aren’t photogenic.” or “I don’t want to look awkward.” Guess what friend, I am NOT writing this to paint a lie to you, we at times have ALL felt this before including myself, when it comes to being in front of a professional camera! Now here comes the but…. DON’T let that fear stop you from having professional pictures taken. In this blog post I will share with you 3 EASY ways to flatter your body type for your next session in a way that won’t make you feel awkward! As a professional, I take my job seriously when it comes to posing, so take that doubt out of your head because it can be quite the opposite!  

 

Ladies FIRST!

You are most likely reading this because you don’t want to just “like” your pictures, you want to LOVE them!!! As a women though, we have a little insecurities or areas that we tend to be more self-conscious about.

For some of us, it’s the arm and or more of the underarm area. For others, maybe it’s your hips or stomach you get more insecure about… I feel at times for me it’s all of the above haha! As I am very confident, the simple truth is if I don’t like the way I look in a picture, I probably won’t use it! This can easily be true for you too but what IF there was an easier way to get around this? There is a way around this and the two main factors is your outfit choice and how you’re being posed. As a photographer it is my job to do poses and angles of you that’s flattering to your body type and it’s even easier when I know what to keep an eye out for before hand.

 

Now for the MEN!

 

Men for the most part don’t talk about their more elf-conscious areas like women might… but that isn’t to say don’t think on it. For guys wanting to look manly and masculine, they can easily become insecure about their under chin in photos or sometimes even their lower stomach. Most ALL men secretly want to look masculine in pictures and this all be dependent on how the man is posed but also what he is wearing just like it is for women!

 

We are humans and as much as we say “we don’t care” it’s not always 100% true. If you aren’t loving the way a picture looks of how you’re standing you might not use it either! My job is to pose you in a way that gives the most natural looking moment as possible.

 

With that being said, here are my #3 BIGGEST secrets you can do to really make a difference in the outcome of YOUR images. 

 

 

 

#1 Wear something that compliments your body type!

WOMEN

I say this first because it’s the easiest! My simple solution on outfits for women, is to look for is a long dress with simple sleeves!! Trust me, it is SO flattering for any lady. When you wear something with a sleeve, It’s easy on my end as a photographer to pose you in ways that aren’t  focusing so much on the arm. Not that anyone would notice your arm but that is the main area most women are more aware of. We are our biggest critics and if you don’t like the way your arm looks in a photo, you probably won’t use the image on anything. Finding a dress with some type of sleeve will really can change the whole look of the images in a more flattering way!

With that being said, strapless, a side shoulder or even spaghetti strap dresses can still look beautiful! Dont stress out if you already have a dress without any sleeves. I pose you in ways that are complimenting toward your body type regardless but what you wear really makes a difference! I just recommend something with sleeves because it will give more of the soft elegant look and is better for flattering poses!

 

MEN

For the guys, a jacket does the job so well!! A suit coat is made to broaden men’s shoulders which all men secretly want. Then, the lower half of the jacket does a wonderful job of narrowing the lower stomach! This is a win for if you’re really wanting to help him feel as confident as possible in the images and in turn will give you the BEST results! The suit coat also dresses up the images and pairs perfect if the lady is in a dress! If you’re wanting the more dressy and classic look then the full suit outfit is perfect but if you’re wanting less elegant, you can still pair a suit jacket with colored jeans (khaki, camel, cream, black, dark blue jean..) and it would still compliment his body type perfectly while making it less formal!

 

 

 

 

 

#2 Let the photographer know what to keep an eye out for BEFORE your session!

This is another really BIG one (mostly just women appreciate this.) Simply ask your photographer what you’d like her/him to keep an eye out on when shooting! Maybe it’s your under arms, the under chin, your stomach? You should definitely trust your photographer who is capturing you without taking this to the extreme, but giving the shooter a little hint of what you’d like to NOT be as focused on during your shoot, can go a long way! Trust me when I say, you’ll like your images even better because of that open communication between you and your photographer!

 

 

 

 

 

#3 DON’T overthink it!! Remember to relax and have fun!!

This is something some couples when inquiring with a photographer, tend to forget because of little doubts. When doubts creep in to the actual session though, it can either make or break you session experience. Believe me, the engagement session is such a fun time for you as a couple! Once you relax and have fun you will get the BEST results! This is my biggest goal when photographing anyone, because when you look back on the pictures… you’ll have a memory tied with the images. My greatest hope is that it was a fun and romantic memory, one that you can look back on and love! So remember to relax and have fun because that’s what it’s about!!

 

 

 

 

 

I hope this blog was helpful to you when it comes to the little details that overall make a big difference. As a photographer, my specific style of posing is 90% based on the couple or who I’m photographing. The other 10%, I enjoy the soft more natural romantic looking moments. Since every couple is different, my goal is to let their personalities shine in the images rather than doing set poses that I like. Mainly what I look for when I’m shooting, is all about how to best compliment my clients body types in a way that will photograph best which is why I wanted to share this information with you!

 

 

If you want to read on more helpful tips just like this, head to Wedding Tips Wednesday blog series! This is where I educate couples on all things weddings or imagery. I have been in your shoes as a bride and as a girl on the other end of the camera so what I am sharing is my personal experience plus things that most don’t think about until after the fact.

If you want to skip the tips (no pun intended) lol get to know me better through Real Life with Angel blogs or contact me or comment below! I would LOVE to connect with you!