About a week ago, I photographed my first couple session, and I went into it prepared. I had scouted the area ahead of time, had a few locations in mind, and even saved some Pinterest posing ideas because posing couples is something I’m still working on becoming more comfortable with.
What I didn’t expect was for the session to evolve into something that felt almost like a story unfolding in front of me.
We started with one location, but because I had already scouted several spots within the same area, we naturally moved through three different locations. Each one gave us something a little different, and somehow the entire session just flowed.
There was direction. There was posing. We even collaborated on a few of the Pinterest ideas I had saved. But when I looked back at the session, some of my favorite photographs weren’t necessarily the ones we planned.
They were the moments in between.
The moments when they were talking to each other. Laughing. Interacting. Forgetting for a second that I was standing there with a camera.
Those were the moments where I could really see their connection.
I think that’s what I enjoyed most about photographing a couple. There’s already chemistry there. There’s already a relationship, a history, and a comfort between two people. As the photographer, I’m not necessarily creating that connection—I’m being invited into it long enough to document it.
And I learned something about myself during this session too.
I’m a talker. I genuinely enjoy getting to know the people in front of my camera. And I’m realizing that conversation may actually be an important part of how I photograph people.
When we take some of the pressure away from “Okay, now pose” and simply talk, move, laugh, and interact, something changes. Shoulders relax. Expressions soften. People start looking less like they’re being photographed and more like themselves.
That doesn’t mean preparation isn’t important. I’ll still scout. I’ll still bring posing ideas. I’ll still give direction when it’s needed.
But I think my takeaway from this first couple session is that preparation gives me somewhere to begin—connection gives me the story.
And sometimes the best photograph happens in the moment you never planned at all. 💜🌺📸
