We remember several years ago, one of Radhika’s college roommates and best friends was absolutely ecstatic when she finally received her wedding photos.
As she pulled up her wedding photos to view with our friends, we remember her having a huge smile, but suddenly the look on her face changed to disappointment as we got to the end of the preparation and portraits. After the slideshow was finished, Radhika asked her if something was wrong, and she said, “You know… I honestly didn’t know at the time… but really thinking about it, I just didn’t like the way our photographer posed me for the portraits. I just don’t think I look very flattering or beautiful in those poses at all.”
What a disappointment to have that one day in your life in the most beautiful dress, but to not be happy with the way you are posed in the portraits.
From that day on, we made sure it was our mission to be masters in the art of posing couples. Sadly, a lot of photographers don’t understand that it’s not just about the beautiful compositions, backdrops, and even moments. Though those are all important, it is an absolute necessity to be a master in the art of posing to ensure the bride and the groom look absolutely dazzling on the best day of their life.
Why close to 40% of couples have regrets
When doing some research, we came across a study that mentioned that close to 40% of brides had regrets when it came to their wedding photos.
40%! We couldn’t believe the percentage was so high! We started digging deeper to really see the reasons why these brides were unhappy, and this is what we found:
- “Our photographer got drunk, and you can see the photos in the gallery getting blurrier and blurrier as you scroll through.” 😳
- “He just really didn’t seem to know what he was doing! He didn’t guide us during the portrait session and we were just standing there awkwardly!”
- “She only captured moments of my husband and I, but not of our close friends and loved ones. That was really disappointing.”
We take pride in our work, and after seeing almost half of brides out their being extremely unhappy with the results they were getting from other photographers, we couldn’t help but be extremely proud that, after working with us, every single one of our couples has said something like:
“During our wedding, they made us feel very comfortable and, more importantly, seen for who we were. We never felt as if we were being forced into awkward moments or poses. Instead, we felt as if they were simply there to catch the most flattering angle of our natural behaviors; as if they were part of it with us. With Radian Photography, you get both beautiful pictures and an amazing experience to treasure always. When we look at our photographs, we feel awed and inspired to create more memories just as wonderful. And we hope Radian Photography will be there to help us remember it all.”
It was such an amazing honor to give them and many others this experience. We’re Radhika and Ian, an award-winning husband and wife team of fine art wedding photographers based in Durham, NC. We want to share with you as much value and our expertise in posing wedding couples so you can ensure you look your best have and no regrets on your special day.
Posing is an ART, but tis understandably an art that a lot of couples are nervous about, and SADLY that a lot of so-called “professional” photographers actually don’t know how to direct correctly.
So if you happen to have a photographer who doesn’t know how to pose you with expertise and intention, what are a few things you should remember?
How to look your best in wedding portraits: the foundations of posing
Here are a few pointers. We call these THE FOUNDATIONS of posing:
1. Imaginary String:
First, you want to ensure that your spine is straight, but NOT stiff and unnatural. We often ask our couples to act as if there is a string on the back/top of their head pull up. Have a straight spine and natural curve in you lumbar (lower back).
2. Shoulders:
Push your shoulders 1 inch back. This will further bring confidence in your pose.
3. Weight Distribution:
You want your weight distribution to be uneven or else your pose will look unnatural. There are two ways to do this. Either cross one leg over the other or put more weight on your back leg. Look at the photo below. Each of these techniques were used on the photo that we took of the beautiful bride above.
Want more tips? Check out our next post about what we call the X-factor and how to avoid cheesy wedding photos here!
If you’re ready to learn more about Radian weddings, head here!
