One of the most fun and heartfelt gifts you could get your significant other this Valentine’s Day is a couples portrait session. It’s not every day that you get to have your picture taken professionally – especially with the love of your life on your arm! For years to come, you and your partner can look back on these portraits with great memories and happy hearts. If you do end up looking into a photo shoot, we compiled a few tips for you that will make sure you knock it out of the park and get the quality your relationship deserves.
1. Coordinate Your Outfits
This is probably one of the most important tips we could give you for your photoshoot. You could have the greatest photographer in the world, but if your outfits don’t look great side-by-side then your photos can’t reach their true potential. For example, avoid bold patterns that clash – if one partner is wearing a pattern, the other should stick with solid colors to be safe. Also, adults should generally avoid wearing wide, horizontal stripes, as they aren’t the most flattering for your figure. When it comes to colors, you and your partner want to match as best as you can. While you don’t need to wear the exact same shades as each other, senior-prom-style, you should still keep a color scheme in mind. If your wife is going with black and white for your shoot, try to avoid brown or tan.
Before you show up to your photo shoot, it might be smart to give your outfits the eye test. Even if you’re not a fashionista, it’s usually pretty easy to tell if your clothes are clashing. If you end up working with us for a couples portrait, we can provide wardrobe advice if you’re not sure of how to match!
2. Don’t Be Shy!
It’s true that not all of us are naturals in front of the camera. It’s easy to feel awkward or unsure once the photo shoot begins, but your job is the easiest job in the world – just be yourself! Act like the camera isn’t even there and dance your heart out, show your love and simply have a blast. As photographers, we want to capture genuine expressions and emotions, and our clients letting loose is the only way to do so. At our studio, snacks and beverages are provided to keep energy levels high. You also get to choose the soundtrack to your shoot, so if cranking a Metallica song to 11 will help you feel at home, we’re happy to do so. The more relaxed everyone is, the more fun you’ll have during your session and the better the results will be! The last thing you want is to look back on your portraits and wish you opened up more.
3. Think About Your Shared Hobbies & Interests
Whether you two are life partners or a relatively new couple, there’s bound to be plenty of activities you enjoy doing together. It’s a great idea to highlight your hobbies somehow in your photoshoot so the images you end up with are unequivocally you! For example, we had a couple come in who fought fires for a living, so we made sure that was represented in our shoot. The finished work really tells their unique story and avoids looking like a cookie-cutter portrait session.
Even though they are far more than “hobbies,” pets can also make a great addition to a couples portrait! They’re part of the family after all, and surely mean the world to you and your loved one, so why not include them? Check with whoever is doing your photoshoot to see if they could incorporate a furry friend or two. Pets make great subjects since they’ll bring joy and energy to your portrait and make it that much more meaningful to your partner and the rest of your family. At Willow Street Pictures, all photoshoots are pet-friendly – we want them to join in on the fun!
4. Bring Apparel & Props That Hold Memories
What’s something memorable that you and your significant other have done recently? Did you go on the trip of a lifetime? Start a business together? Try a new activity? Bringing items or clothing that reminds you of these moments is another great way to add a little something special to your portrait. For example, a bunch of our clients will bring sports jerseys to show their support for their favorite team. One couple even supported bitter rivals, so it added a bit of humor to that photo session. Another pair of clients brought their wedding dress and tuxedo to recreate their special night, and the portraits turned out beautifully.
At the end of the day, we want to capture the essence of your relationship in your photo shoot. Personalizing as much as you can with clothing and props can really help with this and will make you smile every time you look at your finished portraits! Plus, your coordinated outfits will make the photos look great regardless ;).
To inquire about our couples photo shoots, or to learn more about our other services, you can fill out our recommendation form or just give us a call to get started! To see some more examples of our work with couples, check out our couples portraits gallery!