06/10/2026
I used to have a note on my phone with a list of prompts and poses to use during couples photos. I would whip them out at random, which made the flow feel jagged and abrupt instead of natural. I could sense a shift in my clients when I would do this too
Not every prompt worked for every couple either. When I had a more reserved couple, the outgoing prompts fell completely flat. When I had a goofy active couple, having them stare intimately into each other’s eyes made them restless
I was making my couples feel NOT like themselves which is the opposite of everything I’m going for!
I would also forget the list and have to look at my phone mid-session…adding yet another interruption that left my clients standing there thinking “what do I do right now?” I took posing classes. Downloaded cheat sheets from other photographers. Tried to memorize a flow I could run through at every shoot.
It still wasn’t landing the way I wanted.
So I scrapped it.
I started paying attention instead.
Now I never run out of prompts. Every couple is a whole endless dynamic and the inspiration is THEM. The only way to tap into an endless source of inspiration is genuine curiosity in your subject.
I take time talking to couples before we ever shoot. I have them answer a questionnaire on video, not just to get to know them, but to get a real sense of how they interact together. In the first few minutes of every session, I’m taking mental notes. How does this couple feel right now? Nervous? Excited? What quirks do they naturally have? How do they hold each other for comfort?
All of that translates into endless inspiration.
The couple gets back photos that truly feel like them simply because their photographer paid attention
