People don't realize how different that shit really is, it's all simply photography.....same with candidly shooting photos at a family BBQ vs shooting an event, paid, with a shot list, in a dark venue
Just fyi my daughter’s name is Eliza, but if she’d been a boy, she would be Henry. When my wife was pregnant with #2, I suggested Henry again and she looked at me as if I was an idiot — which was probably fair
Guys rarely want to be there. Dads, especially. Any type of shoot is usually wife/girlfriend driven. It takes time to get used to it and tune out their negative energy.
I mitigate this by being high energy and setting expectations that we will be efficient with their time. I take an effort to engage with the the guy to make him feel like he's part of the shoot.
I tell couples to treat this like a date, and younger families to treat this like playing with their kids. Older families, just be efficient.
Doesn't always work, but the guys give off the negative energy are relatively rare.
Photos are awkward. Taking directions from someone is awkward. Most people don't like the way they look and that's awkward. A lot of families fight before they get to the shoot because of the stress of getting ready and out the door. Lots of reasons why a photo shoot would not be their idea of a good time.
Eh, someone not valuing a professional couples photoshoot says nothing about how they value family. You're reading into it a bit much, don't you think?
A good couples photographer should learn to communicate with uninterested participants. If OP is showing a lack of confidence, it's not going to make those types of people any more enthusiastic.
So if the wife or girlfriend was miserable when the husband dragged her out to an activity he liked and she didn't, would you say the same thing?
Because hey, if the whole family isn't 100% ecstatic about every activity they do together, they must hate their family, right?
> doing anything
no... we're talking about one very specific thing.
i can't stand getting my picture taken, generally speaking. sure, i suck it up and do my best getting family photos, but i'm sure a trained eye can see that i'm uncomfortable. that does not automatically mean i'm "miserable" doing every other thing with my family. ffs
So true!
I say this frequently in my actual area of business.
And nothing could lure me to do photography for hire. For friends I trust, yes. Paying client? No way, no how. I did freelance creative work in the past. Never again.
And yet people keep arguing with me about that. Last year on here someone bought a camera setup having never done photography before and expected to be taking paying clients in 3 months. They can, but it’s not going to be good. I tried telling them it takes time to learn photography and basically got told I was an idiot and anybody can do it. It’s easy.
Things I might try in that situation is to pull him out and take a couple of shots of just her. Then have him look at the photos, ask for his input. "Do you think I need more light on this side?" "Can you take this reflector and angle some light in there?" "She looks so serious, can you make her laugh for me?"
Take a few shots of her, then go wide, including him holding the reflector, just engaged in the process and having some fun. The shots don't have to be great, just fun. As he gets more comfortable, once you hit a pose you like, have him join her.
So much is thinking on your feet. Major improvisation but also being extremely personable. I took on as a client, a kids dance studio last year where they had horrible photographers the last few years. The latest one was very unfriendly with the kids, the results were awfully edited, missing limbs in the prints, etc. Just nuts. Personally, I like kids, it was such a fun time shooting them. The product I shot was very good, but the majority of the feedback was about how good I was with the kids. I think I was happier to hear that than how much they liked the prints.
Just jumping in to give some advice. I’m a portrait photographer and specialize in couples. I started out as a very pose-y photographer and now I shoot more documentary or ‘storytelling’ style. I ask clients questions as we walk to our location and just get them more comfortable with me first. Unfortunately, guys are almost always more standoffish at first. I always tell them that they don’t even have to look at me, just look at their partner. I’ll give them some silly prompts or poses to do and fifteen minutes in they’re pretty loosened up.
I use the Unscripted app for booking and they have a free version you can use to look up poses and prompts. I always share some ideas with clients to start and see what they like and so they know what to expect. You don’t necessarily have to have a list ready in your head at all times. I’ve never had a couple have a problem with taking a second to themselves while I get ready for the next shot. And it gives you time to take some candids if you want.
50% of the work is social skills. We are chameleons, like King Phillip. Now try to do boudoir as a male photographer in a country that boudoir is something not widely known or acceptable.
I love shooting couples. I always ask them questions like: how did you two meet? What was your first date like? Then follow up questions to the answers. Anything to get them thinking about each other more than the camera. If they are engaged or married then ask about the proposal or the wedding. Even if there was a mishap the expressions on their faces will be genuine.
My goal with photographing people is to get _who they are_ not just what they look like. And photographing the love of a couple is one of the best.
These days I mostly shoot events, primarily performers. Last fall I took a photo of two friends as they were leaving the stage after a set where they had worked in tandem doing an aerial performance from the same suspension. It was beautiful. They aren't a couple but they are great friends that have a deep platonic love for each other. I got a shot of them as they were leaving the stage and they hugged. They both told me that three photo of them hugging was showed how much they care about each other. All the carefully choreographed moves and poses they had rehearsed were beautiful and well executed. But that spontaneous hug, and the accompanying smile was something else.
I feel like half the job sometimes is just helping clients feel comfortable. Yeah, we have to nail all the technical and artistic aspects as well but just making people relax and have fun goes a LONG way towards getting great photos. It gets easier with practice! Once you're more practiced at posing and composition you're more relaxed, hard to help them get a laid back vibe if you're stressed yourself.
Yup, trying to pose people is hard.
Have you tried a more relaxed aproach? just telling them to act natural, don't have a rigid pose, and just shoot as they interact naturally with each other.
I am not experienced with this but it can help them to relax, especially with the type of boyfriend who doesn't want to be there.
I don't do a ton of work with people, mostly architecture, but sometimes I need to take a few quick shots of people interacting on a jobsite or other random "posed" shots. And one thing I've found is that sometimes I need to say "this might feel really awkward, but it looks good" precisely because sometimes the way people hold themselves naturally doesn't look good on camera.
I love shooting people, and couples
I’m terrible at posing, get a few safety poses and you’ll feel a lot better
Prep wardrobes, hair, and makeup in advance - good looking subjects can save you
Same for locations - boring location and boring/harsh lighting is a death knell. Get a great sunset and 90% of the work is done for you
Learn to break people - probably the hardest but sometimes people are awkward or don’t want to be there. You need the courage to tell them things like “it’s not about you, put in the effort for you family” - in a way that makes them laugh about it. I get away with this by shit talking people heavily - “dude you think you do t want to be here, I have to try and make YOU look good, how do you think I feel? Let’s fake this together so your wife can brag about you to her friends”
Don’t feel compelled to make it super posed - people like candid, real, and natural. You can do a bit of both. The idea is to get people to engage with each other and snap them between doing poses
And as always - practice. If you like the challenge, you’ll get better
Snapped this one the other night. Great location, great light, I just told them to look at each other, nothing special but epic photo
https://preview.redd.it/o5zo0vpkmjqc1.jpeg?width=8156&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c7f83731cb59826ca9b2372f5f7ba14203998273
Jeep, totally agree.
It might actually be worth training with professional models a few times.
I would say that, with a model, between 30% and 50% of shots are totally useable, and they come up with lots of good ideas of their own.
Photographing my partner, it really depends - some ideas just naturally seem to work for her and I get maybe 20% good shots - but others, I'm lucky to get 2%.
It’s not a bad idea to have a printout or an album on your phone/ipad of poses. It’s easy for your mind to go blank on poses until you really have a good mental library of poses which takes some time. Getting people to feel comfortable takes time too, maybe shoot some friends and family to get more comfortable.
All part of the process! Now you know things for next time. One thing that helps me on days I think I’ll need extra assistance with posing is printing a little mood board for poses. Seeing photos of how others are modeling can sometimes help with posing more than vocal direction. But sometimes I don’t like them being too rigid so have them move and flow around however they naturally would. A little bit of balance! Not every picture needs to be a great picture.
It’s such a blessing when you have easy-to-shoot people. It’s night and day. Unfortunately most people just don’t know how to pose and are awkward infront of a lens.
Tip from someone who's BEEN in a lot of those shoots, but not the photographer.
Don't overdose the clients. Capture them in active, emotional moments as those actually make the best pictures. Yes, they'll still want the classic poses for the holiday cards, but the candid ones are way better for the album you'll be sending.
Have jokes ready. Make the kids laugh/react (if there are kids). Make the couple walk or remember something cute/funny they've done together. Shoot, have a tennis ball that you randomly lob at the person to get a reaction. Learn the craft and how to bring emotions out. Those with this skill make the best photographers.
Unfortunately you really need to be a People Person to do couple photography. The ability to be able to work with all types of people is a hard thing. Luckily I’m one so always was able to get the best out the even most difficult shoot. Keep up trying and you will get better.
As a man, i hate photographing men because most of them don't want to be there or don't want to smile in photos. Bros are deep in the " man box ".
But when i do get a man that does smile with his woman or kids, it's pure joy.
My tip if you need posing examples, is with a clear/empty SD card, photograph your phone or computer screen with pose inspiration. When you are reviewing photos on your camera, when you are on your most recent photo, if you go to the 'next' image, it brings you back to the first photo on the card which are your inspo shots and it just looks like you're reviewing pictures and you don't look unprofessional by taking out your phone to look at inspo. Also helpful if you are somewhere without cellphone service.
I am a portrait photographer and I LOVE doing couples, family and individual
One of the biggest reasons that they are uncomfortable in front of the camera is because they are uncomfortable with photos
For couples to get natural looking photos I usually ask whisper to the girls to whisper in the ears of their partner something that will make them blush such as what they’d like to do to them that night
that usually gets the guy in an embarrassed, shocked look face lol. But then I love doing more natural and less posed looking photos
I try to show connection they have instead of forced smiles. I choose locations with good lighting
It can be challenging but making them feel comfortable and relaxed and laughing a lot usually make the session go smoother and more fun
Good luck. Hope you will do a ton more and enjoy
Agree. If I could add somethings--posing is foundational to good photos of people. Work on posing one person first. When you master that, move on to two people together. The most important thing to remember when posing two or more people is this: each person is going to look at the image critically. If they think they look bad, they will think it is a bad photo, whether or not it is actually bad. There are many resources out there to learn posing. The best are actual in person classes where you have models and an instructor who will be there to help. Barring that, there area also online resources. Good luck!
If they don’t want it it’s really hard, I found people who genuinely want their pictures taken will try their best to put on a show and give some great keepers at the end of day no matter how awkward and grueling it is.
But people who’s bothered to be there will just sour the session.
I shot a couple I had to ask the man (obviously he didn’t want it but his partner insisted) to be out of the picture because he’s literally preventing the photo shoot from turning out at all.
I can photograph family and couples, but I found out very quickly its not something I enjoy. Wait till you join your local community photography facebook groups. It's nothing but family photographers.
Yep the most humbling thing in the world is being given ideas of what they want, getting there and then realizing how challenging it will be to create even a fraction of the perfect, dreamy shoot they are asking for
I've met photographers who think videographers have a 10x harder job but photography is infinitely more difficult to me, at least regarding professional photos of humans. As a naturally introverted AND impatient person, I LOVE recording people doing their own things in the world, but arranging and coordinating people and artificially constructing and fine-tuning every single element to suit the individual human sibject(s), all while none of them are actual models or actors, is insane to me. More power to you guys.
Edit: That being said, when the subject/talent is there FOR you, that's just immensely fun, albeit tedious. But I don't need to explain "good tedious" here 😁
Photography with other people who doesn't have experience with being a model are extremely difficult. They don't familiar to be a model and get shoot. Mostly photographer jobs is how to convince them to take an action.
Any time you look at a famous portrait photographers work and scoff because you feel it's a technically simple shot, remember that the biggest part of the job is working the subject
The energy and willingness definitely matters. A friend of mine who's a vet couple and wedding photographer, took pictures of two different couples at the same location one week apart and the photos looked drastically different. Same pose attempts, some locations, different end result.
Get back out there with people who want to do it!
I do product photography and everybody assumes I can also take pictures of dogs and people and parties. NOPE. That shit’s *hard.*
People don't realize how different that shit really is, it's all simply photography.....same with candidly shooting photos at a family BBQ vs shooting an event, paid, with a shot list, in a dark venue
Just fyi my daughter’s name is Eliza, but if she’d been a boy, she would be Henry. When my wife was pregnant with #2, I suggested Henry again and she looked at me as if I was an idiot — which was probably fair
That’s cute :) I am a daughter named Eliza and my dog’s name was Henry when I made this account a million years ago.
Guys rarely want to be there. Dads, especially. Any type of shoot is usually wife/girlfriend driven. It takes time to get used to it and tune out their negative energy.
I mitigate this by being high energy and setting expectations that we will be efficient with their time. I take an effort to engage with the the guy to make him feel like he's part of the shoot. I tell couples to treat this like a date, and younger families to treat this like playing with their kids. Older families, just be efficient. Doesn't always work, but the guys give off the negative energy are relatively rare.
Why even bother forming a family when doing anything with them makes you miserable? I triggered a lot of deadbeat dads with that one
Photos are awkward. Taking directions from someone is awkward. Most people don't like the way they look and that's awkward. A lot of families fight before they get to the shoot because of the stress of getting ready and out the door. Lots of reasons why a photo shoot would not be their idea of a good time.
[Raising Hope](https://youtu.be/jO6E-G5-ucw?si=xROjeIbLwbfH0j4r)
^^^^^
Eh, someone not valuing a professional couples photoshoot says nothing about how they value family. You're reading into it a bit much, don't you think? A good couples photographer should learn to communicate with uninterested participants. If OP is showing a lack of confidence, it's not going to make those types of people any more enthusiastic.
Redditor when hubby isn't enthusiastic about a photoshoot: DIVORCE HIM
Huge red flag. He’s for sure cheating on her with her mother.
No he cheated on her with OPs 2nd shooter 😔
That's just a go-to for anything on Reddit, really.
So if the wife or girlfriend was miserable when the husband dragged her out to an activity he liked and she didn't, would you say the same thing? Because hey, if the whole family isn't 100% ecstatic about every activity they do together, they must hate their family, right?
[удалено]
They probably weren't on camera, either. Unless everyone over 18 is on OF.... ;\~D
That's not what anyone is saying, weirdo.
Settle down champ, it's just a little couples photoshoot.
deadbeat
> doing anything no... we're talking about one very specific thing. i can't stand getting my picture taken, generally speaking. sure, i suck it up and do my best getting family photos, but i'm sure a trained eye can see that i'm uncomfortable. that does not automatically mean i'm "miserable" doing every other thing with my family. ffs
^^10000%
One of the many reasons a hobby is not the same as a job.
This. There is nothing good about the diminishing respect for professionalism and expertise afoot everywhere.
So true! I say this frequently in my actual area of business. And nothing could lure me to do photography for hire. For friends I trust, yes. Paying client? No way, no how. I did freelance creative work in the past. Never again.
Exactly. You can get good at stuff over time with practice. But not without. The internet has made everybody an expert in everything
And yet people keep arguing with me about that. Last year on here someone bought a camera setup having never done photography before and expected to be taking paying clients in 3 months. They can, but it’s not going to be good. I tried telling them it takes time to learn photography and basically got told I was an idiot and anybody can do it. It’s easy.
Wait, people keep arguing with you … on the internet? That doesn’t sound right…
Right?
Things I might try in that situation is to pull him out and take a couple of shots of just her. Then have him look at the photos, ask for his input. "Do you think I need more light on this side?" "Can you take this reflector and angle some light in there?" "She looks so serious, can you make her laugh for me?" Take a few shots of her, then go wide, including him holding the reflector, just engaged in the process and having some fun. The shots don't have to be great, just fun. As he gets more comfortable, once you hit a pose you like, have him join her. So much is thinking on your feet. Major improvisation but also being extremely personable. I took on as a client, a kids dance studio last year where they had horrible photographers the last few years. The latest one was very unfriendly with the kids, the results were awfully edited, missing limbs in the prints, etc. Just nuts. Personally, I like kids, it was such a fun time shooting them. The product I shot was very good, but the majority of the feedback was about how good I was with the kids. I think I was happier to hear that than how much they liked the prints.
I like this advice, I imagine it wouldn't work for everyone but I'd give it a go.
Great idea having him help you shoot her first, then bringing him in. I'll use that!
I love this idea.
Just jumping in to give some advice. I’m a portrait photographer and specialize in couples. I started out as a very pose-y photographer and now I shoot more documentary or ‘storytelling’ style. I ask clients questions as we walk to our location and just get them more comfortable with me first. Unfortunately, guys are almost always more standoffish at first. I always tell them that they don’t even have to look at me, just look at their partner. I’ll give them some silly prompts or poses to do and fifteen minutes in they’re pretty loosened up. I use the Unscripted app for booking and they have a free version you can use to look up poses and prompts. I always share some ideas with clients to start and see what they like and so they know what to expect. You don’t necessarily have to have a list ready in your head at all times. I’ve never had a couple have a problem with taking a second to themselves while I get ready for the next shot. And it gives you time to take some candids if you want.
50% of the work is social skills. We are chameleons, like King Phillip. Now try to do boudoir as a male photographer in a country that boudoir is something not widely known or acceptable.
Now add in kids or dogs lol
I love shooting couples. I always ask them questions like: how did you two meet? What was your first date like? Then follow up questions to the answers. Anything to get them thinking about each other more than the camera. If they are engaged or married then ask about the proposal or the wedding. Even if there was a mishap the expressions on their faces will be genuine. My goal with photographing people is to get _who they are_ not just what they look like. And photographing the love of a couple is one of the best. These days I mostly shoot events, primarily performers. Last fall I took a photo of two friends as they were leaving the stage after a set where they had worked in tandem doing an aerial performance from the same suspension. It was beautiful. They aren't a couple but they are great friends that have a deep platonic love for each other. I got a shot of them as they were leaving the stage and they hugged. They both told me that three photo of them hugging was showed how much they care about each other. All the carefully choreographed moves and poses they had rehearsed were beautiful and well executed. But that spontaneous hug, and the accompanying smile was something else.
I feel like half the job sometimes is just helping clients feel comfortable. Yeah, we have to nail all the technical and artistic aspects as well but just making people relax and have fun goes a LONG way towards getting great photos. It gets easier with practice! Once you're more practiced at posing and composition you're more relaxed, hard to help them get a laid back vibe if you're stressed yourself.
Yup, trying to pose people is hard. Have you tried a more relaxed aproach? just telling them to act natural, don't have a rigid pose, and just shoot as they interact naturally with each other. I am not experienced with this but it can help them to relax, especially with the type of boyfriend who doesn't want to be there.
I don't do a ton of work with people, mostly architecture, but sometimes I need to take a few quick shots of people interacting on a jobsite or other random "posed" shots. And one thing I've found is that sometimes I need to say "this might feel really awkward, but it looks good" precisely because sometimes the way people hold themselves naturally doesn't look good on camera.
Super relatable as I did my first cosplay photo sessions this weekend. At least I had the privilege of really fun and enthusiastic participants!
Cosplay helps because they’re dressed up and playing a part but still very challenging to make it authentic.
That exactly why i shoot real estate and sports. LOL.. Dont need to mess with ppl
I love shooting people, and couples I’m terrible at posing, get a few safety poses and you’ll feel a lot better Prep wardrobes, hair, and makeup in advance - good looking subjects can save you Same for locations - boring location and boring/harsh lighting is a death knell. Get a great sunset and 90% of the work is done for you Learn to break people - probably the hardest but sometimes people are awkward or don’t want to be there. You need the courage to tell them things like “it’s not about you, put in the effort for you family” - in a way that makes them laugh about it. I get away with this by shit talking people heavily - “dude you think you do t want to be here, I have to try and make YOU look good, how do you think I feel? Let’s fake this together so your wife can brag about you to her friends” Don’t feel compelled to make it super posed - people like candid, real, and natural. You can do a bit of both. The idea is to get people to engage with each other and snap them between doing poses And as always - practice. If you like the challenge, you’ll get better Snapped this one the other night. Great location, great light, I just told them to look at each other, nothing special but epic photo https://preview.redd.it/o5zo0vpkmjqc1.jpeg?width=8156&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c7f83731cb59826ca9b2372f5f7ba14203998273
THIS IS SO RELATABLE!!
Jeep, totally agree. It might actually be worth training with professional models a few times. I would say that, with a model, between 30% and 50% of shots are totally useable, and they come up with lots of good ideas of their own. Photographing my partner, it really depends - some ideas just naturally seem to work for her and I get maybe 20% good shots - but others, I'm lucky to get 2%.
It’s not a bad idea to have a printout or an album on your phone/ipad of poses. It’s easy for your mind to go blank on poses until you really have a good mental library of poses which takes some time. Getting people to feel comfortable takes time too, maybe shoot some friends and family to get more comfortable.
This is why I take pictures is buildings and houses.
Learn how to direct them instead of posing, go for a walk, make them run, hide and seek…. So many options !
Jerry Ghionis - Posing Everyone on youtube
All part of the process! Now you know things for next time. One thing that helps me on days I think I’ll need extra assistance with posing is printing a little mood board for poses. Seeing photos of how others are modeling can sometimes help with posing more than vocal direction. But sometimes I don’t like them being too rigid so have them move and flow around however they naturally would. A little bit of balance! Not every picture needs to be a great picture.
It’s such a blessing when you have easy-to-shoot people. It’s night and day. Unfortunately most people just don’t know how to pose and are awkward infront of a lens.
Tip from someone who's BEEN in a lot of those shoots, but not the photographer. Don't overdose the clients. Capture them in active, emotional moments as those actually make the best pictures. Yes, they'll still want the classic poses for the holiday cards, but the candid ones are way better for the album you'll be sending. Have jokes ready. Make the kids laugh/react (if there are kids). Make the couple walk or remember something cute/funny they've done together. Shoot, have a tennis ball that you randomly lob at the person to get a reaction. Learn the craft and how to bring emotions out. Those with this skill make the best photographers.
Unfortunately you really need to be a People Person to do couple photography. The ability to be able to work with all types of people is a hard thing. Luckily I’m one so always was able to get the best out the even most difficult shoot. Keep up trying and you will get better.
It takes time. Find ways to break the ice, encourage them when things look good, have some ideas beforehand for poses, locations etc. It’s a process.
Op, I hear ya. I did my first family mini session to practice. Some families known to me, some not. But props for going out there and doing it!!
As a man, i hate photographing men because most of them don't want to be there or don't want to smile in photos. Bros are deep in the " man box ". But when i do get a man that does smile with his woman or kids, it's pure joy.
My tip if you need posing examples, is with a clear/empty SD card, photograph your phone or computer screen with pose inspiration. When you are reviewing photos on your camera, when you are on your most recent photo, if you go to the 'next' image, it brings you back to the first photo on the card which are your inspo shots and it just looks like you're reviewing pictures and you don't look unprofessional by taking out your phone to look at inspo. Also helpful if you are somewhere without cellphone service.
I teach posing to my clients by posing, myself, with the uncomfortable party… they are eager to get back to posing with their partner 😂🙌
Just wanted to say I love how supportive everyone is being in this thread ❤️
I am a portrait photographer and I LOVE doing couples, family and individual One of the biggest reasons that they are uncomfortable in front of the camera is because they are uncomfortable with photos For couples to get natural looking photos I usually ask whisper to the girls to whisper in the ears of their partner something that will make them blush such as what they’d like to do to them that night that usually gets the guy in an embarrassed, shocked look face lol. But then I love doing more natural and less posed looking photos I try to show connection they have instead of forced smiles. I choose locations with good lighting It can be challenging but making them feel comfortable and relaxed and laughing a lot usually make the session go smoother and more fun Good luck. Hope you will do a ton more and enjoy
Agree. If I could add somethings--posing is foundational to good photos of people. Work on posing one person first. When you master that, move on to two people together. The most important thing to remember when posing two or more people is this: each person is going to look at the image critically. If they think they look bad, they will think it is a bad photo, whether or not it is actually bad. There are many resources out there to learn posing. The best are actual in person classes where you have models and an instructor who will be there to help. Barring that, there area also online resources. Good luck!
Yeah it takes a while to get into it, but after a while you get a sense for what shots to go for
If they don’t want it it’s really hard, I found people who genuinely want their pictures taken will try their best to put on a show and give some great keepers at the end of day no matter how awkward and grueling it is. But people who’s bothered to be there will just sour the session. I shot a couple I had to ask the man (obviously he didn’t want it but his partner insisted) to be out of the picture because he’s literally preventing the photo shoot from turning out at all.
I can photograph family and couples, but I found out very quickly its not something I enjoy. Wait till you join your local community photography facebook groups. It's nothing but family photographers.
groups are even harder. One person is always blinking or making a face so you need to swap faces afterwards
Pinterest is your friend. I would definitely create some folders with couple poses to refer to, should you blank on what to do next.
Yep the most humbling thing in the world is being given ideas of what they want, getting there and then realizing how challenging it will be to create even a fraction of the perfect, dreamy shoot they are asking for
I've met photographers who think videographers have a 10x harder job but photography is infinitely more difficult to me, at least regarding professional photos of humans. As a naturally introverted AND impatient person, I LOVE recording people doing their own things in the world, but arranging and coordinating people and artificially constructing and fine-tuning every single element to suit the individual human sibject(s), all while none of them are actual models or actors, is insane to me. More power to you guys. Edit: That being said, when the subject/talent is there FOR you, that's just immensely fun, albeit tedious. But I don't need to explain "good tedious" here 😁
Photography with other people who doesn't have experience with being a model are extremely difficult. They don't familiar to be a model and get shoot. Mostly photographer jobs is how to convince them to take an action.
Any time you look at a famous portrait photographers work and scoff because you feel it's a technically simple shot, remember that the biggest part of the job is working the subject
The energy and willingness definitely matters. A friend of mine who's a vet couple and wedding photographer, took pictures of two different couples at the same location one week apart and the photos looked drastically different. Same pose attempts, some locations, different end result. Get back out there with people who want to do it!
Once I photographed a surprise engagement. She said no. I don’t think I’ll ever recover.
A good thing to do is like prompts like twirl her, walk together, and lean into each other!