How To get the amazing photographs while shooting for shy couples? Check out the finest tricks

How to get the amazing photographs while shooting for shy couples Check out the finest tricks

In a wedding, photography really plays an important role as the pictures captured during the event are not just photographs but the moments and the emotions captured during whole event which remains close to their hearts forever. Wedding photography itself takes huge efforts, and if the wedding photographer has to shoot a shy couple then photographing them becomes more challenging, because for the matter of the fact already shooting people who are not models and don’t know how to pose is a task and to make things more difficult for a photographer, most couples when don’t even like to have their pictures taken or they are extremely shy. But thanks to the techniques that make it easy for a photographer to complete his task brilliantly. The way wedding photography has evolved, and the trends which are been introduced in the photography make the photographer capture beautiful moments brilliantly. Especially the pre-wedding shoot is indispensable to capture the essence of their story, their relationship.

One of my friends who is a wedding photographer, lately has a similar experience. This time the couple he met was extremely shy, especially the groom. He kind of disliked being photographed. As an experienced wedding photographer, it is not for the first time he came across such couple, but this was different because the groom was shy here. But as a photographer he knew how to get them clicked, how to bring them in that comfort zone where they will not have any problem in getting captured. Though, it is not very easy to convince shy couple for the shoot. The best part of my friend is he is very patient with his client and that’s the reason he is able to get perfect photos, even the couple was stunned to see their album and they could not believe their eyes upon seeing their amazing portraits.

For sure you must have come across a shy couple at least once during your career. I think this is the story with every wedding photographer, once in a while you have to encounter shy couples, every wedding photographer does for that matter. Worry Not! And this is completely fine because most people are not trained models, they are ordinary people who do not wish to have too much, their only desire is to have them and their wedding captured beautifully. Most probably they would not have been a part of any professional shoot, leave professional photo shoots there are people who can’t face camera even on simple and casual occasions. They find it really difficult, just imagine a person who had avoided facing camera all his life and now a professional photographer is instructing or commanding him to pose a certain way, what would be his situation and how touch the task is for the photographer.

And it is natural because facing a camera is usually an out-of-comfort-zone for most people. They feel conscious and shy when faced with camera. Sometimes a photographer go insane in such a situation, notwithstanding, as a professional wedding photographer it becomes your responsibility to make your client comfortable while capturing his shoot, capturing the moods and the emotions in the most candid way which your client can cherish forever, whenever they will flip their albums.

Well, it is natural to face such situation as a wedding photographer but as the saying goes, every problem comes with a solution. Hence, this situation also has a solution. Here are 12 simple yet amazing tips and tricks to capture priceless photographs of a shy couple. Here we go…

1. First Thing First, Building Rapport With Your Couple

The very first step for a wedding photographer is to establish rapport with the client as soon as you meet them for the first time. It is always a photographer’s responsibility to have a clear communication with the client to know them well as it becomes easy to work with the client later. It is very important that you make an effort to get to know your couple before the wedding – as individuals and not just as clients. Talk to your couple as and when you can it will help you get to know more about them, especially their liking and disliking. Also, all your efforts will help you know what exactly the couple is looking for their wedding photography and their expectations from you. This way you would be able to build strong rapport with them which will not only help you get information about you but also by the time their wedding shoot will take place in actual they will have an ease and comfort with you, which is imperative to capture their candid and intimate moments.

2. Know Every Couple Has Different Story Altogether

Every couple who comes to you for their wedding shoot will always have a different story of their relationship and their family dynamics. If you know their story well in advance it becomes easy for you to capture a shy couple easily. Being a wedding photographer it becomes your job to know their story to create a wonderful wedding story of theirs which they can cherish all their lives.

The very first time when you meet your couple, make sure that you gather information about them like their stories, how they met, where they met first, their liking and disliking everything. Know what they want in their wedding photography, this will help you to plan their shoot accordingly. Their involvement is must in the process, only when they will be involved the whole thing will be easier for you too. You can customize the whole shoot based on the information you gather about them. Involve them in ideation process; you will know what their expectations are.

3. Stay Connected To Your Couple

If you are an introvert type of person than I believe this is not your cup of tea, you know photographers are literally talkative people. Only when you know your client well you can capture their candid moments and that can only be done when you are connected to them. Especially when it is their engagement shoot or their pre-wedding shoot, most couples find it difficult to face the camera in this situation, you need to understand their behavior and keep a constant flow of conversation, just like a doctor does when he is injecting a child for some illness, it is just a solution to divert the mind, the focus so that the person feels comfortable and do not feel awkward or difficult.

In the wedding you will capture the whole event, people, guests, food, decor but when it is about pre-wedding shoot it’s only about the couple and if your couple is shy than you have to make them feel comfortable with you. As in pre-wedding shoot there is nothing for them to focus except the camera and your instructions, you have to see that your couple is not getting camera conscious. Through pre-wedding photos you will be able to record their everyday life, and capture a relationship unique to that couple. Pre-wedding shoots are actually meant to annihilate the chances of anxiety or resistance to photo shoots that the couple might have before the wedding. Pre-wedding shoot will work as warm-up and preparation for the wedding day. Also, you will get enough time to understand their style.

4. Mind Your Tone; Your Tone Matters

Yeah, it may sound weird to you but your tone can either make things or break things for the couple, you have to be very polite while giving them directions, your directions should not sound like command. Keep talking to them, cracking jokes in between the shoot will not only light the environment but also help the couple to be comfortable with you. Talk about anything and everything about their outfits, about their story if it is a love story, their first meeting, about their plans for honeymoon, about their hobbies, their favorite time pass, once you will start talking you will know what to talk with them. The whole idea is to divert their attention from camera, so that they can forget the camera and can focus on themselves.

5. The Set-Up For Their Pre-Wedding Shoot

When your couple is a shy couple the best you can do to capture them in a comfortable way is plan their shoot in a set-up where they feel comfortable, where they feel connected. For an instance, the couple you got to capture is shy but theirs is a love marriage for sure they must have spent a lot of time in a specific setting maybe in some coffee house, or some outdoor set up a garden etc., You know if the set-up you plan their pre-wedding shoot in is familiar to them then your job becomes comparatively easier for you even when the couple is shy because they will automatically start to feel comfortable in the set-up where they spent most of their time together. Believe, you will get the best candid shots, try this trick!

6. Give them Some Time To Think Over It

While capturing your couple you cannot immediately start shooting them, it is your job to first decide the whole outline, give them the outline, the framework and then give them some time to think over the whole thing and discuss with each other. If you will give them that time, then forget good shots there and then only because their expressions will surely tell about their uncomfortability during the shoot. Just when they are ready, converse with them about something related to their wedding, indulge them in something they feel comfortable and here your that candid shot ready for you, take it!

7. Admire Them For Their Efforts And Participation

Who doesn’t like to be admired them? I think no one; same formula can be applied in case of shy couple also. While capturing them, admire them, talk praiseworthy things about them, and tell them how amazing it is to capture them. Start with few test shots and gradually when they feel comfortable, when they find their shoot going well and smooth, start capturing their candid portraits, they will love them for sure. It is important to boost their confidence to the level wherein they don’t find it difficult to face the camera and are able to take your instructions easily. Make all the efforts to relax them and just open up with you. You never know which trick works well in your case and you get those priceless shots during the shoot. Fingers crossed and just try out the trick; you will get the best result for sure.

8. Try Out Few Techniques And Tricks

If your couple is extremely shy, no effort of yours could make any difference then you can apply few tricks and techniques to have those candid photos which you want to have, and these tricks could be capture the couple in a way that doesn’t directly show their face, you can click him may be from back, from some other angle, basically the point is to make the couple feel easy, once your couple is at ease with you and your camera, you may get few shots of their faces too. The idea here is when you know that your couple is too shy to face the camera, better bring them in relaxed mode first and then gradually start other options.

9. Be Well Equipped With Varieties Of Focal Lengths To Shoot The Wedding

As a professional wedding photographer you already know that you have to be well equipped for the shoot. You already know that you need to have two cameras for using varieties of focal lengths, your photography starts the moment your couple enters the wedding hall and from that moment you have to be in shooting mode. Use wide-angle ranges, try out some close-ups especially when your bride is getting ready and your groom comes out of the dressing room wearing his sherwani, your groom may look shy and nervous yet the excitement of getting wed-locked to the love of his life will be reflecting on his face for sure, try out those angles wherein you can get those candid emotions and moments.

10. Make Best Use Of Wedding Decor And Lighting

Since your couple is shy and you know it, now you have to capture their portraits. To capture portraits you can use the wedding venue decor and lighting as the backdrop purposely. There are various experiments you can do with the light and decor of the venue to get the candid shots of the couple.

11. Go With The Flow

As a professional photographer, you already know that what worked for you in the last wedding will not surely work this time also. As every couple has different story, similarly the same shot which you captured last, this time won’t be effective. Don’t follow a set pattern for your wedding photography. You need to go with the flow while shooting your shy couple, capture their candid emotions and moments while going in flow and this way you will get amazing shots of the couple which they will surely admire while flipping their photographs later.

12. Be Relaxed

Well, it’s not that, only the couple needs to be relaxed, as a photographer you also have to be relaxed. Even in case of shy couple, you may sometimes feel it a tough task to get perfect photographs. You have to be extremely patient in case of shy couple, and just keep doing your job; you will definitely get the perfect shots to handover to the couple finally. Believe it!

All in all, the bottom line is, you have to work hard to make your couples comfortable and get them to trust you. As a wedding photographer you need to understand that each couple is different and may require a different approach and the above mentioned tricks are tried and tested to help you get going splendidly while shooting the couple! Best of luck for your next assignment with a shy couple, upon applying these tricks and tips you will definitely be able to achieve the great outcome.
Get Going…… ☺ ☺