Okay, first things first: EVERYONE thinks they’re awkward in front of the camera. Everyone. If I had a dollar for every couple who booked me and immediately went “just so you know, we’re SO bad at photos,” I’d have a lot of dollars. So if that’s the thing making you hesitate to book, lemme put your mind at ease, because making you feel natural is literally my entire job.
Here’s the thing nobody tells you: you don’t have to know what you’re doing. You’re not supposed to show up already knowing how to pose — if you did, you wouldn’t need me!
We’re not strangers by the time we work together
Here’s something I do that I think really matters: I get to know you BEFORE we ever get a camera involved. I send over a questionnaire and we chat through email — partly to lock in your dream locations, but really so I know who you two actually are. What you do for work, how you met, what you love doing together.
Because think about it — meeting a whole stranger in the middle of a forest and being told to kiss? Yeah, THAT’S awkward. But showing up to hang with someone who already knows your story and kinda feels like a friend already? Way less so. By the time we’re actually together, we’re not starting from zero.
And a lot of my Google reviews say some version of “she made us feel so comfortable,” which I think just comes down to the fact that I talk to you like a person, not a subject. I’m nice, I promise. We’re gonna get along.
I guide you, but you make it yours
Okay so here’s how it actually goes once we’re together. I’ll guide/prompt you into some poses and then I encourage to you to take that prompt and make it your own. All those candid, real-emotion images you’re drawn to? They come from movement and from you putting your own spin on what I give you. So I’m never going to just leave you standing there stiff, not knowing what to do with your hands, buttt I do want you to try different things out with your hands. See what feels right.
Give me the movement — run your hands through your hair, twirl, steal a glance, sneak a kiss, grab some booty if that’s your vibe. The stuff that feels a little silly in the moment is the stuff that turns into your favorite photos. Every time.
It’s not awkward, genuinely just FUN.
I know “engagement session” can sound stiff and serious in your head, but that’s really not how mine go. I’m bringing music. We’re taking breaks whenever we need them. We’re moving around so you’re never stuck posed in one spot feeling like a mannequin. Bring a drink if you want — we can crack a beer, pop some bubbles and sip while we work, I’m into it.
Mostly I’m just there with you, cracking jokes and keeping it light, because a couple that’s actually laughing and having a good time takes way better photos than a couple gritting their teeth through it. The fun isn’t a distraction from the photos. It’s how we get the good ones.
For weddings: let’s do an engagement session first
If you’re booking me for your wedding, here’s my number one tip for the awkward worry: do an engagement session with me first. It’s basically a practice run. You get comfortable in front of my camera, I learn how you two move together, and by the time your wedding day rolls around, none of it feels new. Which means your wedding day gets to be more relaxed, more natural, and way more you.
So if “we’re awkward in front of the camera” has been the thing holding you back — let it go. Feeling natural isn’t something you have to figure out before you get here. Show up, be into each other, and we’ll get there together. Inquire and let’s make something beautiful (and have a good time doing it).
