How to Pose Grooms and Groomsmen Effectively

By: Jackie Lamas  

Wedding days aren’t just about the bride, even though it might seem that way. As photographers we must also take photos of the groom by himself and with his groomsman buddies – whether they like it or not.

Posing the groom alone

When posing the groom alone you often see stiffness and shifting eyes because most men don’t feel  comfortable having their photo taken. So it’s worth starting a conversation that has nothing to do with the wedding to relax them and settle their nerves.

Find a nice background where you can photograph the groom at three different crops: full-body, half-body, and close-up. These three crops will add variety to your portraits, and give you more options when choosing the best portrait to deliver to your clients.

For example, window lighting can add dimension and depth while the groom is adjusting his tie or watch, or buttoning his shirt. Have the groom look out the window, or at his watch or tie. This keeps his hands busy, and because he’s not looking at the camera he won’t feel as vulnerable.

When you’re outside you can have the groom lean on a wall, or simply stand in the middle of a walkway. To help him pose naturally, tell him to stand as if he was by himself and not getting his photo taken.

Also, remind him to breathe. The stiffness is often caused by the groom holding his breath. It will also help him relax his shoulders and overall stance.

Photographing the groom at three different crops is a great way to add variety to the final images.

If the groom usually puts his hand in a pocket, have him put the one furthest from the camera into his pocket. This can help make the portrait feel more natural. Having the groom look at various points beyond the camera (to the side, behind you, or even at his shoes) can reduce the nerves and stiffness, and make him feel more comfortable.

As you’re taking the groom’s portraits, feel free to joke around, talk about things they like, or simply compliment them. This can make them feel more comfortable and bring about natural smiling and laughing, as well as fill in the silence.

Sitting is another great way to pose the groom. Have him sit on steps, a short wall or a chair. It will make the groom feel less stiff, and allow you to focus on various details of his outfit such as his shoes or socks if he chose something special.

Portraits of the groom while with the bride

But the groom doesn’t have to be completely alone in his portraits. A beautiful portrait of the groom with his bride can isolate him while placing him in the overall story of the wedding day.

Pose the couple facing each other, and ask the bride to place her head on his chest or arm to bring her face out a little. Then have her close her eyes while you direct the groom to look at the camera.

Another great portrait is having the groom at a 45-degree angle, with the bride behind him. Ask her to put her head on his back/shoulders, and have him look either directly at you or off into the distance.

He doesn’t have to smile. He can even look a little more serious. But the big picture will still look romantic and show that the couple is sharing a special moment.

You can move the groom and bride from there and create variations where the groom is:

• in focus
• in the forefront
• looking directly at the camera
• the main focal point in the photo.

These will all make great portraits of the groom and help him pose with his bride.

Groomsmen

Groomsmen are really fun to photograph. Most of the time they’re buddies and will joke around a bit, which can make for great candid photos. But it can also mean they won’t take the photo shoot seriously.

One way to get them to listen and cooperate is to let them know the faster they get through the photo shoot, the sooner they can start having fun. But don’t use this trick until you’ve captured some candids showing how they all interact, as it will be nice for the groom to have those as well.

Keep at least three different groomsmen setups in mind before photographing the wedding. You can find inspiration online and save those inspirational photos on your phone to recreate or build on them. This can save you lots of time if you’re new to wedding photography.

Try and keep the conversation light and easygoing. It will help the groomsmen relax, and you’ll get much more authentic expressions from them.

Group huddles and hugs are great icebreakers, and can lighten the mood if you feel the photos are getting a little stiff or the groomsmen are losing steam. A slow walking photo is also nice to have and having them looking at each other and talking is a great way to get them all smiling.

A staggered photo, either on a staircase or in a big area, can provide you with more varied poses for your final photos. If you have enough time, get a photo of each groomsman with the groom. Keep the photos moving by keeping the groom in the same place and having the groomsmen take turns standing beside him.

Keep everyone’s height variations in mind when taking photos of the groom with his groomsmen. Taller groomsmen may need to stand further back. If there are big height differences between the groom and his groomsmen, place those who are about the same height next to the groom, or bring the groom closer to the camera. This can help isolate the groom and make him the focal point of the photo, which is exactly what you want.

Keep everyone moving and try to get the photos done quickly. Groomsmen are usually ready for the next event pretty quickly and get sick of the camera much faster than the bride and bridesmaids.

If the groomsmen have ideas for poses, go along with them. It may be an inside joke or something that brings them closer together as buddies. And they’re usually the photos they love to remember.

Also, always ask if the groomsmen are wearing something special or have a gift from the couple – watches, socks, matching shoes, flasks, etc. These items have far more meaning when they’re photographed in the hands of those who received or are wearing them.

For example, these groomsmen all received personalized flasks from the groom, so a toasting photo was fun to create for them, along with a close-up of one of the flasks.

Grooms and groomsmen are fun to photograph during a wedding. But it’s best to have a few poses in mind so you can work quickly, as they often don’t like having their photos taken and may tire quickly. Keeping the mood light and fun gives them a great experience, and they’ll look back at the photos with fond memories.

Travel Photography – Getting More Variety in Your Shots

By: Darren Rowse 

Check out our Travel Photography Guide – Transcending Travel.

You’ve probably witnessed the ‘tour bus photo stop’ before. It goes something like this:

• the bus pulls up at the ‘scenic lookout’
• 40 tourists pile out of the bus
• they proceed to rush to the fence separating them from the castle/ruin/coastline/authentic indigenous village
• they all line up in a line and proceed to snap of 10 shots each as quickly as possible
• digital cameras are passed around the group so everyone can get a shot of themselves on their own cameras standing in from of the castle/ruin/coastline/authentic indigenous village
• the tour guide blows a whistle, shouts out that time is up and gets the driver to honk his horn
• 40 tourists pile back onto the bus
• the bus roars off to the next ‘scenic lookout’

I’m not knocking tours – I’ve done a few in my time and know that while it’s great to travel at your own pace that tours have some good things going for them.

However, these ‘photo stops’ do no really lend themselves to creative and unique images. I suspect most of the 40 tourists on the bus end up with pretty much identical images to one another (and 99% of tourists on every other bus that goes by).

So how can you do something a little more creative on your next tour? Here are 10 ideas that come to mind:

1. Explore the location

99% of photos that I saw taken by my fellow travelers on my last trip were taken from the same vantage point. One of the first things I did on a ‘photo stop’ was to find more interesting spots shoot from.

Walk up the road a little, walk to the other side of that castle, look for a higher vantage point etc. It is amazing what can be achieved even in just a few minutes by searching for a vantage point with a little difference.

Time might not always permit to fully explore a location but often tour guides will be willing to extend a stay at more interesting sites if you simply ask.

2. Find Fresh Angles

I’ve written before about how shooting from different angles can add creativity and interest to your shots so I won’t go into great detail here.

But get down low or find a way to shoot down on a subject and you’ll be surprised just how different your shots can be from your fellow travelers.

3. Different Lenses/Focal Lengths

On my last trip I traveled with a couple of lenses that constantly caused my fellow travelers to look at my shots at the end of the day with envy.

I took a 70-200mm lens and a 17-40mm lens. This gave me a very wide spread of focal lengths to choose from, something that added a lot of variety to my shots.

4. Wide Angle

Wide angle shots can be breath taking – both when shooting landscapes but particularly when shooting street scenes and portraits (you get all kinds of interesting angles). Some of the best shots from my last trip were shot at 17mm and I came home wishing I’d had something even wider.

5. Zoom Zoom Zoom

Having a long zoom when traveling can give you opportunities that most of your fellow travelers won’t have. Being able to get a tightly cropped shot of the castle’s turrets or being able to photograph the dancers at the show that villages put on for you can be the ‘wow’ shots in your album. Fill Your Frame.

Of course there are a few costs with traveling with multiple lenses:

• Weight – big lenses weigh you down.
• Security – the more gear you take the more bits and pieces you have to keep an eye on as your travel and the more attention you draw to yourself
• Damage – changing lenses on the fly can be a bit risky both in terms of dropping gear and getting dust into your camera. Take care.
• Time – changing lenses too much can mean you have less time to actually enjoy the sites of your travel.

Another alternative when traveling is to choose a single lens with a wide zoom range.

6. Local People

I still remember a time on a recent trip to Turkey when on one of these ‘photostops’ where I came across a couple of young boys playing with some spinning tops. While the rest of my fellow travelers all took shots of a view 100 meters up the road I was lucky enough to get some great shots of these local kids having a grand old time playing (I got permission to photograph them from their Dad who was watching on).

While I love a great landscape shot I find that it’s often the shots of the local people in a location that can really give a good feel for the places that you travel to. Keep in mind it’s worth asking for permission when photographing strangers.

7. Go Vertical

As I look at my own previous travel shots I notice that I take a lot of images in the horizontal (or landscape) format. Perhaps you’re different to me but horizontal framing seems to be more ‘natural’ for me and I need to remind myself to think about vertical (portrait) framing.

8. Signs

One type of subject that can say so much about your location and which adds interest to any travel album are signs. No matter where you are in the world you’ll find signs telling people where they are, how to behave or pointing out some aspect of a location. Photographing them can be fun, inject humor and give context to the shots you take while traveling.

9. Photograph the Your Fellow Tourists

I still remember coming home from my first overseas trip as a 16 year old (I went on a school band trip to Malaysia) and showing the pictures that I took to my parents. They pointed out to me at the end of the album that I’d managed to photograph most of the buildings in Malaysia but didn’t have a single picture of those I was traveling with (or myself). People add so much to photographs – whether it’s those you meet on the road or those you’re traveling with and not capturing them can leave you disappointed when you get home. They can also help to show the cultural differences between the visitors you’re with and the local area.

10. Utilize Free Time to Go Exploring

When on an organized tour with others there can be limitations on how much time you have free for photography. Not everyone on the bus will share your passion for getting unique shots so you’ll want to utilize your spare time carefully. Most tours give free days and nights – use them wisely. When you get to a town or city where you’ll have free time look up the local attractions and ask locals for advice on what to see. Another good way to scope out the scenic sights is to check out postcard stands for the sites (postcards can sometimes give good examples of composition and vantage points too).

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Free Photography Ebooks

 
Thanks for stopping by.  Here's a selection of 12 free Photography E-books, including some from last weeks selections.  

Guide to Portrait Photography Basic – by Adorama

No matter what your level as a photographer, it’s always possible to improve. This free guide on portrait photography from Adorama can help both beginners and advanced photographers alike, with easy to follow guides on developing and maintaining a solid foundation of portrait photography. Definitely something for everyone.

The 2016 Photo Business Plan Workbook – by Photo Shelter

Updated for 2016, you’re provided with a step-by-step guide to help you implement a rock solid business plan, target the photo clients you want, and land more gigs.

8 Types Of Natural Light That Will Add Drama To Your Photographs – by Anne McKinnell

Who’d have though there were so many different types of natural light? Anne describes the best way to use your camera in different natural lighting situations in this useful free photography ebook available on iTunes.

The Shy Photographer’s Guide To Confidence – by Lauren Lim

This one’s been around for a while but the information is just as relevant today as ever. Photographers are often introverted characters, and this free photography ebook gives advice on how to gain the confidence to interact with your subject and become a better photographer.

Set Up Your Own Photoblog – by Nancy Messiah

Love it or loathe it, blogging is a powerful way to get your photography work out into the world. Nancy explains the basics of setting up a blog for your personal or professional work. You should also check out my Shotkit guide on how to make a blog.

Ten – by David duChemin

You’re probably more familiar with David duChemin from his video work with Canon cameras, but he also writes free photography books. In Ten, David delves into 10 techniques and ideas that will help elevate your photography.

Ten More – by David duChemin

More of the same from an expert in the industry, this time regarding techniques, ideas and exercises to give your photography a refresh and perhaps teach you some new tips.

Creative Lens Techniques – by Photo Answers

Selective focus and hyperfocal distance are two of the topics covered in this interesting read by Jessops and Photo Answers magazine.

Before The Shutter: Planning Your Next Travel Photography Adventure by Anne McKinnell

An interesting read on a topic that’s not very often discussed – the planning that goes behind a photography trip. You’ll learn essential tips and techniques to get the most from your next trip, to be well prepared before you even pick up your camera.

Starting a Photo Business – by Photo Shelter

These guys know what they’re talking about when it comes to building a successful photography business. If you need a hand with where to start, check out this free ebook.

Insights from Beyond the Lens – Inside The Art and Craft of Landscape Photography – by Robert Rodriguez Jr

Stunning landscape photography and an entertaining read about  a journey to discover the art, craft and passion that lies behind landscape photography.

A Photographer’s E-Guide to Making Sharp Photographs – by Scott Bourne

Getting sharp photos isn’t just about your shutter speed. Learn the tips and tricks to a razor sharp photo in this great free ebook by one of the industry’s greats.

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A break from the technical stuff with this inspirational free photography ebook based on Scott’s own experiences in the field.

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Posing Tip for Portraits – Which Way Should Your Subject Lean?

A Post By: Darren Rowse

I once took some body language classes in a previous job to help me learn both how to read people and how to present myself. One of the tips that stuck with me from it was that when you lean towards a person that you’re interacting with you present yourself as interested and engaging. Similarly – if someone else is leaning towards you they are probably listening to you and are engaging with what you’re saying.

A similar thing can be conveyed in portrait photography.

When taking an upper body portrait a simple way to make your subject more engaging and friendly is to have them lean in towards your camera a little. 

You don’t need them to lean in or bend over too far – but even having them do it just a small bit can help. Another way to give the impression of your subject leaning in is to photograph them from slightly above (as in the image on this post).

Alternatively if you are wanting a more formal portrait you’ll probably want to post your subject in a more upright position with them sitting up straight.

Lastly, if you’re feeling like experimenting with leaning your subject back away from the camera it’s possible to create a feeling of joviality as if they are leaning back for a belly laugh. Of course leaning back can also make your subject look quite uncomfortable and even defensive and it’s a pose that I tend to avoid.

Get more Posing Tips at What Everyone Should Know about Posing for Portraits

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