I remember starting off in photography and spending hours trying to memorize every aspect of my favourite Pinterest pictures to recreate at my sessions and walking away feeling like I never achieved the images I wanted. When I started using prompts instead of poses the difference and growth was crazy. But man was it hard to find prompts that I thought actually worked. Now I will say there still is a fair amount of posing that goes along with the prompts its not just a free for all but I wanted to share some of my favourites for real smiles and laughs.
1) The Shoulder Ride
This is probably my favourite and the newest one I’m obsessed with. Couples are always nervous about this prompt but I always stress how cute it is. I just tell my couple to do a shoulder ride, most will know how to do this sometimes they need help. I try to make this pretty fast so she or he doesn’t have to sit up their for too long. But I give them a couple seconds to get their balance, then I tell the guy to let go of the girls ankles since that is always where he holds her and grab her hands. I get a couple shots of them like that, then I tell her to try her best to lean over and give him a kiss on the cheek, and that she might have to scoot her butt a little back to do that. Then I snap away.
2) The Piggy Back
This prompt/pose is always a go-to for me. You can get super cute romantic picture from the piggy back or super fun playful ones. Its fun when the guy and girl reverse rolls but I always make sure to get the traditional rolls as well. I start off by getting them both too look at me, then I get the person on the back to lean over and kiss the other one on the cheek. I don’t give much direction for this because I love their real reactions especially when they squish the face. After this I tell the person on the bottom to give the other the “bumpiest ride of their life” so to essentially bump them up and down like your readjusting again and again and again. Then I end with a spin.
3) The Reverse Piggy Back or Koala
Okay, this always is the most romantic pictures and there is not really much to explain here. I tell my couple to get into the position and then to really just stare into each other, breathe each other in and have a moment. If they need some more help I’ll tell them to each tell the other something they love about them. This always gets cute smiles. I normally do this pose in the middle to end of a session when they are more comfortable in front of the camera and with me.
4) The Under The Butt
I honestly don’t know how to describe this one but I always just tell the guy to pick her up under the butt. I tell her normally to wrap her hands around his head in a very dynamic way. I tell them to kiss, to look in each others eyes and I also love to throw a spin in, spins always mean smiles and laughs, throw them in wherever possible. If your looking for a more playful image you can also have them do this where she isn’t facing him and he picks her up and spins her.
5) The Throw Her Over The Shoulder
The looks you get when you tell your couples about this prompt are always the best but I always promise them they look adorable and stunning. I tell the guy to throw her over his should so that her face will be facing me. I get low and get some images of her smiling and then I tell him to either carry her somewhere or to spin.
My prompt list is forever growing but I always come back to pick up poses I do 2-3 of these per session IF the couple is alright with them. I always ask if they are comfortable doing each individual prompt I never assume a couple will want to do any of these. But if they are interested they always turn out so cute! Thanks for reading let me know what other prompt lists you’d be interested in seeing.