I have been thinking about what makes a really good wedding photograph, and along with the light, and the skill of the camera operator, I think that posture has to be included as one of the absolute essential elements of great image creation. If you have ever seen a good mimic, then you will have noticed that they have the ability to see, and then copy perfectly, the small nuances of how a person carries themselves; how they walk, how they hold their arms, how they tilt their head, and in some way, this is what I also need to be aware of, in order to create the photos that I have in my mind.
We are all different shapes and sizes, and we all want to look our very best on our wedding day, with fancy hair, beautiful make-up, sharp suits for the fellers, not to mention the all important wedding dress, but none of these will truly come across on your photos if your shoulders are slumped and your hands are in a funny position!
Now, please don’t worry or feel that you have to do anything, or act in a certain way, in order to look fabulous on your wedding day; your natural confidence and happiness will shine through in the photos, and all I do is give you some gentle guidance on the day, just for the more “posed” shots. This will often be a simple hand placement in a particular spot, or a slight twist of the shoulders in order to create a more defined body shape. There is an old photography phrase which goes “if it bends, bend it!” and though this is not exactly eloquent, it does pop into my head every time I am organising group photos; so ladies should hold their handbags/ bouquets slightly away from their body with a bend of the elbows, and the men should be standing tall (not even in a sense of height, but more in a sense of confidence) with shoulders back and chins lifted slightly. All of this takes mere seconds for me to convey to you, and I promise that I work so quickly that you will hardly notice what I’m doing, but you will see exactly what a difference this all makes when you receive your photos.