Documentary, with a little help: how we guide without posing you
What a prompt is, how it differs from a pose, and the small cues we use to help you relax on camera without staging your day.
In this note
Most couples who write to us say some version of the same thing: “We don’t want to be posed, but we have no idea what to do in front of a camera.” Both halves of that are fair. Documentary photography means we don’t stage your day. It doesn’t mean we stand in a corner and say nothing while you wonder where to put your hands.
This note explains the middle ground we work in: real moments first, and a little help when it’s useful. Here’s what that help looks like, when we give it, and when we keep quiet.
A pose or a prompt?
A pose is a position. “Chin down, hand on the shoulder, look over here.” It produces a picture of you holding still, and usually you can see the holding.
A prompt is something to do. “Walk towards me and tell each other what you’re looking forward to eating.” “Stand back to back, then turn around on three.” You’re moving, talking and reacting, so the photo shows how you actually are together. We take care of the light and the frame; you supply the real part.
The difference sounds small. In the gallery it’s the difference between a portrait you recognise and one that looks like a catalogue.
When we step in, and when we don’t
For most of the day we don’t direct at all. Getting ready, the ceremony, the hugs afterwards, the speeches, the dance floor: these are yours, and the most useful thing we can do is notice and stay out of the way. We won’t ask you to redo a kiss or walk into a room twice.
We do give light guidance in a few places:
- Couple portraits, usually two short sessions of 10 to 15 minutes each.
- Family and group photos, where someone has to say who stands where.
- Bad light or a cluttered background. If you’re about to read a letter facing a dark wall, we might ask you to turn towards the window first.
- Details, like rings or flowers that would look better a metre closer to the light.
Even then, the guidance is short. We set things up, then step back and let whatever happens next happen.
Prompts we actually use
Every couple is different, so we adapt on the spot, but these give you a sense of it:
- Where to stand: “Take two steps into the shade,” or “Face the sea, then turn your heads to each other.” Most of good portraiture is putting you in the right light.
- Hands: “Hold hands and let them swing as you walk,” “put your hand in their jacket pocket,” “fix each other’s collar.” Hands look relaxed when they have a job.
- Movement: a slow walk, a turn, a spin if you like dancing. Movement breaks stiffness faster than any instruction.
- Talking: “Tell each other the moment from today you’ll remember first.” We don’t need to hear the answer. Your faces do the rest.
- A breath: “Close your eyes, take one breath together, then look up.” Simple, and surprisingly useful when nerves are high.
Try this at homeBefore the wedding, take a ten-minute walk together while a friend follows with a phone. You’ll quickly feel how much easier it is to be photographed while doing something than while standing still.
No templates about who does what
Older posing guides come with fixed roles: the taller one holds the other, one person leads, one looks soft and one looks strong. We don’t work that way. Who leans in, who leads the walk, whose arm goes where: that comes from you, not from a template.
Height differences, how you like to stand, whether you’re comfortable kissing in a busy square: we ask instead of assuming. If there are angles you don’t like or things you’d rather we didn’t photograph, tell us on the planning call. We’ll remember, and nobody else needs to know why.
If you’re nervous in front of a camera
Plenty of people are, including people who are relaxed everywhere else. A few things help:
- Meet us beforehand. A video call, or a coffee if we’re nearby. Being photographed by someone you’ve already laughed with is a different experience.
- Give us the getting-ready time. By the time portraits come round, you’ll have stopped noticing the camera.
- Keep portraits short. Fifteen minutes in good light beats an hour of trying.
- Choose a quieter spot if public affection isn’t your thing. A courtyard, a side street or an early-morning beach works just as well as a famous viewpoint.
What this means for your photos
Most of your gallery will be photographs of things that happened without us: your guests, the details, the party, the two of you between moments. A smaller part will be portraits where we helped with the light and the frame. Because the help is light, the two parts sit together naturally. Nobody looks through the album and sees a gear change.
Our edit follows the same idea: true-to-life colour, clean skin tones, gentle contrast, no heavy filters that date in a few years. The goal is photos that feel like you today and still feel like you in ten years.
If you’d like to see how this looks across a whole day, have a look at our photography, or tell us about your plans and we’ll reply within 24 hours.
