First off, you are most definitely not alone, I am totally with you on this one and it is a big reason why I started taking photos many years ago. In my mind, if I'm the one always taking the photos I am never in them. So, trust me when I say I get the pain and anxiety you feel.
A high percentage of our couples often tell us they hate having photographs taken and as a result often don't like the pictures they have ended up with on previous occasions.
There are many things you can do to help get you through this and here we discuss a few of the possibilities open to you.
1. Choose the right photographer for you
This is probably the number one piece of advice you will hear on this subject and we cannot stress just how important it is. The best choice would be a documentary style wedding photographer. Their approach is much more relaxed with far less if any posed photographs. We often take our couples away from all the guests to give them a breathing space and time to be together as a couple. Also, with our zoom lenses we are still able to take photos of the couple together without being up close and personal posing them all the time. The photos as a result are very natural.
2. Movement
Rather than standing stiffly, feeling totally awkward which will show in your photos move around with each other. If possible go for a short walk with your photographer, have a little dance together or be silly and tickle each other. It really does not matter what you do, but there will be zero stiffness in your photos as a result.
3. Get close and intimate with your partner
There is absolutely no need to be staring down the lens of the camera looking like a deer in the headlights. Gaze into each others eyes, talk to each other, adjust the grooms tie...the ideas are endless, but the point is when you focus on each other you often forget the camera is there and are far more relaxed.
4. Props
Props can be brilliant as they give you something to do with your hands, which let's face it, is one of our biggest problems. So often we just don't know what to do with our hands in photographs.
5. Pre-wedding shoot
Over the course of several meetings we really get to know our couples and they us so by the time their wedding arrives they are relaxed in our company which makes the photography a lot easier. But, the final thing we do with all our couples now is offer them the opportunity to visit their venue with us and of course we take our cameras long too. This not only allows us to see the venue through their eyes and let them show us why they fell in love with the location, but also means we can try out some shoots with them so they know what to expect on the day.
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