Abigail Renee is a lover of the messy, unpredictable, and wilder curveballs that life sometimes throws our way. Looking through her photos, you’re struck by these disarmingly real moments captured mid-motion. Hair blowing in the wind, tongues tilted towards the sky to catch falling snowflakes. She believes that capturing movement is the key to preserving the authenticity of the moment. Here, we talk a little bit more about why, and how to create your own photography with movement.
Why is it important to add movement to your sessions?
For me, I’ve found that movement truly captures the authenticity and candid love that we want to see from our clients.
When they stumble, fall, or roll around laughing super hard because I had them do a weird pose… I live for these moments. When your clients are moving, they’re less self-aware. They’re focusing on the scenery or the pose in and of itself, not on you (or your camera).
When I get photos done, just the thought of a camera being pointed at me makes me feel weird. Adding movement can help your clients forget you’re even there, and focus on something else. When I shoot my sessions, I add movement to really capture who my clients are as people. I’m there to document candid laughing moments, hair blowing in the wind, my couples as their most natural selves.
What are some of your go-to poses and prompts that add movement?
I mentioned a few above, but here are some other favorites:
- One sneaks up behind the other and picks them up and spins them around
- Attack their partner’s neck and cheek with kisses
- Run and jump into their arms, then dip them back and bring them back up again
- Walk towards me and bump hips
- Run towards me like you’re in a baywatch movie
- Face each other, pick your partner up from under the butt, and spin them around a bunch of times
How do you ensure shy clients feel comfortable acting out poses and prompts?
This is a tough one for sure! The biggest thing that helps me is getting to know my clients to feel out what they may or may not be comfortable with.
Sometimes, it doesn’t hurt to ask what people feel comfortable acting out. During a shoot, I might look at my couple and say, “how do we feel about picking up?”
Some people may have injuries you may not be aware of, or some people just don’t like to be picked up (I’ve run into this instance a few times)!
The biggest tip I have is asking your clients before you do any crazy poses, but telling them to trust the process! Sometimes it’s easier to just tell your clients, “This is super weird, but I promise it’s going to look SO cute.”
Most clients will book you based on what they’ve seen you put out, so show what you want to shoot. If most of your photos are quiet and shy but you want to showcase more movement-based photos, try a few model calls and get more work like that up on your website and feed!
Last thing, it’s completely normal for most clients to feel shy. I feel shy getting photos done too. Make sure you’re communicating as you’re throwing out your poses. Tell your clients how beautiful they look, tell them they nailed the pose, tell them how excited you are! Be yourself. I am very outgoing and tell too many dad jokes but this helps my shy clients come out of their shell a little bit. I usually embarrass myself at most shoots too! Anything to get laughter, you know?
What are your favourite camera settings to use when capturing movement?
I always keep my shutter speed above 1/200, and adjust my settings from there. Never drop below 1/200 if you want to correctly capture movement. It’s risky business, but I shoot most sessions with my aperture at f/1.4 - f/1.6. ISO is always at 100 for sunset sessions as well, but I may adjust if it’s heavily wooded area or a dark cloudy day!
What advice would you give to new photographers struggling to add movement to sessions?
Test the waters! Sometimes you may throw out a pose and it completely flops and that’s OKAY! Sometimes my poses still flip too. The point is you tried and you know what to do next time. Also, do model calls to really get comfortable starting more movement based poses! Once you learn how to correctly describe them and suggest a pose, it gets easier.
A lot of photography is challenging yourself. So if you’re struggling to add movement, do a model call and hop outta that comfort zone! I promise you won’t regret it.
The second I started integrating more movement was the second I started to see my work really come alive. You can do it!
To rest your eyes on some of Abigail’s beautiful work, head on over to her @abigailreneephotography on Instagram.
For more tips on how to pose couples, check out our guide:
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FAQ's
Why is it important to add movement to your photography sessions?
How can I create a prompt to encourage movement in my subjects during a photo session?
How do you ensure shy clients feel comfortable acting out poses and prompts?
What are the best camera settings for capturing movement in photos?