Tips on Wedding Photography poses for classical, photojournalistic and creative wedding photography

For many years there has been a trend for reportage wedding photography but I always recommend to clients to allow some time for more formal group and family wedding photos, as they are the ones they will want to look at in years to come. While during a wedding I photograph a lot of candid portraits to capture the wedding day in a more fun and casual way, and while I describe my wedding photography style as modern creative wedding photography, classical wedding portraits still provide an iconic feel to the couple's official wedding shots. And equally important these are the wedding photographs that the parents of the bride and the groom also prefer printed and framed.

If you chose a professional wedding photographer s/he should be aware of the below and guide you during the photography photo session, but it’s always beneficial to bear in mind the below tips on posing which you can apply not only while your wedding photos are taken but also when any other photos are taken.

The Body and legs

The first guidance I give to anybody I shoot in a standing position is to stand at an angle of about 45° to the camera. This is the classic model’s pose as it makes the width of the shoulders less visible and therefore makes any person look slimmer. The second tip I give to the couple when we start the photo session is to put the weight on the back leg (the one furthest from the camera) so the back hip is hidden and away from the camera.  The back foot should be pointed away from the camera about 90 degrees, and the front foot should be pointed at the camera. (That’s feet in 4th position for the ballet dancers among you!) This gives a slimmer, more pleasing stance for any photo not just a wedding photo.

Similarly, if I photograph the bride and the groom seated I recommend that they sit slightly sideways to me and turn the upper body back to the camera. This posture makes legs look longer while crossing the legs also reduces the width of the body.

I also remind the bride to roll out the shoulder for a more erect posture which gives more elegance and style.

The hands

Hands easily show awkwardness so I always look out for people clenching their fists or curling their fingers. I advise clients that bent arms look more relaxed than straight ones, so I recommend to brides to hold the bouquet loosely in the hand nearest the camera and then to bend the elbow so that the bouquet is at waist height. A further tip to brides especially when being photographed alone is to hold the bouquet in one hand and to put the other hand on the hip as this accentuates the waist.

To the groom I recommend to put one hand in the pocket of the trousers in order to avoid the awkward hanging of the hand which the groom often doesn’t know what to do. It’s important to keep the thumbs out of the pockets so your whole hand is not hidden. This gives again a much more elegant and finished pose not only of the groom but of any man posing in a group photo.

In the cases when the bridal bouquet got misplaced I always position the bride and groom in what I call the Prince Albert of Monaco and Princess Stephanie wedding pose. Their photograph of a pose without a bridal bouquet was widely published in most media and was still very royal and flattering. The idea is to show elegance without the awkward holding of the hands that often happens between couples when the bridal bouquet is missing. The idea is for the groom to bend his arm at the elbow and turn it upwards and offer it as a support to the bride who gently places her arm into  his. The trick is for both the bride and the groom to avoid clenching strongly onto each other which makes fingers look unappealing and the wedding photo look strained.

The head

Just like the shoulders, turning the head slightly to a three quarter position allows to slim down a wide face or jaw line. Therefore unless I intentionally photograph the person straight on I always recommend the bride or the groom to slightly tilt their face to one side. It also helps stretch out the neck area which helps avoid double chin problem.

The kiss

It’s always a fun moment during the photo session when we come to the ‘kiss’ photo as a lot of couples are quite eager share a kiss with their newly wedded other half. However it often all ends up with quite a lot of squashed lips and noses that do not look very flattering. I therefore recommend the couple when posing for a more formal kissing photo to pause for a second just millimetres from each other just before the actual kiss. This not only shows both faces in a more elegant and beautiful way but also make the kiss look more natural.

Allow plenty of time

It takes time to create good wedding photographs and an extra bit longer to do something creative,  so don’t expect masterpieces in five minutes. While in the US couples allocated up to 2 hours for their wedding photography in the UK most wedding photographers recommend at least 20 minutes to for wedding portraits. If you only have 10 minutes, that’s fine, just be realistic about what can be achieved. I’ve photographed weddings with no time allocated for formal wedding photos when bride and groom wanted pure photojournalistic wedding photography but I always tell the couple that the more time they allow for the photos the more creative wedding photographs I can produce.

Enjoy the moment

Finally, don’t forget to enjoy the moment while taking the photos. Couples often don’t realize that their wedding photo session is one of the few moments during the wedding they can spend on their own. After the more formal photos I switch to my long lens and step back and leave the couple to enjoy themselves while I take more relaxed casual portraits. The easiest way to get a natural smile is to think happy thoughts. I often ask the couple to share their feelings about the wedding so far. I urge the couple to concentrate on each other rather than what I am doing. Some of the best photos come when you forget you’re being photographed.

Last piece of advice to all couples however is – choose a wedding photographer with who you have a good rapport. S/he will be the one to help you relax in front of the camera. I always include in my packages an engagement photography session. This not only gives a few nice photos of the couple but gives couples the chance to get to know me better and practice some of the poses. It also helps break the nervousness of being photographed out of the way.

For further information on Central London wedding photography and to view our portfolio of wedding photography in London, Europe, France, Monaco, Italy, Cyprus, Greece, Portugal, Zurich and Russia please visit www.NeliPrahova.com or contact Neli on nprahova@gmail.com.

Sikh Indian wedding photography

Not long ago I had the unique opportunity to do the Sikh wedding photography in London. A Sikh wedding is also called Punjabi wedding as among Sikhs the weddings are conducted in Punjabi.

The Sikh marriage is a simple, yet elegant occasion wherein various rituals are followed before, during and after it. Anand Karaj is the prescribed form of Sikh marriage and the words literally translate as 'Blissful Union". The wedding ritual takes place early morning, usually associated with peace and tranquillity.

That’s why I starting the Sikh wedding photography by arriving at the groom’s house at 7am and the whole family was getting ready to start the rituals in the groom’s home.

The groom was dressed in traditional shirt and trousers and wore a red, turban, a coloured scarf (pulla) and a sword (since Sikhs were traditionally warriors).

The groom was made to sit on a stool and four girls held a cloth over his head. All the women in the house then gathered around him and applied a touch of 'kajal' (kohl) to the groom's eyes to ward off the evil eyes. They also adored him with some garlands and showered him with money.

After a lot of Sikh wedding photography photos, the groom’s family and I drove to the Sikh temple called the Gurdwara where the ceremony was to take place. The groom's party (baraat) was greeted by the male relatives from the bride's family to the singing of 'Hum Ghar Saajan Aaye' a hymn giving thanks for being blessed by the arrival of the Sikh groom. The bride's father greeted the groom's father by garlanding him and was garlanded in return. Thereafter all the male relatives of the bride greeted the groom's family in sequence adoring garlands onto each other.

Following these exchanges of welcome we proceeded into a building called Langar hall close to the temple where tea with samosas and sweets were served. The bride hasn’t yet arrived as she was to arrive only after the groom, his family and all his guests entered the prayer hall (Darbar sahib) in the temple.

When finally the Sikh wedding ceremony was about to start the bride, whose face was covered, entered the hall escorted by her father, her sisters and girlfriends and was seated on the left of the groom. The bride's father placed a corner of the bride's veil (pallav) in the groom's hands and over his shoulder into the bride's hands, symbolically connecting them and giving his daughter away in marriage. During the ceremony the groom and the bride got up four times to circle around the Holy Book. Four times the groom led the bride who was symbolically tied to him and who was supposed to follow a step behind him. During each circle around the Holy Book there were hymns containing blessings and advice.

It was interesting to know that during the ceremony the Sikh bride is not allowed to look up but she should modestly look down throughout the ceremony. I was therefore thrilled to have the brief opportunity to photograph the bride as she once looked to the side. I’d say this is my favourite photo from this Sikh wedding photography.

The ceremony ended with the Sikh prayer Ardaas in Punjabi and was followed by the Guru's counsel 'vaak'. This was done by opening the Holy Book at random and reading out a verse from a page on the right. A symbolic bread 'Karah Parshaad' made of semolina, butter, and sugar was distributed to all the guests in the temple.

The whole ceremony was concluded with the typical for a Sikh wedding photography tradition of numerous photographs. The guests approached the couple to give them money and stood for a photo.

Following the intricate ceremonies of the Sikh wedding we have proceeded to the wedding venue which was an hour drive. As the wedding was more than 600 people the most suitable venue that the couple have selected was a race course outside of London.

The typical tradition is for the groom to arrive at the temple by horse and following the ceremony to arrive at the wedding venue riding the horse with his bride behind him. However in a modern twist of this tradition the couple made a grand entrance by arriving in a helicopter.

With 600 guests to greet and entertain unfortunately I was limited with the time to spend with the couple for more creative wedding photography at this beautiful Sikh wedding, however I did managed to take a few photos of the couple on their own. It was surprising to see the change in the groom who after the wedding ceremony has changed into European clothes and has shaved the beard which was grown for the purpose of the wedding. The bride has remained in the traditional red sari.

The party was a wild affair but nothing less is expected from a Sikh wedding which are famous for the exuberant dancing, singing and drinking, which unlike in Muslim tradition is allowed for the Sikhs.

It was certainly a fascinating thing to do a Sikh wedding photography in Greater London but I can certainly say that with nearly 15 hours of work involved of photography coverage and 600 guests it was a tiring job. I had a well-deserved rest on the following day.

For further information on Indian wedding photography in London and UK and to view our portfolio of Sikh, Buddhist, Muslim and Hindu wedding photography in Central London and Greater London as well as wedding and events photography in Central London, Europe, France, Monaco, Italy, Cyprus, Greece, Portugal, Zurich and Russia please visit www.NeliPrahova.com or contact Neli on nprahova@gmail.com.

Indian wedding photography London

Indian wedding photography is always beautiful as the wedding clothes, the bridal make up, the bridal jewelery and all the details are so picturesque. I have photographed all the different types of religious ceremonies of an Indian wedding - Sikh wedding, Hindu wedding, Buddhist Indian wedding and Muslim Indian wedding - and in all the types of Indian weddings the brides had exquisite dresses.
A couple of months ago I've photographed a selection of Indian bridal dresses that were just breathtaking. The wedding hair and make-up were the fine work of Kolly Suchana www.suchana.co.uk who helped organise the photo shoot. She also carefully selected the bridal dresses which represented Indian wedding dress designs for the different seasons of the year as well as certain Indian regions. The girls (Tequila @VicioModelManagement, Julia, Mona) are all professional models. Julia was certainly natural in the wedding dresses and looked like a traditional Indian bride, but Julia and Mona looked very beautiful and their European features in the Indian bridal dresses were fascinating.
I now look forward to my next Indian wedding photography in London though the Indian weddings are usually quite big and they often take place outside London. However, no matter the location, I always look forward to be the wedding photographer at an Indian wedding.

For further information on Indian wedding photography in London and to view our portfolio of Sikh, Buddhist, Muslim and Hindu Indian wedding photography in Greater London as well as destination wedding photography in Europe, France, Monaco, Italy, Cyprus, Greece, Portugal, Zurich and Russia please visit www.NeliPrahova.com or contact Neli on nprahova@gmail.com.