“Walk toward me but like you’re not thinking about anything.” “Laugh but not at anything specific.” Or “don’t do anything cute yet I’m not ready!”
Some of the things we say during a session sound pretty funny out of context. We’re talking with you, trying things, and keeping the camera ready while you move.
Here are a few directions you might hear, and what we’re photographing while you try them.
Walking shots
We might ask you to walk toward us, turn, or take another pass along the same path. That gives us a few chances to catch the movement of your outfit and your expression as you go.
You can talk to us while you walk. And if the direction is confusing, ask. We can show you what we mean.
Laughing at nothing
Sometimes we’ll ask for a laugh and see what happens. It can turn into laughing about the fact that we asked you to laugh.
That’s a fairly funny little situation to be standing in together. We’ll have the camera ready for it.
Looking away from the camera
We might ask you to look toward the end of the street or at the person who came with you. Then we can try another picture looking toward us.
You’ll get some variety without changing the whole setup. If your friend is beside us trying to get your attention, they may already have this part handled.
Doing something you enjoy
If you bring your guitar, we might ask you to play for a minute. If you brought art supplies, you could work on something while we take a few pictures.
Those details belong in your session. You’ve spent time learning to do these things, and it’s fun to have a photo of you doing them.
The in-between moments
We keep the camera ready between setups, too. You might be fixing your hair, talking with a friend, or laughing about the direction we gave you a minute ago.
Some of those moments can sit beside the planned pictures in your gallery. The conversation is part of the afternoon, too.
