Couple Walking Hand in Hand

Don’t you just love a photo of a couple walking hand in hand? Doesn’t it just scream romance? Or whisper it softly (that sounds sweeter)? Why is that, you ask? Is it the location? The beach? An Italian villa? Nope. Is it that the couple is just so in love that they can’t help but look at each other that way? Nope! In my experience, it’s because of the smile! Smiling is the key to getting that intimate photo. I’m gonna break down a few of the basic elements of the photo for you.

What We See When a Couple is Walking Hand in Hand

Let’s start with what we see in the image. We see a pair doing one of two things. They’re either looking directly at each other or one is looking at the other while his beloved is looking elsewhere.  We see an expression on their faces. An expression communicating that the world just seems different to this couple walking hand in hand. Together, they’re on a journey.  Maybe they’re actually walking out onto the golf course (like the picture above), but no matter the backdrop, their feelings are tangible to us. If we’re honest, we want that visible connection with our beloved captured in a photo too! So, let me tell you how to get it.

Make Sure One Person is Smiling

If you book a couple’s session and you’re hoping your photographer is going to help capture such an instance in your life, be prepared. It’s gonna take several attempts. But don’t get discouraged. It’s not that you’re doing anything wrong. It’s that your photographer is trying to capture that moment for you and make sure that you’re both in focus!

For these photos, your photographer cues you like a stage or film director would. He’ll tell the two of you how far back to stand, which direction you’re headed, where to look, and when to start and stop walking. Oh! And to smile! That’s the key to making it look romantic–the smile. As long as one of you is looking at the other and smiling, you’ve got romance. If neither of you is smiling at the other, you’ve lost the romance and created a look of annoyance–not a good outcome.

The Two Options for Facial Expressions

In the shot above–she’s looking alluringly back towards him and he’s smiling at her! That’s Option One: one person is smiling at his partner and the other is either smiling and glancing somewhere else or not smiling at all. The person not smiling can look curious about something in the distance, be rockin’ a “happy to be alive look”, or just looking enticing. Option Two: Both partners are smiling at each one another. This option guarantees a romantic picture–always. It doesn’t matter if you’re newly engaged, just married, or celebrating your 27th year of marriage (like I am on the 21st of this month), the smiles make the picture! You’ll get the walking hand in hand photo you’ve always dreamed of having. Then you can make it into a canvas print to hang on a prominent wall in your home.

Having the right person taking your photos does help. I’m booking someone (someone I’ve never met) to photograph me and my husband for our anniversary. And I hope he or she will know how to cue us. Luckily, I know exactly what to do–I’m gonna practice this with my husband before our session, since some photographers just don’t give you enough direction. But if you’re looking for someone to help you create that magical romantic moment in time between you and your treasured one in a photo you’ll keep forever, let me know! You and your partner can have a great photo of the two of you walking hand in hand. Just reach out: http://jlusterphotography.com/connect