Don't misinterpret the title, I have not reinvented the photography, I only came to the biggest realization of my life: we assign the highest value to that which we are emotionally attached to. Oh, you don't believe me? Look at your kid or significant other and verify... yeah, I thought so.
It's not coincidental that this little guy is an integral part of the engagement session, he is Dan's and Mekayla's son. We gave him a special spotlight here.
But let's get back to these two lovebirds! Their photos are supercharged with emotions.
Why is it do you think that every scene starts with great shots, and ends with phenomenal emotional masterpieces?
Because the couple is given more than basic direction. The couple is entertained with different silly tasks that I give them.
Whether it's a whisper into Mekayla's ear: "on count of three I want you to grab his beard"
Or unsuspecting Mekayla far from aware that she's about to go for a rodeo. Yep, mine and Dan's little secret "on count of three I want you to become a steed trying to toss her off, but hold on to her for dear life"
Yeeee-haw!
So what of it? Let's tone this down a bit with a romantic shot here:
The essential take-away here is by communicating effectively with the couple, and giving them tasks instead of just plain directions we are attaching emotional value to the images.
Remember how what I said back here?
As a story teller your job is to remember that you have to do one better than a movie director. These are not actors, they are real people with real feelings for each other.
So take on a job of the story teller. Start with simple steps.
Step 1: try your old way, give simple direction.
Step 2: now that you tried the old way, tell them something absurd, tell them something funny, make a comment about how amazing his butt looks from the back. Or, if all else fails, do what I did here: start "meowing"
"meow-meow-meow-meow-meow-meow".......
Don't just stand there, speak up! You are a part of this experience!
When you feel anxious, go back to your tried and true ideas. They too have a place in this mix. Shots like this one are classic and timeless
But don't forget: you have seen the light. Interact! In this shot I have told Danny: "now I want you to say: hey baby, but I want you to do it in the deepest (lowest pitched) voice". Mekayla couldn't help but laugh, she later said she never even knew Danny has such a vocal range.
Remember, you got this! There are hundreds of fail-safe ideas that you already tried.
Now it's time to reach for the next level, the level of real emotionally-driven images. These images will bring tons of memories to your couples, these memories will be the true value of your work, not your camera or editing skills.
Special thanks to Dan and Mekayla! I can't wait to shoot your wedding in 2023! Love you to pieces!
-Vitaliy