How to Pose a Curvy Bride

One of my favorite things as a wedding photographer is the ability to photograph women of all shapes and sizes. I realize there are other photography tutorials addressing how to photograph large brides, how to photograph plus-size brides, or how to photograph overweight brides…but this ain't one of them. This post is how to photograph a bride of any size. Lucky for us, I was able to shoot a gorgeous bride with a beautifully curvy, size-16 figure.

The tips I'll be sharing today apply to how I photograph all my brides, but I'll also be addressing a specific modifications to highlight curves and create shape for women. Most importantly, I need to ensure my clients feel comfortable and completely themselves in front of the camera. The number one tip I can give when shooting a bridal portrait is to ensure the bride is having a good time. Women want to feel beautiful, whole, and effortlessly graceful in front of a camera, so it's a photographer's job to ensure that happens. I do this by talking to the bride behind my camera, providing positive encouragement, and modifying each pose to highlight female curves

I maintain that it isn't a photographer's job to mask or disguise a female figure, but to enhance it in every way possible. That means highlighting the best parts…and a solid portrait of a bride does exactly that. Getting a bride comfortable is easily done by talking to the bride from behind the camera instructing her to relax her shoulders, pull in her core, and distribute her weight into one leg to create a relaxed posture in front of my lens.

Here's a sample of two bridal portraits that needed improvement…
The photo on the left opened the bride's body too much, making her look wider in the mid-section.
The photo on the right closed her body in a complimentary way, but I didn't like that the bouquet was covering her chest (as it competed with the focus being on the bride's face)…

If you notice in this photo, Ashley's body isn't opened too wide toward my camera (which highlights her gorgeous curves), her shoulders are relaxed, her weight is distributed to her back leg, and her bouquet is resting in front of her abdomen, creating naturally enhanced curves (as well as not distracting from her face).

I included the series of three photos above to demonstrate how small modifications can make the biggest difference when it comes to posing brides.

Below, a tightly cropped photo is an effective way to capture the bride in a comfortable, natural state…keeping the focus on the bride's beautiful face…

The following two photos are shown to demonstrate how just a few directions can really enhance the female form. Here Ashley is looking beautiful and confident…while I think it's a pleasant photo, I made a few changes to highlight her curves…

Here's a list of the {minor} changes that made a big difference:
1. Angle the bride's shoulders slightly away from the camera (try to avoid the straight-on perspective).
2. Relax the shoulders.
3. Pull the core (abdomen) to the body's center.
4. Rest the booty back.
5. Distribute weight into one leg (not both).

When it comes to shooting bridal portraits, my goal is just to enhance a girl's angles. That's it. A bride can be tall/short/flat/curvy and I will find a way to highlight her confidence by highlighting her best angles.

Speaking of angles, any time I can change my perspective, I will. In this photo, I climbed on a fence to shoot slightly downward on the bride and groom. For the most part, this is complimentary for almost every couple because it allows the camera to get in close without disrupting a natural moment. Shooting down on a subject has a slimming effect, but I stay away from overusing this angle…it's great for portfolio diversity, but I always stay true to my overall style for all my brides.

If you'd like to see a 45-minute video demonstration from this shoot walking you through a step-by-step process of how I pose a curvy bride, find the best angles, and coach my clients from behind the camera to create relaxed portraits, join me for a 30-day FREE broadcast of photography tutorials, starting next month! As part of the 30-day curriculum, I'll be showcasing behind-the-scenes of this photo shoot (airing June 24, 2015). Register for the course HERE and I look forward to seeing you online soon! (FYI, registration and the online viewing is free from May 18-June 26, 2015…if you miss a session or want to download the entire series, you can order it in advance for $199)