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How to Pose Couples With Height Differences in Wedding Photos
Wouldn’t it be great if there was a set formula or guideline to pose couples in a way that always works? While you may have some go-to poses, unfortunately, there’s no guarantee. A pose that works for one couple simply might not work for another. Posing is no math – it’s an art. When posing, you are working with people, and people are diverse. They are of different shapes and sizes. So, your best bet might be your improvisation skills! Especially when posing couples with a significant height difference. But where there’s a will (or a couple with a major height difference), there’s a way to pose them too! In today’s blog, we bring you some tips that could help you better pose couples with a height difference in the wedding photos. Let’s dive in.

Remember The Distance

A groom looking towards the camera just as the bride walks up to him from behind for the first look moment in a garden
Image Credits: ShootDotEdit Customer @flavio_d_photography

One of the most important things to keep in mind while posing couples with a height difference is to remember that the closer your subject is to the camera, the bigger it appears and vice versa, whether or not that is the reality. Before you move ahead with the following tips and tricks, it is crucial to keep this one rule in mind and follow through accordingly.

Tips to Pose Couples With A Height Difference in Wedding Photos

1. Unless Specified, Do Not Completely Eliminate the Difference 

Most couples you photograph may not have the exact same height or even one that is close to each other. So try not to make the couple with a major height difference look like they are of the same height. Not only is it forced posing, but it’s also unrealistic. Let there be a slight difference or try to drive the focus to something else by posing creatively, and unless specified by your couple, do not try to forcefully eliminate the gap entirely. So, to be on the same page on the wedding day, discuss how they want their height difference to appear in the photos before the wedding day. 

2. Offer Posture Tips to Your Couple

Infographic stating hunching and tiptoeing will only highlight the height difference

To make your couple feel at ease and look good (and like themselves) in the wedding photos, don’t make the taller person hunch or ask the shorter person to tiptoe. Trust us on this. Instead of bridging the gap, uncomfortable and awkward posing will only shed more light on the height difference. Maintaining a good posture is key to making your couples look confident and comfortable in wedding photos. And to help them do that, you could guide them and keep reminding them about their posture.

Suggested Read: How To Pose An Awkward Couple For Wedding Photos

3. Get Your Couple Seated

A bride and groom posing facing each other while being seated on a log
Image Credits: ShootDotEdit Customer @jenmcleodphoto

One of the best ways to reduce the height difference between a couple while posing for wedding photos is to get them seated. This leaves you with multiple opportunities to pose them differently, all the while reducing the gap and making them feel more natural. Experiment with making the taller person sit at the back at some distance and ask them to, without hunching, lean towards their partner’s face.

Another thing that you can try is to make the taller person sit at the front and make them lean their face backward towards their partner and just as their pattern bends towards them too. If your couples are comfortable, you can also ask the short person to pose while sitting on the taller person’s lap. These can end up getting you some sweet and romantic portraits of the couple.

4. Experiment With Lighting

Infographic stating pose the shorter person closest to the light source and the taller person on the opposite side

Lighting also plays a big role in helping you make your subjects look a certain way. Understand that, naturally, a viewer’s attention goes to the brightest object first, thus, also making it appear a bit larger. So place the light closest to the shorter person and always pose the taller person on the opposite side or comparatively away from the light source. This will help you deviate attention from the height difference between the couple.

5. Walking Pose

Try photographing a walking pose where the shorter person is at the front, and the taller person is holding their hand from the back just as the shorter person looks back at their partner. You could try to recreate this scenario in multiple situations at different backdrops. This method applies the same rule – objects closer to the camera appear bigger than the ones that are away. You could also try the same pose on a staircase (with the shorter person climbing the stairs and their partner behind them). Not only will this posing technique help in not drawing attention to the couple’s height difference, but with the right setting, it could also make it look like a scene from a fairy tale.

6. Capture Your Clients In Action

A bride and groom running on the beach as the waves crash at the background
Image Credits: ShootDotEdit Customer @dianenicolephoto

Sometimes, photographing your couples in action – during dances, walks, and jump shots – can help them act more naturally and feel more comfortable. Even though the height difference is noticeable, it is not always something that draws the viewer’s attention. Moreover, if in these poses, your couple is more likely to look confident and be at ease, and it’s that and not their height difference that will help your image stand out.

Suggested Read: A Guide To Wedding Photography Poses

Other Posing Techniques To Try Out

In addition to the above-mentioned techniques, here are some more poses that you can try to take the focus away from the height difference and towards the couple:

  1. Experiment with different types of lift poses.
  2. Ask the taller person to hug their partner from behind.
  3. Pose the couple cheek to cheek for a close-up.
  4. Ask your couple to lie down as you try unique aerial shots with your drone.
  5. Bring the couple to stand or sit to pose forehead to forehead.
  6. You can ask the couple to pose for a sweet forehead kiss.

Further Read: Posing Your Couples

Infographic stating the closer the subject to the camera, the bigger it appears

Different posing techniques work for different couples. And for couples with uneven heights, you might want to try some of the tips we’ve offered above to not only help them pose better but feel more natural and comfortable in front of the camera as well. This would be especially beneficial for couples who are camera-shy. So try them out and keep experimenting, as long as your couple is onboard. However, try not to go overboard while trying to eliminate the difference. Give your couples the chance as well as a setting to be themselves and try to do whatever you can as a photographer to make their chemistry shine through.

At ShootDotEdit, we love sharing resourceful information that will help you hone your skills and grow your wedding photography business. We also look forward to helping you lessen your post-production workload by taking editing off your plate. Learn more about how we can help here.


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