I love this little family. They were so sweet with each other. All of their best pictures can when they were just being themselves together.

With all photography, posing can sometimes lead to more awkward photos. Let the family be cute together! See how they connect naturally using familiar body language. Capture those movements. That natural body language is more important to me than any pose that I can direct. Yes, it’s always important to give direction for clients. It helps them feel more comfortable and confident in themselves. But find the balance.

When you’re not used to being photographed, something strange happens. Maybe it’s happened to you? All of a sudden, you are hyper aware of every single part of your body. Limbs that you usually don’t think about are all of a sudden an issue. Hands. Elbows. Even Knees! What do I do with my knees? Bend them or straighten? You feel stupid for not knowing the answers.

So give concrete, direct suggestions. Like to brush back some hair, or to tilt their body a certain way. But if you get to specific, sometimes it makes people stiff. And let the magic happen on it’s own.

Kylee Maughan

Kylee started Kylee Ann Photography 9 years ago, and has since grown from a one woman amateur show to a full associate team. We shoot 50-75 weddings a year, and thrive on kindness and service. After a year of teaching Intro to Photography at the local technical college, she discovered that helping other entrepreneurs create thriving businesses is what fires her up! She hosts semi-annual Kylee Ann Sleepovers all over the US, speak at conferences and teach online courses about running a small business and marketing.

kyleeannphotography.com/kylee