Taking pictures of Couples Photography
When people know that you are a passionate photographer, you might get asked to photograph two people together, and it is a situation that can require a quite special approach. In most cases it is important not only to produce a good likeness of each of the two people, but also to suggest the relationship between them and at the same time compose the picture in a way that produces a pleasing and balanced arrangement.
This is a task that can be notably more difficult than taking a single portrait or even photographing a group, as the way in which you arrange the subjects will often be affected by the relationship you wish to imply, and two people can present more of a problem in terms of composition than will one person.
When taking photographs of couples, it is important to ensure that the two faces are on a similar plane of focus, as with a close up picture the depth of field will become quite restricted. For this reason it is safer to use the smallest practical aperture, and to allow for the fact that the depth of field extends rather farther behind the point of focus than it does in front.
It should not be assumed that side by side heads or heads directly above each other must always be avoided, as they can be effective provided that some other element of composition, such as a hand or even special lighting, is used to prevent the image appearing too static. This type of arrangement is probably the most suitable where the relationship between the two models is rather formal, but where a more intimate situation is being photographed, for example as a mother and child, or a bride and groom. You should remember to think about the positioning of them, and make sure that they are placed in contact with each other.
Let’s take an example, a bride could be placed so that she leans back against the shoulder or chest of her partner, and with a very tightly framed shot their faces can be positioned in contact with each other. Apart from making a more dramatic composition this will also help to create a warmer and more intimate mood. In this type of picture it is also possible to make more use of hands and arms, which can be an effective means of creating amore interesting arrangement.
In most cases it is preferable to offset the two heads, so that one is slightly above the other and they form a diagonal line rather than a horizontal. This can be achieved by positioning one of the models slightly behind and a little higher than the other so that the mouth of one is at least above the other’s eyeliner.
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