The sea of rolling hills in Ireland is magical - straight out of a fairy tale! This couple's session was an absolute dream for me. This photography session took place during a photography retreat the Sona and Co hosted at the wedding venue Dunfin Farm. The location was quaint with access to a little road, a hall with natural light, an open field with sheep and their amazing boarder collie Charlie, to help us get the sheep where we wanted them to go. Kari and Alden were amazing to work with. They were easy to communicate with and what started as a pose was easy to change into a prompt and then flow to movement and frolicking that felt authentic to them.

When I approach a couple's session, I like to take a storytelling and cinematic approach. In every good story there are compelling characters (your models/clients), an immersive setting (location), a plot (the model's relationship), theme/ connection (what you want the photos to communicate and feel like), and details to emphasize the story.

Here are some photos I would take to "set the scene"

Notice that there are close ups of the berries. These are a details most shots will miss. They are also red which is the same color as what Kari is wearing. I captured them to draw in the color red as well because it communicates: love, passion, energy. I also took a portrait of the sheep because they are a main detail in the session but are also sort of their own supporting characters. The shot in the middle is wide, you can see that there are flowers at the farm, it is an open grassy field, there are trees, and Kari and Alden are in the picture but far enough away we do not connect with them yet. You see them in scale to their environment.

Now we can introduce our main characters:

When photographing the couple I always get a shot of them far away coming toward the camera, movement in the middle (usually an act of romance), and a close up. This set creates it's own plot with a beginning, middle and end. The first photos sets the scene and introduces the characters. The middle photo is the high point of the story - the high emotion and romance. The final photo slows down and resolves like a conclusion.

As the shoot continues move around, change backgrounds and continue to capture new details. Think of each pose or prompt as a chapter in the grand scheme of the book.

When the session is over, I look at the photos as a whole. I think back to what I wanted my story's theme to be and what I wanted my audience to connect with. I base a lot of my edits off of this. That way I can evoke the feelings in clients and viewers that I want. Then when I post in instagram I try to demonstrate a story as though it was a movie. I use slides that start far away and bring the couple in for connection. I add details to help people feel like they were there and get lots of different angles. Think about your favorite movies- it is not all the same shot. They get her reaction, his reaction, a wide shot, a close up, a moment for the landscape and transition shots to carry you between moments. Here are a few slides that communicate story:

My encouragement if you want to get into storytelling photography is think about how you want the photos to feel and what you want them to communicate. Watch your favorite movie and note the different color schemes the different shots and what you like about them. Then at your session move around. Pretend you are filming a movie- don't just get the final shot, get the in between moments as well. Don't start your session with the big kiss, work your way up to it. Start with hand holding and walking. Think about things that would lead up to a big kiss scene - a frolic, a dance, a hand kiss, etc. Then after the big kiss think about things that happen after- a shared smile, a breath, a hug, etc.

Tell the whole story- every moment and act of love deserves to be noticed!