Posing couples: The forehead kiss

Most photographers have a hard time posing multiple people, especially couples. But once you develop a set of different poses, it’s not that hard. Here’s how to create a romantic pose by simply having one person kiss the other’s forehead.

Communicate and a little silliness

Communication plus a little silliness will help when posing a couple. In this example, I will refer to the couple as he and she, but this pose will also work for same-sex couples. Have the couple follow these steps.

1. Help remove any awkwardness

Have the couple position themselves very close to each other. This sets the initial mood. Some couples can feel uncomfortable doing this in front of others. Use a calm voice, talk to them and assure them this will look great.

2. A silly Eskimo kiss

Let’s face it — unless you have very young children, you haven’t given out too many Eskimo kisses. Have the couple rub noses. This one gesture gets the couple feeling a little silly and will get them to relax and smile.

3. Create a romantic mood

Using a soft voice, instruct the couple to slowly pull away just a little and have the female close their eyes and look down. This sets a romantic mood.

4. The forehead kiss

Have the man position his face close to his partner’s forehead so he can softly kiss it. Stay in that position, take a few shots then have him smell her hair. This doesn’t distort his face and it usually provokes a smile from the her.

Depending on the couple and how comfortable they feel, final results may vary. The goal of explaining any pose is to make it really simple and easy to follow. If the instructions are complicated, the subject struggles to follow directions and is thinking too much on the action and not enough on the mood. Make it simple.