Record store couple’s photoshoot

Gabby & Alex are the CUTEST and wanted to do something a little different for their couple’s session!

I am a huge advocate for couples choosing photographers that they vibe with – it makes alllll the difference in the experience when you have a connection with your photographer! Additionally, I am all about making your sessions individualized to YOU, and one of the ways that we can do that is by finding the perfect location for your session. The more authentic and familiar the space feels to you and your partner, the more authentic and personalized your photos are going to feel as well!

Gabby and Alex are good friends of mine that have gone a few years now without taking any professional photos together. Like a lot of couples, they were unsure of what to expect and were feeling a bit hesitant about the experience. I can totally empathize with these feelings, and make sure to prioritize comfort and make the experience as fun and relaxed as possible:)

First, we chose a location that was suitable for them. As big fans of music and art, a local record store in downtown St. Catharine’s was the perfect space for their couple’s session!

To further help them prepare for their photo session, we discussed outfit options. I always encourage couples to wear something that they feel comfortable in, and often suggest their go-to date night outfits! I typically suggest wearing neutrals or solid colors so as not to contrast too much with one another or their surroundings. These all-black outfits were vibey af because I have stylish clients but ALSO the perfect choice to contrast with the bright, bold colors of the albums.

When I met Gabby & Alex at the record store, I assured them that this session was meant to be fun and genuine to them as a couple! I encouraged them to spend some time walking around, exploring the store, and simply be present in the moment with one another as if I wasn’t even there. I find that giving couples some time to warm up in the space helps break the ice a bit and eases us into the session rather than jumping right into poses and prompts! This also gives me the opportunity to see how the couple interacts with one another and the space, which makes for great authentic, candid shots, but also helps me determine how best to guide the couple as well.

After a while, we slowly moved on to more prompting and posing. I typically use a “less is more” approach when posing couples. What I mean by this is instead of telling couples exactly how to stand, where to place their hands, etc, I give a general prompt or pose, and allow them the creative freedom to interpret it! For example, during this session I asked Gabby and Alex to both grab a record to hold in front of their faces. While I gave them a general instruction, they selected the records themselves and posed accordingly. All couples are different and will interpret instructions differently – using the “less is more” approach helps get the most individualized and authentic photos for each couple that I work with!

Lastly, when wrapping up a session I like to offer couples the opportunity to pose themselves completely on their own! I ask if there are any poses that they have in mind that they would like to try or that they have seen in photos and adored. Again, this allows the couple to have creative freedom in their session as well!

Overall, this was such a fun time, and our hour together flew by! If you’re looking for an alternative couple’s session, whether that’s exploring a record store, bookstore, having a picnic, going skating, or whatever if is you and your partner like to do together, I am always down to tag along and capture you two doing what you do best!

Location: Mindbomb Records in St. Catharines

XX holly