Photography Archives - Twin Tested

Ultimate Photo Shoot Guide: How to Prepare for Studio Family Pictures with Little Kids

Do’s and Don’ts for a Family Studio Session

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Family Photo Shoot Tips and Tricks

Over the years we have shared our photo tips for every stage of life. Britt shared her do’s and don’ts for couple photos – you guys loved that one and it has been shared millions of times. The blog post is perfect for newly engaged couples wanting to prep some poses before their first photo shoot together. Or at least know the ones to avoid! I shared my family photo shoot when we just had Lila and did some do and don’t do poses that have been shared more than 5 million times. Thank you for the support! If you have headshots coming up or just want to know some tricks from photography pros check out this blog post we did with Jessica Janae. She was so helpful in teaching us ways to position our bodies for flattering shots.

And now onto the newest addition to the lineup. Tips for a studio family photo session: how to keep little ones happy, what poses to include, and how to prep the day before.

Plan Your Time Wisely for the Family Photo Shoot

When it comes to photo shoots and little kids you want to keep it as short as possible, especially in a studio where they are in a restricted area with little space to run and play. Our entire photo shoot was 15 minutes — that’s it! We knew the shots that we wanted to get and moved quickly. Our photographer Beth was great to work with and helped us move fast so we could get all the photos we wanted.

Winston almost fell asleep on the way there and we were ready for the worst but with a little bribery (I promised him ice cream after the shoot) things thankfully worked out! Also, start the photo shoot with your kids solo and together so that you can get those done before you lose their attention.

Get Photos of Your Kids on Their Own and Together

We chose to start with photos of our kids together. That way they weren’t too nervous and the photographer was able to capture moments that we will treasure forever. I loved the bright light and clean lines of the studio. It was our first time opting to do family photos indoors and I am so glad we did. It was nice to switch things up and have a different vibe for our photos.

After the kids’ photos together we had them do solo shots which was so much fun! (they were really good at making each other laugh so we got some great smiles) After that Parker and I did photos together which might seem odd but I have come to love looking back at our photos of just the two of us over the years.

We also started with just the blank wall and standing shots and then moved the bench in and did the remainder of the photos sitting. I am glad we tried out both and got some variation in the photos. I never expected my favorite photo to be the one of us sitting cozied up together on the couch but it is!

Be Silly to Get Real Smiles

With little kids, you have to add in some silliness or you will get robotic smiles. Our kids are 6 and 3 and love nothing more than when mom and dad are silly with them. Some things that worked for us were booty shaking, silly faces, and potty words. Kids will be kids and these all worked like a charm! I love the real emotion and happiness that was captured in the photos instead of them feeling too formal and staged. It was nice to keep the mood light and everyone smiling during the photo shoot.

Try on Outfits Before the Photo Shoot

This is a must with kids! I had ordered both of their outfits online and am so glad we did a try-on one week before the photo shoot because Lila’s dress ended up being way too big. I decided to swap it out with her Easter dress and thankfully it worked with our color scheme. Phew!

Winston’s shirt fit perfectly but we had to try on a few different pairs of pants to land on our favorites that fit well and went with the vibe. I also had them try on their new shoes ahead of time so we could troubleshoot any problems ahead of time.

I LOVE little girl bows and accessories but could not find anything I loved. We went searching the day beforehand and I found this linen bow for Lila that I ended up loving. Family pictures are the opportunity to be picky and particular. I am not normally as detail-oriented when I am getting the kids (or myself) dressed every day but for family pictures you want everything to fit and be cleaned/ironed.

I was thrilled with the green dress I found at Anthropologie. We used the photo shoot to announce my pregnancy and this dress fit so beautifully over my growing bump. It is not maternity and Britt wore it the other day and it looked amazing on her too. The cut is super flattering for all body shapes.

And I have told everyone about my velvet heels because I am obsessed with them! They are so beautiful in person and the perfect fall/winter shoe to dress up otherwise boring outfits with a little bit of texture and warmth.

I hope these tips help ease your nerves the next time you are headed into a studio family photo shoot. I know I was nervous going into a studio photo shoot with little ones but the most important thing is to have fun! It definitely shows in the photos. Please share any other tips you have in the comments!

How to create the perfect Christmas card

Tis’ the season for holiday cards! It is time to decide if you are sending a cheery Christmas card to all of your family, friends, and neighbors. As you sit down to decide upon your card this year, I wanted to share a few tips to make the process a little less nerve-wracking.

The picture is the most important part of the card

A picture is worth a thousand words, therefore I like to let my photos do most of the talking when it comes to holiday cards. Listed below are some important things to think about when selecting photos to include on your card.

Make sure your photo is clear

First and foremost, is the photo you are sending out to all the people you care about a high-quality photo that looks crisp and clear? Nothing is worse than seeing that your gorgeous family photo looks pixelated and blurry on your cards. It is also frustrating to receive blurry photos in the mail when you want to see your loved ones clearly. An easy way to make sure you have crisp photos is to work with a professional photographer, which leads to my next point.

Plan a family photo session

Plan a family photo session with a photographer. It is rare that a candid photo on your phone is appropriate to send out on your holiday card. They rarely successfully show everyone’s faces clearly while including the entire fam in the picture. To remedy this problem, schedule a professional photo shoot with a photographer that is getting paid to make your family look good! It’s their job, therefore most of them are really good at it! Some ideas for the best locations for photos:

Your home: your kids are comfortable there and you don’t have to worry about a tense car ride to a photo destination.
The mountains: you can’t go wrong with a pretty mountain backdrop. Bonus points for cozy sweaters and scarfs!
A Christmas tree farm: we did this for ours last year and LOVED it! They looked festive without being too over-the-top. You can see them here.
Cityscape: change things up and hit downtown for a different vibe in your photos. This could be fun if you have previously done outdoorsy photo shoots in the past and are looking for something a little different. Britt and Sam did their engagements in the city and they are lovely, you can check them out here.
A park: never underestimate the beauty of a simple park. Utah boasts parks with rivers, waterfalls, and majestic backdrops so we might as well put them to use! We both went with parks this year as the backdrop for our Christmas card photos. (Britt did hers in the summertime with sunshine and blooms at a historic park. I chose to do mine at a brand new park nestled at the bottom of a canyon with a river running through it and tons of foliage.)

Show your personality

Now, it is great and NECESSARY to pick a photo that shows off you and your family member’s personalities! Steer clear of anything too serious or stuffy. Think about the kind of photo you want to be sending, probably something to make whoever receives it smile!

toddler photo for Christmas card — Toddler family pictures for holiday card

Choose a card with a front and back

Use the advantage of cards with both sides! That way you don’t have to narrow your picture choices to just one. We usually have a picture of the entire family on the front and then a picture of just our little ones on the back. It is nice to offer variety without throwing in a 20 photo collage that looks messy.

Use technology to your advantage!

We have it SO easy these days with so many resources that make Christmas and holiday cards a breeze. Our personal favorite is Chatbooks (a Utah company) that specializes in photo books but also offers HUNDREDS of options for cards. Their cards are professional, pretty, and super simple to make. I am not kidding when I tell you that it took me less than 5-minutes start-to-finish to create my cards this year! Use promo code: TWINTESTED40 for 40% off your cards this year – woohoo!!

Celebrate Everyday Challenge

As part of our celebrate everyday challenge for November we wanted to dedicate one day to getting holiday cards done. Holiday cards are usually pretty simple but can get tricky when you don’t set aside time to get them done. I have been known to order mine the week before Christmas which ends up being completely nuts! So make today that day and feel even better about getting ahead of the game by using TWINTESTED40 for 40% off your cards! Then you can check that item off your holiday to-do list! Chatbooks added gold foil designs this year to their collection and they are GORGEOUS! Go check them out here.

Make a list and check it twice

I am married to an Xcel spreadsheet lover which comes in quite handy at times like this. Over the years he has curated our holiday card address list. He updates it when friends and family move and regularly adds people to the list. This makes the sending process so much smoother! And it is a relief not having to nag people for their address every year around the holidays.

If nothing else, have fun!

A mailbox full of holiday cards from family and friends is a happy occurrence. Know that you are sending out little bits of happiness that make people smile. If you love to write a 5-page letter with your card every year, please don’t let this guide stop you. If you love to include 10 photos, instead of just two – do it! Bottom line, do whatever makes you happy and let your personality shine through!

Happy card making!

For more photo tips you can check out:

Couples Photo Tips (with more than 10 million views!)

Family Photo Tips (with more than 6 million views!)

How to Make Your Toddler Smile in Photos (1 million views!)

Happy Holidays!

How to get your toddler to smile in family photos

We thought family photos were simple until we added a wild toddler and tried to get her to smile! It seems like toddlers have a sixth sense about family photos. Like they know they are coming and they are going to do everything possible to make it a miserable experience. If this is not the case for you, lucky you!

For me, on the day of our family pictures, my 2-year-old refused to nap and then fell asleep on the drive to family pictures, which meant I had to wake her up and try and get her to smile. I pulled out a few tricks I learned from photographer friends and THEY ACTUALLY WORKED! So, here are four tricks for getting your toddler to smile.

#1 Bring a family member or friend your toddler loves

This was absolutely key! If you don’t bring someone else to family photos, chances are you will be looking at your child in every photo either trying to get them to look happy or making sure they are happy. It is stressful. We invited my toddler’s grandpa to come and he had a great time! She loves him, so he was able to make funny faces and sing her favorite songs and get her to smile for us.

This is also super helpful for photographers so the pressure to get your child to smile is not on them. Instead, they get to focus on capturing the whole family. I also felt like it gave the photographer more of an opportunity to set up the shot and make sure everyone in the photo looked great.

#2 Bring bribes

Yep, I said it. Bring ALL the bribes! We brought favorite toys, favorite snacks and special treats she rarely gets to have. As you can see in some of the photos, we had to pull out fruit snacks very early on to even get her to hold still for 5 seconds. After that, we moved onto a green sucker that completely dyed her mouth and tongue green. ha.

I say the more things you can bring the better. We just gave the bag of bribes to Grandpa and let him go through it. He used every single thing in there by the end of our session, so I really don’t think you can overprepare.

#3 Tell your toddler not to smile

Isn’t this the oldest trick in the book? We thought there was no way it was going to work but guess what? It worked every single time! There is just something they love about not doing what they are told 🙂

#4 Don’t take it too seriously

Have fun with your child! Play with them! These photos will end up looking natural because they are natural. Kids love to play and when you give them the opportunity to have fun, most of the time they don’t mind being photographed. We also went into family photos knowing that we may only get a handful of good photos. That’s all you really need anyway! We want to remember this time in our life as it actually is, not how a perfectly stylized photograph of our family is.

One other note because I’ve been getting questions about the weather. If you can try to pick a day with nice weather, that is, of course, ideal, but if not, come prepared for the conditions. It was about 95 degrees while we were getting our photos taken, so we made sure to dress our toddler appropriately and have plenty of water and drinks on hand.

I hope these tips helped you and would love to hear any others you have. Good luck with getting your toddler to smile for family photos! Let me know if these four tips helped. Our photos were taken by Tori Hillyard Photography, she is located in Salt Lake City. You can find her website here.

Don’t forget to take a look at our other photography posts:

Couple Photo Do’s & Don’ts

Family Photo Do’s & Don’ts

Family Photo Outfit Ideas

What outfits to wear in family photos

It can be overwhelming to decide what your family members will wear in photos. I want to lay out a few guidelines that help me keep things streamlined for family photos each year.

Start with one color

As an easy go-to, I always start with a base of navy blue pieces. After talking to dozens of photographers over the years, the majority have shared that navy blue looks the best in photos. Gotta go with the pros.

Start to layer in accent colors

After you have decided on your navy blue base it is time to start layering in accent colors. Depending on the time of year you may want to go with pastels or bold colors. It is up to you!

Don’t forget the neutrals

You can’t go wrong with neutrals and navy blue as your family photo colors. This year I chose a pretty neutral palette and found a warm, fuzzy, gray coat that I loved. We wanted Lila to be the star of the show in a mustard yellow pea coat! Neutrals can bring warmth to your photos.

Consider the venue

Consider the venue when you are putting together everyone’s outfits. We have taken our family photos in fall foliage, at home, at a pretty park, and this year we went with a Christmas tree farm. The Christmas tree farm felt festive and was perfect for our holiday card.

When in doubt, ask your photographer

If you just cannot decide what to wear in family photos – ask your photographer for suggestions! They have seen many family portraits and will have a great idea of what looks best.

Think outside the box

Ali Anderson Photography took our photos, she is really wonderful, ESPECIALLY with toddlers which is not an easy task! We took our Christmas card photos at a tree farm in Alpine, Utah. If you look up “tree farm photos” you will be barraged with red and green plaid. Now I am not hating on red/green plaid because it is timeless and festive. However, we did something a little more unexpected and I love how it turned out.

For Lila’s look:

We wanted Lila to be the focus of our pictures this year (proud first-time parents what can I say?) I stumbled upon a mustard yellow pea coat at Target! I immediately loved the color and knew it would pop in the photos. Plus, the cape is removable so we opted to take it off since it looked a little bulky on her. This coat is similar and a gorgeous color, but you can’t beat the $26 price tag on this one. Her shoes are Freshly Picked and she wears this mary jane style. They really are the only shoes that do not slip off her feet and they are SO cute!

For Parker’s look:

We kept it pretty simple. He loves a good half-zip sweater so we found one in classic navy, our base color, that he loved. This one is similar. We felt like a coat on him would like too heavy and bulky for the photos. As for his pants, we went with the classic khaki chino. These are similar, and if your guy likes to golf they can also wear them on the golf course. His shoes are a great staple to have in your closet. You can find them here.

For my look:

I found the coziest hybrid jacket/sweater, but it is now sold out. However, I did find this one with the same sort of look. I wore my favorite jeans from Banana Republic. These ones are similar. I topped it with the striped top because I felt like it helped to tie Parker and Lila’s looks all together. The top I have is sold out but this is a similar one with collar detail! For footwear, I went with my everydayblack booties from Nordstrom and they are my winter staple! I honestly wear mine every day in the cooler weather because they can be dressed up or dressed down.

Tried and True Family Picture Rules

Do you guys have any rules you follow when it comes to family photos? Our photographer Ali went above and beyond to keep Lila smiling in the cold weather. We brought Lila’s favorite toy, a little stuffed animal cat, and as long as Ali was holding it by the camera Lila kept smiling!

Don’t be too matchy-matchy

Try not to fall into the trap of being too matchy-matchy when it comes to family pictures or you could end up looking like those all denim nightmares from the eighties! As long as the outfits complement one another, you are good to go!

Check out our other photography tips

First up, our most popular blog post of all time: Couple Photos Do’s and Don’ts. Britt and Sam show couple poses to try and the poses to avoid! This is perfect if you have engagement or wedding photos in your future.

Next up, Family Photo Do’s and Don’ts. We had so much fun doing this photoshoot where we show poses that work and poses that should be avoided at all costs. Skim through if you need some ideas for your family photos!

And last of all, our Photography Tips From the Pros. Jessica Janae is a bombshell and taught us some tried and true poses and tricks to do in front of the camera. Hint hint, don’t do the head tilt!

Hopefully, these tips can help you achieve the family pictures that you are dreaming of! If nothing else, have fun! It shows through the photos if you are really enjoying yourself. Best of luck!

How to accentuate your best facial features in photos

Britt and I are often asked what makeup is best for TV or photos. After more than 6 years of trial and error on TV we have found our time-tested favorites. Today I am sharing the products that help accentuate your best features. It’s important to note that foundation is a must when you are in front of a camera. It evens out your skin tone and makes it so you don’t look washed out. We’ve shared our foundation favorites in a previous post here. The three features I like to accentuate in photos tend to be: eyebrows, lips, and cheeks.

Lips: After years of being a lip gloss girl I have discovered the benefit of lip liner. Don’t worry, this is not the brown lip liner of the 90’s. My very favorite is made by Butter London. The color is “Sweet Something” and can be used under practically any other gloss or lipstick. However, I really love it plain. The key is to line your ENTIRE lip, not just the outside. It has a matte finish that looks great on camera and is not too shiny.

Brows: Eyebrows seem to be the name of the game in 2016. Everyone is making theirs bigger and bolder. I like to keep mine looking semi-natural by using a brow gel. Fiona Stiles has created a product that helps separate your eyebrow hairs while enhancing them. I use it every single day!

Cheeks: Since learning how to apply blush properly (only on the apples of the cheeks) I have loved the little pop of color it can add to my face. Powder blushes are great for this but can fade quickly. For longer lasting wear, especially in the summertime, I like to use Tarte Fearless Cheek Stain.

Britt and I plan to continue our makeup tips throughout the summer by sharing our favorites!

9 Last-Minute Halloween Costume Ideas

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Halloween is around the corner and it is time to share some last-minute Halloween costume ideas! We are huge costume fans so we decided to round up our 9 most popular last-minute Halloween costume ideas from years past. Why are we sharing these Halloween costume ideas? Well first off, they are all super simple to DIY at home and take no longer than 30 minutes to create.

#1 Pinata Halloween Costume This pinata costume is colorful and fun! It is also very affordable, all you need are some simple party supplies and colorful tights! I wish I would have used this party kit – it would make the assembly a snap! Click here to get the full instructions for this fun pinata costume!

#2 Unicorn Halloween Costume Unicorns are a trend that we LOVE! This costume is fun for all ages. When Britt put this unicorn Halloween costume together she had her husband wear the same thing and it ended being a really cute couples costume! We found this baby unicorn costume that is super cute. For full instructions and a supply list click here. Update: They now have unicorn hats that LIGHT UP, how fun would that be for trick-or-treating?!

#3 Tooth Fairy Halloween Costume The Tooth Fairy Halloween costume is very simple! We went with some cute shoulder feathers found at the craft store, a wand, and a big tooth! This costume can be whipped up in under 10 minutes! These are the wings I recommend. Full instructions here.

#4 Amazing Race Contestant Costume We love a good reality show, and Amazing Race happens to be one of our favorites! This is a great couples costume as well. All you really need is matching athleisure wear and some simple signs. Use it as an excuse to buy this cute zip up! To see how we did it go here.

#5 Price is Right Contestant Halloween Costume COME ON DOWN!!! This is a great costume idea for college kids. Grab your newest college swag and make yourself a Price is Right nametag. Click here to see the supplies we used.

#6 Bat Halloween Costume Broken umbrella anyone?! This costume can be completed in a few simple steps. Other than the umbrella you need a black top and bottom, which lets be honest, we all have! Here are the instructions.

#7 Mrs. Frizzle from Magic School Bus Costume

The Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus Costume was one of my absolute favorites! Did you know the show is on Netflix right now?! Yes, you should totally watch some episodes for nostalgia and costume creating purposes. I did this costume as part of a live Halloween show on TV. My hairstylist friend helped me achieve the perfect Frizzle hair with this spray and it was a piece of cake from there. Here is how I did it.

#8 Bank Robber Costume This is a classic and can easily be turned into a family costume if you have a new baby that can operate as your money bag! Here are the supplies Britt used.

#9 Flapper Costume

Flapper will never go out of style as a Halloween costume. It’s flirty and fun, especially if you don’t want to look gory or silly. This dress on Amazon has a Great Gatsby vibe and I LOVE IT!

What are your Halloween traditions?

Hopefully, this list of 9 last-minute Halloween costumes is helpful to you in your Halloween party prep! This year Britt will be hosting a couples party where there will be a costume contest, bobbing for apples, and of course homemade rootbeer with dry ice in a cauldron! Have a fun holiday!

What Happened When My Husband Dressed Me

Have you ever asked yourself the question, what would happen if I let my husband pick out my outfit? We loved the recent feature Summer Bellessa did titled, “My Toddler Dressed Me”, where she let her toddler pick out her clothes for a week. We decided to put a spin on it and see what would happen if we left the decision making to our husbands! They are always saying they could pick out great outfits for us, so we decided to put them to the test. The Outlets at Traverse Mountain were nice enough to give each of the boys $150 to spend at any store they wished. We knew we were in a safe place because the Outlets have our top 3 faves: J Crew, Loft, and H&M! Photographer extraordinaire Travis Richardson joined us for the adventure. It helps that our husbands both think he is awesome and that he makes them feel comfortable in front of the camera! If we are being honest, Britt thought she would end up in a button-down shirt and cardigan, while Brooke was pretty sure Parker would go for a full Nike sweatsuit look.

Luckily, their choices weren’t quite that extreme but we did learn a few things about our husbands:

They do not like pointy stilettos.
They prefer more casual looks.
Instead of the newest trends in denim, the boys love the classic colors and cuts.
They do not go for lace, embroidery, embellishments, or sparkle.
Sensible flats are the name of the game.

Overall, it was a really fun experience to see their perspective and learn what they prefer to see us in. Once we made it clear Victoria’s Secret was not an option the guys had a lot of fun. We didn’t correct any of their choices and truly just let them pick things they liked… it was kind of hard to hold our tongues! (Like when I was trying on furry scarves and leather pants). However, we think this definitely calls for a Part 2… “This is what happened when my wife dressed me.”… to be continued!

Here are our BEFORE looks. Typical work outfits for both of us: Brooke in a dress and me in patterned pants, fitted jacket, and heels.

Nothing more confusing than trying to find a pair of cute women’s shoes! I saw this look on his face quite a bit during our shopping adventure…

Parker went straight for the flats, no high heels in sight.

This is my face thinking about the last time I wore faux leather pants in 7th grade. One word comes to mind: sticky

Cute on him maybe? In a snowstorm? Maybe just Antarctica?

This is me realizing these leather pants would actually be perfect for a Sandy from Grease Halloween costume.

Another moment of enlightenment, Parker loves Duchess Kate Middleton’s style, striped tee-shirts, Keds and fitted trench coats! His taste could be much worse so I didn’t mind!

This is a capture of Parker looking on Pinterest for some last minute fashion inspiration… jk he was checking ESPN.

Our outfit details: Brooke is wearing a striped shirt from J Crew, her new favorite dark wash jeans from Loft, a trench coat from H&M and shoes from H&M. Britt is wearing a floral top from J Crew, jeans from H&M and silver flats from H&M.

Huge thanks to the Outlets at Traverse Mountain for letting us do this experiment on their turf! If you want to do the same thing with your husband, post using the hashtag #MyHusbandDressedMe so we can feature some of our favorites!

Valentine’s Flowers on Every Budget

We have been dying to collaborate with one of our best friends and florist extraordinaire,Rachel Osguthorpe, for quite some time now. We decided Valentine’s week was the perfect time to do it! Whether Rachel is working with a budget of $10 or $100, she makes every project beautiful and personalized. In case you don’t believe us we have photographic evidence thanks to Emmy Lowe Photo! Together Emmy and Rachel create some of the most beautiful photos together. You can go here, here, and here to look at some of our favorites. We challenged her to come up with several different floral arrangements that cost $10, $40 and $75. All clothes worn in the photos are from Jolley’s Gift & Floral. They have the cutest clothes and shoes! Even though we are both super excited for Valentine’s this year, we definitely remember being heartbroken and lonely in years past. One thing our Dad did for us growing up was to get us each a simple flower for Valentine’s Day. It was so nice to feel loved, even if it was from someone who is kind of forced to love us 🙂 This year we are going to try and brighten someone else’s day who is not be thrilled about the holiday this year. It’s amazing what a bunch of cute flowers can do for your mood!

{you can get these gorgeous blooms for $10!}
{Rach can do anything you want, but she has an amazing eye for design and is always introducing us to flowers and plants we’ve never seen before, this is the mid range $40}

{how excited would you be to get this gorgeous arrangment?! this is the $75 and it’s stunning} {how cute is this little pup and its red collar?} {if you’ve never had the sour heart gummies from Jolley’s run now, they are so good!} {this is the mid range bouquet that is so gorgeous! It runs about $40}

We love supporting local businesses and Jolley’s is definitely one of our favorites! They also carry Treats & Trends cookies, which come in flavors like Diet Coke & Cookies and Cream. They are beyond. You can find Jolley’s at 1676 E 1300 S in Sugar House. Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you! We are so grateful to have you following along with us and we truly LOVE you!

Do’s & Don’ts for Couples Photos

We present… Couple Photo Do’s and Don’ts. We jumped at the chance to work with Jessica of Jessica Janae Photography . She is a world renowned photographer known for her ability to capture beauty and movement.

We are in the stage of getting married and wanting beautiful engagement photos, so we thought it would be fun to show you some Do’s & Don’ts for Couple Photos. Of course we had Sam and Britt do it because they are a couple who loves to laugh at themselves. Whether you are getting Christmas card photos or engagements, or just photos as a couple, we hope these tips help!

#1 The Ring Pic:

Every newly engaged lady loves to show off their wedding ring, but it can look very stiff if you’re not careful. This before and after shows a few slight changes so you can still display your bling without looking mega awkward.

#2 The Boy Nose Smash/Foreheads

Of course it’s cute that he wants to nuzzle your face, but let’s get some space in there so it looks good! I loved this tip from Jessica to lightly touch foreheads instead, so you still get the lovey-dovey vibe without any body parts being smashed.

#3 The Kiss

Lesson learned- the moment before your lips actually touch looks a million times better than squishy faces. But, we’ve gotten a lot of feedback from people around the world that they love both pictures. I do need to mention that Jessica told us what angle to kiss in the first one as well, so it doesn’t look as awkward. There’s just something about the moment right before your lips touch that is a little bit steamy!

#4 Just say no to the piggyback

It is so rare that it looks cute and just don’t even think about it in a dress! There are plenty of other ways to look like you want to be close, without being THAT close. Especially for photos you are sending out with a wedding invite, the YES picture looks cleaner because instead of seeing jumbled limbs, you are seeing two smiling faces.

#5 The Awkward Stance

You have to create shapes and angles with your body to make it more interesting. Try different arm and hand placement instead of sticking to one static pose. It may feel a little bit awkward to move around and try different positions, but it is guaranteed to look so much more natural.

#6 The Boob Squish

Hands down the most awkward of the bunch! Although when we were taking the photos it didn’t feel like that awkward of a pose, it is flattering to no one. It might feel *cozy* but it is never a good option. Jessica had us make a few small changes and it looks so much better! You can also get a better look at the ring with the improved pose.

#7 The Announcement

If you’re not doing a pregnancy announcement (which we are totally not), then don’t do the pregnancy pose with the hands on the stomach. It is also a little too reminiscent of the “prom pose” which we all need to leave in high school where it belongs. The much better option is the sexy back hug snuggle with your best Tyra smize.

#8 The Nuzzle

Squished noses are just not cool and they make everyone look weird. By slightly turning your face, everybody gets to show their best angle! The photographer also had me move my arms down, so I didn’t look like I was trying to jump on Sam haha.

There you have it! The 8 poses that you should steer clear of for engagement photos (or really any photos for that matter). Huge thanks to the fabulous Jessica Janae for the photos, she is so incredibly talented and knows how to direct clients. If you are in the Salt Lake City, Utah area BOOK HER and if you are not she travels for clients that she really want to work with!

We had so much fun doing this shoot and have since done many more photography blog posts. Make sure you take a look!