creating candid images with prompts instead of poses

There’s always this moment at the beginning of a session where people look at me like, “Okay… what now?” And honestly, I get it. Standing still and trying to smile on command feels strange, no matter how many times you’ve done it. The longer I photograph people, the more I’ve realized the best images don’t come from nailing a pose — they come from movement and laughter and doing something that feels more like real life than a photoshoot.

I stopped relying on poses a long time ago, mostly because I noticed people got quieter, stiffer, and more in their heads the second I tried to “place” them. But if I give them a little prompt — something simple, something playful — it’s like their shoulders drop ten inches. They start moving again. They stop worrying about their smile, and suddenly I’m watching their real selves come forward instead of the camera-version of them.

Prompts are basically tiny invitations. Instead of telling someone exactly where to put their hand, I’ll tell them to walk toward me like they’re heading somewhere warm, or whisper something funny, or wrap their arms around the person next to them like they mean it. People loosen up when they’re doing something with purpose, even if that purpose is silly. They forget about me. They forget about the camera. And that’s when the good stuff happens — the in-between moments, the real laughter, the soft, honest faces you can’t pose even if you tried.

I love using movement because it pulls people out of their heads. When you’re walking or spinning or bumping shoulders or leaning in close to someone you love, you’re not thinking about your jawline or your hair or how awkward you feel. You’re just… being a person. And somehow, that always photographs beautifully.

What I care about most is creating photos that feel alive. Not perfect. Not overly planned. Just true. I want people to look back at their gallery and say, “That feels like us. That feels like that season of our life.” To me, prompts help make that happen — not because they’re some fancy trick, but because they give people permission to show up exactly as they are. No stiff posing. No overthinking. Just movement, comfort, and the kind of candid moments that make you breathe a little deeper when you see them.

In the end, that’s really what candid photography is about for me: creating space for people to relax into themselves. Once that happens, the photos practically take themselves. photographs beautifully.