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T H E H E A R T F E LT A P P R O A C H T O

PHOTOGRAPHING
COUPLES
By Chloe Ramirez
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“Soak me all up
W R I T E S O M E T H I N G H E R E ’Til I cant feel nothing at all
I don’t mind.
ABOUT I dreamt last night you
were mouthing my name

OUR COMPANY Under blue skies.”

-Forth Wanderers
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A NO TE FROM CHLOE.
Slow down. Close your eyes. Cover your ears. Limit all your senses and
take the deepest breaths. Smell the earth. Feel your feet firmly on the
ground. Feel your goosebumps raise on your skin as the wind blows
delicately on you. Limit each sense until you have learned to appreciate
which each one brings to the table. Now uncover your ears. Hear the birds
singing, children laughing, and the wind blowing through the trees. Do you
hear how lovely the earth sounds? Now slowly open your eyes and take in
your life. It’s going to move fast so really drink in all the loveliness in front of
you. See the beauty in the smallest of moments.

Live each day as if it’s the most precious day.

See the good and beauty in everyone.

Hear music where there is none.

Feel every moment.

Now go photograph the feeling.

-Chloe
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PDF TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction: 5 Simple Steps to 4 Simple Posing Look book

A Mindset Shift running a smooth Directing Tips for reference
session
Pages 5-6 Pages 7-12 Pages 13-16 Page 17-42
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Intro: A
m ind se t
sh ift
Photographing connection is
more about YOU than THEM.

I’ve heard it before, “How do you get such perfect in love

couples? I feel like I only get awkward people who don’t seem
that in love.” This my friend is an excuse we tell ourselves when
a session isn’t easy or flowing naturally. We cannot expect our
clients to be models, or to inherently know how to act in front of
the camera. They need clear direction from you: the artist. Once
we except the fact that we need to educate and be the directer in
charge of the vision and all the moving pieces the more in
control we will feel. Your couples sessions will start to feel
effortless and enjoyable capturing portfolio shots at every
session. Not because you only book beautiful people but
because you cared enough to find the beauty in everyone. When
we care about something we will always do our best.
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ARE YOU These days we are inundated with information. TV, Social Media,

C U LT I VAT I N G Pinterest, Magazines, other artists, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed in

an age where information is all playing loudly at the same time.
AND
Overstimulation can immobilize us. It can keep us from taking risks in our
FA C I L I TAT I N G A own work that will help us to break out of your comfort zone. I encourage
S PA C E F O R you to tune out the noise and focus on the beautiful melody that is playing

I N S P I R AT I O N T O quietly in the background. That sweet music you hear? That belongs to

BLOSSOM? you. It’s yours to make and compose into a beautiful song.
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T H E 5 S T E P S T O

RUNNING A
SMOOTH
SESSION
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1 . EM PAT H Y
THE MOST POWERFUL TOOL TO PHOTOGRAPH CONNECTION.

The definition of Empathy is as follows : The ability to understand and share

and the feelings of another. Why is this important, you ask? When we are
photographing people we are dealing with many different personality types,
storylines and histories. If we apply a “one size fits all” kind of mentality to our
shoots we only scratch the service of the depths of those people. If we enter
into a session with empathy towards our couples we begin to dig deeper into
their love story and in return photographing them becomes more natural and
effortless. They are not just another session but a unique love story that you
want to do justice.
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SET YOUR
EXPECTATIONS
As soon as I show up to the shoot, after I make my introductions, I
set my expectations verbally to my couples of how the session will
go. This might sound intense or out of your comfort zone, but I
promise you, this will set you up for success. Often times when a
session isn’t running smooth its because we haven’t given our
clients clear direction. I’ll say something like “Hey guys! So the
entire time I will directing you and telling you what to do. My best
advice for you both is to keep moving and focus on each other not
my camera.”
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SET THE SCENE
I start off before I pose or direct by looking for the lighting
and background I want to place them in. Composition and
light can play such a huge part in whether a photo has
impact or not. So I ask myself before I place them “What
mood am I trying to convey or what story am I trying to tell
here?” This helps me stay grounded during my session and
intentional about my vision.
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ENGAGE IN
CONVERSATION
Have you ever been on a first date where the conversation is just
not flowing? You probably thought to yourself “WOW. We have
nothing in common this is not going well!” I want my couples to
connect with me so much that their session feels fun and that they
are singing my praises to their friends and family. Try and keep the
conversation going throughout the entire session! Ask them
questions and get them talking. Tell them stories about you too.
Facilitating the conversation is the easiest way to get them feeling
comfortable with you. Remember you are a stranger and you are
asking them to be intimate with each other. Things will feel much
less awkward for them if they feel comfortable with you!
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GIVE THEM
SOMETHING
TO DO.
There is nothing more stiff and awkward then getting placed in
poses and having to stay still like a statue. Clients will get in their
head if you are hyper posing them and they will start to feel like
they consistently need your direction on how to act. I want the
opposite, I want them to feel free to move and be who they are. To
get them out of their head I try and give them something to do
after posing them. For example the photo on the left I told him to
keep checking her out and for her to whip her dress back and
forth in the wind. This keeps them less focused on how they look
and more on the prompt you gave them!
 DI R E C T I NG T I P S
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ACT IT OUT
I like to make my couples
actors and I am the director.
If I tell them to run hand in
hand I want them to run like
they are running away from
someone. If I tell them to
embrace I want them to
embrace like they are not
going to see each other for a
W R I T E S O M E T H I N G H E R E
month. Give them something
to act out and leave some

MEET OUR
room for them to interpret
your direction too!

TEAM
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HEADS TOGETHER

Too much space in

between heads can
cause a lack of flow
and connection in
an image. I tell my
couples to p re t e n d
they have magnets
W R I T E S O M E T H I N G H E R E in their head so that
there is no space in

MEET OUR
between them.

TEAM
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Instruct your couples to always move,
even if it is subtle. I will pose my couples
then instruct them to keep moving. This
breathes life into a still image. Humans
are never completely still, so if you have
them do something simple like holding
hands have them squeeze their hands. If
you have them embrace, tell them to
keep moving their hands.

W R I T E S O M E T H I N G H E R E

MEET OUR
TEAM
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ENCOURAGE

Encourage and validate

everything they do that
you like or want to see
more of. Did you like the
way he brushed the hair
out of her face? Say
something
W R I T E like
S “Oh
O MI Ejust
T H I N G H E R E
love how you did that

MEET OUR
with her hair that was so
sweet!” I am not asking
him to do that again but
I am letting him know
that I like the way he
naturally loves her. This

TEAM
gives them the
confidence and
encouragement to keep
being themselves.
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Pose Look Book #1

MEET
YASMIN &
GABE
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W R I T E S O M E T H I N G H E R E

MEET OUR
TEAM
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W R I T E S O M E T H I N G H E R E

MEET OUR
TEAM
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W R I T E S O M E T H I N G H E R E

MEET OUR
TEAM
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W R I T E S O M E T H I N G H E R E

MEET OUR
TEAM
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W R I T E S O M E T H I N G H E R E

MEET OUR
TEAM
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W R I T E S O M E T H I N G H E R E

MEET OUR
TEAM
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W R I T E S O M E T H I N G H E R E

MEET OUR
TEAM
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W R I T E S O M E T H I N G H E R E

MEET OUR
TEAM
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Pose Look Book #2

MEET
STEVIE &
BLAKE
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W R I T E S O M E T H I N G H E R E

MEET OUR
TEAM
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W R I T E S O M E T H I N G H E R E

MEET OUR
TEAM
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W R I T E S O M E T H I N G H E R E

MEET OUR
TEAM
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SERVICE NAME SERVICE NAME SERVICE NAME

Entrepreneurial activities Entrepreneurial activities Entrepreneurial activities
differ substantially differ substantially differ substantially
depending on the type of depending on the type of depending on the type of
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W R I T E S O M E T H I N G H E R E

MEET OUR
TEAM
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W R I T E S O M E T H I N G H E R E

MEET OUR
TEAM
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W R I T E S O M E T H I N G H E R E

MEET OUR
TEAM
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LINKS
Video #1: https://www.dropbox.com/s/n9qpgasg6anwkwr/video1-chloeramirez.mp4?dl=0

Video #2: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ylqq5sbtsqutxm9/video2_chloeramirez.mp4?dl=0

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2413716212073932/

Website: http://www.chloeramirezphoto.com
Email: chloe@chloephotographygallery.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chloeramirezphoto