Uncomfortable in front of the camera?

“But We’re Awkward in Photos…” – How Props Can Be a Camera-Shy Couple’s Secret Weapon

One of the most common things I hear from couples is:

“We’re awkward in photos.”

Honestly? You probably aren't.

You're just not used to having a camera pointed at you, especially for around eight hours of your day.

Just imagine someone following you around with a camera while you make a cup of tea. Suddenly, you're thinking about your hands. Your face. Where you're standing. Whether you're blinking weirdly...

You'd probably forget how to stand like a normal human being.

That's exactly what happens when you're nervous in front of a camera.

When people feel awkward or uncomfortable in front of the camera, the best thing we can do is give them something more interesting to focus on than the camera itself.

Bring a pack of Uno and let me watch your competitive side come out.

Jump in puddles.

Explore somewhere you love.

Tell terrible jokes.

Dance badly.

Start an argument over whether pineapple belongs on pizza.

Do the things that feel natural to you.

Basically, anything that gets you looking at each other instead of me.

That's when the magic starts happening.

The laughs.

The little looks.

The ridiculousness.

And that's where the good stuff lives.

This is why getting to know my couples beforehand is so important. The more I know about you, the easier it is to create an experience that feels comfortable, personal and genuinely fun.

The Confidence Shield: Sunglasses

One of my favourite tricks is surprisingly simple.

Sunglasses.

For many camera-shy people, sunglasses act like a little confidence shield.

That cheeky confidence boost we get when we pop on the shades; that what we’re after! You feel less pressure. Less vulnerability. Less feeling like somebody is staring directly into your soul.

Before you know it, you've relaxed, forgotten about being photographed and built up your confidence.

Then, when the sunglasses come off later in the shoot, you've already had your warm-up. Everything feels much more natural because you're no longer thinking about the camera.

You're simply enjoying yourselves.

Umbrellas Are Not Just for Rain

Although, let's be honest, we're in Britain. They'll probably come in handy.

But another favourite?

Umbrellas.

I have an ever-growing collection of umbrellas, and they make fantastic props regardless of the weather.

A black lace umbrella can instantly add a gothic, romantic feel.

A vintage umbrella can create something whimsical and storybook-like.

Even a simple umbrella gives your hands something to do and creates movement within the photographs.

Picture a melancholy gothic couple wandering through a park on a warm summer evening beneath a dramatic black umbrella.

Absolutely stunning.

Sometimes the Answer Is a Sword

Some couples simply need a sword in their lives.

And who am I to argue?

That's where Andúril comes in. Aragorn's legendary Sword of Kings.

Suddenly, we're no longer worrying about where to put our hands.

We're defending Middle-earth.

We're playing knights.

We're embarking on an adventure.

The beauty of props is that they create little stories. Stories give people something to immerse themselves in, and when people become immersed in a story, they stop worrying about being photographed.

The photographs become a by-product of the experience rather than the focus.

Lanterns, Candelabras and Other Spooky Delights

My fake candle-lit lanterns are always popular.

Not only do they give us something to interact with, but they instantly add atmosphere.

A lantern can make a woodland feel enchanted.

A dark pathway suddenly feels mysterious.

A quiet evening shoot becomes something straight out of a gothic fairy tale.

Candelabras work in much the same way.

They bring a slightly darker, more dramatic energy whilst still giving us something practical to interact with.

Both are incredibly versatile and fit beautifully into romantic, whimsical, fantasy and alternative-inspired shoots and weddings.

The Victorian Grave Diggers

One of my all-time favourite examples involved a couple who adored all things dark, spooky and macabre.

So naturally, I took them to an abandoned graveyard.

Before anybody reports me, there was absolutely no real grave digging involved.

Instead, I bought a wonderfully dramatic old-fashioned spade, and we spent the afternoon pretending to be Victorian grave diggers on a delightfully questionable adventure.

Think Burke and Hare, but considerably less criminal.

The couple completely threw themselves into the idea.

They laughed.

They played characters.

They got to be absolutely ridiculous.

Guess what? They forgot all about the camera.

That right there? That's the point.

It was awesome!

The spade wasn't important. The distraction was.

Bring the Things You Love

Some of the best props are the ones that already mean something to you.

My Pride flag has appeared in plenty of shoots over the years and has created some wonderfully joyful, chaotic moments.

Deli and Asher immediately embraced the silliness and created some of my favourite photographs.

I've also had couples bring items from home.

One couple brought a handmade axe and Viking shield to their wedding.

We didn't get as much time to play with them on the wedding day as we'd hoped, but we still managed to weave them into their photographs.

The images felt uniquely theirs because they reflected something they genuinely loved.

Those personal details often become some of the most meaningful photographs.

You Don't Need to Be a Model

The goal of a photoshoot isn't to turn you into a model.

The goal is to create an environment where you can stop thinking about the camera and start enjoying yourselves.

You don't need to know how to pose, and you don't need to be naturally confident in front of a camera.

My job isn't to make you perform.

It's to create an environment where you can relax enough to be yourselves.

Whether that's through sunglasses, swords, lanterns, umbrellas, Pride flags, terrible jokes or a suspiciously fancy grave-digging spade, every prop serves the same purpose.

Helping you relax.

Helping you connect.

Helping your personality shine through.

The best photographs don't happen when you're desperately trying to look perfect.

They happen when you're too busy having fun to remember the camera is there.

So, if you've ever told a photographer, “We're really awkward in photos…”

Don't worry.

I've got you.

Bring your weirdness.

I'll bring the camera.

We'll figure out the rest.