5 Reasons Photographers Should Use Real Couples for Styled Photoshoots | Jenn Terrell Photography
Can I tell you about something that really irks me? When wedding vendors use fake couples for styled shoots. This morning, I was scrolling instagram and I saw yet another styled photoshoot with a “couple” that isn’t actually a couple. Now, I know that it is easy to get excited about a vision and want to see it come to fruition but there has to be some form of authenticity even in a styled photoshoot.
This blog post is mostly in reference to wedding and portrait photographers who do styled photoshoots to boost their portfolio, network with vendors, etc. I have done a few over the course of my career. This blog post specifically references those using two people to portray a couple in styled photoshoots.
For anyone unfamiliar with these types of photoshoots; Styled photoshoots are photoshoots that usually have a specific vision, involve at least a handful of wedding vendors to bring that vision to light and the photos are used for marketing afterwards by all parties. Most of the time no one is paid. Occasionally some vendors are paid if actual materials are used (cake, flowers, etc.) Sometimes the couple pays for high-resolution files, etc. The terms of the shoot varies among different teams.
Example: I recently did a styled shoot with a team of vendors. We had a wedding planner, a makeup artist, a bridal dress boutique, a local jeweler, and an outdoor location. The original theme was “Bonnie and Clyde,” although we ended up straying from that vision a bit due to time constraints. Bonnie and Clyde has always been a white man and a white woman but we wanted to push the boundaries of the theme and use a same sex couple or a couple of color. We were on a bit of a time crunch as I would be traveling after two weeks and we wanted to complete it before then. We put out a model call and received submissions from a few different couples. A wonderful couple of color responded but they couldn’t make it on the day planned. Then a sweet same sex couple reached out to us but then they later admitted they weren’t actually a couple and just thought the photoshoot would be fun. We had to pass on them because we wanted to make sure we used a real couple. Then another couple of color reached out and we chatted and agreed they would make a good fit. And they knocked it out of the park. The love they share is so very special. :)
A real couple during our Bonnie & Clyde themed photoshoot. It started to rain so we added the umbrella. :)
Styled shoots can be a great way to connect with other wedding vendors and build relationships. They are a great way to build your portfolio. They are also great for getting past a moment of feeling stagnant in your art and needing something fun and creative to get over the hump. Unlike a real wedding day, you get to control the elements of the day and bring your specific artistic vision to life. While it isn’t a real wedding, it has most of the elements of a real wedding day and can be just like an elopement if you use a real couple. It is also great practice for those interested in breaking into the wedding industry. While I don’t think your entire website should be styled photoshoots, I think it is okay to have one here or there. I think I have done around three in the 10 years I have been a photographer.
Now to the most important points of this post - Why photographers should use real couples for styled photoshoots.
1 - The integrity of the photos and your work
When potential clients see these photos on your website they are going to assume the pair in the photos is a real couple. Those not in the industry might not even know what a styled shoot is and they aren’t likely to go digging to check that the photos you are using for advertising are in fact real couples. They will likely just assume they are. You have the potential to book real couples from photos they are perceiving to be real couples. That is really close to false advertising.
The same goes with instagram. Many photographers tag all of the vendors and some even say it is a styled shoot but again prospective couples likely aren’t going to know what that means and will likely assume they are a real couple. And I get it. It can actually be way harder to find a real couple for whatever look you are trying to achieve with your photoshoot but the integrity of it all is more than worth it. I would rather not feel like I am lying to prospective couples.
I also get that a styled shoot in itself can be considered false advertising, as it is not a real wedding, but it is a real photoshoot. The team did create those images and the same setup could happen on a wedding day so it is not the same as using a fake couple in my opinion.
2 - Fake diversity is cringy - let minorities tell their own stories
Early this month, Halle Berry pulled out of a role where she was slotted to play a transgender character because of the backlash she received. Why not hire an actual trans person to play a trans person? Let people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community tell their own stories.
If you want more diversity in your portfolio how about using actual diversity?
Put out a model call and be honest. I did this years ago when I realized I had no same sex couples in my portfolio and I heard that other photogs were turning these couples away. LGTBQ+ rights have always been something I am passionate about and I wanted to make sure any prospective couples who came across my page knew they would be celebrated and not turned away. So I put out a model call on Facebook saying what I just said. I don’t have any same sex couples in my portfolio and I want to make sure I am giving the proper representation to all of the people who celebrate love. I asked my friends to tag any same sex couples they know who might want a free photoshoot. I let them know the photos would be used for marketing. I ended up photographing five REAL same sex couples. I didn’t turn anyone away who inquired. I think it is really important that if we say we support these things that we make sure our actions reflect it.
3 - Actual chemistry just photographs better - because it is real
When using real couples the chances of them having real chemistry is way higher! When you use two people who are friends or who even just met they don’t know the layers of each other. When you have a couple who has been together for a while, a couple who chose each other, it is just different. Plus, it is a fun way to celebrate their love. They get to get all dressed up, cuddle each other, dance, etc. and then have fun photos as a reminder.
4 - Comfort of the “models”
Photos of the couple cuddling, holding each other or kissing are often part of a styled photoshoot because for wedding styled shoots, it is supposed to look like a wedding couple. It is a bit odd to think about doing this with two people who don’t really know each other or are just friends. I am sure lots of photographers have a conversation with the pair ahead of time but with the nerves of the day and a team of people around them they could make them feel pressured to say yes to things they are not really comfortable doing. They could even realize their discomfort later. Who is at fault here? It is arguable that the photographer and team are the ones who created the situation which is better to avoid from the start. As we know, many women and even some men are survivors of sexual assault. Touching in any way can be difficult for many. This area is simply too gray for me to be okay with.
If your argument is that this is similar to a commercial shoot where they use models (I tried to consider every angle) this simply isn’t a commercial shoot. When couples come to your website they assume the couples are real. You are providing a service. When customers go to a t-shirt site, it is assumed that models are paid to model the t-shirts. The two worlds are just different. And since most of us own our own businesses, it is up to us to consider ethical issues as we work. It is 100% okay to grow and change.
5 - Be authentic and transparent
As a photographer, be real with yourself about what you are trying to achieve. When it comes to diversity in your portfolio - Are you trying to look “woke”? Or do you actually care about the Black Lives Matter Movement and/or the LGBTQ+ community? Actions speak louder than words. If you care you will shine the light on people who are painfully underrepresented in our culture. If you care you will make the movement a part of your life, not just your pocketbook. Remember people are not props.
But, why this post?
The reason I wrote this blog post is because I keep seeing styled shoots using two people who are not together and I instantly get an icky feeling. It doesn’t feel right. So I talked it out with a few people who are not in the industry and they agreed. I thought about both sides and the possible outcomes. Especially with everything that is going on in the world right now. I see models posing as interracial couples, a gay man and a straight woman posing as a straight married couple, two straight women posing as a married couple, etc. Why not use actual couples who are really those things? The chemistry alone will make the photo shoot so much better.
No matter what type of wedding vendor you are (hair stylist, florist, makeup artist, etc.) it is so important to make sure the team plans on using a real couple for integrity, for comfort and just because it is the right thing to do.
*All of the photos in this blog post are of our Bonnie and Clyde themed styled photoshoot. Check out more below :)
Vendors:
Wedding Dress: The Bridal Cottage
Planner: White Pine Coordination
Makeup Artist: Liz Colston
Jewelry: Bloom and Thistle
Assistant: Tiffany Nance
Photographer: Jenn Terrell
