Tips for Photographing Love
Love comes in many forms—romantic, familial, friendship, self-love, and even the unconditional love of pets. Each type of love tells its own unique story, and as photographers, we have the opportunity to preserve these meaningful connections in a way that feels authentic and timeless.
Whether you're capturing the quiet intimacy of a couple, the joy of a family, or the deep bond between a person and their pet, the quick tips in this article will help you showcase love in all its beautiful forms.
Romantic Love
Perhaps the first thing most people think of when we talk about “love”, romantic couples portraits or wedding photos are some of the most common and important photos we take.
Image by Bettina Vass Photography
Edited with Chroma Presets
Image by Pauline Wong
Edited with Quest 37 Soraya
Tips for Photographing Romantic Love:
The little intimate moments matter— capture gentle touches, shared laughter, and the smiles between the poses that really show off the couple’s connection to each other. Focus on hands and other points of contact.
Tell the story by focusing on expressions and body language— it doesn’t have to be serious all the time! Goofing around is a great way for couples to relax and for you to capture candid interactions.
Take your time. Don’t rush through your poses, allow time for the couple to breathe, take each other in, and melt into being more comfortable in front of the camera.
Change up your framing— try to get a mix of close-up photos and details, photos where your couple fills the frame, and wide-angle photos with lots of background interest. Close-ups will focus on expression while mid and wide-angle images give more context and body language.
Image by My Favourite Human
Edited with Quest 37 Soraya
Image by Alejandro Diaz
Edited with Quest 42 Falena
Family Love
Image by Marley Felicia Photography
Edited with Quest 43 Llŷr
Image by Kerlyn Van Gelder Photography
Edited with Quest 37 Soraya
Some families have professional photos taken multiple times a year, some only once a year, and some rarely get to do it at all. Every family is unique in the way they interact with each other, in the roles each member of the family takes on, and how they let their guard down around each other.
Image by Nina Goks
Edited with Quest 44 Aureus
Tips for Photographing Families:
Encourage natural interactions for authentic emotions by focusing more on prompts than poses. With little kids, games like “red light, green light” or encouraging play will elicit laughter and smiles.
Small details, like hand-holding or a curl of hair, are precious. Most family photography is about documenting a growing family, time paused for just a moment for the parents to catch their breath. You never know how treasured a photo of baby feet might be for someone in years to come!
For fast-moving and energetic kids, use a fast shutter speed and face detection focus to get crisp photos.
Again, framing is everything! Tightly frame your subjects to emphasize closeness and connection.
Image by Natalie Thomas Photography
Edited with Quest 44 Aureus
Image by Magda Bury
Edited with Quest 37 Soraya
Image by Magda Bury
Edited with Quest 43 Llŷr
Other Types of Love
Image by Maria Arianna
Edited with Chroma Presets
Tips for Photographing Self-Love
Experiment with a timer and tripod for self-portraits.
Hire a photographer for a portrait session to get the kind of experience you give to others!
Get creative with mirrors, framing in doorways or windows, and details of yourself you might never see.
It’s important to show up in photos— especially when you are often the one behind the camera. Your loved ones want to see photos of you, too!
Image by Valeria Figueroa
Edited with Quest 42 Falena
Tips for Photographing Friendship:
Focus on photographing candid, spontaneous moments of fun and laughter.
For dynamic group photos, use a wide-angle lens, and capture shared activities that showcase their friendship.
Change up the perspective, like using an over-the-shoulder photo, to immerse the viewer.
Image by Bogdan Babanin
Edited with Quest 44 Aureus
Image by Bogdan Babanin
Edited with Quest 44 Aureus
Tips for Photographing Pet Love:
The time we have with our animal companions is short, by comparison, so it is especially meaningful to capture details like their eyes, the owner’s hands in their fur (or on their scales, if it’s a reptile pet), their paws, nose, etc.
Get down on their level for a four-legged perspective.
Capture the pet’s personality through candid moments— like playing fetch with dogs, playing with toys with cats, or cuddling with their human.
Image by Lis Warren
Edited with Quest 43 Llŷr and Quest Tools 10 - Lens Emulations
Bonus Tips: Photographing Love for Our Planet
Show connection with nature: hands touching leaves or trees, bare feet on the earth, or individuals immersed in the natural landscape to illustrate the bond with the environment.
Play with available light— dappled sunlight, light streaming in rays through tree branches, or golden hour over the plains or a mountain range alpenglow!
Use leading lines and symmetry as thoughtful compositional elements.
Image by Tonya Miriam Photography
Edited with Quest 42 Falena
What are your favorite types of love to photograph? Tell us in the comments!