How to Do a Facetime Couples Shoot During COVID-19
How to do a Facetime couples photo shoot
While we’re all in isolation during the coronavirus pandemic, photographers are looking for ways to get creatives. For wedding and couples photographers, this can be especially difficult. Your job inherently involves working with other people. That doesn’t leave you without any options for photography! Having a Facetime couples photo shoot can be a lot of fun for both parties. Here’s how to do a Facetime couples photo shoot.
Ask a couple to try a Facetime session with you
First of all, you need a couple to work with! Ask a couple that you have worked with before or that you’ve wanted to photograph. Since we’re all in isolation during COVID-19, many of us are looking for things to pass the time and have some fun. Reach out and see if they’d like to try this fun project with you!
Set up a time for your Facetime couples photo shoot
Don’t just call a couple out of the blue. Schedule a Facetime couples photo shoot with them to allow them time to prepare! Make sure to consider how the lighting is going to look indoors at whatever time you schedule for. If they have really great lighting in their home during the morning, for example, it may be best to schedule for that time.
Prepare them ahead of time
Prepare ahead of time for a Facetime photo shoot with a couple. It’s a very strange experience but can be a lot of fun! Given that it’s such a new idea, be very open with your communications to them. A few tips to prepare your couples ahead of time:
Clean up the space ahead of time
Ask your couples to tidy up their space ahead of time. This will make for some photos in their nice and cozy setting. You don’t want your couples to look back on the photos and go “oh I wish I had moved that!” or nitpick. During the coronavirus isolation, it’s likely that people’s homes may not be the tidiest. Remind them to clear some space for photos ahead of time.
Prepare a tripod, stand or place to prop the phone
Let them know to prepare something to prop their phone up on. That way they can just focus on being in the photos together. They won’t have to hold the phone or worry about it just looking like selfies! This will allow you to experiment with more locations and ideas within the house.
Remind them to dress comfortably for photos
This is a photo shoot in their personal space. Remind them that wearing comfortable, homey clothes is probably going to make the most sense for the shoot. They probably don’t want to wear an evening dress for a photo shoot inside their home (unless they do, which in that case, heck yes! It’s a mood!)
Send your couples posing tips for a couples shoot on Facetime
Send your couples posing tips ahead of time. This will give them more confidence and even allow them to practice if they need. For a Facetime photo shoot, it may feel a little awkward to pose without a big camera on them. Pass along any resources, like a blog post, about how couples should pose for photos.
Ask them to give you a virtual tour of their space
Before you get started with the Facetime photo shoot, get the couple to give you a virtual tour. This will help you understand which spaces in their home you want to use! Look for where the light is hitting nicely. Do they have unique aspects to their place that you want to use, like a breakfast nook or fire escape? Mix it up and get them to change locations!
Direct them on what to do and be descriptive
Be descriptive when you are directing the couple. Since you are not physically there with your camera, it is not as easy to make that connection. The chemistry between a photographer and their subject is essential to the process of taking photos. When you are taking the photos, make sure to tell the couple what they need to be doing so they don’t feel awkward/uncomfortable.
Use the Facetime “Live Photo” feature
To take the photos during your Facetime photo session, use the Live Photo feature. This is a little button on your Facetime screen that will allow you to take a Live Photo of the people on the other side of the conversation.
Make sure both phones have the Facetime Live Photo feature enabled in settings
Make sure that both phones have Facetime Live enabled before you start your Facetime photo session. This can be found in your phone’s settings under Facetime. If both phones don’t have it enabled, it won’t allow you to take Live Photos during your Facetime photo session.
Have fun with your Facetime couples photo shoot!
Have some fun with it! This is a totally weird situation and not something any of us are used to. Have a great time and just try to enjoy the process. Chat with your couples before the start of the session and get them comfortable before you start. Be experimental and try things that are out of the box. After all, it is an out of the box situation!
Edit them after with presets you would normally use for couples photos
Edit your Facetime couples photo session afterward with presets you would normally use. Make them feel like it was a real life photo session with you. Using the presets you normally use will help you to keep the images on brand.
Share what you’re doing!
Share what you’re doing on your social media channels! With everyone else sitting on their phones at home as well, now is the perfect time to share. Entice other couples to join in on the fun by sharing what you’re up to. Throw it out there that they too can do a Facetime couples photo session!