YP Tip of the Week

“Aunt Yael when are you getting married?” My eldest niece asked me for the third time of the weekend “I just can’t wait to be a flower girl!”

My nieces are more excited about my future wedding (whenever that may be) than I am. All they want is to wear pretty dresses and throw petals down the aisle. All they want is to get their hair done, wear flower crowns and walk down the aisle but being a flower girl is no small feat!

Here are some helpful tips to make the big moment seem a little less scary for our favorite little ones.

The Buddy System:

Never underestimate the buddy system. Sometimes, it can be a little overwhelming for anyone, not just for our cute little humans, to walk down the aisle with 200 people watching them, that’s why sending them down the aisle together makes everyone happy. Not only is it adorable, but it makes it less scary for them!

Talk to them Well in Advance!

Talk to them! If your flower girls are anything like my nieces they will absolutely love talking in detail about what their flower girl duties are. Tell them early and multiple times. They will feel important. They will take it seriously and will understand what is expected of them if you begin telling them well in advanced! Plus, you get to watch as their eyes light up as you talk about them being flower girls! It’s a win, win!

Invite her to the shower & other bridesmaid functions (like a brunch, not the bachelorette party😄😄😄)

The more comfortable your little flower girls are the better. Inviting her to your wedding shower or bridesmaids brunch will help her get to know the rest of the bridal party. This way, on the day of the wedding, your bridesmaids will be familiar faces and she will be WAYY more comfortable!

Strategically place her parents

If her parents are in the wedding party or even just guests, have them sit (or stand) towards the front of the ceremony, this way she can concentrate on her parents encouraging smile reassuring her all the way down the aisle.

With these few simple tips your flower girls will be set up for success! They will be ready, be excited and most importantly comfortable!

“We just don’t know what we are doing in front of the camera like at all!” 

“That’s why I’m here!”

This is a conversation I have almost every single time I sit down with a couple for their wedding consultation. I get it. I know it’s hard. I know we are the generation that created the selfie and we have spent years perfecting it but still feels super awkward when anyone else points the camera at us. I know most of us haven’t even had a professional photo taken of us since our Mitzvahs or High School Yearbooks! I know! I get it! I understand your concerns. I understand the nervousness and the discomfort. But, I have good news…

I have taken the time to study, practice and master posing and now I know how to coach my couples into poses that feel genuine and true. I don’t want your photos to feel posed. And I definitely don’t want your photos to look rigid. I want them to feel like you. I want them to look as happy as you feel! That’s why I like to coach and guide my couples. It helps them find what works for them without feeling forced. My business’s main goal is to make my clients feel as happy and as comfortable in front of the camera as possible! My purpose is to make you fall in love with your photos! My intention is to make your wedding day run as smoothly as possible, especially when you are standing in front of my camera!

So, let’s not wait until your engagement session or wedding day. Let’s settle some of those concerns right here and right now! You are about to read something that is so near and dear to me, I seriously cannot believe I am writing this! These are my top four FAVORITE YP Couple Base Poses! This is big stuff guys! This is the meat and potatoes of my posing techniques and I am beyond excited to sharing them with you!!

You may be wondering, what the heck is a base pose, Yael?

Well, let me start from the beginning. I like to think of posing as a pyramid. You start with the bottom of your body and then work up. You start with where your put your feet and the rest will fall into place (with my help of course)!

Warning: The name of my base poses may not be clever, but they get the job done and sometimes that is all we can really ask for!

For the purpose of this blog post, instead of calling our couple “Man” and “Woman” in the instructions, I am going to give them names “David will refer to the man and Rachael will refer to the woman. This way, it sounds a lot less robotic, at least to me.  😊😊😊

Base Pose One: Belly to Hip Bone

My nickname for this base pose is also the “HI MOM!”

This is the pose I like to use for the classic, standing next to each other looking at the camera, smiling pose! It’s the pose that every mom really loves because she gets to see your entire face happy, smiling at her!

Step 1: Have David stand with his body straight to the camera. One foot slightly in front of the other with a little bend in the knee (this way, it doesn’t look or feel stiff)! 

Step 2: Have David’s beautiful fiancé, Rachael put her belly button to his hipbone (instead of  her having her body straight on to the camera).  This way Rachael has her body turned towards his. Rachael will then put all of her weight on her back foot. Rachael will put a slight bend in her front knee.

Step 3: Make sure there is no room between David and Rachael! They need to be touching!!

So why do I do this?! Well, it’s simple, a man looks his best when his shoulders are at their broadest (this is why suits look incredible on all men, it shows off their broad shoulders)! Women, don’t want to look broad in the same way men do! That’s why, I like to have our women turned sideways and put all of their body weight on their back foot. It flatters our curves in the best possible way!

Base Pose Two: Belly to Belly

I told you my names for the poses aren’t clever 😁

This pose is the one I like to use when I want my couples to really snuggle up and get all close and personal! It is literally exactly what it sounds like!

Step One: Have both David and Rachael face each other. Have their belly buttons touching. This way they are as close as possible!

Step Two: Add that extra little bend in Rachael’s front knee as she distributes all of her weight onto her back foot!

Step Three: Have David wrap his arms around Rachael’s waist, tight enough so it clinches at the waist, but loose enough so she can breath!! 

Base Pose Three: The Prom Pose 2.0

We all remember the prom pose, and I promise, this will NOT look as cheesy as it sounds!! This one I like to use for intimate, yet fun photos.  

Step One: David stands behind Rachael. But instead of putting him directly behind Rachael, move him slightly to the side. Not too much space so David can still put his arms around Rachael!

Step Two: Have Rachael stand in front of David with one of her knees having a slight bend (make it more casual and not stiff)!

Step Three: Have David put his arms around Rachael

Step Four: Have Rachael put her hands over David’s arms or hands, whatever is comfortable. 

This way David’s body is wrapping around Rachael! It shows off his broad shoulders and makes her look cute and cuddly!

Base Pose Four: Splitting The Chest

This name always confuses people and I totally get it! So let me just explain it!

Step One: Have David stand with his body straight to the camera, kind of like in Base Pose One (Belly to Hipbone). David should have one foot slightly in front of the other with a casual bend in his front knee.

Step Two: Rachael stands next to David. Have Rachael take a very small step back (but still on his side).

Step Three: Have Rachael turn her body and face David.

Step Four: Have Rachael turn her body so her chest is touching his upper arm. In other words, his arm and shoulder will be in front of half of Rachael’s body (look up at photo example and notice the position of his arm and her body)! 

October 2017

“You didn’t eat anything at all yesterday?” Robert asked as I sat at the table and put my fingers to the side of my head. It was Sunday morning and I had a double hitter weekend with two amazing weddings! They were beautiful, busy and full of dancing. Who had time to eat when I had moments to snap, emotions to capture and love to photograph!

“Not at the wedding! I just didn’t have time! Before I knew it, the waiters were cleaning up the vendor food and the night was almost over”

“You need to bring snacks!” Robert said as he handed me a cup of coffee

” I know, I know”

Two years and countless of pep talks from Robert later, I have finally, officially learned the art of snacking. This isn’t just for weddings, but all busy days! No matter who you are, what you do for a living or how you spend your time, I know there are days where you’re just running around like the energizer bunny and forget to eat!

Here are my favorite wedding/ busy day snacks that are easy to pack and are guilt free!!

RX Bars

The ingredients are written on the front of the wrapper! Literally amazing

1/2 a cup of Sea Salt Dried Chickpeas

Satisfies that salty craving!

Bare Snacks

Crunchy and sweet!

Honey Crisp Apple and 1 TBSP of Organic Nut Butter

Apple dippers will always be my favorite American snack!

Trail Mix:

2 TBSP of dried fruit, 1 TBSP of Nuts, 1 TBSP of Pumpkin Seeds does the trick every time.

Whole Wheat Berry Muffins

Easy to bake, even easier to eat!

Have your own favorite healthy snack!? I’d love to hear it! Comment below!

“I have no idea what to wear! What do you recommend!?” This is the number one question I get from women no matter what kind of session they are dressing for! From maternity photos, to engagement sessions, from family mini sessions all the way to entrepreneurial headshots, I am always asked about outfit choices. “What colors work the best? What is the most flattering? Should I just wear black?” These are all great questions and guess what? I used to ask the same ones but then I became a photographer and over the years, I have photographed hundreds of sessions and have seen an abundance of color combinations in front of my camera and this is what I have found..

Selecting softer, lighter tones and more muted shades are always great choices! By avoiding an ultra-bright dress or a bold colored skirt, it will help bring all the attention to your faces and let the eye focus on the way you feel about each other instead of what you are wearing. The camera loves shades of soft pink and muted blues mixed with sophisticated light neutrals like heather gray, creams, leather brown and white. That softer color palette fits beautifully into almost all natural outdoor environments!

I know, you want to wear something nice, and I totally support that! You should feel beautiful in your photography session outfit, but, as a photographer who loves to capture people, emotions and love, I am here to remind you that your wardrobe isn’t the center of attention, you are. Your love deserves to shine brighter than any other aspect of your beautiful photos and that’s why I strongly suggest, soft, light tones!