Chill Vibes & Emotive Images: Why is Candid Photography Better Than Posed Photography?
- Ginger Fox Photography
- Jun 30
- 3 min read
Lindsay Ladd is a wedding and event photographer based in Baltimore, Maryland with 15 years of experience and 500+ weddings and events photographed. Her photos of LGBTQ+ couples have been published in magazines, newspapers and displayed in museums.
I get asked a lot of questions during consultations, but the one that comes up the most is, "What is your photography style, what’s it like to work with you?” And it’s the perfect question that really highlights the differences between my approach versus other photographers.
Oftentimes people have negative connotations or experiences being photographed and they recall feeling stiff and unnatural. They recall a photographer who made cringey jokes or comments or the whole process felt awkward.
The way I approach photography is the complete opposite of the old school, studio photographer approach. Instead of stiff and formal posing, I emphasize candid photography, which not only captures sincere emotions and genuine interactions, but it’s a much more natural and enjoyable way to be photographed.
Why Candid Photos are Better than Posed Photos
Traditional posed photography asks you to perform and puts the burden on you. And so it makes sense that people look performative and not natural in posed photos. Posing when you feel awkward produces the quintessential stiff, frozen smile paired with dead eyes that belong to a zombie. Or, it results in people overcompensating the awkwardness by pointing, throwing up finger guns, or an awkward thumbs up.
Candid and semi-candid photography solves this. Instead of awkwardly looking at the camera, or posing you into a shape and asking you to hold it, I give you something to do, then I photograph what happens. The result is images where you look natural and you look like you're having fun, because you actually are.
Perfect Timing
Candid photographers are experts at capturing genuine joy and comedic moments. We always have our cameras ready and we've trained our eyes to look for those interesting little vignettes that happen throughout an event, whether that's an expression, . The moments are unique to that specific time and place and the people involved. Things that won't ever happen again.
My Style: Candid Photography with a Casual and Chill Vibe
When I'm shooting, my goal is to keep things relaxed and to make sure you are comfortable and confident the whole time; because when people feel comfortable and confident they take much better photos.
An important way to achieve this is to keep things moving during a photo shoot. When photographing couples or wedding parties, I continually have you doing something, whether it’s walking across a field, embracing under a tree, or enjoying the view.
I also encourage you to focus on each other instead of on me or the camera. This alleviates a lot of the awkward feelings of being photographed. When you embrace your partner your focus is on them instead of the camera and you are more natural and more at ease in the arms of your loved one. When you dance with or joke around with your wedding party you’re having fun and smiling with your friends instead of awkwardly standing still and posing.
Then, while you are enjoying the view, chatting together, or “having a moment”, I photograph the scene from afar, giving you a lot of breathing space. I’m not up close in your face like how a lot of other photographers prefer to work. I find people are more relaxed and natural when given a bit of extra space and distance from the camera.
My goal with every shoot is to create artistic images, with you in them, that genuinely show your personality and emotion.
What are the results?
Many photographers show you their best handful of cherry-picked images which doesn't tell you much about what an actual full gallery looks like. I'd rather you see the real thing. I make full client galleries available so you can browse through complete sets and get a real sense of what your own gallery might feel like. I'd encourage you to look through a few of them before you decide on a photographer, mine or anyone else's. It's the best way to know what you're actually signing up for.
Let's Make Something Great Together
If this sounds like the kind of experience you want for your wedding, elopement, portrait session, or event, email me and let’s chat:
I work with wedding couples all over the United States, from coast to coast, and I photograph corporate, business, and personal events in Baltimore, Maryland, and DC.
