Movement is great to loosen tension and add dynamism. Simply walking together as a group makes for great photos and can be used as a first port of call in a shoot to warm everyone up and get the session underway. It’s great for active kids too: no standing still and posing required. You can easily layer other prompts on top, too!
Walking together: prompts for relaxed movement for families and couples
This prompt is one of my favorite fundamental prompts: it works for families, couples, wedding groups and kids. It’s super flexible: you can use it anywhere, and I love the relaxed feel of the photos that result.
How to use this photo pose prompt
When staggering, make sure your aperture is narrow enough to get everyone in focus, or play with selective focus and let one group be in focus while the other is blurred.
To avoid awkward mid-step photos, have everyone step in time and take the photo on the step. This makes everyone’s walk look natural. You can also have women “catwalk” by crossing steps one in front of the other, for a flattering look.
Layer prompts by having your clients talk to each other. Consider using:
And use Two Rules Together to guide your clients into looking happy and connected.
Prompt: Walking Together
- With all walking poses, have your clients alternate looking at the camera and at each other (e.g. on a count: “To camera! Look away! At each other! Camera! Away! Each other!”).
- Add connection with linked arms, holding hands, hands on backs, arms around waists. See Connecting Hands for more ideas like this.
- Stagger and group by having people at different distances and with different groupings (e.g. Dad and daughter holding hands behind, Mum and son with linked arms leading the way).
- Have a key person (in focus) lead the rest towards the camera (out of focus).
- Have everyone in one plane and walk slowly towards the camera to keep all in focus.
- Have everyone walk across the scene looking forward as you shoot in profile (think The Beatles, Abbey Road style). Makes a great silhouette photo against the setting sun!
- Running is great for kids: remember to choose a shutter speed and focus drive mode on your camera to suit (single shot mode will lose focus before the shutter can close with a fast kid running towards the camera).
Creative extension
- Mix up your shutter speed and capture movement with intentional blur. Add a flash on rear curtain sync and blur the beginning of the motion, freezing the final frame as a “stamp” on top of the blurred motion. See Get Flashy for more on adding flash.
Tag @promptographerguide and use the hashtag #promptographerguide to share your favorite photos captured with this prompt.
Want this prompt in your Field Cards set?
All the info in this prompt post is summarized onto a single card in the Promptographer Guide Field Cards and App. All the ideas are given on one card so you have a rich, comprehensive tool for sparking ideas. I’ve designed it this way so you only need five to ten cards to build a whole photoshoot.
If you want this prompt in your set, make sure you include Set 6: Family Essentials in your Field Cards.
