Standing and looking at each other, the couple seen on a landing in Chiado in Lisbon, by the wedding photographer in Lisbon.

Revisiting a Elopement Session in Lisbon

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VISITING THE ARCHIVE by THE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER IN LISBON

Standing and looking at each other, the couple seen on a landing in Chiado in Lisbon, by the wedding photographer in Lisbon.

Some of the photos from the pre-wedding session in Chiado, Lisbon


• Pode ler este artigo em Português. 

Photographing a Couple’s Session or Pre-Wedding Shoot Without Directing the Couple: Capturing the Naturalness of the Moment

The bride and groom, in a pre-wedding session at Chiado in Lisbon, look at the flowers in a window.

The art of photographing a couple at such an important moment in their life, like a couple’s session or pre-wedding shoot, is one of the most delicate tasks for a wedding photographer. It is a unique opportunity to capture the emotions and connection between the couple, far from the poses imposed by clichés.

When photographing a session of this nature, I choose an approach where, instead of directing the couple, I follow them fluidly, capturing their natural essence. This approach results in authentic wedding photographs, full of feeling and spontaneity.

The idea is clear: capture the couple without impositions, without the pressure of a traditional and artificial photograph. Instead of directing every movement or smile, I observe and follow their dynamic. The result is images that convey a genuine sense of connection, as if the photographer’s eye is guided by the couple’s energy.

Wedding Photography: The Evolution of the Photographer’s Eye and Technique

The couple at the dating session at Rua Garreth, in Chiado in Lisbon, with the bride looking at flowers, below, and the groom across the street.

At the beginning of my career as a wedding photographer, I remember doing a pre-wedding shoot with Vanessa and Bruno in Lisbon. It was a learning moment, but also a big challenge. By accepting this challenge, I was taking the first steps in my career while also preparing for their big wedding day. For me, it was an opportunity to explore new ways of doing things and find myself as a professional photographer.

Vanessa and Bruno asked me to photograph them without any explicit direction, only telling me the location of the session. I accepted with a mix of nervousness and enthusiasm. The idea was to be like a jazz musician, where the basic structure was given, but the notes and improvisation happened in the moment.

With that, a new way of seeing wedding photography was born for me: freer, more fluid, and much more emotional. They allowed me to evolve, and the photographs that resulted from this experience showed me that naturalness was the key to creating truly memorable images.

  • The experience with Vanessa and Bruno was crucial for my growth as a wedding photographer.
  • Photographing freely and without pressure helps create spontaneous, emotional images.
  • The most authentic wedding photographs come from unposed moments.
  • A natural approach allows you to capture the essence of the couple’s connection.

The Harmony in Photograph Composition: The Photographer’s Eye as the Capture Instrument

The couple, in the pre-wedding session, looking at each other, seen from inside a store in Chiado in Lisbon.

Photographing without direction involves a series of decisions that happen in real time. Harmonizing the composition, deciding the point of view, and determining the framing of an image are tasks that often have to be made quickly, without time for deep reflection. This process is like a musical piece where each note comes together to create a melody.

In my case, it involves observing the couple’s reactions, the small details of their movements, and expressions. Every smile, every exchanged look between the couple is a reflection of their story, and so it needs to be captured quickly and intuitively.

I am not the type of photographer who spends hours observing the scenery, like a landscape photographer searching for the perfect moment. For me, the scenery is the people, and the magic lies in their reactions and genuine expressions. This is what makes wedding photography a unique experience. The creative process of photographing is driven by the unpredictability of the couple’s reactions and the small gestures that can only be captured at the right moment.

  • Image composition in wedding photography is a dynamic process.
  • The naturalness of the couple’s expressions is what makes the photographs more powerful.
  • Photographing without direction helps capture authentic and emotional moments.
  • Each image has its own story, which should be told quickly and intuitively.

The Challenge of Capturing Natural Moments: How the Photographer’s Eye Becomes Essential

The bride and groom seen in front of a window in Lisbon, from the inside of the store.

Unlike other types of photography, where patience and stillness are essential, wedding photography requires a more agile and reactive approach. The couple’s reactions are fast, and therefore, the photographer needs to be constantly alert to capture those fleeting moments. When working with couples in couples’ sessions or pre-wedding shoots, the gestures and expressions are often unpredictable, but that’s what makes the images come to life.

During the session with Vanessa and Bruno, I was challenged to follow the couple without imposing any direction. I didn’t know how things were going to unfold, but I knew that the key was being an attentive observer and capturing every nuance of emotion that appeared.

The small moments, such as an exchanged glance, a shy smile, or a spontaneous laugh, are the ones that are most deeply etched in the heart and memory. Without knowing, they helped solidify my way of working. Photographing without imposition was a lesson that made me a better photographer, more prepared for their big wedding day.

  • Naturalness is essential to creating authentic and emotional images.
  • Every gesture and every expression of the couple can tell a unique story in wedding photography.
  • The ability to capture spontaneous moments is what sets a wedding photographer apart.
  • Following the couple without directing them results in more sincere and lively images.
The bride and groom, in the courtship session, next to a shop window, with the reflection of the building across the street.

If you’re looking for a wedding photographer who can capture the genuine and natural essence of your special day, without forcing poses or directions, I’m here to help. Every wedding is unique, and your photographs should reflect the true emotion of the moment.

Get in touch with me to learn more about how I can make your big day an unforgettable memory, full of authentic and spontaneous moments. Let’s create together the photographs that will tell the story of your love in a unique and emotional way.

Give me a Call
  • You can see a full wedding story:
Wedding
Groom's face looking at the bride.
The bride's face looking at the groom, in front of her at the pre-wedding session at Chiado in Lisbon.
The groom's feet with the bride's shoes next to him, when he is sitting on a bench in a street in downtown Lisbon.
Laughing bride portrait by wedding photographer at pre-wedding session.
The bride, with a flower in her hand, laughs when the groom surprises her, hugging her from behind.
The couple, in the dating session, talking on a street in downtown Lisbon with a Carris tram approaching.
Embraced, the bride and groom walk along a street in Chiado, on the tracks of the Carris tram.
Sitting on a double bench in Chiado in Lisbon, the bride and groom chat while laughing during a pre-wedding session.
Face to face, the couple in the courtship session looks across the street with the bride sniffing a flower.
The groom, with his back to the bride and sitting on a street bench, hears the bride, smiling.
Portrait of the groom, by the wedding photographer, with the bride in the background, blurred during the pre-wedding session.
Black and white portrait of the bride, by the wedding photographer at the dating session, looking to the side.
The groom sitting on the iron stairs of a building in Lisbon.
Amid the iron structure of a staircase in a building in Lisbon, the bride and groom talk.
On a landing of an iron staircase in Lisbon, the couple talks during the dating session by the wedding photographer.
The bride talking to the groom, leaning on the balustrade of a staircase in Lisbon.
The couple, in the pre-wedding session, talk in a landing of an iron staircase in Chiado in Lisbon.
The bride and groom together and hugging with the staircase in Chiado, Lisbon, in the background.
The groom, seated in the structure of the iron staircase in Chiado in Lisbon, talks with the bride in the pre-wedding session, by the wedding photographer.
With the branches of a tree, without leaves, on them, the bride and groom talk to each other during the dating session with the wedding photographer in Chiado, Lisbon.
Seen from the back, the couple, during the pre-wedding session, walks towards Largo do Chiado in Lisbon.
The bride, leaning against the steps of the Metro in Chiado, talks with the groom.
The bride caresses the groom's face, at the Chiado Metro station, in the dating session with the wedding photographer.
At the exit of the Chiado Metro station, the bride and groom chat while people descend the stairs to the station.
Leaning on the balustrades at the entrance of the Metro do Chiado station in Lisbon, the bride and groom smile in front of each other.
Amid the smoke from the chestnut roaster in Chiado, Lisbon, the bride and groom, facing each other, smile.
With Largo do Chiado in the background, the couple, in the courtship session, with the wedding photographer, sitting on a marble bench.
The couple making love next to an old mailbox, in a Lisbon square.
Looking into the distance, the couple, by a mailbox, observe something in the pre-wedding session.
Leaning and arm in arm, the newlyweds in downtown Lisbon.
The groom, standing at the entrance of a Carris tram, strokes the hair of the bride who is sitting.
Next to the door of a Carris tram in Lisbon, the bride and groom wait, talking.
The couple, in the elopement session, inside a Carris tram, seen from the outside by the wedding photographer.
Inside a Carris de Lisboa tram, the bride sitting on a bench looks at the street while the groom, seated, looks at her.
Sitting on a stone pillar at the viewpoint of S. Pedro de Alcantara in Lisbon, the bride in a portrait by the wedding photographer.
Sitting on a stone pillar at the viewpoint of S. Pedro de Alcantara in Lisbon, the bride in a portrait by the wedding photographer.
With trees without leaves in the background, the bride sitting at the viewpoint of S. Pedro de Alcantara in Lisbon, in the courtship session.
The bride and groom seated, far from each other, on the pillars of the balustrade of the viewpoint of S. Pedro de Alcantara in Lisbon, in the pre-wedding session.
The groom, in profile, smiles.
The groom with his arms crossed during the dating session with the wedding photographer, in Lisbon.
The groom smiling at someone during the dating session with the wedding photographer.
The groom leaning against the wall of the viewpoint of S. Pedro de Alcantara in Lisbon, with the bride, blurred, in the background, in the session with the wedding photographer.
With the hillside of the Castle blurred in the background, the bride and groom chat in front of each other, in the dating session at the viewpoint of S. Pedro de Alcantara in Lisbon.
Next to the iron balustrade of the viewpoint of S. Pedro de Alcantara in Lisbon, the bride and groom together, with the hillside of the Castle and the Church of Graça on the other side.
The bride and groom passing on a street seen in a motorcycle mirror.
In front of the Luar da Barra bar in Oeiras, the bride and groom smile together at each other during the pre-wedding session.
On a wooden bench next to Praia da Torre in Oeiras, the couple, sitting, laughs, satisfied, in the dating session with the wedding photographer.
The bride and groom sitting on a wooden bench, with the fort of S. Julião da Barra in the background, during the courtship session with the wedding photographer.
The groom, seated on the back of a wooden bench, looks down at the bride, seated next to her, during the pre-wedding session.
Faces of the bride and groom in the access tunnel to Carcavelos beach.
In silhouette, the bride, with a flower in her hand, holding hands with the groom, in the tunnel at Carcavelos beach
The groom, with a flower in his hand, in front of the bride who is leaning against the wall of the Carcavelos beach tunnel.
The groom offers a flower to the bride at the entrance to Praia de Carcavelos, with people passing by in the background.
The bride, in profile, gives the groom the flower to smell.
The bride and groom sitting on the wall of Carcavelos beach, at the end of the dating session with the wedding photographer.

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