The Best Moments for Any Photobook: Partners
When you think about it, life’s perfect moments tend to happen so quickly that it is almost impossible to get the camera ready fast enough to capture them. We don’t all walk around with a Kodak Camera around our necks the whole time. For one, we’d get chronic neck pain. But, beyond that, it almost cheapens the moment if you’re constantly prepared with a finger on the shutter.
So what moments should we be ready for, and how do we photograph them in the perfect way? In the past, we have covered childhood and friendships, and today’s subject will be no less important to us.
It is, of course, our partners who keep us going through the good times and the bad. We laugh with them, we cry with them, and, when we’ve truly found someone special, we vow to spend the rest of our lives with them. In this way, there are so many occasions to photograph and remember. Of course, there are the classic ones: the engagement, the wedding and the anniversaries. But, in this list, we’re going to venture through the photographs that may have otherwise passed you by.
The First Picture
In the past, we’ve mentioned photographing yourself and your friends as an icebreaker when you start a new job. When it comes to new partners, however, taking a picture on the first date can be a little more of an awkward situation. Even if it’s well-intentioned, your date may get the wrong idea if you suddenly whip out your phone - especially with the intention of taking a snap for social media. A lot of the time, we come up with a fun first date idea to see if we will get on with a person in a one-to-one setting, with no expectation or pressure to actually meet up for a second time, or whack their face on social media.
In this way, taking pictures on a first date can be pretty presumptuous, and a lot of the time people don’t do it. But this is a shame for the dates that work out and blossom into a relationship. In the months to come, looking back at where it all began with your partner can be incredibly moving and nostalgic.
For this reason, you should try to take a picture of at least something on that first date. It doesn’t have to be you and your partner, but maybe a landscape picture of the venue, a portrait of the fun-looking cocktails you’ve ordered or, if you want something personable, a picture of yourself before the date even starts, all dressed up and ready to go. It may not be a photograph of the date, but it could be an important picture for the both of you when you come to look back at it after a few years.
The Keys
The moment you decide to move in together is one of the biggest moments in any relationship. Sadly, however, it can be a rather hard moment to capture on camera. But all is not lost. There are ways to snap this momentous occasion in a sweet and powerful way. When you get the keys to the address, make sure to plan ahead and buy some keyrings that are specific to both of you.
Once you have attached the key rings, pop them on your post box, doorstep or coffee table and take a picture that shows them lying together. If you take the time to choreograph and frame this picture perfectly, there’s no doubt it will stand out in a photobook and on social media. When you come to look back at it, the memories and happiness that the picture radiates will look back at you too.
The Paint Job
Getting ready to introduce a new member of the family can be equal parts exciting, nerve-wracking and daunting. It is a journey that you go through with your partner, and the path to get there will always be filled with many touching moments that you will want to remember. One of the best moments to capture is the preparation of your new-born’s first room. Make sure, if you and your partner are setting up their cot or giving the walls a lick of paint, that you take the time to stand back and photograph your partner they’re busy preparing.
This is especially important if you are planning to make a photobook that revolves around your new-born, which is something a lot of parents like to do to save their memories. The preparation of the new-born’s room will be perfect for a baby boy or baby girl photo book, and it will be equal parts funny and moving to see the excitement and dread on your partner’s face. It could even be something that you show your child when they’re all grown up, giving them an opportunity to see their parents preparing the room that they grew up in, unblemished by the sleep bags under the eyes that are soon to plague them.
The Horizon
Lastly, it is important to take photographs of the times when it is just you and your partner living in the moment. If you’re taking a stroll down the beach or taking a walk along a hillside, then you might often take the time to stop for a selfie, but you can do so much better than that. Something a bit more artistic can give you a photograph that is far more romantic and meaningful – and taking better pictures of your significant other is definitely easier than you’d think.
If you’re at the beach, then sit down and simply take a picture of your legs resting atop the sand, with the waves travelling off into the background. If there is someone nearby, then you could also pluck up the courage to ask them to be your official photographer for a few moments, with a beautiful photo of the two of you staring out to the horizon. Whether it’s for a photobook or a simple Instagram post, this can be a great photograph to capture you and your partner living in the moment and looking to the horizon in anticipation for everything that is yet to come.
