17 Ways to Photograph Love Without Being Cheesy (With Inspiring Examples)

Valentine’s Day is dangerously close. The day of love, the day to tell your partner that you love her with a gift, because the day to show her that you love her, is today, tomorrow and the rest of the days of the year. But we love excuses to give gifts, to celebrate, to remind us to pamper our loved ones and, friends, we need reasons to celebrate, that to cry we just have to turn on the news. Now, not all gifts have to be material, which can also be, but there are other possibilities.

If you want to show all your love to your partner and you don’t have a budget, you have it but you have thought of something more emotional, you have been asked to photograph a couple or, simply, to celebrate that day, you want to immortalize your union, take a look at these elegant and creative ideas of photographing love. If it’s about yourself, these self-portrait tips can help.

oh…! What is not your case? That you don’t have a special person, or anyone who has asked you for photos? Well, this excuse doesn’t work for me, because then you’re looking for inspiration and you say you can’t find it, so I propose something, well, better said, two options: first, if you have a couple in love nearby, offer to do a session for them, for sure that they offer themselves delighted and you practice; the second, if this is not possible either, go out and look for the love of strangers, it is incredible what you can learn and capture, what do you not find?, go to a train station, sure to play paparazzi you find a couple in love saying goodbye ;).

Now yes, I will tell you some ways in which you can portray that precious and pure feeling that unites each pore of your/your skin.

1. Through the hands

The hands are, after the face, the part of our body that counts the most without speaking. In addition, in every relationship they have an enormous weight, the first time you brush your hand with the person with whom you have fallen in love, when he supports it on your face, when he caresses you or removes a strand of your hair, that hand that fucks for the first time in the first encounters or catches you to kiss you for the last time that day (one more time). Those hands that express so much and make you feel so much are a great symbol. Here are some examples:

2. Hinting

I love those photographs that tell a story without showing anything. A small gesture is enough to tell you what’s going on. Take a look at these images and the importance of proper perspective. To shoot photos like these you have no choice but to lie on the ground (if you don’t have a flip screen) or place the camera on the ground if it is a self-portrait. And not only that, look for a nice floor, make sure that there is no garbage or distracting elements (and if it is inevitable, you know, maximum opening or try another way 😉 ), that the protagonist is love, history and not the soda can seen in the background or the dog sticking its nose out.

3. With a hug

I am one of those who think that a hug can transmit almost more than a kiss, yes the kiss is the kiss, but you only give it to your partner, the hug is more common and a hug of love, a hug to the person that you love, stands out from the rest in small details, that’s what you have to capture with your camera.

4. Naturally

The spontaneous photos, without poses, natural as life itself, are full of magic, because the true feeling is seen, without artifice, with its defects and its virtues, in a pure way, as much as the love that exists in the couple.

5. Smiley

Love is also expressed with laughter, humor and love go hand in hand in the strongest, most solid and lasting relationships. Let it flow and the protagonists will look (or will look) this happy.

6. Through the dance

How many people have fallen in love dancing, how many sharing a song? Music not only unites bodies, it unites souls, it unites destinies. If this has been your case, or that of the couple you are going to photograph, it can be a beautiful way to portray this love. Play “the song”, or any romantic theme and let the feelings fly.

7. Backwards

Leave room for the imagination and photograph the protagonists from behind. If you are going to shoot yourself, try the timer or a remote trigger with a delay of a couple of seconds so that you have time to turn around 😉

8. From afar

You don’t need a close-up to capture love, we talked about it at the beginning, remember? Bodies speak, from near and far, allowing the environment to embrace the couple. The difficulty here is in the self-portraits, I am afraid that in this case you will need a helping hand. Did someone introduce you? Grant him that honor 😉

9. On the ground

Sometimes backgrounds are not good companions, how about laying the lovebirds on the ground? Ok, if you have to throw yourself, your tripod will have to do some acrobatics or call the same godfather or godmother from before 😉

10. Black and white

I admit it, I am very insistent with black and white, but it is like true love… it lasts forever!

11. Backlit

Take advantage of sunsets or sunrises to capture the suggestive silhouette of the couple or give it a magical, warm and romantic touch. Here are two examples of backlit images.

12. Through shared hobbies

We cannot deny that hobbies unite (almost as much as they separate 😉 ). If this love to immortalize was born or has been nourished by a common hobby, it can be a nice way to capture it, don’t you think?

13. In a romantic or magical place

A true love does not need big stages, it is enough with a gesture, a look, a caress… we have been seeing it in the previous images, that does not take away from recognizing the merit of a beautiful location and how it can enrich the image. If there is a beautiful and special place for the couple, why not give it the prominence it deserves?

14. In low (or high) key

If you did not know the technique in low key or high key, the time has come. With this type of images the emotion is guaranteed.

15. In the rain

Do you recognize that photos in the rain are very romantic? If you don’t believe it, think of how many movie scenes they kiss under one.

16. With an “almost” kiss

A moment of intimacy, an irresistible moment, the pre-kiss, the almost kiss, the kiss of the gaze. They say that the first kiss is not with the lips… Emotional, right?

Observe how shooting from higher up has managed to have the sea as a background.

17. With a kiss

And here it is, for the end, because yes, the kiss is the star element for most. Play with the opening, with natural frames, with perspective, etc., any trick that serves to give prominence to the lovers will be welcome. And if you want to give it a point of tenderness, you can follow these tips.

Not a single heart throughout the entire article except on the cover. You see? They are not necessary to show love, nor the word “love” on the hands or anything that leads to excess. The people, their gestures and their emotions are enough; artifices sometimes distract and detract from the purity of the moment. Everyone can take the photos they like the most, of course, but as for tastes of colors, this is for those who prefer to avoid various ornaments and seek simplicity.

You have 13 days, although it is enough time to carry out the session and print the photos or prepare the surprise you have thought of, do not rest on your laurels!

If you liked it, I will greatly appreciate it if you share it on your favorite social network. Let’s share love, what a good need it is;). Thank you and see you very soon.

Happy Valentines!