6 things I wish every couple knew when booking a couple photoshoot in Paris

While photographing couples here, I've learned that the most beautiful photographs rarely come from trying to create the perfect picture. They come from forgetting there is a picture being made at all.

So, if you're wondering what you should know before your Paris photoshoot, here are six things I'd love to tell you.

1. Paris is beautiful. But you're story is even more so.

I could photograph Paris all day.

The golden façades in the morning. The Seine catching the evening light. A quiet street in Montmartre. The Eiffel Tower appearing between two buildings when you least expect it.

But when you come to me for a Paris couple photoshoot, I don't want to simply photograph you in front of Paris.

I want to photograph your Paris.

The way you look at each other when you think the other person isn't looking.
The hand that automatically reaches for the other hand.
The little laugh that only comes out when you're together.
The way you walk when you're not in a hurry to get anywhere.

Years from now, I hope you look at your photographs and don't just remember the Eiffel Tower or the beautiful street we walked down.

I hope you remember how it felt to be happy, in love, and together in Paris. Because Paris is the setting. You are the protagonists. And that is the story I want to tell.

2. You don't need to know how to pose

If you've ever looked at beautiful couple photographs and thought, " How on earth do people know what to do with their hands?" I promise you're not alone. Most couples aren't models. And I don't need you to be.

You don't need to arrive at your Paris photoshoot knowing how to pose, where to stand, or what to do. You don't need to practice in the mirror beforehand.

Instead, I'll give you little prompts. We'll walk. We'll talk. I'll ask you to get closer, to look at each other, to remember something funny, to dance for a few seconds, to whisper something that will probably make you both laugh.

And somewhere in between all of that, I'll photograph what happens naturally.

Because the photographs I love most aren't necessarily the perfectly posed ones. Nor the super sharp ones.

They're the ones where your eyes light up. Where you're halfway through a laugh. Where someone's hair is moving in the wind. Where you forget what you're supposed to be doing.

The in-between moments are often where the magic lives.

3. Forget about the camera

At first, you'll know I'm there. You'll notice the camera. You'll wonder what your face is doing. You'll wonder whether you're standing strangely. You'll probably have a moment of "Are we doing this right?"

And then, hopefully, something shifts. You start talking. You start laughing. You start walking. You stop thinking about me.

And suddenly, you're just together again. That's the moment I'm waiting for.

When you forget about the camera, you don't have to perform your relationship. You don't have to manufacture romance. You simply get to be in love.

Think of your couples photoshoot in Paris as a date with a photographer following along. I'll guide you when you need it. I'll give you direction when you're in doubt. But I also know when to step back and let something unfold.

Because sometimes the most beautiful photograph is the one that happens when nobody is trying to make it happen.

4. There is no wrong way to love each other

Maybe you're the couple who kisses every five minutes. Maybe you're constantly teasing each other. Maybe you're soft and quiet together. Maybe you communicate mostly through little looks. Maybe one of you is much more affectionate than the other. Maybe your idea of romance is walking down a Parisian street with your fingers intertwined and occasionally bumping shoulders.

All of it is welcome.

You don't have to recreate someone else's version of romance because you saw it on Instagram or Pinterest. You don't have to perform PDA because you think that's what makes a good photograph. And you certainly don't need to wonder whether you're being romantic "enough."

There is no right way to show affection. There is only your way.

So kiss if you want to kiss. Laugh if you want to laugh. Hold each other. Tickle one another. Be silly. Be quiet.

Be completely yourselves.

My job isn't to make you look like another couple.

It's to notice what makes you two different from everyone else.

5. Don't let the rain scare you

Paris in the rain is one of my favorite things. I know... easy for me to say when I'm not the one who spent an hour choosing an outfit.

But hear me out. Rain changes the city. The pavement becomes a mirror. Streetlights begin to glow in the reflections. Umbrellas appear everywhere. The streets feel softer, quieter, more intimate.

And suddenly, the two of you are huddled underneath one umbrella, laughing because you're both trying not to get wet.

There is something wonderfully cinematic about it.

Some of my favorite Paris couple photography moments can happen because the weather didn't go according to plan.

Of course, if Paris decides to send us a full-scale thunderstorm, we'll adapt. But a little rain? Let it come.

Sometimes the unexpected becomes the most beautiful part of the story. And years from now, you might not remember exactly what the weather forecast said. You might simply remember dancing together in the rain in Paris.

6. Let's start early. Paris feels different in the morning.

There is a version of Paris that belongs to the early risers. Before the cafés fill up. Before the streets become busy. Before the city fully wakes.

The light is softer. The streets are quieter. The landmarks breathe a little.

And for a Paris photoshoot, that can make all the difference.

Instead of trying to squeeze a romantic moment between hundreds of other people, we can slow down and enjoy how the city feels ours.

We can walk. We can stop. We can wander down a street because the light looks beautiful. We can take our time.

And yes, there is something magical about having Paris almost to yourselves. So if you're willing to set that alarm a little earlier, I promise it will be worth it.

Bring your coffee. Bring your sleepy eyes. Bring the person you love. I'll bring my camera and all the energy for a great time.