Mastering the Walking and Running Pose in Wedding Photography

Static portraits have their place in every wedding gallery, but it’s often the in-between moments that couples connect with most. As photographers, we typically wait for these moments to happen naturally while the wedding day unfolds, but we can also direct our couples and create opportunities for these moments to happen.

For example, the walking and running pose is one of the simplest ways to create a candid moment while still retaining control as a photographer. It introduces movement, variation, and storytelling into your work without requiring extensive setup or posing. In this article, we’ll show you how to elevate this pose with creative techniques and stylistic approaches that will give your clients dynamic, candid images.

All of the images in this article are provided by the photographers at Wedding Maps and used with permission. Featured image by Shukhrat Kamalov.

Walking and Running Pose Ideas: At a Glance

• Silhouettes – Backlight your couple to create bold outlines and graphic compositions.
• Walking To & Away From the Camera – Suggests the start of a journey and immerses the viewer.
• Isolated Subjects – Shift emphasis to either partner for variety in the sequence.
• Shallow Depth of Field – Isolate motion with creamy backgrounds and subtle blur.
• Black & White – Strip color for a timeless, high-contrast aesthetic.
• Natural Vs. Dramatic Lighting – Use ambient light for authenticity and accurate tones or employ off-camera flash or controlled light for cinematic results.
• Storytelling Angles – Combine wide, medium, and tight frames to build a visual narrative.
• Epic Environmental Portraits – Leverage scale and landscape to heighten impact.
• Any Location – Experiment with different environments to shift mood and context.

Silhouettes

Photo by Mauricio Urena at Villa Caletas Hotel in Jaco, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Who doesn’t love great silhouettes? They’re easy to capture yet impactful, especially when you introduce motion with the walking and running pose. As is true with all silhouette portraits, however, it’s important to pay close attention to detail when setting up the shot. 

Photo by SMJ Photography at Valley Forge National Historical Park in King of Prussia, PA, USA

Position the couple against the brightest part of the frame, whether that be a sunset, streetlights, or even an off-camera flash, and underexpose for dramatic contour. Keep your couple’s movement simple (hand-in-hand or stepping in sync) and avoid overlap of limbs. Separating your subjects from one another as well as their environment is key.

Walking To and Away From the Camera

Photo by Life and Lights Photography at Stonewater Country Club in Michigan, USA

Of all the walking and running pose variations, these two (walking towards and away from the camera) are among the most common, but they add a great bit of storytelling to the overall collection, and they work well to draw in the viewer. 

Walking Away from the Camera

Photo by Green Apple Weddings at The Club at UK Spindletop in Lexington, Kentucky, USA

Let’s begin with directing your couple to walk away from the camera. This perspective is ideal for storytelling because it suggests that the couple is moving forward into their new, shared future. Ideally, for this shot, you would choose a backdrop that either showcases the location, which is now part of the story, or one that serves the image well compositionally. In other words, look for leading lines (like a path or aisle) to draw the viewer’s eye into the frame, and so on.

Photo by Tove Lundquist in Haväng, near Kivik, Sweden

Don’t forget that you’re directing here. You can have the couple hold hands or lean slightly toward each other to convey intimacy, and encourage a natural, unhurried pace so their movement feels relaxed. Shoot slightly from behind and at a lower angle to elongate the scene, and pay attention to lighting direction; soft backlight or golden hour glow can add a romantic, cinematic touch.

Photo by Laura Skebba Photography at Bloom and Bower in Risingsun, OH, USA

Walking Towards the Camera

On the other side of walking away from the camera, we can ask our couples to walk towards the camera.

Photo by Cindy Brown at Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta, GA, USA

This variation allows direct interaction between your couple and the lens. Ask your couple to alternate between looking at each other and at the camera for natural variation. Use this to capture genuine laughter, eye contact, and transitional gestures.

Here are some examples of different variations featuring this pose:

Photo by Tekoa Rose Photo at Chemeketa Cellars in Salem, Oregon, USA

Photo by Stefani Ciotti at Knotting Hill Place in Little Elm, TX, USA

Focus on One Subject

Photo by Shukhrat Kamalov at the New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill in Boylston, MA, USA

To diversify your sequence, shift focus to a single partner, whether it’s isolating the bride, peaking back over her shoulder at the camera, or capturing the groom leading a step ahead. Shifting the focus this way and focusing on a particular subject will help keep your set dynamic and prevent every walking shot from looking the same.

Use a Shallow Depth of Field

Photo by SMJ Photography at The Inn at Leola Village in Leola, PA, USA

Assuming you have a wide-aperture lens, shoot wide open to blur distractions and emphasize the moment. Background motion blur will enhance the sense of forward motion, which can prove particularly effective in urban or wooded settings where patterns and lines naturally soften.

Black & White

Photo by Andy Sidders Photography at the Five Arrows Hotel in Waddesdon, UK

To further enhance your walking or running wedding portrait, give the moment a timeless feel by editing it in black and white. Monochrome goes a long way to minimize the distraction of color, and it draws focus to the subjects and lighting present in a scene.

Photo by Nix Weddings at the Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown, Connecticut, USA

If you’re hoping to create a standout black and white from your walking or running couple portraits, treat it like its own creative process and not an afterthought. Strong black and white images thrive on contrast, texture, and emotion. 

Photo by Milan Lazic in Chicago, USA

Directional light adds depth and definition, especially when the couple is backlit or walking through a path or sun-drenched street. Clean compositions and natural movement, including flowing garments, wind in the hair, or long shadows, can all add drama. 

Photo by Shukhrat Kamalov at the Candlewood Inn in Brookfield, CT, USA

Most importantly, shoot with intention. Not every image works in grayscale, but when you start seeing in light and form rather than color, you’ll capture those timeless, editorial-worthy frames that actually deserve the monochrome treatment.

Natural Vs. Dramatic Lighting

One of the best parts about using the walking or running pose is its flexibility. It works in soft light or under bold, directional light. The lighting you choose not only shapes the photo technically but sets the mood, turning the same action into something tender or cinematic.

Natural Lighting

Photo by Laura Skebba Photography at Heban’s Field of Dreams in Grand Rapids, OH USA

Golden hour is the walking pose’s best friend. When the sun is low, its gentle light wraps around your couple, softening features and casting long, romantic shadows that move with them. Position the light behind or to the side of the couple to create a glowing rim light on their hair or veil, and let the pace of their movement feel unforced and intimate.

Photo by Andreas Pollok at Hambacher Schloss, Pfalz, Germany

Dramatic Lighting

Photo by Milan Lazic in Chicago, IL, USA

For a more editorial or high-impact approach, chase directional light and strong contrast. You could place your couple in a shaft of hard sunlight, letting shadows carve out the scene around them, or using off-camera flash to freeze a moment in a bold, stylized way. Then the light becomes part of the story, casting sharp silhouettes or spotlighting movement with almost cinematic clarity. These are the portfolio shots that stop people mid-scroll.

Storytelling Angles (Wide, Medium, Tight)

Photo by Eric Turner Photography in Beaver Creek, Colorado, USA

One of the most effective ways to use the walking or running pose is to shoot it like a sequence, moving through wide, medium, and tight compositions. It’s the same storytelling formula we see used in television and movies. Start wide to set the scene and give the moment context. Then, move in for medium shots that focus on the couple’s connection, capturing laughter, glances, or the subtle rhythm of their stride. Finally, get close. Tight crops of handholding or a fleeting smile can help give the series intimacy. This layered approach tells a fuller story and generates more deliverable images for albums, reels, and portfolios.

Epic Environmental Portraits

Photo by JCM Photography at the Wedding Tree in Kelly, Wyoming, USA

When the location is ideal, look for places to capture wide angle portraits, and give the walking or running pose a go. It can help anchor the couple while showcasing the grandeur of the scene. Instead of having them stand still and risk looking staged or insignificant, let them move. 

Photo by Vow of the Wild in Colorado, USA

A slow, natural walk or playful run instantly breathes life into the frame, creating contrast between human softness and vast, sweeping surroundings. Also, be sure to place them intentionally, perhaps low in the frame, off-center, or along a leading line to emphasize scale and draw the eye. These are the kinds of shots that feel cinematic and unforgettable, giving the viewer a better sense of what it was like to be there.

Use at All Locations

Photo by Luzye Photography in downtown Santa Ana, CA, USA

It should go without saying, but always scout your locations, regardless of where they are and whether or not you’ve shot there before. You never know when you might happen upon a great new spot. While scouting, you should be thinking about the kinds of portraits you intend to capture at each spot. This includes walking and running portraits. Luckily, you can use this pose pretty much anywhere, including tree-lined paths, city streets, sandy beaches, and so on.

Here are some examples to illustrate how well the walking and running pose works in different environments:

Photo by Vows and Peaks in Ouray, Colorado, USA

Photo by Tekoa Rose Photo at Haystack Rock in Canon Beach, Oregon, USA

The walking and running pose isn’t just filler. It’s a versatile storytelling tool. By making small adjustments in lighting, framing, and focus, you can produce a full range of images that feel natural yet polished. Add this sequence to your repertoire and give your clients a balance of candid energy and artistic intent.

Here are some additional walking and running pose wedding images for your inspiration.

Photo by Jessie and Dallin at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA

Photo by Andreas Pollok at Orangerie Darmstadt, Hessen, Germany

Photo by Nix Weddings in Ashford, Connecticut, USA 

Photo by Burlap & Oak Wedding Photography at Morro Rock in Morro Bay, CA, USA

Photo by Francis Sylvest at the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse in Leadville, Colorado, USA

Photo by Mauricio Urena at Hacienda Sitio de Mata Pavones, Turrialba, Costa Rica

Photo by Roc Focus at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum in Buffalo, NY, USA

Photo by Bonnie Photo at Carter Lake in Loveland, CO, USA

Photo by Summit Photo and Film at a Private Ranch in Carbondale, Colorado, USA