Why Fewer Photography Prompts Create Better Sessions (and How to Use Them) | by Melissa Ortendahl

Do You Really Need That Many Poses?

If you’ve ever downloaded a massive list of photography prompts or pose ideas and felt completely overwhelmed halfway through reading it, you’re not alone. The truth is: you don’t need 70 different poses to run a successful photo session. In fact, having too many options can actually work against you. Instead of feeling inspired, you end up scrambling, second-guessing yourself, and losing the flow of the session.

What you actually need is a handful of thoughtful, flexible photography prompts that you can adapt to different personalities, energy levels, and environments. Fewer prompts mean you can focus more on connection and less on checking boxes. And when you do that, your galleries feel fuller, your clients feel more comfortable, and your job feels a whole lot easier.

The Power of One Good Prompt

The best photography prompts aren’t overly rigid or staged. They’re movement-based, emotionally grounded, and designed to create variety within a single idea.

One great prompt can deliver five or six unique images just by changing your angle, composition, or timing. For example, a family walking hand-in-hand can lead to wide scenic shots, intimate close-ups of hands, candid side angles, and even still moments when someone pauses to hug or laugh. You don’t need to constantly stop and switch things up—you just need to know how to work a moment fully.

When Too Many Options Get in the Way

Having an endless list of poses might feel like a safety net, but it can actually break the rhythm of your session. Each time you stop to flip through cards or scroll a PDF, your clients can feel that pause. Their energy shifts. The connection you’re building is interrupted.

This is especially true for sessions that can feel high-pressure or unpredictable, like family or newborn photography. Kids aren’t going to wait while you scroll. Newborns won’t stay in that peaceful state forever. You need to be ready to capture the moment as it’s unfolding, not fumbling through a long list of ideas.

Family Photo Pose Ideas That Actually Work

A few strong, go-to family photo pose ideas can keep your session moving and your clients comfortable. These prompts should feel natural and fun, like “run and scoop” or “group hug sandwich.”

Prompts like this keep the family interacting with each other instead of staring nervously at your lens. You’re not asking them to be perfect; you’re giving them something enjoyable to do together. The result? Authentic images filled with real connection and personality.

Simplifying Newborn Photo Prompts

For newborn photo prompts, it’s less about posing the baby like a prop and more about finding ways to create natural connection—parent snuggles, quiet moments, and tiny details.

A single prompt like “laying baby on mom’s chest” can yield a full series of images: wide shots showing the entire scene, intimate close-ups of hands or faces, and quiet detail shots of the baby’s tiny features. You don’t need to constantly move the baby or cycle through elaborate setups. One prompt can give you everything you need if you know how to work it.

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Maternity and Couple Pose Prompts Without the Stiffness

Maternity photo poses and couple pose prompts don’t need to be elaborate to be effective. Asking clients to walk hand-in-hand, pause, and connect with each other often leads to more meaningful images than micromanaging their body position down to the fingertips.

Prompts like “lean your head on your partner’s shoulder and just breathe for a moment” create genuine connection. And when you use prompts like these within a session that flows naturally, your clients will remember how comfortable they felt—and that’s the kind of experience they’ll rave about.

You Don’t Need a Giant Shot List—You Need a Plan

The goal isn’t to memorize dozens of poses; it’s to understand the power of a well-timed prompt and the natural variety it can produce. When you're using prompts rooted in real connection and movement, you don’t need a giant list. You need just a few that you know inside and out.

If your current workflow includes flipping through stacks of printed cards or scrolling through saved Pinterest boards, maybe it’s time to simplify. A smaller, smarter collection of photo prompts can save you time, reduce stress, and make your sessions more authentic and enjoyable—for you and your clients.

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The Solution: Pocket Prompts

This is exactly why I created Pocket Prompts. It’s a collection of 100+ prompts for Family, Maternity, Newborn, and Couples sessions—designed to live on your phone so you can reference them instantly, without fumbling through paper cards or massive PDFs.

Each prompt is movement-based and designed to deliver variety, so you can spend less time over-directing and more time capturing real moments. And because Pocket Prompts comes with a 22-page Session Workflow Guide, you’ll also learn how to integrate prompts into your session seamlessly.

The workflow guide breaks down how to start light and easy, when to pause for connection, and how to shift energy so your sessions feel effortless instead of disjointed. Together, the prompts and workflow guide give you everything you need to run smoother sessions, capture stronger galleries, and actually enjoy the process.

Ready to Simplify and Strengthen Your Sessions?

If you’re tired of feeling like you’re scrambling mid-session or relying on massive lists that don’t feel personal, Pocket Prompts is your answer.

You don’t need 70 poses. You need prompts and a workflow that work together.

👉 Grab your Pocket Prompts + Session Workflow Guide today and start building sessions that flow beautifully, make your clients feel at ease, and give you all the variety you need for a full gallery—without the stress.