The Double Kiss

How to set up The Double Kiss

1. Set the frame before anyone moves. The Double Kiss wants a close frame filled with faces, with 3 people already close enough to touch. Both parents kiss the baby's cheeks at the same time. A sweet and simple family-of-three classic.
2. Get them into the standing shape, then say this once and stop directing: "On three, both of you give her a gentle kiss on the cheeks."
3. While they hold it, make one flatter change and shoot again. Keep the baby centered and slightly forward so the parents' faces frame hers.
4. If the first frame feels stiff, do not rebuild the group. Try this next: Parents kiss each other over the baby.

Who it suits

The Double Kiss is a baby pose. Support and warmth come before the composition. It suits 3 people and a standing shape. It is beginner: one clear sentence is enough direction. Because the frame is tight, a small lean changes the picture more than a new backdrop would.

Where to shoot and how to light it

The Double Kiss works indoors or outdoors. Outside, use a simple background. Inside, use a window and clear the clutter behind the heads. The pose does not depend on a specific place, which is why it is marked for either.

For The Double Kiss, the rule is the same in either place: open shade outside, a window and no ceiling light inside. Keep the light on the faces rather than on the background. A close-up frame has nowhere to hide a squint.

The usual miss on The Double Kiss is a gap, a straight line of heads, or a face waiting for the next instruction. Keep the baby centered and slightly forward so the parents' faces frame hers. Then take the frame before anyone resets.

Variations

• Parents kiss each other over the baby
• Eyes closed, cheeks touching
• Siblings join the kiss