As a photographer who specializes in weddings and proposals, Ona Vicente spends much of her days watching happy couples.
And according to the snapper, 28, from New Jersey, she can tell whether or not a couple is going to make it long-term just based on their interactions during the shoot.
‘Couple-focused photography makes you very in-tune with couple dynamics and body language,’ she explained to the Daily Mail.
‘It is all about getting to know a couple quickly and being able to capture and reflect their love story in the photos.
‘A couple’s photography session forces the couple to be as themselves as they can be.’
Vicente, who has worked as a photographer for eight years and usually does around 300 shoots per year, said there are a few subtle clues during a shoot that tell her that a pair is likely doomed.
First, she explained that if a couple shows up ‘dressed to go to two different places,’ it’s not a good sign.
‘That truly tells me you haven’t talked to each other about the shoot at all,’ she dished.
Photographer Ona Vicente, 28, from New Jersey, said she can tell whether or not a couple is going to make it long-term just based on their interactions during the shoot
A couple posing for Vicente on their wedding day. She specializes in weddings and proposals, which means she spends much of her days watching happy couples
She admitted that a lot of times, one person in the relationship won’t ‘show any interest’ in the shoot while the other has a clear vision for what they want for it and the imbalance is very obvious to the photographer.
Another way that she can tell that a pair might be disjointed is if one person refuses to ‘indulge’ the other’s requests during the shoot.
‘[For example], if in a winter shoot one person wants coats off and the other person absolutely refuses,’ Vicente said.
‘If your partner wants coats off for even just one photo, please indulge them. It’s one moment of being cold for a great photo that’ll last forever, and then you can laugh for the rest of your lives about how you froze while taking that photo even if it doesn’t look it.’
Vicente added that if a couple starts to bicker in front of her during a shoot, even if it’s something small, she takes that as a clue that they won’t make it in the long run.
‘I believe if you’re comfortable arguing … in front of a stranger, you are too desensitized to fighting with your partner, which is never ever a good sign,’ she explained.
Other signs that a couple doesn’t have a strong relationship include getting ‘snippy or aggressive’ with each other during the shoot or making mean-spirited jokes about one another.
‘If you make mean-spirited comments about your partner in front of a stranger (even if it’s out of nervousness) that’s not a very kind and respectful thing to do to your teammate, who might be just as nervous as you are. You’re diminishing their confidence,’ she pointed out.
Vicente has worked as a photographer for eight years and usually does around 300 shoots per year
One of the photos Vicente has taken features a happy couple frolicking on the beach
‘I see it a lot when insecure men try to take their confident female partners ‘down a peg’ and I hate it every single time. [It] should be your goal as a partner to hype her up.’
Couples who get easily frustrated with each other when things don’t go perfectly are also likely headed towards a split, Vicente said.
‘I’ve seen too many couples get frustrated … when their partner is not doing the pose I instructed them to do,’ she revealed.
‘For most couples this is a first time experience, we don’t expect you to be masters at posing (we’ll teach you) so please don’t get frustrated with your partner, they are trying their best.
‘Just laugh it off and be gentle with each other. There’s a rule in acting that an actor doesn’t give a fellow actor notes. And this is how I like to operate shoots.’
As for what tells her that a relationship is going to last, she said the ability to ‘laugh through the awkwardness’ is always a good sign.
‘You can just tell the excitement and love in people’s voices when they tell you their love story during or before the shoot,’ she added.
‘[And when the couple is doomed there’s] a general feeling of resentment or dread that is really hard to explain to the untrained human.’
