expert advice needed: photos look staged?

[Solesilence]

Okay so me and my sponsor have about 190 pictures to send (100 from the wedding and 90 misc) these seem like a good amount but we don't really have pics that show 'bonding time'.

i did however now remember that on our ipad we took 100 + pictures that really show how close we are. but now that i look at them i realize they could easily look staged.

what me and my sponsor used to do is in the full 2 months she lived with me, whenever we got dressed up we would sit in our fav spot in the room (best lighting) and take pictures.The problem is we always sat in virtually the same spot (so same background) we're wearing different clothes and hairstyles but the backdrop is virtually the same for all the pictures, do you think CIC will say they're staged (like we just changed our clothes and took all the pics in one day or something)

i really think they'll be a major asset but should I leave them out?

thanks, really appreciate any advice

 

[Iay]

Hmmm. this is a cliché but they always say that we should send quality rather than quantity photos. I believe it would not make any difference to send photos in the same place esp with the same backdrop. Didn't you take pictures outside? While travelling or something?

My husband and I only been together for 5 weeks but then we included pictures of everywhere we went. Also, do you have pictures of you together with other family or friends? that will be a quality proof.

It's good that you haven't sent your application yet, try to look for more pictures and more proof of your relationship like gift receipt, etc.

 

[scylla]

The photos sound very staged. I would include a couple and forget about the rest. Most people don't take photos of themselves posing in the same location day after day. You don't want to create a red flag that's not there.

 

[Rob_TO]

Just my opinion of course, but i don't think you need 190 pictures. You should be going for variety. So showing just the 2 of you wearing different clothing in the same spot over and over and over again... is useless. Just 1 will do. The other pics should show you in various stages of your relationship, perhaps taking a trip together (just 1 pic per trip is needed to prove you went), pics with friends/family, etc etc. Repeating similar pictures over and over again I don't think is really beneficial.

For the wedding, again minimal is ok. The main thing is to show just a couple pics of the ceremony itself, and then you guys with your various friends and family members who attended and support your marriage.

For comparison, in our common-law application we had around 20 pictures total.

 

[amikety]

We had 11 and only 3 weren't at the wedding. Neither of us like being in pictures.

1 from my first trip to Canada
1 from our family vacation with my husband's sister, her kids, his father and step-mom
1 from our honeymoon in front of the resort

Most wedding pictures were us posing with our friends afterwards. 1 from us signing our documents and 1 during ceremony (where you can't really see my face because of the hair....). That's it.

 

[aerogurl87]

Just my opinion of course, but i don't think you need 190 pictures. You should be going for variety. So showing just the 2 of you wearing different clothing in the same spot over and over and over again... is useless. Just 1 will do. The other pics should show you in various stages of your relationship, perhaps taking a trip together (just 1 pic per trip is needed to prove you went), pics with friends/family, etc etc. Repeating similar pictures over and over again I don't think is really beneficial.

For the wedding, again minimal is ok. The main thing is to show just a couple pics of the ceremony itself, and then you guys with your various friends and family members who attended and support your marriage.

For comparison, in our common-law application we had around 20 pictures total.

I agree. We sent in about 20 pictures total for our common law application and were approved in 6 months without the need for an interview. What you should send is pictures that show the progression of your relationship over time, not a bunch of pictures of virtually the same thing. We broke ours down into 5 parts. The first were pictures from my first visit to Canada, when we met in person. The second set were pictures from a day trip we took about a year into our relationship, then pictures from my fiance's cousin's wedding last year. Another set of pictures from another road trip we took when we went to get my medical done, and finally a set showing us on our first vacation to Jamaica together. Alot of them were pictures that we took of ourselves with our phones, but it did show progress and us together over time. And that's what CIC wants to see. They want to see you two together in everyday life over time. They don't care if you send them 10 pictures, as long as it shows variety and progression.

 

[Solesilence]

alright thanks a bunch, that clarifies alot!

i think I'll stick to quality over quantity now!

yup we have plenty of misc pictures of us at random places so it should be fine hopefully

once again thanks alot!

 

[JMStargazer]

I agree. We sent in about 20 pictures total for our common law application and were approved in 6 months without the need for an interview. What you should send is pictures that show the progression of your relationship over time, not a bunch of pictures of virtually the same thing. We broke ours down into 5 parts. The first were pictures from my first visit to Canada, when we met in person. The second set were pictures from a day trip we took about a year into our relationship, then pictures from my fiance's cousin's wedding last year. Another set of pictures from another road trip we took when we went to get my medical done, and finally a set showing us on our first vacation to Jamaica together. Alot of them were pictures that we took of ourselves with our phones, but it did show progress and us together over time. And that's what CIC wants to see. They want to see you two together in everyday life over time. They don't care if you send them 10 pictures, as long as it shows variety and progression.

Yeah, my (common-law) husband and I just printed out photos from Facebook (with comments from friends & family members) for every month we were together! It must've worked!