Posing Techniques for Location Portrait Photography.pdf

JEFF SMITH’S

POSINGTECHNIQUES

for Location Portrait Photography

Amherst Media ®

PUBLISHER OF PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKS

Published by:

Amherst Media, Inc.

P.O. Box 586

Buffalo, N.Y. 14226

Fax: 716-874-4508

www.AmherstMedia.com

Publisher: Craig Alesse

Senior Editor/Production Manager: Michelle Perkins

Assistant Editor: Barbara A. Lynch-Johnt

Editorial Assistance: Carey A. Maines

ISBN-13: 978-1-58428-225-9

Library of Congress Control Number: 2007926866

Printed in Korea.

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No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechani-

cal, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without prior written consent from the publisher.

Notice of Disclaimer: The information contained in this book is based on the author’s experience and opinions. The au-

thor and publisher will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in this book.

Table of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

2. Critical Decisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Determine the Intended Use of the Portrait . . . . . .15

Choose the Clothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Choose the Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Choose the Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Choose the Style of the Pose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Traditional Posing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Casual Posing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Journalistic Posing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Glamorous Posing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Practical Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

1. The Goals of Posing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Suit the Purpose of the Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Enhance the Style of the Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Flatter the Subject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Yield More Marketable Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

3. Flatter the Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Basic Guidelines for Posing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Explain Problems with Tact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Observe the Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Don’t Rely on Digital Fixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

The Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Tilt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

The Eyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Mouth and Expression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Hair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Chin and Neck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Shoulders and Spine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Long Sleeves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Posing the Arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Using the Arms to Conceal Problems . . . . . . . . . . .48

Hands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Bend Every Joint? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Give Them Something to Hold or Rest On . . . . . . .50

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

Fists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Bustline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Waistline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Hips and Thighs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Standing Poses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Seated Poses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Legs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Ankles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Muscle Tone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Color and Nylons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Posing Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

The “Deadly Sins” of Leg Posing . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

Feet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Bare Feet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Minimizing the Apparent Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Posing the Toes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Shoe Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Moving Forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

4. Posing on the Ground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

Clothing and Location Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Disguise Problem Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Choose Resting Poses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

Find Posing Aids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

Compose Carefully . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

Technical Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

Photographing Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

Additional Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

5. Seated Posing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

Finding a Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

Common Problem Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78

Hips and Thighs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78

Waistline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

Ground the Pose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

Angle the Body and Lean Forward . . . . . . . . . . . . .81

Arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

Compositional Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

4 JEFF SMITH’S POSING TECHNIQUES FOR LOCATION PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

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