Posing for Portrait Photography

Strong catchlights in the eyes are the single most important

aspect of a portrait (from a lighting standpoint). The main light

should be adjusted with each client, in each pose, to ensure the

proper placement. I tell our young photographers to elevate the

main light to a point where it is obviously too high (with no appar-

ent catchlight) and then slowly lower it until the proper lighting

effect is achieved. This forces them to adjust the light with each pose

and ensures that each client will have catchlights in each one of their

poses.

Number Five: The Spine and Shoulders.

This could be called the “anti-stiffness” rule. When you see a por-

trait of a person in which their shoulders are running perfectly hor-

izontal through the frame, or in which the spine (if you could see it)

SIX THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER DO 19

Adjust the lighting each time you pose your
client. Raise the main light to a point that is
obviously too high, as shown in the top left
photo, which has heavy shadows under the
eyes and nose, a dark shadow on the side of
the face, and diminished catchlights. Slowly
lower the light until the effect is what you are
looking for (top center). To complete the
lighting, add the reflector underneath the sub-
ject bouncing light up onto the face (top
right). To the right, the setup for this image.