hands and arms can help accomplish this concealment of the body’s prob-
lem areas.
The Three Main Body Sections.
Now that we have looked at some basic principles to keep in mind when
posing subjects, we can continue on to explore the mechanics of posing
the subject.
When doing this, I find it easier if I mentally divide the body up into
three distinct regions. This makes posing consistent and easy, since it
breaks down the process into smaller, more manageable operations. It also
provides continuity when working with subjects of any shape. I’ll even dis-
cuss and demonstrate this technique with the model if I feel she’s lacking
experience or needs some confidence in her posing abilities. Thus, posing
will come naturally for both the photographer and the model, and the
shoot should be a success.
The regions into which I divide the body are easy to remember—there
are only three. The first is from the waist down to the model’s feet. The
ABOVE AND FACING PAGE—Here, Shauna provides a sequences of poses. In the first two photographs, she utilized her coveralls to
accentuate the pose and the story behind the images. In the nude poses, we went from a traditional full-frontal nude pose to more
of a “tool calendar pose” by adding the acetylene cutting torch in her hands. The more dramatic lighting also accentuated the
pose. In the traditional nude image, notice how her right leg is the support leg and the left acts as an accent leg. The shift in her
hips also helps the legs show their tone. In the full nude image, Shauna shifted her shoulders to an angle opposite that of her
hips to avoid a squared off appearance. (Camera:Olympus E-500;Lens:effective focal length 68mm;ISO:100;Shutter speed:
(^1) / 40 second;Aperture:f/9;Lighting:1] Hensel Integra Pro Plus 500 monolights fitted with 7-inch reflectors and 10- to 30-degree
grids, 2] one Hensel Beauty Dish to fill the entire image with soft light;White balance:6000K)
30POSINGTECHNIQUESFORGLAMOURPHOTOGRAPHY