The Nose.
Speaking of friends or foes, the nose is one part of the human head that
can be either a friend or foe for poses—even when working with the same
model. Often, this friendly or unfriendly status is determined by how the
head is posed.
Don’t Break the Line of the Cheek.The key rule is never to allow
the nose to cross over the line of the cheek. If you pose a subject facing
you and have them gradually turn away into a profile pose, you’ll see how
the nose goes from being contained inside the curved shape formed by
the cheek to becoming a small mountain on that outer shape. It’s this pro-
truding nose from the cheekbone that we avoid when posing (except, of
course, when shooting the subject in a complete profile with the face at a
90-degree angle to the camera).
Nose Size.Noses come in various shapes and sizes. Smaller noses allow
you to turn the face in more directions and are easier to light dramatically
with shadows. Larger noses should point toward the main light and the
camera, too. With this type of nose, the light should be less dramatic, with
less shadows utilized around the nose. You should also avoid profile poses.
If a model has a stubby, turned-up, pointed nose, try to tilt her head down
a bit (while ensuring that no double chin is formed).While teaching private instruction in the
Moab Desert, I noticed the geometric
patterns of light created on the model’s
face when the rather harsh overhead
light shone through the loose weave of
her hat. In this case, the posing was con-
trolled by the light from the sun on the
model’s face; I had her turn until her en-
tire face was shaded by the hat and the
desired bright accents of light were
formed. Notice, however, that the tip of
the model’s nose does not break (extend
past) the line of her cheek. This is a
basic rule of posing. (Camera:Canon
5D;Lens:Canon 70–200mm f/2.8L IS,
USM lens, effective focal length at
85mm;ISO:100;Shutter speed:^1 / 200
second;Aperture:f/14;White balance:
6000K)
THEHEAD,NECK,ANDFACE63