bend forward a bit and smell the roses. If the model is leaning on a win-
dow as she looks out, I might have her bring her feet away from the wall,
so her body not only leans into the window but also curves attractively. Ul-
timately, I am trying to make an S-curve with the entire body, from head
to toe or toe to hands. S-curves come naturally when photographing the
female body from the side (i.e.,in profile), but when the body is facing the
camera, you must often use careful posing to really bring it out.
Raise a Foot.Sometimes you can change the pose dramatically sim-
ply by moving the model to an area where she can lift one leg and rest her
foot on something. This can be a chair, the edge of a bed, or whatever
else is available. Ideal places for standing poses are staircases or even get-
ting in or out of a car (one leg in, one out). Even ladders make good props
for staggering the legs.
Rear Views.Another possibility is to have the model turn her back to-
ward you while she looks off to the side. In this kind of image, the em-
phasis here is on the model’s backside. When the model has her back fully
to you, try some posing variation. Have her stand with her feet at shoul-
der width, then turn to the left and to the right. Then have her turn down
to the right and down to the left. These are all great possibilities—and
one of those images from that series will normally stand out as best match-
ing your concept of the scene. There will be something about it that makes
it stronger than the rest of the images.It’s easier to make a horizontal image
with impact when you choose a pose
with the model lying down—as Jess does
in this image. Her outer arm forms a nat-
ural and flattering triangle that helps
draw the viewer to her face, and a natu-
ral S-curve across her body, created by
arching her back, makes the pose a
standout. (Camera:Canon 5D;Lens:
Canon 85mm f/1.2L, USM lens, effective
focal length 85mm;ISO:100;Shutter
speed:^1 / 4 second; Aperture: f/1.2;
Lighting:Hensel Integra 500 Pro Plus
monolight with a Hensel beauty dish
with a Rosco #3411 CTO gel;White bal-
ance:3700K)