Lines.
As you’ve probably gathered by now, a great deal of posing involves cre-
ating lines with the subject’s body. Whether this is the S curve of the
model’s hips and waist or the long diagonal of an outstretched leg, lines
are among the most powerful of tools when it comes to composing an en-
gaging image. There are several types of lines to be aware of. Sometimes
you find one, both, or all three forms of lines in a single image.
Implied Lines.Implied lines are not physically present in an image;
they are created by our minds through the perceptions we hold in our
consciousnesses. A good example is the implied lines that are formed when
knee or elbow joints are cropped out of an image while the upper and
lower limbs are both still visible. As viewers, we don’t even think twice
about the missing joints—in our minds, we create a continuous line of the
entire limb.
If you decide not to include the subject’s entire body in a photograph,
this is an important consideration when deciding how to crop the image
in the camera. The rule is to never crop below a joint, as this will give your
subject the “amputee” look. The idea is to present your subject in what’s
seen as a “normal” state. For example, sometimes I’ll have the
model bend her arms to form a horizontal frame around her head
as she plays with her hair. I will then crop the entire elbow joint out
of the image. This only works, however, if I still have the rest of the
limbs visible in the image; this is what creates an implied line of
connection.
Imaginary Lines.Imaginary lines, on the other hand, are
physically present in the image, but they tend not to be perceived con-
sciously by the viewer. They are lines that make an image more appealing
to look at and they come in various shapes—the most common being the
S curve formed by the upper and lower torso, and (my favorite) diagonals
7. Composition.
A great deal of posing
involvescreating lines
with the subject’s body.80POSINGTECHNIQUESFORGLAMOURPHOTOGRAPHY