This image from Andy’s first photo
shoot was created at Bob Warren’s Stu-
dio in Bethlehem, PA. This is one of my
favorite poses from the session because
of all the diagonals. Her left arm also
creates a little action in the photo by ap-
pearing to tug on her left shoe heel. The
image was cropped according to the rule
of thirds and matches the direction of
the pose (the body points up, so there is
more space left above her). Many begin-
ning photographers would center the
model in the frame, but this creates a
central horizon line that normally is not
flattering. (Camera:Canon 5D;Lens:
Canon 85mm f/1.2L, USM lens, effective
focal length 85mm;ISO:100;Shutter
speed:^1 / 200 second;Aperture:f/13;
White balance:6000K)90POSINGTECHNIQUESFORGLAMOURPHOTOGRAPHY
Sometimes, however, I’ll use cross direction in an image to make a
statement. For example, if a model is walking or standing with her body
facing in one direction, I may have the model turn her face and head to
the opposite direction. This type of pose tends to imply she is looking back
at someone or something, thus telling a story. When a pose helps illus-
trate a story, then the image becomes more effective—it may even have
something like a photojournalistic appeal. In this type of situation, you
would still crop and compose the image so the model has more room to
look in the direction of where her face is turned.
Action and Motion.
Sometimes I’ll have my models do something fun, like throw rose petals
up in the air so they flutter back down all around them. In this case, I’ll
compose the image broadly enough to ensure I capture all the action while
cropping out unnecessary props or elements in the scene. Other times I’ll
have them actually throw something, like their clothes, at me. This type
of pose adds direction in the image, along with action. It also causes nat-
ural facial expression, such as happiness or fun. Even having the model