Jeff Smith's Guide to Head and Shoulders Portrait Photography

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that so many photographers leave school doing so badly. I have seen everything from young ladies who look completely awkward, to ...

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shoulder and you don’t tilt toward the low shoulder, you tilt toward the shoul- der that looks good. Long Hair.When photographin ...

For the Guys.Guys typically aren’t gender benders when it comes to posing; they usually do look better tilting the head toward t ...

it up with clothing. If this isn’t possible, use a pose that obscures this area from view. (These same neck-hiding poses—several ...

professional look and it will be more visually appealing. It will also create a more flattering impression of the subject’s pers ...

To learn how to pose the arms, watch people as they are relaxing. They fold their arms, they lean back and relax on one elbow, t ...

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make it appear much larger in size than it actually is. This is another reason to have the arms covered if it at all possible. T ...

Generally, the hands of both men and women photograph best when they have something to hold. They photograph worst when they are ...

the palm, without completely curling into it. Even the pinky won’t curl under to touch the palm. The Expression. The first “phot ...

This is another area where photographers frequently make the mistake of thinking they know best. Most photographers like serious ...

poses. He would tell the client to have a relaxed expression (nonsmiling), while he still had a huge grin on his face. Many clie ...

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moody, more serious expressions are salable. In dealing with teens and adults, the best expressions are usually more subtle—happ ...

Corrective Posing. Don’t Rely on Digital Fixes.Once we went digital, it took our staff about six months to get out of the “we ca ...

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Also, If you plan to be in this profession long, you had better consider your clients’ feelings about their own appearance and b ...