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.
The Hands.
The hands are one of the most difficult areas of the human body to pose effec-
tively. That’s why so many photographers simply stick them in pockets—out of
sight, out of mind.
When I first started in photography, the hands were supposed to have every
joint bent. As a result, it wasn’t uncommon for a woman to look like she’d
missed a payment to her bookie and he took a nutcracker to her fingers. Let’s
face it, the “all joints bent” look is a little on the unnatural side—I don’t know
about you, but I never have every joint in my hand bent. Using this strategy
makes your subject look like a mannequin from the 1960s. Also, when you have
the hands posed in such a way, it can draw attention away from the face, the in-
tended focal point of the portrait. While this works well for showing off a wed-
ding ring (or, I suppose, if you are photographing a very homely person with
beautiful hands), it is a major distraction for most of your buying clients.
The hands are one of
the most difficult areas
of the human body to
pose effectively.