Pascal Baetens. Nude Photography. The Art and The Craft. 2007

88 exploring techniques

adjusting the pose

poses shouldn’t be considered in terms of good or bad, but

rather elegant or inelegant, suited or not suited to your picture.

As a photographer you have to be able to analyze a pose

quickly. Always start with the point of impact (the feet if the

model is standing, and so on). remember that a change in

your position will change the pose visually, and that you

should also adjust the pose in relation to light direction and

image composition. thinking in terms of the atmosphere

of the image also helps. if the model “feels” the image he or

she will find an authentic-looking pose almost automatically.

Arching the back

there is one very simple way to improve

the pose if your model is lying on her

back. in the image above, paulina’s

feet are almost flat against the ground,

and so is her back. in the image on

the right i asked her to raise her knees

slightly and point her feet so that only

the toes were in contact with the floor.

immediately her back arched up,

creating a much stronger and more

shapely pose.

Kneeling position

in the first image the front foot is positioned awkwardly under her leg, which is

pointing forward, causing a foreshortening effect. the back foot is visible and

spoils the lines of the pose. the second pose is more streamlined and relaxed.

Avoiding a double chin

if your model is lying on her back, arms above her head, and looking to camera,

there is a danger that her shoulder, neck, and chin will be too close to each other.

often, just relaxing slightly and looking to the side is enough to avoid this effect.