Posing for Portrait Photography

The same lighting procedure can be used in the case of the man

who wanted to show off his chiseled abs. By turning the body just

enough toward the shadow side of the frame, you will create shad-

ows in each recessed area. The larger the shadows, the larger the

muscles look. For a final touch, a kicker light can be used from the

side of the body—but make sure not to light up the shadows that

you have just created. You want to make sure to keep the light at a

low enough angle to just skim over the area you want highlighted.

The Waistline.

Angle to the Camera.As we have already discussed, the widest view

of the waistline is when the body is squared off to the camera. The

narrowest view of the waistline is achieved when the body is turned

to the side. So the more you turn the waist to the side, the thinner

it appears—unless there is a round belly that is defined by doing so.

Seated Subjects.A common problem with the waistline occurs

when the subject is seated and the folds of skin (or stomach) go over

the belt. Even the most fit, athletic person you know will have a roll

if you have them sit down in a tight pair of pants. There are two

ways to fix this problem. First, have the subject straighten their back

THE BUSTLINE AND THE WAISTLINE 71

Women always want their waistlines to appear as thin as possible. Switching from a straight-on pose (left) to a pose with the body turned (right)
helps to slim the waist.

The larger the shadows, the larger

the muscles seem to be.