Posing for Portrait Photography

me explain what I mean. Most photographers will place the subject
in a clearing with the selected background behind them. That is
two-dimensional thinking. By placing the subject in the middle of
what most photographers would call the background, however, you
can create more of a third dimension. This is because you will have
a foreground that leads to the subject and then a background that
recedes farther and farther from the subject.

The ready availability of these foreground scene elements, which
can be used to hide clients’ flaws, is one of the reasons I enjoy work-
ing outdoors. Something as simple as a tree trunk, bush, or grass in
the foreground can hide any affliction, from large hips or stomachs,
to white socks or even funky-colored toenail polish.
When you start looking for areas like this to pose your client,
you not only create portraits that have much more dimension, but
also make it possible to make your subject look their very best.
Groups.When you get into posing multiple people, you can use
human obstructions, employing one person to hide the short-

84 POSING FOR PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

By placing the subject in the middle of what

most photographers would call the back-

ground, however, you can create more of a

third dimension.

A tree trunk in the foreground

can hide any affliction, from

large hips to white socks.